GATE Qualifying Marks 2026: Check Paper-Wise Cut Off Score/Marks
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GATE Qualifying Marks 2026 will be released along with the result announcement. Candidates who appeared for the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering can check the paper-wise cut off scores after the result declaration.
The exam is being conducted by the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati for the 2026 cycle. The GATE answer key 2026 was released on 22nd February 2026 on the official website. Now, aspirants are eagerly waiting for the official qualifying marks and category-wise cut off.
GATE Qualifying Marks 2026
The qualifying marks refer to the minimum marks required to clear the GATE exam. These marks vary every year based on several factors. Candidates must score equal to or more than the cutoff marks to qualify.
It is important to note that:
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The qualifying cutoff is different from the admission cutoff.
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Cut off marks are released separately for each paper and category.
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Qualifying marks depend on the difficulty level and overall performance of candidates.
GATE Qualifying Marks 2026 (Expected)
Below is the expected paper-wise qualifying cutoff for GATE 2026:
| GATE Qualifying Marks 2026 (Expected) | |||
| Branch | GEN | OBC-NCL / EWS | SC / ST / PwD |
| GATE 2026 IN Expected Cut Off | 25-30 | 23 - 28 | 22 - 25 |
| GATE 2026 XE Expected Cut Off | 35–37 | 31.5 – 33.5 | 23.0 – 25.0 |
| GATE 2026 CH Expected Cut Off | 25–28 | 22 – 25 | 16 – 19 |
| GATE 2026 ES Expected Cut Off | 32-35 | 28.5 - 31.5 | 21 - 23.5 |
| GATE 2026 CSE Expected Cut Off | 30-32 | 27 - 30 | 24 - 25 |
| GATE 2026 CE Expected Cut Off | 29.2-33 | 26.2–28.5 | 19.4–20 |
| GATE 2026 EE Expected Cut Off | 25–27 | 22–23 | 21–22 |
| GATE 2026 ME Expected Cut Off | 28-30 | 26-27 | 23-24 |
| GATE 2026 ECE Expected Cut Off | 25–29 | 22–23.8 | 16.3 – 17.5 |
| GATE 2026 DA Expected Cut Off | 29.5 – 32 | 26.5 – 28.5 | 19.5 – 21 |
GATE Previous Year Qualifying Marks (Paper-Wise)
Below we have shared the paper-wise GATE Qualifying Marks for the previous year.
| Paper Code | Test Paper | General | OBC-NCL/EWS | SC/ST/PwD |
| AE | Aerospace Engineering | 28.9 | 26 | 19.2 |
| AG | Agricultural Engineering | 25 | 22.5 | 16.6 |
| AR | Architecture and Planning | 40 | 36 | 26.6 |
| BM | Biomedical Engineering | 29.2 | 26.2 | 19.4 |
| BT | Biotechnology | 28 | 25.2 | 18.6 |
| CE | Civil Engineering | 29.2 | 26.2 | 19.4 |
| CH | Chemical Engineering | 27.7 | 24.9 | 18.4 |
| CS | Computer Science and Information Technology | 29.2 | 26.2 | 19.4 |
| CY | Chemistry | 25 | 22.5 | 16.6 |
| DA | Data Science and Artificial Intelligence | 29 | 26.1 | 19.3 |
| EC | Electronics and Communication Engineering | 25 | 23 | 17 |
| EE | Electrical Engineering | 25 | 23 | 17 |
| ES | Environmental Science and Engineering | 26 | 23 | 17 |
| EY | Ecology and Evolution | 39.5 | 35.5 | 26.3 |
| GE | Geomatics Engineering | 26 | 23 | 17.1 |
| GG1 | Geology and Geophysics (Geology) | 38.4 | 34.5 | 25.5 |
| GG2 | Geology and Geophysics (Geophysics) | 40 | 36 | 26.6 |
| IN | Instrumentation Engineering | 25.6 | 23 | 17 |
| MA | Mathematics | 25 | 22.5 | 16.6 |
| ME | Mechanical Engineering | 35.8 | 32.2 | 23.8 |
| MN | Mining Engineering | 30.6 | 27.5 | 20.4 |
| MT | Metallurgical Engineering | 40 | 36 | 26.6 |
| NM | Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering | 25.1 | 22.5 | 16.7 |
| PE | Petroleum Engineering | 31.1 | 27.9 | 20.7 |
| PH | Physics | 26.8 | 24.1 | 17.8 |
| PI | Production and Industrial Engineering | 35.6 | 32 | 23.7 |
| ST | Statistics | 30.2 | 27.1 | 20.1 |
| TF | Textile Engineering and Fibre Science | 34.7 | 31.2 | 23.1 |
| XE | Engineering Sciences | 35.4 | 31.8 | 23.5 |
| XH-C1 | Humanities and Social Sciences (Economics) | 40 | 36 | 26.6 |
| XH-C2 | Humanities and Social Sciences (English) | 40 | 36 | 26.6 |
| XH-C3 | Humanities and Social Sciences (Linguistics) | 40 | 36 | 26.6 |
| XH-C4 | Humanities and Social Sciences (Philosophy) | 40 | 36 | 26.6 |
| XH-C5 | Humanities and Social Sciences (Psychology) | 40 | 36 | 26.6 |
| XH-C6 | Humanities and Social Sciences (Sociology) | 40 | 36 | 26.6 |
| XL | Life Sciences | 31.3 | 28.1 | 20.8 |
How to Calculate GATE Qualifying Marks?
The exam authority uses a specific normalization formula to calculate qualifying scores. The formula includes:
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Marks obtained by candidates
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Mean marks of top candidates
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Standard deviation
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Category-based relaxation
Reserved category qualifying marks are calculated separately as per official guidelines.
Factors Affecting GATE Qualifying Marks 2026
Several factors influence the final cutoff:
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Difficulty level of the exam
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Total number of candidates appearing
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Previous year cutoff trends
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Category of the candidate
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Overall performance in each paper
If the exam is tougher, the cutoff may decrease. If the competition is higher, the cutoff may rise.
Difference Between Qualifying Cutoff and Admission Cutoff
Many candidates get confused between these two terms.
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Qualifying Cutoff: Minimum marks required to qualify GATE.
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Admission Cutoff: Marks required for admission into IITs, NITs, or PSUs.
Admission cutoffs are generally higher than qualifying marks.
When Will GATE Qualifying Marks 2026 Be Released?
The qualifying marks will be released along with the declaration of the GATE 2026 result. Candidates can check it on the official GATE website by logging in with their enrollment ID and password