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GATE 2026 CSE Paper Analysis (Shift 1 & Shift 2): Difficulty, Questions & Answer Key Details

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Home ❯ GATE (Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering) ❯ GATE 2026 CSE Paper Analysis (Shift 1 & Shift 2): Difficulty, Questions & Answer Key Details

College Vidya News Team Feb 23, 2026 1.3K Reads

The GATE 2026 exam has taken place, and many individuals have shared feedback that the overall examination was not easy and was moderately difficult. Along with the conceptual and calculation-oriented questions in the examination, that were dominating both shifts, making the examination slightly more challenging for the students.

Overall Difficulty Level

Shift	Difficulty	Key Observations
CSE Shift 1 (9:30 AM – 12:30 PM)	Moderate to Difficult	Lengthy CS section, more MSQ & NAT questions
CSE Shift 2 (2:30 PM – 5:30 PM)	Moderate	Slightly easier than Shift 1 but tricky

GATE 2026 Section-wise Feedback

General Aptitude

Easy to moderate
Mostly direct questions

Engineering Mathematics

Moderate difficulty
Concept-based problems

Core Computer Science

Conceptual + calculative questions
Some lengthy and tricky problems
Statement-based questions moderate

Important Topics Asked

Shift 1

Algorithms (highest weightage)
Graph Theory (tough questions)
COA (floating-point representation)
TCP connection problem
Fewer questions from Computer Networks

Shift 2

Conceptual theory questions
Boolean algebra concepts
Analytical aptitude relations
Mixed calculative problems

Sample Memory-Based Questions

Which of the following is not a property of Boolean Algebra
Grammar & LL(1) parser true/false statements:
- Left factoring requirement
- Left recursion
- Backtracking usage
- Power compared to SLR(1)

Expected Good Attempts & Cutoff

Expected General category cutoff: 32 – 36 marks (approx.)
Moderate attempts considered safe due to tricky questions

Official Answer Key & Result Dates

Provisional Answer Key: Last week of February 2026
Objection Fee: ₹500 per question
Result Date: March 19, 2026
Scorecard Download: From March 27, 2026

Candidates will be able to check results through the GOAPS portal using enrollment ID and password after declaration.

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Live Updates

GATE 2026 CSE Paper Analysis: Live Updates

February 23, 2026 9:13 AM

Scorecard validity?

Valid for 3 years.

February 23, 2026 9:12 AM

What after result?

Apply through COAP and CCMT counselling.

February 20, 2026 5:13 AM

Is GATE enough for research admission?

Yes for MTech + PhD integrated programs.

February 20, 2026 5:12 AM

Colleges accepting low score?

State universities and private institutes.

February 20, 2026 5:12 AM

Does normalization affect rank?

Yes, shift difficulty affects final score.

February 20, 2026 5:11 AM

Can low score get IIIT?

Yes, some IIITs accept lower scores.

February 20, 2026 5:10 AM

Rank required for ONGC?

Usually top 200–500 rank.

February 19, 2026 5:50 AM

PSUs accepting score?

ONGC, IOCL, BHEL, GAIL and others.

February 19, 2026 5:50 AM

Which IIT possible at 650?

New IITs and some branches in old IITs.

February 19, 2026 5:49 AM

Can I get IIT Hyderabad with this score?

Possible above 650–700 score.

February 18, 2026 5:12 AM

Concept based or formula based?

Mostly concept based paper.

February 18, 2026 5:11 AM

Subject with most marks?

Core CS subjects dominated.

February 18, 2026 5:10 AM

Algorithms weightage?

High weightage this year.

February 18, 2026 5:10 AM

Was CN numerical heavy?

Moderate numerical difficulty.

February 18, 2026 5:09 AM

Number of NAT questions?

Approximately 10–20 NAT questions.

February 18, 2026 5:08 AM

Was TOC tricky?

Yes, many students found TOC confusing.

February 18, 2026 5:08 AM

Were PYQs repeated?

Concepts similar but exact questions not repeated.

