GATE 2026 Exam Pattern: Questions, Marks, Duration & Negative Marking
GATE 2026 exam pattern — number of questions, marks per question, duration, negative marking scheme, section-wise split, and tips to maximise your score within the time limit.
Reviewed by: StudyRoadmap Editorial · Last verified: 2026-04-24
GATE 2026 exam pattern
GATE examination consists of 65 questions carrying a total of 100 marks. The question paper is divided into three sections: General Aptitude (15 marks, 10 questions), Mathematics (13-15 marks depending on the paper), and Subject-Specific Section (remaining marks). Questions are of two types: Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) carrying 1 or 2 marks each, and Numerical Answer Type (NAT) questions carrying 1 or 2 marks each. There is negative marking for MCQs (1/3 mark for 1-mark questions, 2/3 mark for 2-mark questions) but no negative marking for NAT questions. The exam duration is 3 hours.
Subjects in this exam
- Engineering-Maths: 12 topics
- Subject-Specific: 20 topics
- General Aptitude: 8 topics