GATE‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌ 2026 Exam Dates Announced: Check Complete Schedule, Pattern, and Preparation Tips

A‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌ formal letter from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati confirm the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) 2026 timetable. The test to be held across India is scheduled for 7th, 8th, and 15th of February 2026 in different cities of the country.

The test will be held in two sessions each day. The morning session will be from 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM and the afternoon session will be from 2:30 PM to 5:30 ‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌PM. Over 230 test centers spread across the eight IIT zones have been selected to facilitate lakhs of engineering ‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌aspirants.

What is GATE 2026?

GATE‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌ is considered as one of the top 3 big nationwide entrance examinations of any kind for holders of an engineering degree. The exam is a gateway for M.Tech, PhD, and research programs in the most prestigious and ranking institutes like IITs, NITs, IIITs, and also universities. On top of that, a good number of Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) uses GATE scores for recruiting technical and managerial ‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌positions.

GATE 2026 Exam Pattern

The examination will be conducted by means of a Computer, Based Test (CBT) and the duration of the exam will be 3 hours. Candidates will face a total of 65 questions leading up to 100 marks.

The first part will comprise of the three sections:

General Aptitude

Engineering Mathematics

Core Subject(if one chooses the discipline)

The questions will be in the form of Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs), Multiple Select Questions (MSQs), and Numerical Answer Type (NAT) questions. For MCQs only, negative marking will be there if the answer is wrong, while MSQs and NAT questions won't have any penalty for wrong answers.

Important Dates for GATE 2026

Preparation Insights

Experts suggest strategic revision and conceptual understanding should be a top priority for the candidates now that the examination dates have been finalized. Proper preparation which involves equally dividing one's time amongst the core subjects, mathematics, and aptitude will most probably bring the best out of the student.

One has to keep on attempting mock tests and previous years' question papers as a means of his or her performance's accuracy and time management will be greatly improved. Candidates are also encouraged to figure out their weak points and give extra study time to the topics that have more weightage in their discipline.

Final Note

The GATE 2026 exam is a window of opportunity for the engineering graduates to move forward both in their higher studies as well as in PSU careers. Now, when the schedule has been made public, candidates should keep their work going, do exercises every day, and modify their preparation according to the official pattern so that they may achieve their best performance in February 2026.

Visit ‍‍gate2026.iitg.ac.in for official updates and ‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌notifications.