General FAQs regarding GATE | GATE Computer Science Engineering(CSE) 2026 Mock Test Series - Computer Science Engineering (CSE) PDF Download

Question: What is GATE? 

Answer: 

• GATE – Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering is an All-India Examination conducted jointly by the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore and the seven Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs). Every year one IIT or IISc is selected as the Organizing Institute. 
• GATE is a passport for admission into M.E. / M.Tech. and M.Sc. Engg. courses in almost all the colleges/institutes/universities of the country. M.E. / M. Tech. is a four-semester program and admission to these programs largely depends upon the GATE percentile score.
• GATE identifies meritorious and motivated candidates for admission to Postgraduate Programs in Engineering, Technology, Architecture, Science and Pharmacy at the National level. The examination is a compulsory requirement for the Ministry of Education (MoE) scholarship/assistantship for M.E. and M.Tech. programs.

• To pursue M.E./ M.Tech./ M.Sc. Engg. program in one of the leading institutes of the country.
• A Master’s degree leads to specialization and cultivates and brings out the best of your interest in a certain area which may lead to research/ Ph.D.
• Many PSUs like IOCL, BPCL, HPCL, MECON, PGCIL, etc. have a lot of weightage for GATE score in their recruitment process.
• More domain-specific companies are coming for on-campus recruitment in leading Institutes.
• A higher salary is offered to a student holding a Master's degree as compared to one holding a B.E.
• A Master’s degree is a must-have for those wishing to apply for Faculty/Research positions in educational Institutes and most of the R&D centres.
• Scholarship of Rs 12,400/- is paid during masters course, allowing one to live an independent life.
• The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research provides the award of Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) and Senior Research Fellowship (SRF) to engineers who have qualified the GATE exam. These fellowships also provide a stipend of Rs 31, 000  to  Rs 35, 000 per month.
• Some government organizations (e.g. BARC) prescribe GATE qualification as a requirement.
• The GATE score is used as a criterion for judgement by foreign universities like Nanyang Technological University (Singapore), National University of Singapore (Singapore), RWTH Aachen (Germany), TU Munich (Germany), etc. to grant admission into Masters and Ph.D. programs without the requirement of a GRE score.  
• It is mandatory to have a ME/M. Tech degree to apply for teaching jobs in Indian universities. To ensure that a teaching job is obtained in good universities, it is necessary to have graduated from well-reputed universities and this can only be obtained by getting a high score in GATE exam.  
• Most importantly, to be a part of a Premier Institutes and enjoy learning and research in a conducive ambiance.
• Last but not least, the Master course changes the individual’s thought process; teaches them the approach to solve a problem in a totally new & challenging environment.

• A candidate who is currently studying in the 3rd or higher years of any undergraduate degree program , OR has already completed any government-approved degree program in Engineering / Technology / Architecture / Science / Commerce / Arts, is eligible to appear in the GATE 2026 exam.
• Candidates who have obtained/are pursuing their qualifying degree from countries other than India must be currently in the 3rd or higher years or have completed their Bachelor’s degree (duration: at least 3 years) in Engineering / Technology / Architecture / Science / Arts / Commerce.
•  If a candidate is pursuing any higher degree or has already obtained a degree higher than that mentioned in the table below, the candidate will be allowed to appear for the GATE 2026 examination

The following categories of candidates are eligible to appear in GATE

Question: What is the structure of the Examination?

Answer:

• The GATE examination consists of a single paper of 3 hours duration, which contains 65 questions carrying a maximum of 100 marks. 
• The pattern of questions will include some Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ), while the remaining questions may include Multiple Select Questions (MSQ) and/or Numerical Answer Type (NAT) questions.
• General Aptitude is a common section in all GATE papers. The section comprises 15% of the weightage of the total marks. The questions in GA are based on verbal, numerical and quantitative ability. There are a total of 10 questions, with 5 questions carrying 1 mark each and 5 questions carrying 2 marks each.
• As for the papers with codes AE, AG, BM, BT, CE, CH, CS, EC, EE, ES, IN, ME, MN, MT, PE, PI, TF and XE, 15% marks weightage will be given to General Aptitude, 13% to Engineering Mathematics and remaining 72% to subject paper.
• Papers with codes AR, CY, EY, GG, MA, PH, ST, XH and XL, the General Aptitude section will carry 15% of the total marks and the remaining 85% of the total marks are for the subject paper.

Answer: The Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) 2026 is expected to be conducted by IIT Guwahati over multiple days, typically on weekends in the first or second week of February 2026. Based on historical patterns and available information, the tentative schedule for GATE 2026 includes examination dates in the 1st to 3rd week of February 2026, with sessions held in two slots: forenoon (9:30 AM to 12:30 PM) and afternoon (2:30 PM to 5:30 PM). The exact dates have not been officially announced yet, but candidates should regularly check the official GATE website (iitg.ac.in) for updates on the examination schedule.

Question: What strategy should be followed to qualify in the GATE exam? Do we need to cover each and every topic from GATE Syllabus?

Answer: Instead of covering the entire syllabus, it is more important to focus on the right subjects and topics within the syllabus for a particular stream.  

As far as the strategy is concerned, one can refer to the previous year's papers of their stream and identify the important subjects and topics to focus upon.

• However, in such case, the following documents should be provided to GATE:
• Either a copy of any one of the final year mark sheets.
• Or a letter from the principal, stating details about the backlog and it being the reason for not being able to produce a pass certificate currently.