GATE 2026 Exam Analysis LIVE: Check Shift-Wise Review, Difficulty & Expected Cutoff

Many candidates found Quantum Mechanics and Electromagnetism more challenging due to lengthy calculations and tricky concepts.

For a moderate paper, attempting 35–45 questions with good accuracy is generally considered a good performance.

Many students found Physical Chemistry and Organic Chemistry slightly challenging due to numerical problems and reaction-based questions.

The Biotechnology paper was rated easy to moderate, especially for students with strong basics in core biology topics.

The overall difficulty level of the Physics paper was moderate, with a balanced mix of conceptual and numerical questions.

As per the initial feedback, the overall difficulty level of the GATE 2026 Chemistry paper was reported as moderate, with a mix of easy, medium, and tricky questions.

The exact number of candidates who appeared for GATE 2026 will be released by IIT Guwahati after the exam. Meanwhile, we are sharing the number of candidates who appeared in previous years for reference.

Normalisation applies if a subject paper is held in multiple shifts. As per the scheduled CS and CE paper will be held in two shifts, so normalisation will apply only in these two papers.

Good attempts in GATE 2026 Mathematics depend on the paper's difficulty. For a moderate to difficult paper, attempting 35–45 questions with good accuracy is generally considered safe for a strong score.

Many candidates found Real Analysis and Linear Algebra slightly challenging due to conceptual depth and lengthy calculations.

The subject-wise overall difficulty level of GATE 2026 is given below:

GATE 2026 Shift 2 starts at 2:30 PM. Candidates are advised to reach the exam centre early to complete verification and security checks before the exam begins.

• For every incorrect answer opted for in an MCQ, there shall be a negative marking.
• For a 1-mark MCQ, there shall be a negative marking of 1/3rd mark for a wrong answer.
• For a 2-mark MCQ, there shall be a negative marking of 2/3 marks for a wrong answer.
• There shall be no negative marking for incorrect answers to MSQ and NAT questions.
• There shall be no partial marking for any question.

The overall difficulty level of GATE 2026 is moderate and similar to previous years. Sections like Biochemistry, Cell Biology, Genetics, Molecular Biology, and Ecology had good weightage.

The overall difficulty level of GATE 2026 Mathematics is moderate to difficult, similar to previous years. Typically, the Calculus section is the most challenging, while Real Analysis and Complex Analysis tends to be more manageable.

The GATE 2026 analysis includes the overall difficulty level, section-wise review, important topics asked, and expected cut-off trends.

Candidates get a total of 3 hours to attempt the entire paper and can move freely between sections and questions. You can choose which section to start with and how much time to spend on each part. This flexibility helps students manage time based on their strengths and question difficulty.

The official question paper will be released later on the GATE website. Students will not get a printed question paper at the exam centre.

The detailed GATE 2026 Shift 1 exam analysis will be shared shortly after the exam ends. It will include the overall difficulty level, section-wise review, important topics asked, and feedback from students and experts.

GATE 2026 Shift 1 is a 3-hour computer-based exam. It will end at 12:30 PM. Candidates will not be allowed to leave the exam hall before the mentioned time.

The GATE 2026 Shift 1 exam has begun smoothly at all designated examination centres across India. Candidates were allowed to enter the exam halls after completing the security checks and document verification process. The exam started on time as per the official schedule, and no major technical issues were reported at most centres.