GATE Eligibility Criteria 2026: Check Details Of Age Limit & Qualification
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Content Writer | Updated On - Aug 6, 2025
The IIT Roorkee will officially released the GATE exam eligibility Criteria 2026 along with a detailed notification at gate2026.iitr.ac.in. Candidates must review the eligibility criteria, which include information about age limits, academic qualifications, nationality, and more as it is crucial for appearing in the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering. Students with a Diploma in Engineering and those who are in their final year with results awaited can apply after reviewing the GATE 2026 eligibility criteria.
- What Is GATE Exam Eligibility Criteria?
1.1 What Is Course-Wise GATE Exam Eligibility Criteria?
1.2 What Is GATE Qualification Criteria For Foreigners?
1.3 What Is GATE Qualification Criteria For Candidates With Backlog?
1.4 What Are The Changes Introduced In GATE Eligibility Criteria?
- What Is The GATE Qualification Criteria For Two Paper Combinations?
- What Are GATE Eligibility Criteria For Different PSUs?
- What Is GATE Eligibility Criteria For M.Tech Admissions?
- What Is GATE Eligibility Certificate?
- FAQs
What Is GATE Exam Eligibility Criteria?
Here below are the eligibility criteria mentioned for GATE exam 2026 in tabular form:
| Criteria | Details |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Candidates residing in India or even outside India provided they fulfil the academic eligibility criteria can take the exam. |
| Number of attempts | The entrance test is held once every year and the candidates can take the same as many times as they wish to. |
| Age | There is no maximum age limit for this exam, candidates belonging to any age group can apply for the same. |
| Academic Qualification | Passed 10+2 or Bachelor’s degree |
| Courses Offered | BSc/ BTech/ 5-year Integrated B.S.-M.S. / Integrated MSc/ MBBS |
| Duration for Completion of the Qualifying Courses | Currently in 3rd/ 4th/ 5th/ 6th/ 7th year or completed already |
What Is Course-Wise GATE Exam Eligibility Criteria?
The details of eligibility criteria for GATE exam set for different courses are given below.
| Specialization/ Degree | Qualifying Examination | Who is Eligible? | When It Must be Completed? |
|---|---|---|---|
| B.E./ B.Tech./ B. Pharm. | Completed Bachelor’s degree in Engineering / Technology (4 years after 10+2 or 3 years after B.Sc. / Diploma in Engineering / Technology) | Students must be in the 3rd year or higher or already completed | 2026 |
| B.Arch | Completed Bachelor’s degree in Architecture (5-year course) / Naval Architecture (4-year course) / Planning (4-year course) | Students must be in the 3rd year or higher or already completed | 2026 (for a 5-year program), 2026 (for a 4-year program) |
| B.Sc (Research) / B.S. | Completed Bachelor’s degree in Science (Post-Diploma / 4 years after 10+2) | Students must be in the 3rd year or higher or already completed | 2026 |
| Pharm. D.(after 10+2) | Completed 6 year degree program, consisting of internship or residency training, during the third year onwards | Students must be in the 3rd/ 4th/ 5th/ 6th year or already completed | 2027 |
| M.B.B.S. / B.D.S. / B.V.Sc. | Must be a degree holders of M.B.B.S. / B.D.S. / B.V.Sc and those who are in the 5th/ 6th/ 7th semester or higher semester of such programme | Students must be in the 5th/ 6th/ 7th or higher semester or already completed | 2026 |
| M. Sc. / M.A. / MCA or equivalent | Must have a Master’s degree in any branch of Arts / Science / Mathematics / Statistics / Computer Applications or equivalent | Students must be in the first year or higher or already Completed | 2026 |
| Integrated M.E. / M.Tech.(Post-B.Sc.) | Must completed an Integrated Master’s degree program or Dual Degree program in Engineering / Technology (5-year program) | Students must be in the 3rd/ 4th/ 5th year or already completed | Any Year |
| Integrated M.E. / M.Tech. / M.Pharm or Dual Degree (after Diploma or 10+2) | Must completed an Integrated Master’s degree program or Dual Degree program in Engineering / Technology (5-year program) | Students must be the 3rd/ 4th/ 5th year or already completed | 2026 |
| B.Sc/ B.A. /B.Com. | Must hold a Bachelor's degree in any branch of Science / Arts / Commerce (3-year program) | Students must be in the 3rd year or higher or already completed | 2026 |
| Integrated M.Sc./ Integrated B.S./ M.S. | Must have completed an Integrated M.Sc. or 5-year integrated B.S.- M.S. program | Students must be in the 3rd year or higher or already completed | 2026 |
| Professional Society Examinations* (equivalent to B.E. / B.Tech. / B.Arch.) | Completed B.E. / B.Tech. / B.Arch. equivalent examinations of Professional Societies, recognized by MoE / UPSC / AICTE (e.g. AMIE by the Institution of Engineers-India, AMICE by the Institute of Civil Engineers-India and so on) | Students must have completed Section A or equivalent of such professional courses | Enrolled Upto 31st May |
| B.Sc. (Agriculture, Horticulture, Forestry) | 4- Year Program | Must be in the 3rd/ 4th year or already completed | 2026 |
What Is GATE Qualification Criteria For Foreigners?