February 18, 2026 5:04 AM

Were more MSQs asked?

Yes, more MSQs compared to last year.

February 18, 2026 5:04 AM

Questions from OS and DBMS?

Around 4–6 questions each.

February 18, 2026 5:03 AM

Which topics dominated paper?

Algorithms, DBMS and Computer Networks had highest weightage.

February 18, 2026 5:03 AM

GATE 2026 Result date?

Result expected on March 19.

February 17, 2026 4:53 AM

Final answer key when?

Released along with result.

February 17, 2026 4:53 AM

Will challenge fee refund?

Yes, if objection is correct.

February 16, 2026 4:14 AM

How to challenge answer key?

February 16, 2026 4:14 AM

Are NAT questions safe?

Yes, NAT questions have no negative marking.

February 16, 2026 4:13 AM

Negative marking in MSQ?

No negative marking in MSQ.

February 16, 2026 4:13 AM

Negative marking in MCQ?

Yes, 1/3 for 1 mark and 2/3 for 2 mark questions.

February 16, 2026 4:12 AM

How to calculate marks using answer key?

Match responses and apply marking scheme with negative marking.

February 14, 2026 8:32 AM

Where to download response sheet?

From GOAPS portal using enrollment ID and password.

February 14, 2026 8:31 AM

When will answer key release?

Provisional answer key expected in last week of February.

February 14, 2026 8:31 AM

Qualifying vs admission cutoff difference?

Qualifying cutoff only passes exam; admission cutoff gives college seat.

February 13, 2026 4:58 AM

Minimum marks for MTech admission?

For NITs around 45–55 marks, for IITs usually above 60.

February 13, 2026 4:58 AM

Percentile needed for PSU?

Mostly above 99 percentile.

February 13, 2026 4:57 AM

What rank comes at 60 marks?

Usually around rank 800–1500 range.

February 13, 2026 4:57 AM

Can I get IIT with 55 marks?

Possible but depends heavily on normalization and category.

February 13, 2026 4:56 AM

Is 700 score good?

Yes, 700 is a strong score for IIT admission.

February 13, 2026 4:55 AM

Can 600 score get NIT?

Yes, good NITs are possible at around 600+ score.

February 13, 2026 4:55 AM

Safe score for old IITs?

Score above 700 is considered safe for old IITs.

February 13, 2026 4:54 AM

Will cutoff increase this year?

Unlikely to increase much because paper difficulty was moderate.

February 13, 2026 4:54 AM

Expected GATE 2026 CSE cutoff for general category?

Expected cutoff is around 29–34 marks.

February 12, 2026 5:39 AM

Which section was hardest?

Many students reported TOC and OS as tricky sections.

February 12, 2026 5:38 AM

Was Engineering Maths lengthy?

Yes, maths questions were concept-heavy and time consuming.

February 11, 2026 5:20 AM

What marks are needed just to qualify?

Around 28–32 marks expected for general category.

February 11, 2026 5:19 AM

Can I clear GATE with 40 marks?

Yes, you will likely qualify but chances for IIT admission are low.

February 11, 2026 5:18 AM

Is 50 attempts enough for IITs?

Possible, but depends on accuracy and normalization.

February 11, 2026 5:18 AM

Is 45 attempts safe?

45 accurate attempts can put you near qualifying cutoff but not safe for top IITs.

February 11, 2026 5:16 AM

How many good attempts in GATE 2026 CSE?

Around 50–55 attempts are considered good attempts this year.

February 10, 2026 1:02 PM

Overall GATE CSE 2026 paper easy or tough?

Overall the paper ranged from moderate to moderate-difficult depending on preparation level.

February 10, 2026 1:01 PM

Was shift 2 tougher than shift 1?

No, shift 2 was slightly easier and more balanced compared to shift 1.

February 9, 2026 7:42 AM

How was the GATE 2026 CSE shift 1 difficulty level?

The shift 1 paper was moderate to tough. Many students felt maths and algorithms were lengthy.

By College Vidya News Team

Online Education News / Colleges & Universities / Admission Assistance

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