GAT-B 2026: Result Out, Counselling, Cutoff, Exam Pattern and DBT JRF Fellowship

GAT B 2026 (Graduate Aptitude Test – Biotechnology) was conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) on May 17, 2026, across 54 cities and 79 test centres in India. The exam is held under the guidance of the Regional Centre for Biotechnology (RCB) and the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Government of India, to select candidates for around 1,316 postgraduate seats in biotechnology and allied programs at 79 DBT-supported institutes. The GAT B 2026 result was declared on June 10, 2026, and institute-level counselling is now underway across participating colleges.

• Counselling: GAT B 2026 counselling started at participating institutes from the third week of June 2026 and is expected to continue through July 2026. There is no centralized counselling — each of the 79 DBT-supported institutes runs its own process. You must check your shortlisted institute’s official website directly for counselling dates, required documents, and interview rounds.
• Seat Allotment: Around 1,316 PG seats across M.Sc. Biotechnology, M.Tech. Biotechnology, M.Sc. Agricultural Biotechnology, and M.V.Sc. Animal Biotechnology programs are being filled through institute-specific allotment rounds. Based on the 2025 cycle, top institutes such as JNU and IIT Madras are expected to close their first allotment round by mid-July 2026.
• Score Card: The GAT B 2026 scorecard is available for download at the official NTA portal since June 10, 2026. You need your Application Number and Date of Birth to access it. Keep a printout ready for document verification at every institute you apply to. In 2025, scorecards remained accessible for approximately 60 days after result declaration.
• DBT JRF (BET Qualifiers): Candidates who cleared the separate BET (Biotechnology Eligibility Test) paper — also conducted on May 17, 2026, in the afternoon shift — become eligible for the DBT Junior Research Fellowship, which offers a monthly stipend of Rs. 37,000 for JRF and Rs. 42,000 for SRF over a maximum 5-year PhD tenure. DBT typically notifies JRF fellowship details within 4–6 weeks of the result, with the notification expected by late July 2026.

What is GAT B 2026?

GAT B stands for Graduate Aptitude Test – Biotechnology. It is a national-level entrance exam conducted by NTA for admission to postgraduate biotechnology and allied life science programs at 79 DBT-funded institutes across India. A related but separate paper — BET (Biotechnology Eligibility Test) — is held on the same day in the afternoon shift to select candidates for the DBT Junior Research Fellowship, which funds doctoral research.

In 2026, a total of 11,335 candidates registered for the GAT B component, while 15,327 registered for the BET. Of these, 9,538 appeared for GAT B and 12,700 appeared for BET, making the combined total over 26,000 candidates. The exam was held at 79 test centres in 54 cities nationwide.

GAT B 2026: Key Highlights

Source: NTA – GAT B Official Portal

GAT B vs BET: What Is the Difference?

Many candidates confuse GAT B and BET because they are conducted by the same body and often mentioned together. They are, however, separate papers with different purposes:

• GAT B (Graduate Aptitude Test – Biotechnology): Morning paper (9:00 AM to 12:00 Noon). Qualifying GAT B makes you eligible for PG admission to M.Sc. and M.Tech. biotechnology programs at 79 DBT-supported institutes. This is the gateway to postgraduate courses in biotechnology.
• BET (Biotechnology Eligibility Test): Afternoon paper (3:00 PM to 6:00 PM) on the same day. Qualifying BET makes you eligible for the DBT Junior Research Fellowship, which funds PhD research. BET qualification does not grant PG course admission — it only certifies JRF eligibility.

You can apply for GAT B alone, BET alone, or both, at the time of registration. The application fee is the same in all cases.

GAT B 2026 Important Dates

The GAT B 2026 cycle opened with the official notification in March 2026 and the exam was held in May. Counselling and seat allotment at participating institutes are now ongoing. The table below lists all key events, with upcoming events at the top and completed events below in chronological order.

Source: NTA – GAT B 2026 Official Website

GAT B 2026 Eligibility Criteria

NTA does not verify eligibility during registration. It is checked at the institute level during document verification. If a candidate does not meet the criteria, admission can be cancelled even after seat allotment. So you must confirm your eligibility before applying.

Nationality

Only bonafide Indian nationals residing in India can apply for GAT B 2026. There is no provision for NRI or foreign national candidates under the GAT B quota.

Educational Qualification

• You must have a Bachelor’s degree (10+2+3 pattern) in a relevant stream from a recognized university. Qualifying streams include: Biotechnology, Biochemistry, Microbiology, Molecular Biology, Life Sciences, Biological Sciences, Agricultural Sciences, Veterinary Sciences, Fishery Sciences, Pharmacy, Biophysics, Genetics, Chemistry, Bioinformatics, MBBS, BDS, and related areas.
• Final year students (Result Awaited category) can apply and appear for GAT B. Admission will only be confirmed after you submit proof of passing the qualifying degree with the required percentage.

Minimum Percentage Required

Age Limit

For GAT B (PG admission), NTA does not specify an upper age limit. Candidates of any age who meet the academic qualification criteria can apply. However, for the BET component (DBT JRF fellowship), the maximum age is 28 years as of the date of the exam, with a 5-year relaxation for SC/ST male candidates and 3-year relaxation for SC/ST female candidates.