The details of the GATE qualification criteria for foreigners are given below.
| Particulars | Details |
|---|---|
| Which Countries are Eligible for GATE Exam? | Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Ethiopia, or the United Arab Emirates (UAE) |
| What is the Academic Eligibility Criteria? | Candidates must hold a BE/ B.Tech/ M.Tech degree |
| What Should be the Duration of Qualifying Degree? | The completed Bachelor’s degree must be a three-year |
| Is there Any Age Limit? | Like Indian students, no age limit is set for foreign candidates also |
What Is GATE Qualification Criteria For Candidates With Backlog?
Given below are the GATE qualification criteria for candidates who did not get through any of the papers of their qualifying /final semester examination of their degree course:
| Particulars | Details |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Candidates belonging to Ethiopia, Bangladesh, United Arab Emirates, Singapore, Nepal, and Sri Lanka can seek admission through GATE 2026. |
| Academic Qualification | To secure admission, aspirants must mandatorily possess a Bachelor’s degree in the stream of Engineering/Master’s degree in a similar field. |
| Duration of the Program | 3 years |
| Age Limit | No maximum age limit, candidates from any age group can apply for the examination. |
| Courses | GATE 2026 offers PhD and M.Tech courses under IITs and IISc. |
- For the candidates who have qualified for any examination in the year 2018 or before the said year, a certificate after the completion of the program/membership certificate/ degree certificate/ provisional/professional certificate issued by the institute last attended/society is required to be submitted.
- For the candidates, who have acquired the degree in 2024 or the year after the said year, a certificate issued by principals or scorecard for section A of AMIE/ principals must be submitted.
Also Check:
What Are The Changes Introduced In GATE Eligibility Criteria?
Some noticeable changes were introduced in the papers and the eligibility criteria for GATE exam over the years. Some modifications in the academic area were also brought about. All these updates have been tabulated below.
| Changes In The Eligibility Criteria For GATE Exam | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Area of Change | Changes in 2021 | Changes in 2022 | Changes in 2023 |
| Academic Area in GATE | Applicants who have secured passing marks in the 10+2 board exam and are currently pursuing their 3rd year of graduation can apply for the exam. All Engineering/ Architecture/Technology should have a degree program in Science/ Commerce/ Arts that the Government must authorize. Only applicants qualified for the degree program are eligible to apply. Candidates who have graduated in either Arts/Commerce stream are eligible to apply. Until 2019, only candidates belonging to STEM were eligible to apply for the same. | BDS and M. Pharma candidates were also made eligible to take the examination. | - |
| Exam Papers in GATE | - | GATE Two-paper Combination has been revised. | A new paper on Data Science and Artificial Intelligence has been added. GATE Two-Paper Combination has been revised. |
What Is The GATE Qualification Criteria For Two Paper Combinations?
The “Two Paper Combinations” was introduced by the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru in 2024. Accordingly, candidates with their pre-chosen first papers can appear for other papers as well. The details for the two paper combinations are given below.
| Code of the First Paper | Code of the Eligible Second Paper |
|---|---|
| Aerospace Engineering (AE) |
|
| Agricultural Engineering (AG) |
|
| Architecture and Planning (AR) |
|
| Biomedical Engineering (BM) |
|
| Biotechnology (BT) |
|
| Civil Engineering (CE) |
|
| Chemical Engineering (CH) |
|
| Computer Science and Information Technology (CS) |
|
| Chemistry (CY) |
|
| Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (DA) |
|
| Electronics and Communication Engineering (EC) |
|
| Electrical Engineering (EE) |
|
| Environmental Science and Engineering (ES) |
|
| Ecology and Evolution (EY) |
|
| Geomatics Engineering (GE) |
|
| Geology and Geophysics (GG) |
|
| Instrumentation Engineering (IN) |
|
| Mathematics (MA) |
|
| Mechanical Engineering (ME) |
|
| Metallurgical Engineering (MT) |
|
| Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering (NM) |
|
| Petroleum Engineering (PE) |
|
| Physics (PH) |
|
| Production and Industrial Engineering (PI) |
|
| Statistics (ST) |
|
| Engineering Sciences (XE) |
|
| Humanities and Social Sciences (XH) |
|
| Life Sciences (XL) |
|
Are Candidates Eligible for NITIE Programmes If Appeared for GATE PI Paper?
- Students who have appeared in Production and Industrial Engineering (PI) in GATE exam can apply for NITIE programs.
