Zollege is here for to help you!!
Need Counselling
Sanghamitra Deb's profile photo

Sanghamitra Deb

Content Writer | Updated On - Aug 6, 2025

IIT will release the GATE 2026 Exam Centre list on the official website- gate2026.iitr.ac.in. If a candidate chooses a particular city (in a particular zone) as the first choice for GATE 2026, then they can choose the city of the second and third choices from the same zone only. GATE 2026 is the first step towards a lucrative career in engineering, technology and research rather than just an exam. GATE examination is an online computer-based test.

  • GATE Exam centres are divided into 8 zones in India, including around 200+ cities.
  • Candidates are required to choose 3 exam centres while filling out the GATE Application Form 2026.
  • All International GATE Exam Centres have been withdrawn. 

Note that the GATE Committee reserves the right to add a new city or delete an existing city and allot a city which may not be among any of the options chosen by the candidate due to operational constraints. Multiple-choice (MCQ), multiple-select (MSQ), and numerical answer-type (NAT) questions are all included in this exam. Three hours are allotted, and the maximum marks is 100.

Quick Links: 

GATE Eligibility Criteria 2026

GATE Login 2026                       

GATE 2026 Exam Centres: Highlights 

GATE 2026 will take place in a number of Indian cities as well as a few international venues. Choosing the appropriate exam centre is essential for candidates taking GATE 2026 in order to guarantee a seamless exam experience. 

Particulars

Details

Total number of GATE Exam Cities 235 (Updated)
Total Number of GATE zones 8
GATE Zones

Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru
IIT Bombay
IIT Delhi
IIT Guwahati
IIT Kanpur
IIT Kharagpur
IIT Madras
IIT Roorkee

GATE 2026 Exam Centres in India 

For administrative reasons, the GATE Exam Centre cities in India are classified into 8 zones. The 7 IITs and the IISc, Bangalore operate as the 8 zonal GATE offices that control and supervise the activities with respect to GATE 2026 in these exam cities. GATE was conducted initially both in India as well as outside of India. But for GATE 2026, the international GATE exam centres have been withdrawn.

If a candidate selects a particular city as their preferred GATE exam centre, then he/she has to select the other two exam cities from the same GATE zone.

Zone Number

Number of exam cities

List of exam cities

IISC Bangalore

37 cities

Andaman and Nicobar: Port Blair
Andhra Pradesh: Ananthapuramu, Kurnool
Karnataka: Bagalkot, Ballari, Belagavi, Bengaluru North, Bengaluru South, Bidar, Chikkamagaluru, Chikkballapur, Davanagere, Hassan, Hubballi/ Dharwad, Kalaburagi, Kolar, Mandya, Mangaluru, Manipal-Udupi, Mysuru, Puttur, Shivamogga, Tumakuru
Kerala: Angamaly, Kannur, Kasaragod, Kozhikode, Malappuram, Palakkad, Pathanamthitta, Payyanur, Thrissur, Vatakara, Wayanad
Telangana: Hyderabad, Medak, Nalgonda

IIT Bombay

37 cities

Goa: Goa
Gujarat: Ahmedabad, Anand, Bhavnagar, Bhuj, Gandhinagar, Jamnagar, Mehsana, Rajkot, Surat, Vadodara, Vapi
Maharashtra: Ahmednagar, Akola, Amravati, Aurangabad, Baramati, Chandrapur, Dhule, Jalgaon, Kolhapur, Latur, Mumbai, Nagpur, Nanded, Nashik, Navi Mumbai-Thane, Panvel-Raigad, Pune, Ratnagiri, Sangamner-Loni-Shirdi, Sangli, Satara, Solapur, Vasai-Palghar, Wardha, Yavatmal

IIT Delhi

22 cities

Haryana: Faridabad, Gurugram, Hisar
Jammu and Kashmir: Jammu-Samba, Srinagar
Ladakh: Leh
Madhya Pradesh: Indore, Ujjain
New Delhi: New Delhi
Rajasthan: Ajmer, Alwar, Bhilwara, Bikaner, Dausa, Hanumangarh, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Kota, Sikar, Udaipur
Uttar Pradesh: Greater NOIDA, Mathura

IIT Guwahati

22 cities

Arunachal Pradesh: Itanagar
Assam: Dibrugarh, Guwahati, Jorhat, Silchar, Tezpur
Bihar: Bhagalpur, Muzaffarpur, Patna, Purnea
Jharkhand: Bokaro Steel City, Dhanbad
Manipur: Imphal
Meghalaya: Shillong
Mizoram: Aizawl
Nagaland: Dimapur-Kohima
Sikkim: Gangtok
Tripura: Agartala
West Bengal: Asansol-Durgapur, Burdwan, Kalyani, Siliguri

IIT Kanpur

14 cities

Madhya Pradesh: Bhopal, Gwalior, Jabalpur, Sagar, Satna
Uttar Pradesh: Agra, Aligarh, Bareilly, Gorakhpur, Jhansi, Kanpur, Lucknow, Prayagraj, Varanasi

