What is GATE?
GATE - Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering is an examination which is conducted for Master of Engineering (ME), Masters in Technology (MTech) and direct PhD admissions to Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), National Institutes of Technology (NITs), Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs) and other institutes/universities across India. It also opens the gateway to booming public sector organisations (PSUs) and in the field of research. Some of the PSUs and research organizations which use GATE score for providing jobs include ONGC.
GATE is an All-India examination administered and conducted in eight zones across the country by the GATE Committee comprising of faculty members from IISc, Bangalore and other seven IIT’s on behalf of the National Coordinating Board, Department of Education, Ministry of Human Resources Development.
GATE 2026/27 Examination is organising by IIT, Kharagpur and the exam will be conducted on February 5-6 and February 12-13.
Two new subjects – Geomatics Engineering (GE) and Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering (NM). The total number of subjects in GATE 2026/27 has increased to 29.
In another newly introduced change, students applying for GATE 2026/27 can also opt for two different papers from the prescribed set of combinations.
Eligibility criteria to appear for GATE-2026/27 is relaxed from the minimum 10+2+4 (ongoing) to minimum 10+2+3 (ongoing), enabling even those in the third year of their undergraduate studies to appear for the examination, thus providing an additional opportunity to candidates to improve their performance to secure better career options.
All test papers of GATE 2026/27 will be entirely objective type. Pattern of questions may include (i) Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ), (ii) Multiple Select Questions (MSQ), and/or (iii) Numerical Answer Type (NAT) questions.
| Code of The First(Primary) Paper | Codes of Papers Allowed as The Second Paper |
|---|---|
| AE | NM, XE |
| AG | ES, GE, XE, XL |
| AR | CE |
| BM | BT, EC, IN, XL |
| BT | BM, XL |
| CE | AE, AR, ES, GE, NM |
| CH | PE , XE |
| CS | EC, GE, MA, ST |
| CY | XL |
| EC | IN, PH, EE, CS, GE |
| EE | EC, IN |
| ES | AG, CE, GE |
| EY | XL |
| GE | CE, GG, ES, MN |
| GG | GE, MN, PE, PH |
| IN | EC, EE, PH |
| MA | CS, GE, PH, ST |
| ME | AE, CH, NM, PI, XE |
| MN | GE, GG, XE |
| MT | PH, XE |
| NM | AE, CE, XE |
| PE | CH, GG, XE |
| PH | EC, GE, GG, IN, MA, MT, ST, XE |
| PI | ME, MT, XE |
| ST | MA, PH |
| TF | XE |
| XE | AE, AG, CH, ME, MN, MT, PE, PI, TF, NM |
| XH | ST |
| XL | BM, BT, CY, EY |
The exam is jointly conducted by IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi, IIT Guwahati, IIT Kanpur, IIT Kharagpur, IIT Madras, IIT Roorkee and Indian Institute for Science, Bangalore (IISC Bangalore), on rotational basis. The following table shows the organizing institutes in various years:
| Year | Organizing Institute |
|---|---|
| 2026/27 | IIT Kharagpur |
| 2021 | IIT Bombay |
| 2020 | IIT Delhi |
| 2019 | IIT Madras |
| 2018 | IIT Guwahati |
| 2017 | IIT Roorkee |
| 2016 | IISc Bangalore |
| 2015 | IIT Kanpur |
| 2014 | IIT Kharagpur |
| 2013 | IIT Bombay |
| 2012 | IIT Delhi |
| 2022 | IIT Madras |
| 2011 | IIT Guwahati |
| 2010 | IIT Roorkee |
| 2009 | IISc Bangalore |
| 2008 | IIT Kanpur |
| 2007 | IIT Kharagpur |
| 2006 | IIT Kharagpur |
| 2005 | IIT Bombay |
| 2004 | IIT Delhi |
| 2003 | IIT Madras |
| 2002 | IISc Banglore |
| 2001 | IIT Kanpur |
| 2000 | IIT Kharagpur |
| 1999 | IIT Bombay |
| 1998 | IIT Delhi |
| 1997 | IIT Madras |
| 1996 | IISc Banglore |
| 1995 | IIT Kanpur |
Now while filling GATE form, candidates can apply for two subject papers from the prescribed set of combinations out of the 29 papers listed in the table given below. Candidates are expected to appear in a paper appropriate to the discipline of their qualifying degree. However, candidates are free to choose any paper according to their admission plan, keeping in mind the eligibility criteria of the institutions in which they wish to seek admission.
| PAPER | CODE |
|---|---|
| Aerospace Engineering | AE |
| Agricultural Engineering | AG |
| Architecture and Planning | AR |
| Biotechnology | BT |
| Bio - medical Engineering | BM |
| Civil Engineering | CE |
| Chemical Engineering | CH |
| Computer Science & Information Technology | CS |
| Chemistry | CY |
| Electronics and Communication Engineering | EC |
| Electrical Engineering | EE |
| Engineering Sciences | XE |
| Petroleum Engineering | PE |
| Geomatics Engineering | GE |
| Geology and Geophysics | GG |
| Instrumentation Engineering | IN |
| Life Sciences | XL |
| Mathematics | MA |
| Mechanical Engineering | ME |
| Mining Engineering | MT |
| Metallurgical Engineering | NM |
| Naval Architecture & Marine Engineering | PH |
| Physics | PI |
| Production and Industrial Engineering | EY |
| Textile Engineering & Fibre Science | TF |
| Ecology and Evolution | EY |
| Statistics | ST |
| Envirnomental Science and Engineering | ES |
| Humanities and Social Sciences | XH |
Students can pursue M.Tech/M.S/ M.E/Ph.D from IISc Bangalore, IITs, NITs, IIITs and other reputed institutes.
Students can pursue Post Graduate Diploma in Industrial Engineering (PGDIE), Post Graduate Diploma in Manufacturing Management(PGDMM), Post Graduate Diploma in Project Management(PGDPM) from NITIE Mumbai.
Several reputed Maharatna and Navratna PSUs and research organizations recruit on basis of GATE Score. i.e. IOCL, NTPC, BHEL, PGCIL, BARC, CSIR etc.
Teaching: Professor, Asst. Professor at IITs, NITs and other reputed educational institutes.
Junior Research Fellow: ISRO, DRDO, BARC, CSIR, IITs etc.
Senior Research Fellow: ISRO, DRDO, BARC, CSIR, IITs etc.
Junior/Senior Research Associates
Scientists “C” grade jobs.
Lucrative opportunities in research & development after post-graduation.
Multinational firms shortlist candidates on the basis of GATE score.
Some international universities offers M.S or Ph.D programs on the basis of GATE Score
- GATE Aerospace 2026/27 Eligibility
- GATE Aerospace 2026/27 Exam Schedule
- GATE Aerospace 2026/27 Resources
- GATE Aerospace 2026/27 Notification