GATE Exam Date 2026, Detailed Branch wise Schedule (Out), Check Latest Update
Surya Bazal18 Nov, 2025
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GATE Exam Date 2026- The Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) is a national-level exam that evaluates candidates’ understanding of various undergraduate disciplines in Engineering, Technology, Architecture, Science, Commerce, and Arts. GATE 2026 will be a computer-based test (CBT) conducted by the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati. The GATE 2026 Examination is scheduled to take place on February 7, 8, 14, and 15, 2026, with two sessions each day: a Forenoon (FN) shift from 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM and an Afternoon (AN) shift from 2:30 PM to 5:30 PM. The branch-specific timetable is divided across these two weekends.
IISc Bangalore and seven IITs (IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi, IIT Guwahati, IIT Kanpur, IIT Kharagpur, IIT Madras, and IIT Roorkee) will administer the test on behalf of the National Coordination Board - GATE, Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education (MoE), Government of India (GoI).
If you plan to take the GATE 2026 examination, make sure you are aware of all the important dates. This article contains detailed information on the GATE 2026 Exam, such as the admit card, answer key, results, and score card.
GATE Branch wise Schedule (Out)
The official GATE 2026 day-wise and branch-wise exam schedule was released by IIT Guwahati on November 17, 2025. The GATE 2026 Examination will be conducted on four dates: February 7, 8, 14, and 15, 2026, with two sessions daily: Forenoon (9:30 AM – 12:30 PM) and Afternoon (2:30 PM – 5:30 PM).
Exams on the first weekend include AG, ES, IN, MA, MN, TF, XE, XL, AE, BT, CH, CY, PH, and XH on Saturday (Feb 7, 2026), followed by CS-1, ST, CS-2, EY, NM, and PE on Sunday (Feb 8, 2026). The second weekend features CE-1, EE, PI, BM, CE-2, ME, and MT on Saturday (Feb 14, 2026), culminating on Sunday (Feb 15, 2026) with EC in the morning and AR and DA in the afternoon sessions.
Also, Read: GATE 2026 Preparation
GATE Exam Date 2026 Out
The IIT Guwahati will host the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering from 7th February to 15th February 2026, for 30 distinct specializations. The official GATE 2026 Exam Date, issued by IIT Guwahati, can be found here. Furthermore, this website has thorough information about GATE Exam Date 2026, such as the registration deadline, admit card release date, and more.
GATE 2026 Exam Date
The Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) is a prominent test held in India for admission to M. Tech. and Ph.D. programmes at IITs, NITs, IIITs, CFTIs, and others. The GATE Score is also utilised to fill positions in several public sector undertakings. Candidates must be familiar with the GATE Exam Date 2026 in order to be prepared to take the exam. IIT Guwahati has released the Day wise schedule of GATE Exam Date 2026. The dates are shown in the table below.
|
GATE Exam Date 2026 |
|
|---|---|
|
Particulars |
Important Dates |
|
GATE Online Application Processing System (GOAPS) Opens |
August 28, 2025 (Thursday) |
|
Deadline for Regular Online Registration/Application Process (Without Late Fee) |
September 28, 2025 (Sunday) |
|
Deadline of Extended Online Registration/Application Process (With Late Fee) |
October 09, 2025 (Thursday) |
|
Modifications in GATE 2026 Application Form |
November 2025 (Tentative) |
|
Availability of GATE 2026 Admit Cards |
January 2026 (Tentative) |
|
GATE 2026 Examinations |
February 2026 (07, 08, 14, 15) |
|
Candidate’s Response Available in Application Portal |
February 2026 (Tentative) |
|
Availability of GATE 2026 Answer Keys |
February 2026 (Tentative) |
|
Submission of Challenges by Candidates on Answer Key |
February 2026 (Tentative) |
|
Announcement of Results for GATE 2026 |
March 19, 2026 (Thursday) |
|
Score Cards Available for Download |
March 27, 2026 to May 31, 2026 (Free), June 01, 2026 to December 31, 2026 (INR 500) |
GATE Exam Date 2026 Schedule
The Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati, released the GATE Exam Date 2026 Schedule on 17th November 2025. The test will be held twice a day, in the morning (09:30 am to 12:30 pm) and afternoon (02:30 pm to 05:30 pm). Here is the complete GATE Exam Date 2026 Branch wise Schedule:
| GATE Exam Date 2026 Detailed Schedule | |||
| Day, Date | Time (IST) | Session | Test Papers |
| Saturday, February 07, 2026 | 9:30 am to 12:30 pm | Forenoon (FN) |
AG, ES, GG, IN, MA, MN, TF, XE, XL
|
| 2:30 pm to 5:30 pm | Afternoon (AN) |
AE, BT, CH, CY, GE, PH, XH
|
|
| Sunday, February 08, 2026 | 9:30 am to 12:30 pm | Forenoon (FN) | CS-1, ST |
| 2:30 pm to 5:30 pm | Afternoon (AN) |
CS-2, EY, NM, PE
|
|
| Saturday, February 14, 2026 | 9:30 am to 12:30 pm | Forenoon (FN) | CE-1, EE, PI |
| 2:30 pm to 5:30 pm | Afternoon (AN) |
BM, CE-2, ME, MT
|
|
| Sunday, February 15, 2026 | 9:30 am to 12:30 pm | Forenoon (FN) | EC |
| 2:30 pm to 5:30 pm | Afternoon (AN) | AR, DA | |
GATE 2026 Exam Overview
GATE Exam 2026 will be held in various cities throughout India and will comprise two question formats: Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) and Numerical Answer Type Questions (NAT) in three hours. Candidates are recommended to begin their preparation early and build a solid study program encompassing the complete syllabus in order to do extremely well in this examination.
