A GATE score of 400 roughly translates to 25 to 40 marks out of 100, but this varies by paper and year. Many GATE papers usually need a 30-40 mark range for 400 scores. A GATE 400 score usually has limited admission chances at IITs.

  • A computer science paper usually requires around 33 marks to get 400.
  • Civil and Mechanical paper roughly needs 38-42 to result in 400 scores in GATE.
  • A GATE score of 400 is an average score suitable for admissions into lower-ranked NITs, state colleges, or niche specialisation at IITs.

This article discusses GATE Score 400 means how many marks students need to get 400 in the GATE score. It also discusses the admission opportunities in various colleges.

Also Read:

Predict your admission chances at IITs and NITs with a 400 GATE 2026 score

GATE Score 400 means How Many Marks

Key Summary

  • A GATE score of 400 usually corresponds to 25-40 raw marks.
  • Computer Science needs about 33-36 marks, while Civil and Mechanical generally require higher marks.
  • A 400 score offers limited IIT chances but works for lower NITs, state colleges, and niche programs.
  • Historically, a 400 score is achieved by scoring 3-8 marks above the qualifying cutoff.

GATE Score 400 Means How Many Marks in 2026 ( Expected)

A score of 400 is often achieved by scoring slightly above the qualifying marks. The qualifying mark for GATE is usually around 350.

  • Marks of 33-36 are usually needed in the CSE paper to result in 400 scores.
  • 38-40 is expected to result in 400 marks for Civil, whereas 40-44 marks are needed in Mechanical to reach 400 marks.
  • ECE Paper needs around 32-35 marks for a 400 score.

“A score of approximately 400 would generally correspond to a lower rank and a raw mark roughly in the 30-40 range, depending on the year's difficulty,”‌- says an educator from GeeksforGeeks GATE

GATE Paper Expected Marks for 400 Score
Computer Science 33-36
Civil 38-40
Mechanical Engineering 40-44
Electronics and communication 32-35
Electrical Engineering 29-33
GATE Score 400 Means How Many Marks in 2026

Source: The data presented here is analysed from the GATE marks vs score for CSE and the GATE safe marks from GeeksforGeeks GATE

Check: Branch-wise Cutoff for IITs, NITs, Marks vs Ranks and College Predictor

Ques. How many marks do I need for a GATE score in computer science?

Ans. You typically need 33-36 marks in CSE to reach a 400 score.

Ques. Is 30 marks enough to get a 400 GATE score?

Ans. In EC and EE, 30 marks can often hit 400 marks. Their cutoff is generally less than that of other branches.

GATE Score 400 means how many marks: Historical Trends:

You need to score roughly 3-8 marks above the qualifying marks for that specific year to score 400.

Here is the historical trend of marks needed for a 400 score in GATE

Branch 2025 (Approx Marks for 400) 2024 (Approx Marks for 400) 2023(Approx Marks for 400) 2022(Approx Marks for 400) General Trend
CSE 30-34 32-35 34-37 28-31 Usually requires +5 to +7 marks over qualifying marks
ECE 28-32 28-31 33-36 28-30 Varies significantly with paper depth
EE 27-31 29-32 31-34 34-37 Usually requires +4 to +6 marks over the cutoff
ME 35-38 33-36 32-35 31-34 You need +6 to +8 marks above the qualifying marks to secure a 400 score.
Civil 34-37 32-35 30-34 35-38 You need slightly more +4 to +6 marks above the cutoff to reach 400
GATE Score 400 means how many marks

Note: The data for the historical trends is sourced by analysing various year-wise mark vs percentile analyses.

Also Read: What will be the GATE Cutoff for NIT and IIT for the general category?

Also, check the previous year's cutoff for Different Institutes.

GATE Score 400 means how many marks Reddit Discussion

As per a Reddit discussion, one Reddit user asked “how many marks I need to get a 400 score in GATE cse?” to which another user replied it will be around 25-30 marks.

GATE Score 400 means how many marks Reddit Discussion

GATE Score 400 means how many marks: Admission Opportunities

A 400 score may not secure high-demand specialisations in top-tier IITs. But it gives opportunities to several prestigious institutions and specialised M.Tech programs.

  • Admission in old IITs is difficult for general category candidates with 400 scores, but a few lower-demand specialisations may accept this score range.
  • Mid-to-lower NITs often accept scores between 400 and 500 for branches such as environmental or chemical engineering.
Institute Likely specialisations at 400 scores Target scores
Old IITs Biomedical Engineering, Rubber Technology SC/ST/PwD
New IITs Geomatics, Materials Engineering SC/ST
Top NITs Environmental Engg, Energy Management OBC/EWS/SC/ST
Mid/New NITs Chemical, Water Resources, Thermal Science General/OBC

Ques. What are the best colleges for a 400 GATE score if I am unable to get into NITs or IITs?

Ans. Top choices include COEP Pune, DTU Delhi, or Jadavpur University. These colleges often accept students with scores around 400.

Chances of IITs and NITs with 400 Marks in GATE 2026

IITs and NITs are possible for 400 scores in GATE, but are limited to certain branches and categories.

Most state colleges accept a GATE score of 400 for general category students. They are also eligible for a monthly stipend here.

College Name Likely Branch possibilities Category
NIT Srinagar Civil, mechanical, electrical OBC/SC/ST
NIT Trichy Material science, industrial safety General
NIT Surathkal Environmental science, chemical OBC/SC/ST
NIT Warangal Manufacturing and automation, power systems General
NIT Rourkela Manufacturing, Info security General
NIT Calicut Manufacturing technology, power systems General
IIT Madras Electrical, civil, CSE, mechanical SC/ST
IIT Bhilai/IIT Goa New IIT core/interdisciplinary SC/ST
IISc Bangalore Instrumentation Engineering SC

Source: GATE cutoff data for 2025 as analysed by GeeksforGeeks

A score of 400 means you’ve cleared the qualifying marks. This score is the starting point for a few NITs and state colleges. For IITs, a 400 score is usually not enough, especially for top specialisations. Analysis of raw marks vs score helps set realistic goals.