GATE Mechanical Engineering: The GATE Mechanical Engineering Exam 2026 for the next academic year will be conducted in Feb 2026 to offer admission to ME/M. Tech and Ph.D. programs to the most prestigious institutions in the country. Furthermore, the GATE Score will be utilized for offering jobs in the premier Public Sector Undertakings. Mechanical Engineering is an oldest and evergreen branch of Engineering that deals with studying mechanical components design, production, and their applications.
The GATE Mechanical Engineering Exam 2026 will be conducted to assess the candidate's knowledge in the core subjects as well as general aptitude. The students who are studying in Mechanical Course or completed the BE/B. Tech degree must start their preparation to ace GATE 2026 to explore the best career options. Candidates must read this article carefully for detailed insights into the GATE Mechanical Engineering Exam, subjects, exam pattern, syllabus, preparation books and more.The Graduate Aptitude Test In Engineering (GATE 2026) for Mechanical Engineering will be conducted in 2026. The online registration for GATE ME 2026 started. Candidates who completed BE/B. Tech in Mechanical Engineering or current in the third year or final year in their course can register for the test.
The GATE ME Paper tests the conceptual understanding of aspirants in the core subjects as well as general aptitude and mathematics. The GATE Mechanical Engineering Paper includes the 65 questions from different sections having a maximum of 100 marks. Candidates will get the time duration of 180 minutes to attempt the question paper. There is also a negative marking for MCQ and MSQ questions as per the rules.
The GATE Mechanical Engineering exam includes various major subjects such as theory of machines, fluid mechanics, machine design, industrial engineering, production engineering, thermodynamics, refrigeration and air conditioning. The subjects studied by aspiring engineers in their undergraduate level will be asked in the GATE.
After passing the GATE Paper, candidates mostly opt M.Tech to enhance their expertise in the field. The M. Tech in Mechanical Engineering is a two year course with four semesters includes numerous subjects according to chosen specialization. The students must check out the GATE Mechanical Engineering Subjects to prepare the preparation strategy accordingly.
The Mechanical Engineering is a vary popular branch for which highest number of students appear for GATE Exam and higher studies. It offers numerous career opportunities in public and private sectors. Through GATE Score, candidates can join the highly reputed Public Sector Enterprises like BHEL, SAIL, NTPC, GAIL, NALCO, DRDO, NPCIL, etc.
There are various career paths available after completing mechanical engineering in government jobs, private jobs and PSUs. The Mechanical Engineering Career Scope offers the numerous job roles such as Design Engineer, Production Engineer, HVAC Engineer, Automotive Engineer and Aerospace Engineer. Candidates can opt mechanical engineering for a great career exposure.
Candidates who want to pursue Mechanical Engineering must review the GATE Mechanical Engineering Eligibility Criteria to understand what are the requirements to enroll for the course. The students must meet the eligibility criteria specified by the authorities to appear for the GATE Exam. Below, we have discussed the GATE ME Eligibility Criteria in a detailed form:
GATE Mechanical Engineering Eligibility Criteria | |
Particulars | Eligibility Norms |
Nationality | Candidates of Indian and other nationalities are eligible to take the GATE exam. |
Educational Qualification |
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Age Limit | There is no age limit criteria to appear for GATE Exam. |
Candidates aspiring to take the GATE 2026 Exam for Mechanical Engineering must have a thorough understanding of the exam pattern to get familiar with the exam format. The GATE ME Exam Pattern comprise the number of questions, marking scheme, and test duration. A comprehensive exam pattern for GATE Mechanical Engineering is explained in this section:
GATE Mechanical Engineering Exam Pattern 2026 | |
Particulars | Details |
Exam Name | GATE Mechanical Exam 2026 |
Mode of Exam | Online CBT mode |
Exam Timing | 3 hours |
Maximum Marks | 100 |
Number of Subjects | 30 |
Total number of Questions | 65 |
Sections | General Aptitude (GA) & Mechanical Engineering |
GATE Marking Scheme | All the questions carries 1 or 2 marks |
Marks Distribution ME Papers |
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Total Number of Questions |
