GATE CSE Exam Pattern 2026, Marking Scheme, Weightage
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Content Writer | Updated On - Jul 29, 2025
GATE Computer Science Engineering (CSE) exam paper for 2026 is set to consist of 65 questions, worth a total of 100 marks. As per the guidelines released by the conducting authority, IISc Bangalore, the pattern and the syllabus for the exam paper will remain the same of the previous few years. The CSE branch is one of the most popular branches of the GATE exam and is given by over three lakh students every year.
The exam would be conducted in an online format and would consist of three kinds of questions: Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs), Numerical Answer Type Questions (NATs), and Multiple Select Questions (MSQs). Much like the other branches in the GATE, around 70% of the weightage in the questions is given to the core subjects, 15% to Engineering Mathematics and the remaining 15% to General Aptitude.
GATE CSE Exam Pattern 2026: Highlights
The table below shows the important features and the highlights of the GATE 2026 exam paper:
| Mode of exam | Online computer-based |
| Number of questions | 65 |
| Total Marks | 100 |
| Duration | 3 hours |
| Type of Questions | Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs), Multiple Select Questions (MSQs) and Numerical Answer Type Questions (NATs) |
| Medium of paper | English |
GATE CSE 2026 Marking Scheme
- The GATE CSE exam paper comprises of 65 questions, with a total of 100 marks.
- There are three types of questions that would appear in the paper - Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs), Multiple Select Questions (MSQs) and Numerical Answer Type Questions (NATs).
- Some questions carry 1 mark, while some carry 2 marks.
- The negative marking for incorrect answers applies only to the MCQs. Incorrect answers for the MSQs and the NAT questions don't fetch negative marks.
- For every MCQ that carries 1 mark and is answered incorrectly, 1/3 marks would be deducted, and for every MCQ that carries 2 marks and is answered incorrectly, 2/3 marks would be deducted
Here is the section-wise marks distribution for GATE CSE 2026
| Section | Number of Questions | Marks per Question | Total Marks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Science Engineering Core Subjects | 25 (MCQs + NATs) | 1 | 25 |
| 30 (MSQs + NATs) | 2 | 60 | |
| General Aptitude | 10 (MCQs + MSQs + NATs) | 1 or 2 | 15 |
| Total | 65 | - | 100 |
GATE CSE 2026 Section-wise Marks Distribution
Based on the trends in the previous few years, the table below gives the weightage of the different syllabus topics as listed by IISc Bangalore in their release for 2026, and the corresponding number of questions that appear in the GATE CSE question paper:
Section 1: General Aptitude
| Section | Topics | Average number of questions | Average number of marks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Numerical Ability | Numerical Computation | 4 | 6 |
| Numerical Estimation | |||
| Numerical Reasoning and DATA Interpretation | |||
| Verbal Ability | English Grammar | 6 | 9 |
| Sentence Completion | |||
| Verbal Analogies | |||
| Word Groups | |||
| Instructions | |||
| Critical Reasoning and Verbal Deduction |
Section 2: Engineering Mathematics
| Section | Topics | Average number of questions | Average number of marks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discrete Mathematics | Propositional and first-order logic. Sets, relations, functions, partial orders and lattices. Monoids, Groups. Graphs: connectivity, matching, coloring. Combinatorics: counting, recurrence relations, generating functions. | 10 | 15 |
| Linear Algebra | Matrices, system of linear equations, determinants, LU decomposition, eigenvalues and eigenvectors | ||
| Calculus | Limits, continuity and differentiability. Maxima and minima. Mean value theorem. Integration. | ||
| Probability and Statistics | Random variables. Uniform, normal, exponential, poisson and binomial distributions. Mean, median, mode and standard deviation. Conditional probability and Bayes theorem |
Section 3: Core Computer Science Engineering Subjects
| Section | Topics | Average number of questions | Average number of marks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Digital Logic | Boolean algebra. Minimization. Number representations and computer arithmetic, Combinational and sequential circuits | 5 | 70 |
| Computer Organization and Architecture | Machine instructions and addressing modes. main memory and secondary storage; I/O interface., ALU, pipeline hazards data path and control unit. Instruction pipelining, Memory hierarchy: cache | 6 | |
| Programming and Data Structures | Programming in C. Arrays, trees, Recursion, queues, linked lists, binary search trees, binary heaps, graphs,stacks | 3 | |
| Algorithms | Searching, sorting, hashing. Asymptotic worst case time and space complexity, Graph traversals, shortest paths, Algorithm design techniques: greedy, dynamic programming and divide and conquer,minimum spanning trees | 4 | |
| Theory of Computation | Regular expressions and finite automata. Context-free grammars and push-down automata.Regular and context-free languages, pumping lemma, Turing machines and undecidability. | 6 | |
| Compiler Design | Lexical analysis, parsing, syntax-directed translation. Runtime environments. Intermediate code generation. Local optimisation, liveness analysis, common, elimination,Data flow analyses, subexpression, constant propagation. | 4 | |
| Operating System | System calls, processes, threads, inter process communication, concurrency and synchronization. Deadlock. CPU and I/O scheduling. Memory management and virtual memory. File systems. | 6 | |
| Databases | ER model. Relational model: relational algebra, tuple calculus, SQL. Integrity constraints, normal forms. File organization, Transactions and concurrency control, indexing | 7 | |
| Computer Networks | Concept of layering: OSI and TCP/IP Protocol Stacks; Data link layer: framing, error detection, Medium Access Control, Ethernet bridging; Basics of packet,circuit and virtual circuitswitching; Routing protocols: shortest path, flooding, distance vector and link state routing; Fragmentation and IPv4, IP addressing, CIDR notation, Basics of IP support protocols (ARP, DHCP, ICMP), Network Address Translation (NAT); Transport layer: flow control and congestion control, TCP, UDP, sockets; Application layer protocols: DNS, SMTP, HTTP, FTP, Email. | 4 |
FAQs
Ques. How many sections are there in the GATE CSE 2026 question paper and what is the weightage of each section?
Answer: The format of the GATE CSE question paper 2026 is expected to remain the same as that of the previous years, which means that the paper would have three sections - General Aptitude (15% of the total marks), Engineering Mathematics (~15% of the total marks) and the Core subject syllabus with around 70% of the total marks.
Ques. Are there any changes to the GATE CSE 2026 paper pattern?
Answer: No. The format of the GATE CSE question paper is expected to remain the same as that of the previous years
Ques. What are the types of questions that would appear in GATE CSE 2026?
Answer: GATE CSE 2026 is an online based examination, and the questions that would appear in the paper fall under three categories -
- Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)
- Multiple Select Questions (MSQs)
- Numerical Answer Type Questions (NATs)
Ques. What is the negative marking scheme for GATE CSE 2026?
Answer: The negative marking for incorrect answers applies only to the MCQs. Incorrect answers for the MSQs and the NAT questions don't fetch negative marks. For every MCQ that carries 1 mark and is answered incorrectly, 1/3 marks would be deducted, and for every MCQ that carries 2 marks and is answered incorrectly, 2/3 marks would be deducted.
Ques. Can the GATE CSE 2026 exam be given in Hindi or in other regional languages?
Answer: No, the GATE exam for all the different streams is available only in English, and not in any other language.
Ques.Out of all the core subject topics, which one carries the highest weightage in the GATE CSE 2026 exam paper?
Answer: Although an exact number cannot be determined, as per the trend seen in the previous years' papers, the topics which generally draw the most number of questions are - Databases, Computer organization and architecture and Operation Systems.
*The article might have information for the previous academic years, please refer the official website of the exam.
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