The cutoff for the BT paper is likely to be lower than last year due to the tougher paper this year. Most experts and coaching centres are expecting the marks around 25-30 to be the cutoff marks for general candidates.
- Qualifying the BT papers doesn’t guarantee you admission, while most programs in IIT required very high score of around 600-800.
- Bioprocess Engineering programs in many IITs need around 700-750 marks out of 1000.
- Microbiology and Cell Biology in IISc needs near perfect score in the GATE BT paper, around 900 GATE score.
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Key Summary
- Minimum Qualifying marks to qualify GATE Biotechnology 2026 is likely 25-29 marks.
- OBC and SC/ST will see a relaxation in cutoffs with 21–25 and 15–18 marks, respectively.
- GATE BT paper saw a massive reduction in cutoff marks from 38 in 2024 to 28 in GATE 2025.
- IIT M.Tech programs often require 600–800 GATE scores, depending on the programs.
- BARC, DRDO, NPCIL, and many PSU hires BT candidates for Scientific Officer and Scientist B roles.
Category-wise GATE BT 2026 Expected Cutoff
The expected cutoff for the Biotechnology paper is expected to be between 25 and 29 marks for general category candidates, which is lower than last year. This is mainly due to the increased level of difficulty of the BT paper in GATE 2026.
- Most experts are predicting the cutoff for OBC candidates to be around 21-25 marks.
- SC-ST cutoff for the GATE BT 2026 paper is around 15-18 marks.
- If your score is 32+, you are safe for the scorecard.
| Category | Expected Cutoff Marks |
|---|---|
| General | 25-29 |
| OBC | 21-25 |
| SC/ST | 15-18 |
Also Read: What is a good score in GATE?
Ques. Can we expect the BT cutoff to go low, since the exam was tough?
Ans. Yes, Most of the coaching centres and experts are predicting that the BT paper cutoff is going to be low. We can expect the cutoff between 25-29 for general.
Watch the GATE Biotechnology 2026 Cutoff Analysis by CSIR NET Adda
Previous Year GATE BT Cutoff Trends
The Biotechnology paper saw quite a fluctuation in its cutoff over the years. GATE 2025 had also seen a massive drop in the cutoff, falling to 28 from 38.9 in the 2024 paper.
The GATE cutoff for the BT paper was usually above 30 marks. It's only from last year that it's been reduced, and this year as well, we are expecting a lower cutoff than last year.
| GATE Year | Cutoff Marks for General | Cutoff Marks for OBC/EWS | Cutoff Marks for SC/ST/PwD |
|---|---|---|---|
| GATE 2025 | 28 | 25.2 | 18.6 |
| GATE 2024 | 38.9 | 35 | 25.9 |
| GATE 2023 | 31.6 | 28.4 | 21 |
| GATE 2022 | 35.5 | 31.9 | 23.6 |
| GATE 2021 | 30 | 27 | 20 |
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GATE 2026 BT Cutoff for IIT M.Tech Admission
Top IITs like IIT Madras and IIT Delhi often accept direct admission for candidates with high GATE Scores. Those who have low GATE marks are called for interview rounds.
- IISc often shortlists candidates with a valid GATE score for further interviews. It considers 70% GATE + 30% Interview score with no written test.
- Almost all IITs accept BT candidates to apply for Environmental Engineering/Science programs.
- GATE BT paper score can also get candidates into non-bio programs such as Industrial Engineering and Operations at IIT Bombay and the Department of Management Sciences at IIT Kanpur.
| Institutes | M.Tech Program | Expected Cutoff GATE Scores |
|---|---|---|
| IISc, Bangalore | Biochemistry | 600-700 |
| IIT Madras | Bioprocess Engineering | 730-780 |
| IIT Bombay | Biomedical Engineering | 400-450 |
| IIT Delhi | Biomedical | 500-600 |
| IIT Kanpur | Biological Science and Bioengineering | 700-750 |
| IIT Kharagpur | Medical Imaging and Informatics | 650-700 |
| IIT Roorkee | Bioprocess Engineering | 640-680 |
| IIT Guwahati | Biotechnology | 580-630 |
| IIT Hyderabad | Medical Device Innovation | 550-600 |
Ques. Is qualifying in the GATE BT paper enough to get into IITs?
Ans. Realistically, qualifying makes you eligible for counselling, but typically you need 600-800 scores (roughly 55-65+) depending on the programs in various IITs.
Ques. How much weightage is given to the GATE scores vs Interview?
Ans. Most IITs follow 70:30, where 70% of the weightage is given to GATE scores and 30% of the weightage is given to interviews.
GATE 2026 BT Cutoff for NIT M.Tech Admission
The cutoff for the BT paper in NITs is usually lower than in IITs. For top NITs, higher GATE scores are usually required, above 600.
- NITs typically don’t take interviews for M.Tech admissions. NITs take admissions through GATE scores via CCMT counselling.
- NIT Rourkela offers a 2 Year M.Tech program through the GATE BT paper, which usually requires 600-720 scores.
| NIT | Expected GATE Cutoff Scores |
|---|---|
| NIT Rourkela | 600-720 |
| NIT Warangal | 610-670 |
| MNNIT Allahabad | 500-570 |
| Dr B. R Ambedkar NIT Jalandhar | 460-516 |
| NIT Bhobal | 500-550 |
| NIT Durgapur | 500-600 |
Source: The expected cutoff data is based on the previous year’s NIT cutoff data through CCMT
Also Read:
Check GATE Opening and Closing Ranks in NITs
Ques. Do NITs conduct interviews for M.Tech Admission?
Ans. Normally, NITs take admission directly through GATE scores via CCMT counselling. They don’t take further interviews.
Top PSU and Government Recruitment for GATE BT Paper
The most prominent recruiters for Biotechnology are BARC, followed by DRDO and NPCIL. BIS also frequently recruits BT candidates for the post of Scientist B.
| Organization | Role |
|---|---|
| BARC | Scientific Officer |
| DRDO | Scientist B |
| NPCIL | Scientific Officer |
| BIS | Scientist B |
Source: PSUs options for BT candidates by CSIR NET Adda
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The GATE BT 2026 expected cutoff for the general category is likely 25-29 marks. Since the paper was tougher, candidates who attempted 40+ questions correctly have a very high chance of qualifying.
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