GATE ES Exam Analysis 2026 (OUT), Here’s Topic Wise Difficulty Level
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GATE ES Exam Analysis 2026: GATE Engineering Sciences (ES) Exam 2026 was successfully conducted on February 6, 2026, in Shift 1. Candidates who appeared for the examination are keen to know the overall difficulty level, topic-wise weightage, and question pattern of the paper.
GATE ES Exam Analysis 2026 provided below is prepared based on student feedback and expert reviews collected after the conclusion of the examination. This analysis helps aspirants evaluate their performance, identify scoring areas, understand the paper trend, and gain insights into expected cut-off ranges.
GATE ES Exam Analysis 2026
GATE ES 2026 paper followed the standard GATE examination pattern. The analysis highlights the overall difficulty level, section-wise balance, and topic-wise distribution of marks, without disclosing any specific exam questions.
Check: GATE ES Question Paper 2026
GATE ES Exam Analysis 2026 – Topic-Wise Overall Difficulty Level
Based on feedback from candidates and subject experts, the overall difficulty level of the GATE ES 2026 paper was Moderate. The topic-wise difficulty assessment is as follows:
| Subject | Difficulty Level |
| General Aptitude | Moderate |
| Engineering Mathematics | Easy to Moderate |
| Environmental Chemistry | Easy to Moderate |
| Environmental Microbiology | Moderate |
| Hydrology | Moderate |
| Fluid Mechanics | Easy |
| OCF | Easy to Moderate |
| Environmental Part-1 | Easy to Moderate |
| Environmental Part-2 | Moderate |
| Environmental Issues | Moderate |
| Environmental Management | Moderate |
| Overall Difficulty Level | Moderate |
Check: GATE ES Answer Key 2026
GATE ES Exam Analysis 2026 – Topic-Wise Question Pattern
The topic-wise marks distribution of the GATE ES 2026 paper is given below. The paper was well-balanced, with higher weightage given to core environmental engineering subjects.
| Subject | Marks |
| General Aptitude | 15 |
| Engineering Mathematics | 13 |
| Environmental Chemistry | 10 |
| Environmental Microbiology | 7 |
| Hydrology | 3 |
| Fluid Mechanics | 1 |
| OCF | 5 |
| Environmental Part-1 | 7 |
| Environmental Part-2 | 28 |
| Environmental Issues | 2 |
| Environmental Management | 9 |
| Total | 100 |
Also check: GATE 2026 ES Expected Cut Off
GATE ES 2026 Marks Distribution by Question Type
The table below shows the marks distribution across different question types in GATE ES 2026:
| Question Type | GATE 2026 Marks |
| MCQ | 33 |
| MSQ | 11 |
| NAT | 21 |
| Total | 65 |
Remaining marks were distributed across other sections as per GATE examination norms.
GATE ES Exam Analysis 2026 – Key Highlights
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Overall difficulty level of the paper was Moderate
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Questions were a mix of conceptual and numerical-based
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Environmental Part-2 carried the highest weightage
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General Aptitude and Engineering Mathematics sections were manageable
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Time management was moderately challenging due to lengthy numerical questions
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The paper was largely aligned with previous GATE ES trends
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Major questions were asked from topics such as:
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First-order kinetics
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Interception of long-wave radiation from greenhouse gases
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Global warming
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Total hardness of ions
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Critical velocity
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Probability of rainfall
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Standard deviation for particulate matter
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Average sound level
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Gaussian plume dispersion
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Hazardous waste management
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Impact of species in an ecosystem
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Membrane fouling
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Malaria
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Unconfined aquifer
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