Additionally, previous year question papers, mock examinations, and practice exams are required to discover weaknesses and evaluate preparation level. Students who want to achieve good results in the GATE 2026 examination must be aware of the exam's prerequisites. The table below summarizes the GATE 2026 Exam Overview-
| GATE 2026 Overview | |
| Particulars | Details |
| Examination Name | GATE |
| GATE Full Form | Graduate Aptitude Test for Engineering |
| GATE 2026 Organising Institute | IIT, Guwahati |
| GATE 2026 Official website | gate2026.iitg.ac.in |
| GATE Exam Date 2026 | 07, 08, 14, 15 February, 2026 |
| Administered By | Jointly by IISc Bangalore and Seven IITs |
| Purpose of Examination | Qualifying Examination for M.E./ M.Tech/ Ph.D admissions and PSU Recruitment |
| Application Mode | Online |
| Mode of Examination | Computer-Based Mode |
| Examination Duration | 180 minutes (3hours) |
| Frequency of Examination | Annual |
| Number of GATE Papers | 30 |
| Validity of GATE Score/Grade | 3 years |
GATE Exam Date 2026 - COAP 2026 Tentative Dates
COAP is a centralised portal where participating IITs announce the results of seat distribution. Candidates with a valid GATE score must register online with their desired institute at the COAP site.
| COAP 2026 Important Dates( Tentative) | ||||
| Event | Dates | Available Options | ||
| Accept & Freeze | Retain & Wait | Reject & Wait | ||
| COAP Registration | March 2026, Expected | — | — | — |
| Round 1 Counselling | May 2026, Expected | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Round 2 Counselling | May 2026, Expected | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Round 3 Counselling | June 2026, Expected | Yes | Yes/ No* | Yes |
| Round 4 Counselling | June 2026, Expected | Yes | Yes/ No* | Yes |
| Round 5 Counselling | June 2026, Expected | Yes | No | Yes |
| Additional Rounds | ||||
| Round – 6 Counselling | June 2026, Expected | Yes | No | Yes |
| Round – 7 Counselling | June 2026, Expected | Yes | No | Yes |
| Round – 8 Counselling | July 2026, Expected | Yes | No | Yes |
| Round – 9 Counselling | July 2026, Expected | Yes | No | Yes |
| Round – 10 Counselling | July 2026, Expected | Yes | No | Yes* |
GATE Exam Date 2026 - CCMT 2026 Tentative Dates
Let us now discuss GATE CCMT Counselling, which is a centralised counselling procedure for admission to M.Tech programmes at 52 NITs and CFTIs (Centrally Funded Technical Institutions). Candidates can use the table below to gain an idea of the tentative dates for CCMT Counselling 2026.
| GATE CCMT 2026 Tentative Dates | |
| Events | Dates |
| Online Registration & Online Choice Filling | April 2026 to May 2026, Expected |
| Choice Locking Process Online | June 2026, Expected |
| Automated Locking of Saved Choices | June 2026, Expected |
| Publication of Round-1 Seat Distribution | July 2026, Expected |
| Payment of Seat Confirmation Fee, Document Uploading and Mentioning Willingness. | July 2026, Expected |
| Online Document Verification | July 2026, Expected |
| Online Change of Willingness | July 2026, Expected |
| Publication of Round-2 Seat Distribution | July 2026, Expected |