IIT Kharagpur

30 cities

Andhra Pradesh: Eluru, Kakinada-Surampalem, Rajamahendravaram (Rajahmundry), Srikakulam, Tadepalligudem, Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram
Chhattisgarh: Bhilai, Bilaspur, Raipur
Jharkhand: Hazaribag, Jamshedpur, Ranchi
Odisha: Balasore, Bhubaneswar, Brahmapur, Cuttack, Dhenkanal, Kakatpur (Puri), Rourkela, Sambalpur
West Bengal: Bankura, Berhampur-Murshidabad, Hooghly, Howrah, Kharagpur-Midnapur, Kolaghat, Kolkata, Suri (Birbhum)

IIT Madras

47 cities

Andhra Pradesh: Chirala, Chittoor, Guntur, Kadapa, Nandyala, Nellore, Ongole, Tirupati
Kerala: Alappuzha, Aluva-Ernakulam, Attingal, Chengannur, Kanjirapally, Kollam, Kothamangalam, Kottayam, Muvattupuzha, Thiruvananthapuram
Pondicherry: Puducherry
Tamil Nadu: Chennai South, Chennai West, Coimbatore, Cuddalore, Dindigul, Erode, Kanyakumari-Nagercoil, Krishnagiri, Madurai, Namakkal, Pollachi, Ramanathapuram, Salem, Thanjavur, Theni, Thoothukudi, Tiruchirapalli, Tirunelveli, Vellore, Virudhunagar
Telangana: Adilabad, Karimnagar, Khammam, Kodad, Kothagudem, Nizamabad, Suryapet, Warangal

IIT Roorkee

26 cities

Haryana: Ambala, Kurukshetra
Himachal Pradesh: Baddi, Bilaspur, Hamirpur, Kangra, Mandi, Palampur, Shimla-Solan, Una
Punjab: Amritsar, Bathinda, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Mohali-Chandigarh, Patiala, Pathankot
Uttarakhand: Dehradun, Haldwani, Roorkee
Uttar Pradesh: Ghaziabad, Meerut, Moradabad, Muzaffarnagar, NOIDA, Saharanpur

GATE 2026 Exam Centres: International Centres 

As per the official notification released by the authorities, GATE 2026 will not be conducted in any of the international exam centres. International students willing to take the exam have to appear in any one of the national GATE exam centres. The cost of travel and accommodation has to be borne by the candidates themselves.

GATE was previously conducted in many international countries such as Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Ethiopia, Singapore, UAE and Nepal. The GATE application fee differed for the students opting for the international exam centres.

Some details regarding the International candidates are as follows:

  • For foreign nationals, reservation categories such as ST/SC/PWD/Women will not be operational to avail concession in the application fees.
  • A valid passport/college ID/Government-issued ID/employee ID will be required for valid identification.
  • Candidates are contacted through their emails. Under urgent circumstances, they shall be contacted through their mobile numbers.

GATE 2026 Exam Centres: How to choose? 

Candidates while filling out the GATE application form, must select the GATE Exam centres. A maximum of three GATE exam centres are to be selected by the applicants. Below are a few points that candidates should keep in mind while choosing the GATE exam centres.

  • The candidates must fill in the GATE application form carefully as the same will contain a list of cities from which the candidates are supposed to choose their preferences.
  • Candidates are permitted to select any three of these cities at their convenience.
  • All the choices of exam centres must belong to the same GATE zone.
  • The allotment of the GATE exam centres is always done on a first-apply-first allotment basis.
  • Post selecting the GATE exam centres and filling in the application form, the candidates are requested to complete the application process by payment of the application fee.
  • Candidates who have successfully registered and filled in the application form will be able to download the GATE Admit Card which shall display their allotted exam centre along with the relevant exam slot and timings.
People Also Ask:

Ques: How to change GATE exam centre?
Ans:
When the GATE application Form correction facility opens, candidates can raise a request to change their GATE Exam Centres by paying a fee of INR 500. 

Ques: How centre is allotted in GATE exam?
Ans:
Candidates are allowed to give preference to three exam cities. They are then allotted GATE Exam Centres on the first apply first allotment basis. 

GATE 2026 Exam Centres: How to Change? 

GATE 2026 offers the provision for the candidates to change their exam cities by sending a request to the exam conducting authorities only through the official website. Registered candidates who want to change their GATE exam centres need to pay an additional fee for the completion of the entire process. The candidates must also clearly mention the reason why they would like to change the current exam city.

Some guidelines for changing the GATE exam centres have been given below:

  • All the candidates are requested to pay an amount of INR 500 against each change in the GATE Application Form.
  • The additional fee payment shall only be accepted through the online mode.

CheckGATE 2026 Application Form Correction

People Also Ask:

Ques: Is a calculator allowed in the GATE exam?
Ans:
No, candidates are not allowed to carry any physical calculator to the GATE Exam Centre. A virtual calculator will be provided on screen for the candidates.

