GATE is organised by a different IIT each cycle, and that institute publishes an information brochure fixing the whole calendar from registration to scorecard. The dates move every year; the sequence does not. This page explains that sequence, the session timings, and what to check on the current brochure, alongside the Myndaq GATE courses.
The figures below were checked against the official GATE website and information brochure on 16 September 2026. The organising institute notes that all dates are liable to change, so confirm on the current official site before you pay or travel.
How the GATE year is sequenced
GATE is organised by a different IIT each cycle, and that institute publishes a brochure fixing every date. The dates move, but the sequence does not, and knowing it tells you what to watch for and when.
Registration and application
- GOAPS opens - the GATE Online Application Processing System opens around the end of August or the start of September.
- Regular registration closes - roughly four weeks later, towards the end of September, with no late fee.
- Extended registration closes - about a week after that, with a late fee added to every paper.
- Rectification window - opens in October for a short period, and is the last chance to change category, paper or city. It is for genuine corrections, not a second application.
Before the exam
- Exam city allotment - notified in early January.
- Admit card - released in January, and it carries your exam date and session.
Exam days
- GATE runs across weekends in February, with each day split into two sessions. Recent cycles have used four to six exam days depending on the number of papers.
After the exam
- Response sheet and provisional answer key - published after the exam, with a short objection window.
- Results - announced in March.
- Scorecard - downloadable free for a limited window after the result, then for a fee of Rs 500 per test paper until the end of the calendar year of the exam. The score is valid for three years.
Work backwards from the registration close, not the exam. It is the only date in the sequence with no second chance attached.
Exam-day session timings
The brochure gives two session slots for each exam day, and these have held steady across cycles:
- Forenoon - 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM
- Afternoon - 2:30 PM to 5:30 PM
Each paper is three hours. Your admit card tells you which day and which of the two sessions you sit in.
Registration link and what to keep ready
Registration happens only through GOAPS, reached from the Apply Now link on the current cycle's official GATE site. The home page states that registration through DigiLocker is mandatory for all Indian nationals, and IIT Madras's announcement for this cycle says registration will use DigiLocker along with facial registration. If your DigiLocker account is not linked to your current mobile number, sort that out before you sit down to apply, not on the submission deadline itself.
The rectification window that follows the extended deadline - about a week long - is for fixing an application after submission. Do not rely on it to finish an incomplete form: an application that was never submitted inside the extended period is not there to correct. The official FAQ also says a change of test paper is entertained only after the last date for application submission, against an additional payment.
Eligibility rules, the document list and photo specifications are covered in the eligibility and fees guide linked below.
Application fee pointer
The fee depends on your category, on how many papers you take and on whether you pay in the regular or the extended period. As published on the official fees page when checked, per the table:
- Female, SC, ST and PwD candidates - Rs 1,000 for one paper and Rs 2,000 for two papers in the regular period; Rs 1,500 for one paper and Rs 2,500 for two papers in the extended period
- All other candidates, including foreign nationals - Rs 2,000 for one paper and Rs 4,000 for two papers in the regular period; Rs 2,500 for one paper and Rs 4,500 for two papers in the extended period
PwD here means Persons with Benchmark Disability. The brochure says two papers cost twice the single-paper fee, which does not match the fees page's extended-period two-paper amounts, so go by the amount GOAPS shows before you pay. The GATE eligibility and application fees guide covers this in detail. The simplest saving on the whole calendar is to submit inside the regular period and avoid the extended-period amount altogether.
Which day carries your paper
The paper-wise schedule is published separately from the main calendar, usually some weeks after registration closes, and it is the only thing that tells you which of the February days and which session carries your paper. Until it appears, no one can say - and the previous cycle's grid is not a guide, because the number of exam days and the paper list both change.
Two things settle it for you: the paper-wise schedule on the official GATE site for the current cycle, and then your admit card, which carries your date and session. If you are applying for two papers, the brochure's two-paper table is what defines which combinations are allowed, and that table is reset each cycle.
Below is what to check for each of the six papers Myndaq covers.
CS - Computer Science and Information Technology
The official two-paper table for the current cycle lists DA, EC, GE, MA, ME, PH, RA and ST as allowed second papers for CS. If you are still choosing between the two computing papers, see which GATE paper suits you, CS or DA.
DA - Data Science and Artificial Intelligence
Allowed second papers with DA in the most recent brochure were CS, EC, EE, MA, ME, PH, RA, ST and XE. The Myndaq GATE DA course follows the same calendar.
EC - Electronics and Communication Engineering
Allowed second papers with EC in the most recent brochure were CS, DA, EE, IN, PH and RA.
EE - Electrical Engineering
Allowed second papers with EE in the most recent brochure were DA, EC, IN, PH and RA.
ME - Mechanical Engineering
Allowed second papers with ME in the most recent brochure were AE, CS, DA, IN, NM, PI, RA and XE.
CE - Civil Engineering
Allowed second papers with CE in the most recent brochure were AE, AG, AR, ES, GE, NM and XE.
If you take two papers, the two-paper page notes that the centre for your second paper may be different, though in the same city, because of infrastructure and scheduling constraints. It also warns that some combinations may be removed later, with the second-paper fee refunded in that case.
What changes between cycles, and what does not
Each cycle the brochure resets the organising IIT, the exact dates, the number of exam days and the list of test papers - papers get added, merged into XE, or retired, and the allowed two-paper combinations change with them.
What has held steady: the three-hour paper, the two session slots, the overall sequence from GOAPS to scorecard, the March result, the Rs 500 paid-scorecard charge and the three-year validity of the score.
So build your plan on the sequence and check the current brochure for the numbers. Treating last cycle's grid as this cycle's schedule is the most common way candidates get the exam weekend wrong.
Planning around the calendar
The sequence gives you a simple rhythm. Get the application in before the regular close rather than relying on the late window. Use the October rectification window only for genuine corrections. Then watch for the paper-wise schedule and the admit card, because those are what fix your actual exam day and session.
For the study side, the GATE preparation guide sets out a month-by-month plan, and the GATE exam pattern and marking scheme covers the paper itself.
Quick answers
When is the GATE exam held?
Across weekends in February, in forenoon (9:30 AM to 12:30 PM) and afternoon (2:30 PM to 5:30 PM) sessions. The exact days are fixed by the brochure for each cycle.
What is the last date to apply for GATE?
Regular registration closes towards the end of September, and an extended window with a late fee closes about a week later. Check the current brochure for the exact days.
When is the GATE admit card released?
In January, after exam city allotment is notified in early January. The admit card carries your exam date and session.
When is the GATE result announced?
In March. The scorecard can then be downloaded free for a limited window, and afterwards for Rs 500 per test paper until the end of that calendar year. The score is valid for three years.
On which day is my GATE paper?
The paper-wise schedule for the cycle decides it, and your admit card confirms your date and session. Do not plan from the previous cycle's grid.