Number of Attempts

GAT B does not restrict the number of times you can appear. You can attempt the exam in multiple years as long as you meet the eligibility criteria at the time of applying each year.

GAT B 2026 Application Process

The GAT B 2026 registration window ran from March 19 to April 9, 2026. The entire process was online at the NTA portal. For the 2027 cycle, registration is expected to open in March 2027 following a similar timeline. Here are the steps candidates need to follow when the next cycle opens.

How to Fill the GAT B Application Form

• Step 1 – New Registration: Visit exams.nta.nic.in/gat-bet/ and click "New Registration." Enter your name, email ID, mobile number, and date of birth. Save your system-generated Application Number and password securely.
• Step 2 – Fill the Application Form: Log in with your credentials and complete your personal details, academic qualifications, exam component choice (GAT B, BET, or both), city preferences, and communication address.
• Step 3 – Upload Documents: Upload a recent passport-size photograph (10–200 KB, JPG format) and your signature (4–30 KB, JPG format). Follow the NTA photo guidelines exactly — incorrect uploads are a common reason for rejection.
• Step 4 – Pay the Application Fee: Pay online using net banking, debit card, credit card, or UPI. The fee is non-refundable under any circumstance.
• Step 5 – Submit and Save: Review all entered details carefully before final submission. Once submitted, changes are only possible during the official form correction window. Download and save the confirmation page as proof of registration.

GAT B 2026 Application Fee

The fee is the same whether you apply for GAT B alone, BET alone, or both in the same cycle. The form correction window (April 11–13, 2026 in the 2026 cycle) allows you to change certain details after submission, except the exam component choice and fee-related fields.

GAT B 2026 Syllabus

The GAT B syllabus covers two levels. Section A follows 10+2 NCERT topics in Biology, Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics, with Biology carrying the highest weightage (35–40%). Section B covers 13 units of graduate-level biotechnology — you attempt any 60 out of 100 questions, so you can focus on your strongest units rather than mastering all 13.

Section A Syllabus (10+2 Level)

Section B Syllabus (Graduate Level Biotechnology)

Section B covers 13 specialized units. You can focus preparation on 6–7 strong units and attempt the 60 questions from those areas. Molecular Genetics (Unit IV), Recombinant DNA Technology (Unit VIII), and Genetic Engineering (Unit IX) together carry the highest combined weightage in Section B and are recommended as priority units for most candidates.

• Unit I – Biomolecules: Structure and function of carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids. Biological membranes, transporters. Enzyme classification, kinetics (Michaelis-Menten), mechanism of action, inhibition.
• Unit II – Microbiology and Virology: Bacterial structure and metabolism, viral structure and replication cycles, classification of fungi, bacterial genetics.
• Unit III – Cell Structure and Signaling: Cell organelles and their functions, cell cycle phases and checkpoints, major signaling pathways (MAPK, PI3K/Akt), apoptosis and cell death mechanisms.
• Unit IV – Molecular Genetics and Mutations: DNA replication, transcription and translation in prokaryotes and eukaryotes, gene expression regulation, mutations and mutagens, DNA damage and repair pathways, population genetics. (Highest weightage in Section B — 15–18%)
• Unit V – Biochemistry and Metabolism: Carbohydrate metabolism (glycolysis, TCA cycle, gluconeogenesis), lipid metabolism, amino acid metabolism, ATP synthesis and oxidative phosphorylation, metabolic regulation.
• Unit VI – Analytical Techniques: Spectroscopy (UV-Vis, IR, NMR, mass spectrometry), chromatography (paper, TLC, gas, HPLC, affinity), gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE, 2D gels), centrifugation methods.
• Unit VII – Immunology: Innate and adaptive immunity, structure and classes of immunoglobulins, antigen-antibody interactions, T-cell and B-cell responses, complement system, hypersensitivity reactions, vaccines and adjuvants.
• Unit VIII – Recombinant DNA Technology: Restriction endonucleases and ligases, cloning vectors (plasmids, cosmids, BACs, YACs, phage), gene cloning strategies, PCR and its variants (RT-PCR, qPCR), DNA sequencing (Sanger and NGS). (12–15% weightage)
• Unit IX – Genetic Engineering and Applications: Transgenic plant and animal production, gene therapy approaches (ex vivo, in vivo), DNA fingerprinting, RAPD, AFLP, molecular markers.
• Unit X – Plant Biotechnology: Plant tissue culture, micropropagation, somatic embryogenesis, embryo culture and rescue, Agrobacterium-mediated transformation, herbicide resistance, biopharming.
• Unit XI – Animal Cell Culture and Biotechnology: Animal cell culture techniques, primary and established cell lines, stem cells (embryonic and adult), induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells, hybridoma technology for monoclonal antibody production.
• Unit XII – Bioprocess Engineering: Bioreactor types and design, fermentation modes (batch, fed-batch, continuous), upstream and downstream processing, protein purification (chromatography, ultrafiltration), scale-up principles.
• Unit XIII – Bioinformatics: Sequence alignment algorithms (BLAST, FASTA), genomics and proteomics databases (NCBI, UniProt, PDB), gene prediction and annotation, phylogenetic analysis, structural bioinformatics basics.