GATE 2026 Exam Centres: Instructions 

Mentioned below is a list of instructions that the candidates must follow at the GATE Exam Centres 2026-

  • The candidates are requested to reach the GATE Exam centre at least 60 minutes prior to their scheduled time.
  • Candidates will be allowed to enter the GATE Exam centre only with a valid GATE Admit Card along with a photo identity card.
  • A virtual scientific calculator will be provided on-screen for the candidates for the calculation work.
  • Notepads will be provided for rough work which must be returned to the authorities post the completion of the examination.
  • Entry to the examination hall will be forbidden after 9:30 AM (morning session) and post 2:30 PM ( afternoon session).
  • Candidates are not permitted to leave the GATE exam centre during the course of the exam.
  • Candidates will be permitted to take the examination only if the officials correctly verify their credentials.

GATE 2026 Exam Centres: Do’s and Don'ts

The table below mentions some valuable instructions along with some restrictions regarding the GATE Exam Centres:

Do’s

Don’ts

Reach the GATE Exam centre at least 60 minutes prior to the start of the examination.

Do not arrive after the start of the examination as you might miss out on essential examination instructions.

Upon entering the GATE Exam centre find the allotted seat with your roll no.

Do not occupy a seat that doesn’t belong to you in order to avoid difficulty during the examination.

Carry the GATE Admit Card as well as a valid Government-issued photo identity card.

Do not give any soft copy of the admit card or any other type of ID.

Try to finish all the answers within the stipulated time as the answers will be saved and the window will close. Candidates will not get any extra time to complete the remaining answers.

Do not leave the examination hall by violating the post-exam rules as laid down by the concerned authority.

Give all biometric information as and when asked.

Do not present any invalid ID card containing defects in the GATE exam centre.

Also Check:

GATE 2026 Exam Centres: FAQs 

Ques. What is the reason for selecting 3 GATE 2026 exam centre cities on the GATE application form 2026 and is it mandatory?

Ans. Yes, it is mandatory to enter a maximum of 3 GATE exam centre cities in the GATE application form 2026. This is because candidates usually opt for their own city while choosing the exam centre and there may be too many people opting for the same city. Since the allotment is on a first-apply basis, only those who apply on a prior basis shall be allotted the said exam centre. In such circumstances, due to the limited seating arrangement, the other two preferences are often taken.

Ques. What is the most important document I must present on the day of the examination at the GATE 2026 Exam Centre?

Ans. The GATE 2026 Admit Card is the most important document that the candidate must present on the day of the examination at the GATE Exam Centre.

Ques. Is GATE exam online or offline?

Ans. GATE is an online exam that is conducted for three hours across 200+ cities in India.

Ques. Will there be any arrangements made on the day of the examination at the GATE 2026 Exam Centre to keep our personal belongings? Do we need to pay any fee for the same?

Ans. No, the concerned authorities will not be making any arrangements for the candidates to keep their personal belongings. The candidates shall keep the same at their own risk.

Ques. If I carry a calculator, will I be able to enter the exam centre and use the same during the examination?

Ans. The authorities do not permit the candidates to carry a calculator into the GATE exam centre. However, during the course of the examination, the candidate will be allowed to use the virtual calculator provided on-screen for the purpose of calculation.

Ques. What are the exam centres for GATE exam?

Ans. GATE 2026  will be conducted over 227 cities which are organized under eight zonal centres namely IISc Bangalore, IIT Delhi, IIT Bombay, IIT Guwahati, IIT Kanpur, IIT Kharagpur, IIT Madras, and IIT Roorkee. Candidates can check the GATE exam cities from the table above.

Ques. Can I select the GATE 2026 Exam centre from different GATE zones?

Ans. No, for all three preferences, the candidate must select cities from the same GATE zone.

*The article might have information for the previous academic years, please refer the official website of the exam.

Ask your question

Answered Questions

ZT

Zollege Team

08 Apr 24

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.

...Show More

ZT

Zollege Team

11 Mar 24

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.

...Show More

R

Rency

06 Mar 24

Pt. Ravishankar Shukla University (PRSU) in Raipur, Chhattisgarh offers a variety of interdisciplinary research opportunities, including:

  • Interdepartmental linkage

    Research opportunities include herbal drug technology, university industry, and centers for cognitive, translational, nano-science, and geriatrics.

  • School of Regional Studies and Research

    Research opportunities include rural development, anthropology, sociology, psychology, economics, geography, history, linguistics, literature, medical science, home science, social work, education, agriculture, and management.

  • School of Studies in Environmental Science

    Research opportunities include renewable energy, water pollution, soil pollution, heavy metal pollution, air quality monitoring, and analysis.

  • School of Studies in Biotechnology

    Research opportunities include bioprocess engineering, fungal biotechnology, bio-fuel technology, environmental biotechnology, and plant physiology.

  • Center for Basic Sciences (CBS)

    Research opportunities include Inspire Internship Camps, which attract talented youth to take up research by working with scientists like Nobel Prize Winners.

...Show More

Subscribe To Our News Letter

Get Latest Notification Of Colleges, Exams and News

© 2026 Patronum Web Private Limited