With 40 marks in GATE, you've already cleared the GATE 2026 exam and you are among the top 5000 engineering graduates in the country. Scoring 40+ marks in GATE can be considered good, but not enough for getting into IITs or NITs.

  • Achieving 40 marks in GATE exam can get in you a rank between 2000 to 5000
  • This rank can be good for some new NITs and state government colleges.
  • To score 40+ marks in GATE 2026, you need to aim for at least 42 to 45 raw marks (keeping in mind that silly mistakes may happen).

So you don't have to solve all 65 questions to get 40 plus score in GATE 2026. Even solving 22 to 28 correct GATE questions can give you 40+ marks.

Also Check:

What is the rank of 40 marks in GATE

GATE Rank vs Marks Analysis 2026 for 40 marks

Expected GATE Rank GATE Marks Range Future Scope
2000-5000 40-50 Limited chances of admission to state universities and private colleges
1000–2000 50–56 Potential admission chances at state universities, private colleges, or newer NITs.
500–1000 56–62 Likely to gain admission to state colleges, IIITs, or more recent NITs. Limited chance of PSU opportunities.
200–500 62–68 Admission opportunity at newly opened IITs and good NITs. Less PSU recruitment chance but still possible.
100–200 68–72 Newly established IITs and good NITs of India. The chance of PSU recruitment is less but possible.
50–100 72–75 Good chance for M.Tech admission to mid-tier IITs and top NITs. PSU recruiting is likely with competition.
10–50 75–80 Admission to top IITs and promising PSU recruitment opportunities.
2–10 85+ Chance for admission to IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi, and IIT Kanpur. Excellent PSU recruitment opportunities.
1 100 Easy to get admission to top IITs or secure a high-paying PSU job.

GATE Rank vs Marks Analysis 2026: Subject Wise

GATE Rank GATE Marks
ME CSE CE EC EE
5000-10000 51-63 32-40 40-50 28-38 46-57
2000-5000 63-71 40-50 50-57 38-45 57-66
1000-2000 71-75 50-56 57-64 45-50 66-72
500-1000 75-79 56-62 64-70 50-56 72-77
200-500 79-82 62-68 70-74 56-60 77-81
100-200 82-85 68-72 74-78 60-63 81-84
50-100 85-87 72-75 78-85 63-67 84-87
10-50 87-92 75-80 85-90 67-73 87-91
1-10 92+ 80+ 90+ 73+ 91+

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Ques: What is the rank of GATE 40 marks?

Ans: A GATE score of 40 marks translates to an expected rank between 2000 to 5000. This will be varying by branch (like CSE, ECE, CE), but is generally considered average. With a score of 40 in GATE, you have chances of admission to state-level or newer NITs, rather than top-tier IITs, and offers limited PSU opportunities.

  • 40-49 marks might get you a 2000-5000 rank in Computer Science (CSE)
  • 40+ in Civil Engineering (CE) could be 2491-5250,
  • Mathematics (MA) is a much better rank (around 100-170) due to fewer candidates.

Ques: Is 45 marks good in GATE?

Ans: A score of 45 in GATE is decent for clearing the exam (passing is 25-35 marks for General). The score of 45 might get you into some NITs or state colleges, but it's usually not high enough for top IITs or PSU jobs.

How Many Questions to Attempt to Score 40 marks in GATE?

Questions Score
Attempt 30 questions of 2 marks correctly 60 marks in GATE 2026.
Attempt 20 questions of 2 marks correctly, and 10 questions of 1 mark correctly 50 marks in GATE 2026
Attempt 15 questions of 2 marks and 15 questions of 1 mark correctly 45 marks in the GATE exam

Since scoring 40 is not considered a very high score, getting into your dream college might not be possible. Here, we have provided a video by “Engineering Loop” explaining the Golden Chance for Low GATE Score Students.

40 Marks in GATE 2026: Questions Attempt vs Accuracy

Many aspirants think they must attempt 55 to 60 questions to score well. This is not true, check below -

If you attempt 40 questions with 80% accuracy You get at least 32 correct answers = 50 marks in GATE
If you attempt 55 questions with 50% accuracy and get 27 at least correct Then you get around 42 marks in GATE

40 Marks in GATE 2026? Check Student Reviews

Students often ask, “Is it easy to score 40 marks in GATE?”

As per Quora user Ashutosh Singh Gaur: Result of GATE declared and I secured AIR 4304. That moment was heart breaking moment for me. I worked really hard but somehow I couldn't secure good rank.

Now, you might also wonder What if I score around the 40 marks in the GATE exam?

Scoring 40 marks in GATE is not a very good start. However, if you are okay with low scores in GATE, then admission to few colleges is possible.

As per Quora user Mr. Nobody: As your rank will be low to get a call from IIT, you can opt any other private engineering college for M. Tech.

The user also added: Various government organisations like DRDO recruits from GATE. Eligibility for that is only qualification score in Gate which is followed by interview.

What can You get for 40 Marks in GATE 2026?

A Quora user Ashok Kumar said:

I qualified GATE in 2015 with 37 marks(just qualified), Things I got out of it

  1. Low level specializations in NIT(with stipend of Rs. 12400)
  2. desired specializations in state institutes(with stipend of Rs. 12400)
  3. Landed a job in Caterpillar(deployed by Randstad)
  4. You get to talk what you did useful in your 4 years of engineering in Interviews

Source: Quora

What is the Safe Attempt Range for 40+ Marks in GATE?

Total attempts 40 to 45 questions (overall)
Expected accuracy 60 to 70% accuracy
Correct number of questions needed 25 to 28 (approx)

So, if you attempt 40 questions with 70% accuracy in GATE 2026 with 28 correct questions, which fetches at least 42 to 44 marks in GATE 2026, it is a safe score in GATE 2026.

Ques: Does the GATE rank for 40 marks vary by branch?

Ans: Yes, the GATE rank for 40 marks varies by branch. In the most competitive GATE 2026 branches like CSE, ME, and EE, 40 marks may result in a higher rank number like 2000-5000. However, for subjects like XE, XL, or less competitive papers, the same marks can fetch a much better rank.

Ques: Can I get an IIT or NIT with 40 marks in GATE?

Ans: It is very difficult to get into IIT or NIT with 40 marks in GATE. Admission to top IITs is unlikely, but you may get into newer IITs, lower-ranked NITs, or IIITs, especially in less competitive branches or through written tests and interviews.

Ques: Is GATE rank more important than marks for admissions and PSUs?

Ans: Yes, GATE rank and GATE score are more important than raw marks. Most PSUs and institutes use GATE score or rank cutoffs, not marks, because ranks are normalized across sessions and papers.