GATE Civil Engineering Exam Pattern 2026, Paper Format, Marking Scheme

GATE Civil Exam Pattern 2026: The Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati has unveiled the GATE Civil Engineering Exam Pattern 2026 on the official website. The GATE Civil Engineering 2026 exam pattern contains the mode of the exam, the number of questions, the marking scheme, various sections, and more. Candidates preparing for GATE 2026 should review the GATE exam pattern for CE 2026 to achieve good exam results. 

The GATE 2026 Civil Engineering exam will be organized in February, 2026 (tentative ). The GATE exam will be administered online as a computer-based test (CBT). Candidates can also view the GATE Civil Engineering exam pattern 2026 on this page.

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GATE Exam Pattern for Civil Engineering 2026

The Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati (IITG) has uploaded the GATE 2026 exam pattern and subject-wise syllabus for Civil Engineering on the official website. The GATE Question Paper contains three categories of questions: multiple choice questions (MCQs), multiple select questions (MSQs), and numerical answer type (NAT) questions. There are 100 marks in the GATE 2026 exam, with one or two marks assigned to each question.

To help applicants comprehend the format of the GATE Question Papers, the GATE exam pattern 2026 has been released. In addition to the GATE CE exam pattern, students should review the GATE CE Syllabus 2026. Candidates should study the complete article to discover more about the GATE 2026 CE exam pattern.

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GATE Civil Engineering Exam 2026 Highlights

Candidates going to take the GATE Civil Engineering Paper 2026 must have a thorough understanding of the paper pattern. The table below provides an overview of important details regarding the GATE Civil Engineering Exam 2026:

Check: GATE Civil Engineering Preparation

GATE Civil Engineering Exam Pattern 2026 Overview

There will be 65 questions in GATE CE Paper with a total of 100 marks, including 10 questions on general aptitude and 55 questions on Civil engineering. However, 72 percent of the weightage will be assigned to Civil Engineering topic questions, 13 percent to Engineering Mathematics, and the remaining 15 percent to General Aptitude.

Candidates taking the GATE CE 2026 Exam should be familiar with the exam pattern in order to understand the number of questions, weightage, and other details. Candidates aspiring to crack the GATE 2026 Civil Engineering Paper should review the complete test pattern to gain admission to ME/M.Tech/Ph.D. programs at reputed institutions throughout the country as well as PSU jobs. For your convenience, we have provided the GATE 2026 Civil Exam Pattern in the table below:

GATE Civil Engineering Paper Pattern 2026

The administration has made the GATE Exam Pattern 2026 for all papers available online. GATE Civil Engineering 2026 will be conducted in online mode. Engineering, Mathematics, Structural Engineering, Geomatics Engineering, Water Resource Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Transportation Engineering, and Geotechnical Engineering will be included in the GATE 2026 exam pattern and syllabus.

The question pattern will comprise some Multiple-Choice Questions (MCQ), as well as some Multiple Select Questions (MSQ) and/or Numerical Answer Type (NAT) questions. The detailed GATE question types are given below.

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs )

Multiple-choice questions (MCQ) carry one or two marks in all papers and sections.

• Candidates are given four options for MCQs, one of which is correct.
• Every incorrect answer receives a negative grade, i.e.,
• For each incorrect answer on a one-mark MCQ, 1/3 of a mark is deducted.
• An incorrect response on a two-mark MCQ will result in a mark deduction of 2/3 of a mark.

Multiple Select Questions (MSQ)

There will be a minimum of one to four correct answers for each Multiple Select Question. Candidates will be needed to choose all of the appropriate options.

• Making a mistake in MSQs carries no penalty.
• MSQ does not allow for partial marking.

Numerical Answer Type (NAT)

One or two-mark Numerical Answer Type (NAT) questions are included in all papers and sections.

• NAT includes questions with a value or an actual number as an answer.
• The number of decimal places that will be mentioned in NAT queries. Candidates must respond accordingly.
• The solution must be typed in using the mouse. If you use the keyboard, your answer panel will be locked.
• There will be no options for these questions.
• There is no negative marking for incorrect answers in NAT questions.

GATE has designed the GATE exam pattern for Civil Engineering 2026 to assess students' ability in the following areas:

Recall: This section provides facts, principles, equations, or laws in the paper's discipline. Candidates must select the correct answer from memory or from a one-line calculation.

Comprehension: These questions are designed to assess the candidate's comprehension abilities by requiring him to derive answers from fundamental concepts.

Application: The candidate is asked to apply their knowledge in these questions by using calculation or logical reasoning.

Analysis and Synthesis: To answer these questions, candidates must analyze data in the form of diagrams, images, and so on. Candidates must compare information and choose the correct answer based on their analysis and synthesis of questions.

Check: GATE Civil Engineering Preparation

GATE Civil Engineering Marking Scheme 2026

The examination marking scheme is such that students receive 1 or 2 marks for each right answer on the paper. Negative marks are only applied to specific categories of questions. Furthermore, you may find full information regarding the GATE Civil Engineering marking Scheme 2026-

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