The GATE Biotechnology Exam Pattern 2026 has officially been released by IIT Guwahati on the official website gate2026.iitg.ac.in. The GATE Biotechnology Exam 2026 will be conducted in a CBT Mode in 3 hours.

  • According to the GATE Biotechnology Exam Pattern, the GATE BT Exam will include 2 sections: General Aptitude of 15 Marks and Biotechnology of 85 Marks, with the question types like MCQs, MSQs and NATS.
  • The MCQs will have negative marking, whereas MSQs and NATs will not have any negative marking, which makes them a scoring opportunity.
  • The General Aptitude section will include verbal ability, analytical aptitude, quantitative aptitude and spatial aptitude.
  • The Section of GATE Biotechnology will include Biochemistry, Microbiology, Cell Biology, Genetics, Molecular Biology, Bioprocess Engineering, Recombinant DNA Technology and Plant/Animal/Microbial Biotechnology, along with Engineering Mathematics.
GATE Biotechnology Exam Pattern PDF

For scoring well in the GATE Exam, candidates should focus on section-wise weightage, time management and revision strategy to increase their GATE BT Score.

Candidates should stay updated on the official GATE Website for the latest updates regarding the GATE Biotechnology Exam Pattern.

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GATE

Key Summary:

In this Article, we have discussed about GATE Biotechnology Exam Pattern 2026.

  • The GATE Biotechnology Exam will be conducted in a CBT Mode, in 3 hours, including 65 Questions for 100 Marks.
  • The Negative marking is only included in MCQs and MSQs & NATs will not have any negative marking.
  • The General Aptitude will include 10 Questions of 15 Marks.
  • The Engineering Mathematics will have 10-13 questions from different topics.
  • The Core biotechnology includes 42-45 questions for around 70-72 marks.

What is the GATE Biotechnology Exam Pattern 2026?

The GATE Biotechnology Exam pattern includes the structure, marking scheme and question type. The GT BT Exam is a 3-hour CBT that includes 65 questions carrying 100 Marks.

The GATE Exam is divided into General Aptitude (15 marks) and Biotechnology, including Engineering Mathematics (85 marks), with questions including MCQs, MSQs, and NATs.

Section No. of Questions Marks per Question Total Marks Weightage
General Aptitude (GA) 10
  • 5 × 1 mark
  • 5 × 2 marks
 15 15%
Engineering Mathematics 10–13 1 or 2 marks each 13–15 13–15%
Core Biotechnology 42–45 1 or 2 marks each 70–72 70–72%
Total 65 1 or 2 marks each 100 100%
GATE BT Exam Pattern

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GATE Paper Analysis

GATE Biotechnology Exam Pattern 2026: Section-wise

According to the GATE Biotechnology Exam Pattern 2026, different topics and sections have different weightage. In total, the exam is of 100 marks with 65 questions, so understanding the topic-wise exam pattern is important for preparation.

GATE Biotechnology Exam Pattern: General Aptitude (GA) – 15 Marks

This section includes verbal, analytical, quantitative, and spatial reasoning skills. It is common for all GATE Exams.

Sub-Topic Marks Distribution No. of Questions Difficulty Level
Verbal Ability 4–5 marks 2–3 Easy–Moderate
Quantitative Aptitude 4–5 marks 2–3 Moderate
Analytical & Logical Apt. 3–4 marks 2–3 Moderate
Spatial Aptitude 1–2 marks 1 Easy
Total 15 marks 10 Questions Mixed

GATE Biotechnology Exam Pattern: Engineering Mathematics: 13–15 Marks

This section is compulsory and overlaps with many Biotechnology concepts.

The Mathematics exam is of a moderate difficulty level; regular practice is important as it contributes 15% of the exam.

Sub-Topic Marks Distribution No. of Questions Difficulty Level
Linear Algebra 2–3 marks 1–2 Moderate
Calculus 4–5 marks 2–3 Moderate–Difficult
Differential Equations 2–3 marks 1–2 Moderate
Probability & Statistics 3–4 marks 2–3 Moderate
Numerical Methods 2–3 marks 1–2 Easy–Moderate
Total 13–15 marks 10–13 Questions Moderate

GATE Biotechnology Exam Pattern: Core Biotechnology: 70–72 Marks

This is the most important section and carries most weightage in the exam.

(a) General Biology (Biochemistry, Microbiology, Cell Biology)

Sub-Topic Marks Distribution No. of Questions Difficulty Level
Biochemistry 8–10 marks 4–5 Moderate–Difficult
Microbiology 5–7 marks 2–3 Moderate
Cell Biology 5–6 marks 2–3 Easy–Moderate
Total 18–20 marks 8–11 Questions Mixed

(b) Genetics and Molecular Biology

Sub-Topic Marks Distribution No. of Questions Difficulty Level
Classical Genetics 3–4 marks 1–2 Easy–Moderate
Molecular Biology 7–9 marks 3–4 Moderate–Difficult
Recombinant DNA Tech. 6–8 marks 3–4 Moderate
Total 15–18 marks 7–10 Questions Moderate

(c) Bioprocess Engineering & Process Biotechnology

Sub-Topic Marks Distribution No. of Questions Difficulty Level
Bioprocess Principles 6–8 marks 2–3 Moderate–Difficult
Fermentation Technology 5–6 marks 2–3 Moderate
Downstream Processing 5–7 marks 2–3 Moderate–Difficult
Total 15–18 marks 6–9 Questions Moderate–Difficult

(d) Plant, Animal & Microbial Biotechnology

Sub-Topic Marks Distribution No. of Questions Difficulty Level
Plant Biotechnology 3–4 marks 1–2 Moderate
Animal Biotechnology 3–4 marks 1–2 Moderate
Microbial Biotechnology 4–5 marks 2–3 Moderate–Difficult
Total 10–12 marks 4–6 Questions Moderate
GATE Biotechnology Marking Scheme

