IIT Guwahati has released the GATE 2026 response sheet and provisional answer key on 22nd Feb,2026. As per the initial GATE 2026 answer key review process, some students and experts have raised objections for some CS and DA questions.
Experts suggested that if raised questions are declared invalid, then those questions will be given as "Marks to All (MTA)" as marks will be awarded to all candidates of that shift/paper.
- Experts also note that the final cutoff could increase if the “Marks to All (MTA)” is applied to the revised answer.
- As per past trends, such cases have resulted in higher cutoffs because additional marks are awarded to all candidates.
Based on previous years’ trends and early analysis
- The expected GATE 2026 CS cutoff for the General category will be in the 27-30 mark range.
- It is also expected that the GATE 2026 DA cutoff for the General category will be around 30 to 33 marks.
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GATE 2026 Expected Cutoff Live Updates- March 12, 2026
- Key 2026 Cutoff Projections (General Category):
- Mechanical Engineering (ME): 37-40 marks
- Computer Science (CS/CSE): 27-34 marks
- Data Science (DA): 36.5-38 marks
- Electrical Engineering (EE): 25-29 marks
- Electronics & Comm. (ECE): 24-32 marks
- Exam Difficulty: A moderate paper, similar to 2025, tends to raise the cutoff compared to tougher, previous-year papers.
GATE 2026 CS Expected Cutoff (Category-Wise)
The Computer Science cutoff usually remains below 30 marks unless invalid questions lead to additional marks being given to all candidates.
- OBC/EWS cutoffs are usually 2.5-3 marks lower than the General cutoff.
- SC/ST cutoffs are typically 8-10 marks lower than the General category.
- Some of the students and experts raised objections to some questions, and if those questions receive Marks to All (MTA), the cutoff may rise slightly.
| Category | Expected Cutoff (Marks) |
|---|---|
| General | 27 - 30 |
| OBC / EWS | 23 - 26 |
| SC / ST / PwD | 17 - 20 |
Read More:
- GATE cutoff marks for IIT and NIT for General category
- GATE cutoff marks for IIT and NIT for SC category
- GATE cutoff marks for IIT and NIT for OBC category
Ques. Can the GATE 2026 CS cutoff go above 30 marks?
Ans. Yes. If some questions are found invalid during objection review and marks are awarded to all candidates, the cutoff could cross 30 marks.
Previous Year GATE CS Cutoff Trends
The GATE cutoff varies every year due to normalisation and exam difficulty. You can estimate the GATE CS cutoff 2026 by analysing the previous year's cutoffs mentioned below.
- In 2025, the cutoff increased by around 5.8% compared to 2024 due to an easier question paper.
- Comparing 2024 with 2023, there was a 15% decrease in the cutoff due to balanced paper in 2024
- Similarly, for 2023 and 2022 GATE CS Cutoff, there was a 30% increase in the cutoff as more answer key corrections were made and marks were awarded to candidates for wrong answers.
- In 2021, the GATE CS paper was tougher than in 2022, resulting in around a 4.2% drop in cutoff.
- Overall, the GATE CS cutoff generally ranges between 25 and 30, but it may vary depending on answer key corrections and exam difficulty.
| Year | General | OBC/EWS | SC/ST/PwD |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 26.1 | 23.4 | 17.4 |
| 2022 | 25 | 22.5 | 16.7 |
| 2023 | 32.5 | 29.2 | 21.6 |
| 2024 | 27.6 | 24.8 | 18.4 |
| 2025 | 29.2 | 26.2 | 19.4 |
Read More: IIT GATE Cutoff 2026, Previous Year Category-wise Opening and Closing Ranks for IIT
Ques. What is the expected GATE 2026 CS cutoff for the General category?
Ans. The expected cutoff for the General category in GATE CS 2026 is around 27-30 marks, depending on exam difficulty and answer key revisions.
Ques. Can the GATE CS cutoff exceed 30 marks in 2026?