Source: Regional Centre for Biotechnology (RCB) – GAT B Information

GAT B 2026 Admit Card

NTA released the GAT B 2026 admit card on May 13, 2026, four days before the exam. The admit card was available only online — no physical copy was sent by post. Candidates had to log in to the NTA portal using their Application Number and Date of Birth to download it.

The hall ticket included the candidate’s name, photo, roll number, application number, exam date and shift, exam centre address, exam-day instructions, and a specimen OMR sheet for practice. Both coloured and black-and-white printouts were accepted at the exam centre.

Documents Required at the Exam Centre

• Printout of the GAT B 2026 admit card (coloured or black-and-white)
• A valid photo ID — Aadhaar card, PAN card, voter ID, passport, or driving licence
• The photo ID must be the same as the one submitted during the registration process

Candidates without a valid admit card printout were not allowed inside the exam hall. No entry was permitted after the exam started.

GAT B 2026 Participating Institutes and Available Seats

GAT B score is accepted by 79 DBT-funded institutes across India. These include central universities, state universities, IITs, NITs, and dedicated biotechnology centres. Together, they offer around 1,316 DBT-sanctioned PG seats across multiple biotechnology and allied programs.

Programs Available Through GAT B 2026

• M.Sc. Biotechnology and allied sciences — the largest category of seats
• M.Tech. Biotechnology and Computational Biology
• M.Sc. Agricultural Biotechnology
• M.V.Sc. Animal Biotechnology

Sample List of Participating Institutes

The complete list of all 79 participating institutes with programme-wise seat counts is available in the official RCB eligibility document, accessible from the RCB official portal.

The 79 institutes listed for GAT B counselling are only those with DBT-sanctioned seats. A university may have a biotechnology department but still not participate in GAT B counselling if it does not receive DBT support for that program. Always verify whether your target institute is in the official list before preparing for GAT B specifically for that college.

GAT B 2026 Preparation Tips

GAT B tests two levels: your 10+2 foundation and your graduate-level biotechnology depth. Your strategy must treat Section A and Section B as equally important — Section A is fully mandatory and its 60 marks can make or break your total.

Tips for Section A (10+2 Level)

• Biology is your biggest opportunity: Biology carries 35–40% of Section A marks. NCERT Biology (Class 11 and 12) covers almost everything you need. Focus especially on Genetics, Molecular Biology topics in Chapter 8–9, Human Physiology, and Ecology — these align directly with Section B themes as well, giving you compounding returns.
• Do not leave PCM to chance: Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics together carry 60–65% of Section A. Students from pure biology backgrounds often underestimate these subjects. Allocate dedicated time to PCM preparation alongside biology.
• NCERT is the primary resource: Section A follows NCERT Class 11 and 12 content closely. Complete all NCERT chapters, solved examples, and exercises before moving to any supplementary material.
• Solve NCERT exemplar problems: These are slightly more application-based than standard NCERT exercises and closely match the difficulty and style of GAT B Section A questions.

Tips for Section B (Graduate Level Biotechnology)

• Be strategic with your 60 questions: You attempt only 60 out of 100. Identify your 6–7 strongest units and prepare those thoroughly. Trying to cover all 13 units at the same depth is not a productive strategy for most candidates.
• Master the high-weightage units first: Molecular Genetics (Unit IV), Recombinant DNA Technology (Unit VIII), and Genetic Engineering (Unit IX) together cover around 30–35% of Section B marks. These are the highest returns for preparation time invested.
• Analytical techniques are direct and scoring: Unit VI (analytical techniques) questions on HPLC, electrophoresis, and spectroscopy are conceptual and straightforward. Candidates who prepare this unit consistently score well.
• Bioinformatics offers easy marks: Unit XIII (Bioinformatics) questions are largely definition-based and tool-specific — typically easier to score if you have basic familiarity with BLAST, NCBI database searches, and sequence alignment concepts.
• Understand mechanisms, not just definitions: Section B frequently tests the HOW and WHY — enzyme kinetics, replication machinery steps, signal transduction cascades. Pure memorization without mechanistic understanding often fails in this section.

General GAT B Preparation Strategy

• Solve previous year GAT B papers: GAT B follows a consistent pattern year over year. Papers from 2021 to 2025 are the most valuable resource for understanding question types, difficulty distribution, and high-frequency topics.
• Practice full-length timed mock tests: With 120 questions to attempt in 180 minutes, you get an average of 90 seconds per question. Practice completing timed full-length tests to build the pace and decision-making speed you need on exam day.
• Respect negative marking in Section B: Section B deducts 1 full mark for each wrong answer, compared to a reward of 3 marks for a correct one. Skip questions where you are genuinely uncertain — leaving them blank costs you nothing but guessing wrong costs you 33% of a correct answer’s value.
• Start at least 3–4 months before the exam: Based on the typical March notification and May exam schedule, starting preparation by January of the exam year gives you a comfortable buffer for covering both levels systematically and taking multiple mock tests.