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Nidhi Bamnawat

| Updated On - Feb 25, 2026

A GATE 2026 score above 750 can open opportunities in major PSUs. If the score is 850 or above, the top Maharatna PSUs like IOCL, ONGC, NTPC, HPCL, and PGCIL will become feasible.

IIT Guwahati conducted GATE 2026, and the results will be announced on March 19, 2026. Thereafter, PSUs will begin publishing recruitment notifications based on the GATE scores.

  • CSE/IT consistently has the highest PSU cutoff of any branch, top PSUs require 850-900+ marks for Computer Science candidates in the General category
  • OBC candidates need roughly 700-800, SC/ST candidates 600-700 for the same PSUs where the General category cutoff is 800-850
  • Most PSUs shortlist based on GATE score alone, then conduct a personal interview or group discussion, cracking GATE is only the first stage.
  • Packages range from 6-9 LPA (Miniratna) to 15-22 LPA (top Maharatna PSUs); the PSU tier matters as much as the branch when evaluating the offer.
GATE Score for PSU Recruitment 2026

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Key Summary:
  • GATE score is out of 1000 (normalized across sessions); PSU cutoffs are expressed in GATE marks out of 100, and these two(score & marks) are different and must not be confused.
  • GATE 2026 score is valid for one year for PSU recruitment; some PSUs like NPCIL also accept 2024 and 2025 scores for the 2026 cycle.
  • General eligibility across most PSUs is a minimum of 60-65% aggregate in BE/BTech, age limit between 26-30 years, depending on the PSU and category.
  • PSUs do not use a common application; candidates must apply separately to each PSU after GATE results are declared

GATE 2026 Key Dates for PSU Recruitment

Event Date
GATE 2026 Exam February 1, 2, 8, 9, 15, 16, 2026
Provisional Answer Key Released February 22, 2026
GATE 2026 Result March 19, 2026
Scorecard Available March 27, 2026
Scorecard Valid Until (Free) May 31, 2026
PSU Recruitment Notifications (Expected) March-June 2026

Source: GATE 2026 Official Portal, gate2026.iitg.ac.in

PSU Types and GATE Score Requirements

PSUs are classified into three tiers. Score requirements, packages, and competition levels vary significantly across tiers.

PSU Type Examples GATE Score (General) Package Range
Maharatna ONGC, IOCL, NTPC, GAIL, BHEL, PGCIL 800-900+ 12-22 LPA
Navratna HAL, HPCL, BPCL, SAIL, BEAL 700-800 9-16 LPA
Miniratna THDC, MRPL, AAI, BEML 600-700 6-12 LPA

Source: PSU Recruitment Through GATE 2026, YouTube

GATE 2026 PSU Cutoff: Maharatna PSUs (Branch-Wise Marks Out of 100)

These are the most competitive PSUs. Cutoffs below are based on previous year trends and are approximate.

PSU Package (LPA) Electrical Mechanical Civil Computer Science
IOCL 12-16 78 75 72 74
NTPC 12-18 78 75 70 68
GAIL 12-17 80 78 70 72
PGCIL 15-22 82 75 73 70
BHEL 12-15 72 70 65 68
BPCL 12-18 78 77 75 73
HPCL 12-16 75 73 70 72
SAIL 12-16 72 70 68 65

Source: PSU Recruitment Through GATE 2026, YouTube

GATE 2026 PSU Cutoff: Navratna and Miniratna PSUs

PSU Type Package (LPA) Electrical Mechanical Civil CS
HAL Navratna 7-12 78 75 70 72
BEAL Navratna 9-11 75 70 65 70
THDC Miniratna 9-12 68-70 66-69 63-65 65-67
National Fertilizers Navratna 6-9 67 65 62 63
Container Corporation Navratna 6-9 68 66 65 64
AAI Miniratna 8-12 65-68 63-66 62-65 63-66
BEML Miniratna 7-10 GATE Score ~560-570

Source: PSU Recruitment Through GATE 2026, YouTube

GATE 2026 PSU Cutoff: Category-Wise Safe Score Targets

Reserved categories receive relaxation in cutoffs. The gaps below are approximate and vary by PSU.

Category Safe GATE Score (Top PSUs) Safe GATE Score (Mid-Tier PSUs) Approximate GATE Marks
General / EWS 850+ 700-750 75+ out of 100
OBC-NCL 750-800 620-680 65-70 out of 100
SC / ST 650-700 520-580 55-62 out of 100
PwD 550-600 450-520 50-55 out of 100

Source: gate2026.iitg.ac.in

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GATE 2026 PSU Selection Process

Most PSUs follow a two-stage process. A good GATE score gets candidates to Stage 1; Stage 2 is where many candidates lose out.

Stage What It Involves PSUs That Include This
GATE Score Shortlisting Candidates above cutoff are called for further rounds All PSUs using GATE
Personal Interview Technical and HR questions based on domain and projects ONGC, IOCL, NTPC, NHPC, NPCIL, PGCIL
Group Discussion Communication, teamwork, and analytical ability assessed HPCL, NTPC, GAIL
Medical Test Physical fitness check before joining Most Maharatna PSUs
Direct Recruitment (No GATE) Own written test + interview NPCC, DRDO

Also Check:

GATE Score for PSU Recruitment 2026 FAQs

Ques. What GATE score is required for top PSU recruitment in 2026?

Ans. A GATE score of 850+ (out of 1000) is the safe target for top Maharatna PSUs like IOCL, ONGC, NTPC, and PGCIL in the General category. In terms of GATE marks out of 100, this translates to roughly 75+ marks depending on branch difficulty. OBC candidates can target 750-800 score; SC/ST candidates 650-700 for the same PSUs.

Ques. What is the difference between GATE marks and GATE score for PSU recruitment?

Ans. GATE marks are the raw score out of 100 from the paper. GATE score is a normalized value out of 1000, calculated using a formula that accounts for exam difficulty and performance relative to all candidates. PSUs use the GATE score (out of 1000) for shortlisting, not raw marks. The cutoff tables in GATE mark format (out of 100) are published by individual PSUs in their recruitment notifications.

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

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