Ans. Yes, but only if some questions are declared invalid, and Marks to All (MTA) is awarded. Otherwise, the cutoff usually remains below 30.
GATE DA 2026 Expected Cutoff Analysis
Based on this analysis, it is expected that in GATE DA cutoff will be around 30-33 marks for General Category.
This is due to the fact that, as experts suggest, the mathematics weightage was around 20 marks while Machine Learning and AI topics have slightly higher weightage compared to previous year.
| Category | Expected Cutoff Range |
|---|---|
| General | 30 - 33 |
| OBC / EWS | 27 - 30 |
| SC / ST / PwD | 21 -23 |
Check: GATE 2026 DA Expected Cutoff
Previous Year GATE DA Cutoff Trends
- Due to changes in paper structure and difficulty level, there is change in the GATE DA cut-off over last few years.
- As per the official data, in 2025 the GATE DA cutoff was decreased around 21-22% as compared to 2024. This is mainly because the mathematics section in GATE DA 2026 paper was tough.
- But in 2024, the Maths section was easier as compared to 2023, that is the reason the cutoff was increased to 37.1 marks.
| Year | General | OBC/EWS | SC/ST |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 37.1 | 33.3 | 24.7 |
| 2025 | 29 | 26 | 19 |
Check the Previous Year's Official Cutoff
Ques. Why was the GATE DA cutoff so high in 2024?
Ans. The 2024 paper had easier mathematics questions, allowing many candidates to score higher marks.
Ques. Is GATE DA easier than GATE CS?
Ans. Some candidates consider DA easier because the syllabus is smaller, but competition is increasing every year.
GATE 2026 Expected Marks vs Rank Using 2025 Trends
This is the approximate expected rank based on marks from the 2025 marks vs rank analysis
- With normalised 80 marks, you can expect to get a 200 rank, and be able to take admission to top IITs and top branches like CS, ECE, etc.
- If your calculated score is around 70 to 80, then it is expected that you will be in the rank range of 500-1000. This will help to secure admission in top IITs.
- For 60 to 70 marks, the expected rank will be under 2000 and can get admission to mid-tier IITs, top NITs, and mid-tier PSUs.
| GATE Marks 2026 | GATE 2026 Expected Rank |
|---|---|
| 85-100 | 1-100 |
| 75-84 | 100-500 |
| 65-74 | 500-2,000 |
| 55-64 | 2,000-6,000 |
| 45-54 | 6,000-15,000 |
| 35-44 | 15,000-40,000 |
| Below 35 | 40,000+ |
Check this YouTube video by Dr. Gajendra Purohit Sir for a detailed analysis of marks vs rank for GATE 2026 for all the branches using the past year trends of GATE marks vs rank
Check:
Ques: I am getting 66 marks in GATE 2026. What will be my rank?
Ans: From last year's marks vs rank analysis, the expected rank would be between 500 and 2000. The exact rank can vary depending on the branch, number of appearing candidates, and difficulty level.
Ques: Do the marks vs rank remain the same as of GATE 2025?
Ans: No, the marks vs rank do not remain the same exactly, but the overall trend is quite similar. If there is any variation, it is not much. You will get a very close rank to this expected rank analysis.
College Admission Chances Based on GATE Marks
Admission possibilities depend on marks, rank, category, and institute preferences.
- 50 marks may secure mid-level NITs, but IIT admission is difficult for the General category
- Scores above 65 significantly improve chances for top IITs.
- Category reservations can improve admission possibilities.
| Marks | Possible Institutes |
|---|---|
| 65+ | Top IITs |
| 55-60 | New IITs / Good NITs |
| 50 | Mid-tier NITs |
| 4045 | Lower NITs / State institutes |
Ques. Can I get IIT with 50 marks in GATE CS?
Ans. For the General category, IIT admission with 50 marks is unlikely, but some NITs may still be possible.
Ques. Which colleges can I get with 55+ marks in GATE?
Ans. Candidates scoring 55-60 marks may get newer IITs or good NITs, depending on rank and seat availability.
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