GATE 2026 – Cut Offs

Understanding the GATE 2026 Cut Offs is essential for aspirants planning postgraduate (M. Tech, M.E., Ph.D.) admissions or PSU recruitment. The GATE cut off represents the minimum score required to either qualify for the exam or to secure admission into top engineering institutes. For 2026, as in previous years, there will be both qualifying cut offs (to pass the exam) and admission cut offs (for seat allotment at institutes).

The GATE 2026 cut off is a dynamic benchmark reflecting the competitive intensity of India's premier engineering entrance exam. Aspirants should aim well above the qualifying cut off to maximize their chances for top M. Tech admissions and PSU jobs, and always track the latest updates from the official GATE and institute portals for accurate, branch-specific, and category-specific cut off information.

Types of GATE 2026 Cut Offs:

Qualifying Cut off:

• The minimum marks required to clear the GATE exam and obtain a scorecard.
• Varies by paper and category (General, OBC-NCL/ EWS, SC/ ST/ PwD).
• Announced with the results by the organizing IIT (IIT Guwahati for 2026).

Admission Cut off:

• Marks required for seat allotment in specific programs at IITs, NITs, IIITs, GFTIs.
• Varies annually and institute-wise, based on competition, number of seats, and candidate performance.
• Released individually by participating institutes during their counseling rounds (COAP for IITs, CCMT for NITs, etc.).

PSU Recruitment Cut off:

Separate qualifying marks set by each PSU for their recruitment processes; typically, higher than the exam qualifying cut off.

Expected GATE 2026 Qualifying Cut Offs (Subject & Category-wise)

While the official cut offs will be released after the result in March 2026, expected and recent trends provide valuable guidance.

Cut offs are indicative based on trends and recent data. Each year’s actual cut off may shift depending on exam difficulty, competition, and other factors.

What Influences GATE 2026 Cut offs?

• Difficulty Level of Paper: Tougher papers generally result in lower qualifying marks.
• Number of Candidates:A higher number can cause cut offs to rise due to stiffer competition.
• Number of Seats Available:Fewer seats may drive cut offs
• Category-specific Reservation:Cut offs are lower for OBC, SC, ST, and PwD, reflecting reservation norms.
• Candidate Performance:If more candidates score well, cut offs rise accordingly.

How Are Cut Offs Used?

• The qualifying cut offsimply entitles a candidate to participate in further admission processes, but does not guarantee a seat.
• The admission cut offis typically much higher at top institutes (IITs, NITs), sometimes requiring marks above 60–70 out of 100 for competitive programs, especially for General category applicants.
• PSU cut offmarks for interview calls are often above 65 or 75 marks for in-demand branches like Mechanical, EE, CS.

When and Where Will GATE 2026 Cut Offs Be Released?

The qualifying cut offs will be published along with the GATE results in March 2026 on the official website – gate2026.iitg.ac.in.

Admission cut offs for each counselling platform (COAP/CCMT) and participating institutes will be released subsequently on their respective portals.

FAQs:

Q1. Who releases the official GATE 2026 cut offs?

Ans. The organizing institute (IIT Guwahati) publishes the qualifying cut offs for each paper and category along with the GATE 2026 result.

Q2. How are admission cut offs different from qualifying cut offs in GATE?

Ans. The qualifying cut off is the minimum to pass the exam and obtain a valid scorecard; the admission cut off is the minimum needed for a seat in specific programs or institutes—these are usually much higher.

Q3. Is there a fixed or uniform GATE cut off every year?

Ans. No, the cut offs vary each year and depend on factors like exam difficulty, number of candidates, and overall performance. Each branch and category will also have a different cut off.

Q4. Are GATE cut offs the same for General, OBC, SC/ST, and PwD categories?

Ans. No, cut offs are lower for reserved categories (OBC-NCL, SC/ST, PwD) as per government reservation norms.

Q5. Where can candidates check GATE 2026 PSU cut offs?

Ans. Each PSU (like ONGC, IOCL, Coal India, etc.) releases its own cut off for recruitment based on GATE scores. These are published on the respective organization’s official career page after exam results.

GATE Results 2026