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Negative Marking |
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Type of Questions |
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The syllabus is the most valuable resource to frame the preparation strategy to perform well in the upcoming GATE 2026 ME Exam. The GATE Mechanical Engineering Syllabus involves a total of four sections – Applied Mechanics & Design, Engineering Mathematics, Fluid Mechanics & Thermal Sciences and Materials, and Manufacturing & Industrial Engineering. Candidates must have a proper understanding of GATE ME Syllabus to grasp all the topics to secure highest score. We have listed the major sections in the GATE 2026 Mechanical Engineering syllabus in the below section:
Master of Technology or M. Tech is postgraduate level technical program in various specializations. Candidates who want to pursue M. Tech course after qualifying GATE can check the list of branches available in Mechanical Engineering below:
While going to take admission to M. Tech in Mechanical Engineering, candidates get confused in choosing the best institution. There are number of colleges in the country offers M. Tech in different branches but the IITs are mostly preferred by students to seek a great learning experience. We have mentioned the list of top 10 M. Tech colleges in Mechanical Engineering below for your reference:
Top M. Tech Colleges for Mechanical Engineering | |||
Ranking of Institute | Name of Institute | Annual Fees Structure | Average Package |
1 | IIT Madras | INR 2,12,000 | INR 11 LPA |
2 | IIT Delhi | INR 60,000 | INR 8 LPA-10 LPA |
3 | IIT Bombay | INR 80,000 | INR 8 LPA-10 LPA |
4 | IIT Kanpur | INR 70,000 | INR 8 LPA-10 LPA |
5 | IIT Roorkee | INR 35,000 | INR 7 LPA-8 LPA |
6 | IIT Kharagpur | INR 2,00,000 | INR 8 LPA-10 LPA |
7 | IIT Guwahati | INR 2,00,000 | INR 12 LPA-14 LPA |
8 | IIT Hyderabad | INR 1,00,000 | INR 8 LPA-10 LPA |
9 | IIT Tiruchirappalli | INR 1,05,000 | INR 8 LPA-10 LPA |
10 | IIT Varanasi | INR 70,000 | INR 8 LPA-10 LPA |
Mechanical Engineering is one of the highly demandable courses for offering a reputed job in public as well as private sectors on various job roles, Candidates must have a valid GATE Score in the Mechanical Engineering to secure a reputed jobs in the PSUs with a decent salary package. The list of PSUs for Mechanical Engineering through GATE are provided below:
Mechanical Engineering PSU Jobs through GATE | |
Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) | SAIL (Steel Authority of India Ltd.) |
EIL (Engineer India Limited) | MRPL (Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemical Limited) |
BPCL (Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited) | MDSL (Medium-Speed Digital Subscriber Line) |
DRDO (Defence Research and Development Organization) | DDA (Delhi Development Authority) |
NTPC (National Thermal Power Corporation Pvt. Ltd.) | ONGC (Oil and Natural Gas Corporation) |
NPCIL (Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited) | BHEL (Bharat Heavy Electrical Limited) |
NFL (National Fertilizers Limited) | Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL) |
RITES (Rail India Technical and Economic Services Private Limited) | CEL (Central Electronics Limited) |
HAL (Hindustan Aeronautics Limited) | THDC (Tehri Hydro Development Corporation Limited) |
ECIL (Electronics Corporation of India Limited) | NALCO (National Aluminium Company Limited) |
NHPC (National Hydroelectric Power Corporation) | BSNL Junior Telecom Officer (JTO) |
BARC (Bhabha Atomic Research Centre) | HPCL (Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited) |
The mechanical engineering professionals earn the highly attractive salary package with numerous perks and allowances. The mechanical engineer salary depends on the place of job, experience of professional, demand of mechanical engineers, and skills of the individuals. But the average salary structure offered to Mechanical Engineers in India are mentioned below:
Mechanical Engineer Salary In India | |
Particulars | Salary |
Highest Mechanical Engineer Salary in India | Rs. 8 LPA |
Average Mechanical Engineer Salary in India | Rs. 4 LPA |
Lowest Mechanical Engineer Salary in India | Rs. 2.5 LPA |
Aspirants preparing for the GATE Mechanical Engineering Exam 2026 should practice the GATE Mechanical Engineering Question Paper to fully understand the exam before taking it. Below is the link to the GATE Mechanical Engineering Previous Year Question Papers; candidates should download and practice them thoroughly.
