GATE IN Exam Analysis 2026: Paper Review & Overall Difficulty Level
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The GATE Instrumentation Engineering (IN) 2026 exam is scheduled to be conducted by IIT Guwahati on 7 February 2026. As one of the more specialized branches in the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering, the Instrumentation paper typically features a mix of conceptual and numerically-intensive questions.
This article will provide a complete exam overview, pattern, and expected trends. Shift-wise and detailed analysis will be updated once the exam is conducted and student feedback is available.
Also Check: GATE Exam Analysis 2026
Overall Difficulty Level
The GATE IN 2026 paper is expected to be Moderate to Tough, based on past trends. Sections like General Aptitude and Engineering Mathematics are generally scoring, while the core technical subjects may include concept-heavy Multiple Select Questions (MSQs) and numerically intensive NATs. The actual difficulty level will be updated here once the exam is conducted.
Expected Section-wise Difficulty:
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General Aptitude: To be Updated
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Engineering Mathematics: To be Updated
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Core Technical Subjects (Instrumentation): To be Updated
The exact difficulty level will be updated after the exam concludes and student feedback is available.
GATE IN Exam Analysis 2026 - Questions Asked
According to the discussions with applicants on the GATE IN Paper Analysis 2025, the kinds of questions asked in the examination were objective and divided into MCQs, MSQs, and NATs. Check the overall number of questions asked in the GATE 2025 IN Paper, as shown below.
| GATE IN Paper Analysis 2026 - Questions Asked | |
| Types of Questions Asked | Total Number of Questions |
| Multiple-Choice Questions (MCQs) | To Be Updated |
| Multiple-Select Questions (MSQs) | To Be Updated |
| Numerical Answer Type Questions (NAT) | To Be Updated |
Number of Good Attempts for GATE IN Paper 2026
Applicants who have participated in the GATE Instrumentation paper on Feb 7, 2026, can check the number of good attempts to estimate their chance of success. The good attempts have been determined based on the valuable feedback shared by candidates:
| GATE 2026 IN Number of Good Attempts | ||
| Paper Name | Paper Code | Number of Good Attempts |
| Instrumentation Engineering | IN | TBA |
Expected Cut-Off Trends
As per the difficulty level of the technical section check expected cut off trends here, the qualifying marks are expected to remain consistent with previous years, where the core subjects were challenging.
| Expected Cut-Off Trends | |
| Category | Expected Qualifying Marks (Out of 100) |
| General | 32 – 35 |
| OBC-NCL / EWS | 29 – 31 |
| SC / ST / PwD | 21 – 23 |
Student Feedback & Expert Verdict
Based on past trends, students generally find Numerical Answer Type (NAT) questions time-consuming, while the General Aptitude section often provides a buffer for those struggling with core technical problems.
Expert Tip for Aspirants: The analysis of the 2026 paper is expected to highlight the importance of Multiple Select Questions (MSQs). Future aspirants should focus on understanding why a concept works rather than just how to solve it, as NTA/IITs are moving toward multi-concept questions.