GATE 2026 CSE Exam Analysis: Shift 1 Difficulty Level, Good Attempts, Questions Asked
GATE 2026 CSE Shift 1 exam concluded on 8 February at 12:30 PM. The paper ranged from moderate to difficult with concept-based questions, balanced sections, and significant NAT/MSQ weightage. Candidates can review memory-based questions, good attempts, difficulty level, and expected cutoff trends here.
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GATE CS Exam Analysis 2026 Shift 1: The GATE 2026 CSE Shift 1 exam has been successfully conducted on 8 February 2026, concluding at 12:30 PM. IIT Guwahati is organizing the GATE 2026 examination across multiple dates, February 7, 8, 14, and 15, 2026, for different engineering and science papers. After the completion of the shift, candidates can now check:
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GATE 2026 CSE exam analysis
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Memory-based GATE CSE questions with answer key
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Difficulty level and good attempts
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Expected minimum qualifying cutoff
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Unofficial solutions to estimate probable scores
These insights help students evaluate performance before the official GATE answer key is released.
Read: GATE CS Question Paper 2026
GATE 2026 CSE Shift 1 Paper Overview
Along with the Computer Science & Engineering (CSE) paper in the forenoon shift, IIT Guwahati also conducted:
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ST paper in the morning session
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EY, NM, and PE papers in the afternoon session
Candidates will soon be able to download the GATE 2026 CSE memory-based question paper PDF with solutions for detailed review.
Read: GATE CS Answer Key 2026
GATE CSE Exam Analysis 2026 Shift 1: Difficulty Level
Based on student reactions and expert review, the GATE 2026 CSE exam analysis indicates:
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Overall paper: Moderate to Difficult
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Engineering Mathematics: Moderate
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Core Computer Science subjects: Moderate to difficult
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Questions: Conceptual and slightly tricky
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Pattern trend: Comparable to GATE 2025 difficulty
Experts also observed that accuracy and conceptual clarity played a key role in solving the paper efficiently.
Also, read: GATE CS Exam Analysis 2026 Shift 2
Good Attempts in GATE 2026 CSE Shift 1
While the official cutoff will be declared later, early analysis suggests:
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Good attempts range: Expected in a moderate band due to difficulty level
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Higher accuracy required because of tricky conceptual questions
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Performance will depend heavily on NAT/MSQ accuracy
Final expectations will become clearer after the official answer key and response sheet release.
GATE 2026 CSE Exam Analysis: Subject-wise Weightage
| GATE CS 2026 Shift 1 Subject-wise Weightage | ||
| Subject | 1 Mark | 2 Marks |
| Database | 3 | 2 |
| Operating System | 2 | 2 |
| Computer Organisation and Architecture | 3 | 3 |
| Compiler Design | 1 | 2 |
| Theory of Computation | 1 | 3 |
| Discrete Mathematics | 1 | 2 |
| Digital Logic Design | 1 | 2 |
| Computer Networks | 2 | 2 |
| Algorithm | 2 | 4 |
| Programming and Data Structure | 3 | 3 |
| Engineering Mathematics | 4 | - |
| General Aptitude | 5 | 5 |
GATE CSE 2026 Important Topics & Question Pattern
From the memory-based GATE CSE questions answer key 2026, the following trends appeared:
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Strong focus on core CS fundamentals
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Balanced distribution across mathematics, programming, and theory
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Increased presence of NAT and MSQ questions
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Concept-driven numerical problems rather than direct theory
Approximately 30–40% weightage was observed from NAT and MSQ-type questions, making precision and time management essential.
GATE CS 2026 Marking Scheme
Understanding the marking scheme is essential for score prediction:
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1-mark MCQ: +1 for correct, −1/3 for incorrect
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2-mark MCQ: +2 for correct, −2/3 for incorrect
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MSQ & NAT:
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No negative marking
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Partial marking allowed (as applicable)
This structure makes careful MCQ selection and accurate NAT solving extremely important.