The GATE 2026 Mechanical exam is an excellent opportunity for all Mechanical Engineering aspirants aiming for a rewarding career in this sector. We are providing GATE Mechanical question papers with solutions PDF of the years 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, and 2019 to help GATE Mechanical students practice and analyze their preparation.
Previous year question papers for GATE Mechanical will assist GATE Mechanical applicants in analyzing their preparation, understanding the level of difficulty of the real GATE Mechanical exam, and improving their performance appropriately.
Candidates must answer mock examinations, practice papers and GATE question papers for mechanical engineering regularly in order to achieve better scores in the GATE Mechanical Engineering Exam.
GATE ME Previous Year Question Papers with Solutions | ||
Year of GATE Exam | GATE Question Paper PDF | GATE Solution PDF |
GATE 2025 Mechanical Engineering Exam | GATE ME 2025 Question Paper | Download Solution PDF |
GATE 2024 Mechanical Engineering Exam | GATE ME 2024 Question Paper | Download Solution PDF |
GATE 2023 Mechanical Engineering Exam | GATE ME 2023 Question Paper | Download Solution PDF |
GATE 2022 Mechanical Engineering Exam | GATE ME 2022 Question Paper | Download Solution PDF |
GATE 2021 Mechanical Engineering Exam | GATE ME 2021 Question Paper | Download Solution PDF |
GATE 2020 Mechanical Engineering Exam | GATE ME 2020 Question Paper | Download Solution PDF |
GATE 2019 Mechanical Engineering Exam | GATE ME 2019 Question Paper | Download Solution PDF |
The cut off marks for GATE Mechanical Engineering is determined by the authorities based on various parameters such as difficulty level of the exam, number of test takers, and previous year trends. Candidates need to score the minimum qualifying marks to pass the examination. Here, the GATE Mechanical Engineering Cut Off for the last 10 years are provided for your better understanding to know the trends:
GATE ME Last 10 Years Cut Off Trends | |||
Examination Year | Category-Wise Cut Off Marks | ||
General | OBC-NCL | SC, ST, and PH | |
GATE 2025 ME Exam | 35.8 | 32.2 | 23.8 |
GATE 2024 ME Exam | 30.8 | 27.7 | 20.5 |
GATE 2023 ME Exam | 28.4 | 25.5 | 18.9 |
GATE 2022 ME Exam | 28.1 | 25.2 | 18.7 |
GATE 2021 ME Exam | 33 | 29.7 | 22 |
GATE 2020 ME Exam | 34 | 30.6 | 22.6 |
GATE 2019 ME Exam | 34.1 | 30.7 | 22.7 |
GATE 2018 ME Exam | 34.7 | 31.2 | 23.1 |
GATE 2017 ME Exam | 32.7 | 29.4 | 21.8 |
GATE 2016 ME Exam | 32.73 | 29.46 | 21.82 |
GATE 2015 ME Exam | 25 | 22.5 | 16.67 |
GATE 2014 ME Exam | 28.86 | 25.97 | 19.24 |
GATE 2013 ME Exam | 25 | 22.5 | 16.17 |
GATE 2012 ME Exam | 27.14 | 24.47 | 18.09 |
Preparing for GATE Mechanical Engineering Exam requires a well structured preparation strategy and pre-planned schedule to cover the entire syllabus in a limited time. So, PW Online GATE Coaching is the best solution to prepare in well structured manner. The PW courses are curated by highly experienced faculties with interactive live classes, and daily practice sessions. We have shared the direct links to explore the PW GATE Mechanical Engineering Online Courses below: