GATE 2026: New sectional paper under engineering sciences, hike in application fee; what changes this year?
Vagisha Kaushik | August 6, 2025 | 01:40 PM IST | 2 mins read
GATE 2026 registration will start on August 25 at gate2026.iitg.ac.in. GATE exam 2026 will be held for 30 papers on February 7, 8, 14, and 15.
Download the GATE 2027 subject-wise syllabus PDF and prepare with the latest topics, section-wise weightage, and exam pattern for your chosen discipline.
Check NowFor the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) 2026, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati has introduced a new sectional paper – energy science – under the engineering sciences subject, giving greater flexibility to the aspirants. The GATE exam 2026 will be conducted for 30 test papers on February 7, 8, 14, and 15 for admissions to postgraduate engineering programmes and recruitment by Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs).
With the introduction of the new GATE 2026 XE paper section, candidates will now get to choose any two options from eight sections. As per the GATE 2026 exam format, the engineering sciences paper will comprise the following sections:
- Fluid mechanics
- Materials science
- Solid mechanics
- Thermodynamics
- Polymer science and engineering
- Food technology
- Atmospheric and oceanic sciences
- Energy science
The GATE 2026 exam pattern for XE paper gives a weightage of 15 marks to engineering mathematics and 70 marks to the two optional papers (35 marks each).
The addition of a new sectional paper may increase the number of candidates applying for GATE exam 2026 and will impact the GATE cut-off 2026. While the paper will be less competitive, for being new, there will be a lack of exam preparation resources such as previous year question papers.
Also read WBJEE results 2025 tomorrow after prolonged delay over OBC quota
A total of 14,937 candidates registered for the XE paper in the GATE exam held last year, of which; 11,156 attempted the questions. GATE cut-off 2025 for XE dropped to 35.4 for the general category. Anant Prakash Pandey secured the All India Rank (AIR) 1 in the paper with fluid mechanics and solid mechanics as his two sectional paper options.
Among the changes this year, the GATE application fee 2026 has been increased for all categories. While there has been a hike of Rs 100 in the application fee for female and reserved applicants, the fee has gone by Rs 200 for the other candidates including the foreign nationals.
GATE 2026 registrations will start from August 25 on the official website, gate2026.iitg.ac.in. The last date to apply is September 25.
GATE 2026: Sectional papers
Rest of the sectional papers in the GATE exam remain the same as last year.
|
XE Paper Sections |
Code |
XH Paper Sections |
Code |
XL Paper Sections |
Code |
|
Engineering Mathematics (Compulsory) (15 marks) |
A |
Reasoning and Comprehension (Compulsory) (25 marks) |
B1 |
Chemistry (Compulsory) (25 marks) |
P |
|
Any TWO optional Sections (2x35 = 70 marks) |
|
Any ONE optional Section (60 marks) |
|
Any TWO optional Sections (2x30 = 60 marks) |
|
|
Fluid Mechanics |
B |
Economics |
C1 |
Biochemistry |
Q |
|
Materials Science |
C |
English |
C2 |
Botany |
R |
|
Solid Mechanics |
D |
Linguistics |
C3 |
Microbiology |
S |
|
Thermodynamics |
E |
Philosophy |
C4 |
Zoology |
T |
|
Polymer Science and Engineering |
F |
Psychology |
C5 |
Food Technology |
U |
|
Food Technology |
G |
Sociology |
C6 |
|
|
|
Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences |
H |
|
|
|
|
|
Energy Science (Newly Introduced) |
I |
|
|
|
|
Follow us for the latest education news on colleges and universities, admission, courses, exams, research, education policies, study abroad and more..
To get in touch, write to us at news@careers360.com.
Quick Watch
]Next Story
]Featured News
]- ‘Have seen 8 suicides’: Why hundreds of IIT Delhi B.Tech students are protesting over Rishikesh Kumar’s death
- ‘Cover-up, conflict of interest’: Visva Bharati prof files RTI, VBUFA says facts buried in disciplinary cases
- University of Southampton Delhi to launch 30 courses over next decade, expand to STEM, health, arts: Provost
- Maharashtra’s draft coaching regulation law based on Kota-like centres, will harm small classes: Association
- ‘Cancel admissions’: Jamia Millia students allege lower rank-holders given seats over toppers, protest
- MGR Medical University releases faculty data of 13,000 teaching staff after TN group’s transparency push
- ICAR DDG: ‘NEP rollout priority; multiple entry-exit option helps bring students back to BSc agriculture’
- Removing deprivation points from admissions will change JNU’s character, make it elitist: Professor
- Tamil Nadu plans to strengthen Govt college libraries, polytechnics and diploma engineering courses
- IIT Delhi cancels classes after MSc student’s suicide sparks protest, demands for deans’ resignation