
GATE 2026 qualifying cutoff decides the minimum marks needed to pass the GATE exam and get a valid scorecard. IIT Guwahati released GATE 2026 qualifying cutoff on March 19, 2026 along with results for all 30 papers. GATE 2026 qualifying cutoff ranges from 25 marks to 39.8 marks across different branches for the General category.
Instrumentation has highest GATE 2026 qualifying cutoff at 39.8 marks followed by Mechanical at 35.8 and Mathematics at 34.7 for General category

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Key Summary:
|
|---|
| Branch / Paper | General | OBC-NCL / EWS | SC / ST / PwD | Paper Code |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Science & Engineering | 30.0 | 27.0 | 20.0 | CS |
| Data Science and AI | 32.5 | 29.2 | 21.6 | DA |
| Mechanical Engineering | 35.8 | 32.2 | 23.8 | ME |
| Mathematics | 34.7 | 31.2 | 23.1 | MA |
| Civil Engineering | 29.2 | 26.2 | 19.4 | CE |
| Electronics and Communication | 26.4 | 23.7 | 17.6 | EC |
| Electrical Engineering | 25.0 | 22.5 | 16.6 | EE |
| Instrumentation Engineering | 39.8 | 35.8 | 26.5 | IN |
| Chemical Engineering | 29.0 | 26.1 | 19.3 | CH |
| Aerospace Engineering | 30.0 | 27.0 | 20.0 | AE |

GATE 2026 qualifying cutoff is out of 100 marks. Students scoring above GATE 2026 qualifying cutoff get valid scorecards.
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| Category | Cutoff Formula | CSE Example | ME Example | EE Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General / EWS | 100% of base cutoff | 30.0 | 35.8 | 25.0 |
| OBC-NCL | 90% of General cutoff | 27.0 | 32.2 | 22.5 |
| SC / ST / PwD | 67% of General cutoff | 20.0 | 23.8 | 16.6 |
GATE 2026 qualifying cutoff for OBC is calculated as 9/10 times General marks. GATE 2026 qualifying cutoff for SC/ST is 2/3 times General marks.
| Branch | GATE 2024 | GATE 2025 | GATE 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| CSE | 29.5 | 29.2 | 30.0 |
| ME | 32.5 | 35.8 | 35.8 |
| EE | 25.0 | 25.0 | 25.0 |
| ECE | 25.0 | 25.0 | 26.4 |
| CE | 26.6 | 29.2 | 29.2 |
| DA | 29.5 | 29.0 | 32.5 |

GATE 2026 qualifying cutoff for Data Science jumped by 3.5 marks compared to 2025 due to more students choosing this paper.
Read More:
| Cutoff Type | What It Means | Example Marks | Use |
| Qualifying Cutoff | Minimum marks to pass GATE and get scorecard | 25 to 40 out of 100 | Get scorecard valid for 3 years |
| IIT Admission Cutoff | Marks needed for IIT MTech seat | 650 to 850 GATE score | Actual admission to IIT Bombay, Delhi |
| NIT Admission Cutoff | Marks needed for NIT MTech seat | 500 to 750 GATE score | Admission through CCMT counselling |
| PSU Cutoff | Marks needed for PSU jobs | 700 to 850 GATE score | GAIL, BHEL, NTPC recruitment |
GATE 2026 qualifying cutoff only confirms you passed GATE exam. Admission to IITs and NITs needs much higher scores than qualifying cutoff.
Also Check:
Ques. What is GATE 2026 qualifying cutoff for CSE General category?
Ans. GATE 2026 qualifying cutoff for CSE General category is 30 marks out of 100. GATE 2026 qualifying cutoff for CSE OBC is 27 marks and SC/ST/PwD is 20 marks. This is minimum marks to get GATE 2026 scorecard.
Ques. What is difference between GATE 2026 qualifying cutoff and admission cutoff?
Ans. GATE 2026 qualifying cutoff is minimum marks to pass exam and get scorecard (25 to 40 marks). Admission cutoff is much higher marks needed for IIT or NIT seat (650 to 850 GATE score). GATE 2026 qualifying cutoff only gives you scorecard, not admission.
Ques. Which branch has highest GATE 2026 qualifying cutoff?
Ans. Instrumentation Engineering (IN) has highest GATE 2026 qualifying cutoff at 39.8 marks for General category. Mechanical Engineering is second with GATE 2026 qualifying cutoff at 35.8 marks and Mathematics is third at 34.7 marks.
Ques. How is GATE 2026 qualifying cutoff calculated for OBC and SC/ST?
Ans. GATE 2026 qualifying cutoff for OBC is 90% of General cutoff (multiply General by 9/10). GATE 2026 qualifying cutoff for SC/ST is 67% of General cutoff (multiply General by 2/3). For example, if CSE General GATE 2026 qualifying cutoff is 30, then OBC is 27 and SC/ST is 20.
*The article might have information for the previous academic years, please refer the official website of the exam.