GATE Biotechnology Exam Pattern 2026:Marking Scheme

The marking pattern for the year 2026 will be decided by the GATE which will be released in the official notice. The expected marking pattern is given below:-

Sections No Of Questions Distribution Of Marks Total Marks
General Aptitude 10 (5 x 1) + (5 x 2) 15
Engineering Mathematics 55 (25 x 1) + (30 x 2) 85
Core Subject (Biotechnology)
GATE Biotechnology Negative Marking

GATE Biotechnology (BT) Negative Marking

Type of Questions GATE 2024 Biotechnology (BT) Negative Marks
1 mark questions 2 mark questions
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) 1/3 marks will be deducted 2/3 marks will be deducted
Multiple Select Questions (MSQs) No negative marking No negative marking
Numerical Answer Type (NATS) No negative marking No negative marking
GATE Biotechnology Weightage

Expected GATE 2026 Biotechnology (BT) Weightage

Topics Marks Weightage
Mathematics 25-28
Microbiology 10-12
Biochemistry 15-20
Molecular Biology and Genetics 13-18
Cell Biology 5-10
Immunology 15-18
Bioinformatics 11-13
Analytics Techniques 8-10
Plant and Animal Biotechnology 20-25
Bioprocess Engineering and process biotechnology 10-12
Recombinant DNA Technology 14-16
GATE Biotechnology Syllabus

GATE Biotechnology (BT) Syllabus

Topic 1 – Engineering Mathematics

Calculus, differential equations, analysis of complex variables, probability and statistics, numerical methods, Linear algebra

Topic 2 - General biotechnology

Biotechnology, microbiology, immunology

Topic 3 – Genetics, Cellular, and molecular biology.

Genetics and Evolutionary biology, Cell biology, Molecular biology

Topic 4 – Fundamental and Biological Engineering

Engineering principles are applied to biological systems, classical thermodynamics, and bioenergetics, transport processes.

Topic 5 - Plant, Animal, and Microbial Biotechnology

Plants, animals, microbes

Topic 6 - Bioprocess Engineering and Process Biotechnology

Bio-reaction engineering, Upstream and Downstream Processing, Instrumentation, and Process Control

Topic 7 - Recombinant DNA technology and Other Tools in Biotechnology

Recombinant DNA technology, Molecular tools, Analytical tools, Computational tools

Topic 8 – General Aptitude

In general aptitude questions comes from verbal ability and numerical ability.

Verbal ability - English grammar, Instruction, sentence completion, verbal deduction, Verbal analogies, Word groups, Critical reasoning

Numerical ability - Numerical computation, Numerical estimation, Data interpretation. Numerical reasonings

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GATE Biotechnology Books
GATE Syllabus  GATE Mock Test

GATE Biotechnology (BT) Books

BOOKS AUTHORS/PUBLISHERS
Principles of Biochemistry Lehninger
Molecular Cell Biology Iodish and Baltimore
Biotechnology Pranav Kumar
GATE General Aptitude and Mathematics GK publishers
Immunology Kuby
Gene Cloning and DNA analysis T.A Brown

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FAQs for GATE Biotechnology Exam Pattern 2026

Ques. How hard is GATE Biotechnology?

Ans. The GATE Biotechnology exam difficulty level will differ every year according to the question paper; mostly, it is considered a moderate to difficult level as compared to others.

Section Difficulty Level
Core Biotechnology questions Moderate–Difficult (require conceptual clarity)
Engineering Mathematics Moderate, numerical-based
General Aptitude Easy–Moderate, highly scoring
Competition Around 12,000–14,000 candidates appear every year

Ques. What is the GATE score for Biotechnology?

Ans. The GATE Score for Biotechnology is calculated by using a normalisation formula on a scale of 0–1000. The qualifying marks vary every year.

Category Qualifying Marks (Previous Trends)
General (UR) 25–35 marks out of 100
OBC-NCL/EWS 22–30 marks out of 100
SC/ST/PwD 16–24 marks out of 100

Ques. Who is eligible for GATE Biotechnology?

Ans. The eligibility criteria for GATE Biotechnology 2026 are based on academic qualifications and nationality:

Final Year Graduate students from B.Tech/B.E. in Biotechnology and other disciplines
Students who have completed a Master’s degree in science
No upper age limit
Both Indian and foreign nationals can apply

Ques. What is the GATE BT exam for Biotechnology?

Ans. The GATE BT Exam is a national-level entrance exam for postgraduate admissions in Biotechnology, PhD programs, and PSU recruitment.

Conducting Body IITs/IISc (Computer-Based Test)
Duration 3 hours, 65 questions, 100 marks
Sections General Aptitude (15 marks) + Biotechnology (85 marks)
Question Types MCQs, MSQs, NATs

Ques. What is the syllabus of GATE Biotechnology (BT)?

Ans. The GATE BT Syllabus 2026 includes General Aptitude, Engineering Mathematics, and Core Biotechnology subjects.

Section Key Topics
General Aptitude Verbal ability, quantitative aptitude, logical & analytical reasoning
Engineering Mathematics Linear algebra, calculus, probability, differential equations, numerical methods
Core Biotechnology Biochemistry, Microbiology, Cell Biology, Genetics, Molecular Biology, Recombinant DNA, Bioprocess Engineering, Plant/Animal/Microbial Biotechnology

Ques. What are the minimum marks required for GATE?

Ans. The minimum qualifying marks for the GATE Biotechnology exam depend upon the candidate's category.

Category Qualifying Marks (Approx.)
General (UR) 25–35 marks out of 100
OBC-NCL/EWS 22–30 marks out of 100
SC/ST/PwD 16–24 marks out of 100