- The National Institute of Industrial Engineering requires students to have a minimum of 60% aggregate marks in B.E./B.Tech courses.
- For reserved categories, a relaxation of 5% of the qualifying marks (i.e., 55%) is required.
What Are GATE Eligibility Criteria For Different PSUs?
If you are a job-seeker in PSUs with your scores, it is possible by adhering to certain GATE eligibility criteria, as follows:
| PSUs | Details | Academic Eligibilities |
|---|---|---|
| NTPC |
| Four-year bachelor’s degree in Engineering or Technology/AIME with 65% (for General) and 55% (for SC/ST/PwBD) |
| IOCL |
| General and OBC (NCL) must obtain a minimum of 65% aggregate marks in the qualifying examination. SC/ST and PwD candidates must have at least 55% aggregate marks |
| PGCIL |
| B.E./B.Tech/B.Sc (Engineering) with a minimum 60% or equivalent CGPA from a recognized University/Institute |
| GAIL |
| Bachelor’s degree with minimum qualifying marks of 65% for the General category. Wherever the minimum mark is specified as 65% or 60%, a relaxed minimum percentage of marks for SC, ST, and PwBD category candidates is 60% or 55% respectively. |
What Is GATE Eligibility Criteria For M.Tech Admissions?
Mentioned below are the eligibility criteria for the candidates seeking admission into M.Tech programs to GATE Score Accepting Colleges.
- To get admission to different institutes, candidates are required to submit a separate online application form.
- Candidates not securing a passing score in the examination shall not be permitted to apply for the M.Tech program in IITs, NITs, IISc, etc.
- With the help of the GATE COAP Counselling, candidates are required to complete the admission process for their choice of M.Tech program. No candidate will receive any offer letter if they fail to register at COAP and on the official website of the institute.
- By registering for the Centralised Counselling Process, also called the GATE CCMT Counselling, the candidates will be able to secure admission in NITs, IIITs, and CFTIs.
- The names of the selected candidates shall be uploaded to the CCMT Portal.
What Is GATE Eligibility Certificate?
The GATE Eligibility Certificate defines the final year’s scorecard/mark sheet certificate issued by the principal or the head of the institution.
- A scanned copy of the final year scorecard as per the prescribed format laid down by the authority must be uploaded while filling up the Application Form.
- Such a certificate issued by the principal/head of the respective institution is required to be uploaded by the candidate provided he/she has not yet received a final year degree/provisional certificate.
- The size of the GATE Eligibility Certificate should not be less than 10KB.
FAQs
Ques. I'm a student belonging to a Commerce background and want to join PSU. Can I appear for GATE 2026?
Ans. Yes, with the introduction of Social Sciences, Humanities, Environmental Sciences, Commerce, and Arts, a commerce student can apply if they satisfy all the other eligibility criteria.
Ques. My institute has still not provided me with the provisional certificate/ degree certificate. Which document shall I upload as a GATE Eligibility Certificate?
Ans. In such circumstances, the final year mark sheet is to be uploaded as the GATE Eligibility Certificate.
Ques. Is the downloaded mark sheet from the internet accepted as the GATE Eligibility Certificate?
Ans. Yes, the final mark sheet downloaded from the internet will be accepted as an Eligibility Certificate provided it is duly/digitally signed by the competent authority.
Ques. I have backlogs in the qualifying degree program as a result of which I did not complete the program. I’m currently not studying in college and therefore cannot procure a duly signed certificate from the HOD/principal. Which document shall I upload for the Eligibility Certificate?
Ans. The final year mark sheet of any one semester even if there are backlogs will be accepted as the Eligibility Certificate.
Ques. Which PSU Companies Recruit with GATE Score Without a Group Discussion?
Ans. Certain PSUs offer to recruit students having GATE scores and PI (personal interviews). In such cases, no group discussion round is held. A list of such PSUs are:
- Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL)
- Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL)
- Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC)
- Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (PGCIL)
- Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC)
Ques. I Have Completed My Bachelor's Degree in Five Months, Can I Apply for PSUs with GATE Scores?
Ans. Yes, students having bachelor’s degrees are eligible to fill out the application form for the post. It does not matter whether they have completed it in four or five years. The PSUs will consider other criteria like the age, percentage of marks obtained, and other skill-based questions.
*The article might have information for the previous academic years, please refer the official website of the exam.
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Answered Questions
For the UG Engineering courses, candidates need to have 10+2 with 45% for the general category. However, the aggregate percentage will be 40% for SC/ST/OBC. For the PG Engineering courses, candidates need to have graduation with 50% and 45% for the SC/ST/OBC.
The Fee for the B.Tech Computer Science and Engineering at VIT University is INR 1.73 Lakhs with an INR 3k caution deposit which is refundable and a One-time payment only.
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