GATE negative marking is applied for each incorrect MCQ question and the deduction of marks differs for 1 mark and 2 marks. There is no negative marking for MSQs and NAT questions.
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GATE Negative Marking 2026: GATE negative marking system is applied for each incorrect MCQ question. Apart from that, there is no negative marking in MSQ and NAT questions. GATE 2026 is conducted for admissions into PG and doctoral courses and is highly competitive.
If you qualify for the cutoffs, you are eligible for admission to various courses. IITs organise the GATE exam on a rotational basis and IISc Bangalore is the conducting body.
How is GATE Negative Marking Applied?
GATE questions are in the form of MCQs, MSQs, and NATs. The GATE marking scheme 2026 of each category is different. The total number of questions in the GATE exam is 65 and the GATE total marks are 100. The questions carry 1 and 2 marks each.
However, the GATE negative marking system is applied only for MCQ questions. There is no negative marking for MSQs and NAT questions. Additionally, the deduction of marks differs for 1 mark and 2 marks.
| Question Types | Marks | Negative Marking |
| MCQs | 1 | -½ marks deducted |
| 2 | -⅔ marks deducted | |
| MSQ | 1 | No negative marking |
| 2 | No negative marking | |
| NAT | 2 | No negative marking |
Also Check: GATE Qualifying Marks 2026
How to Calculate GATE Negative Marking?
If you appear for the GATE 2026 exam, you need to be aware of negative markings for certain questions. The steps to calculate the GATE negative marking are as follows:
- Once the answer keys are available, you must download them.
- Check for the answers, and mark the correct answer and the incorrect answers.
- Now deduct the incorrect answer marks from the correct answers.
Also Check: GATE Virtual Calculator 2026: How to use?
GATE 2026 Marking Scheme
The GATE marking scheme for the papers are variant. The GATE exam total marks is 100, which is the GATE maximum marks. The question paper will carry questions from General Aptitude, Engineering Mathematics, and Core subjects for AE, AG, BT, CE, CH, CS, EC, EE, IN, ME, MN, MT, PE, PI, TF, XE and BM subjects.
However, there will be no engineering mathematics questions for AR, CY, EY, GG, MA, PH, XH, and XL subjects.
Also Check: GATE 2026 Question Paper with Solution Subject-wise PDF
Additionally, the weightage of the questions is variant for these two categories. Thus, the GATE marks distribution is also variant. The table below represents the GATE marking scheme.
| Particulars | Details |
| Total Questions | 65 |
| Total Marks | 100 |
| Weightage of Questions | General Aptitude - 15% |
| Engineering Mathematics - 13% | |
| Core Subjects - 72% | |
| Question Distribution for AE, AG, BT, CE, CH, CS, EC, EE, IN, ME, MN, MT, PE, PI, TF, XE and BM | General Aptitude - 15% |
| Engineering Mathematics - 13% | |
| Main Subjects - 72% | |
| Question Distribution for AR, CY, EY, GG, MA, PH, XH, and XL | General Aptitude - 15% |
| Main Subjects - 85% | |
| Negative Marking | No negative marking for MCQs and NAT |
| ½ mark deduction for each 1-mark question | |
| ⅔ marks deduction for each 2 marks |
Also Check: GATE Exam Attempt Limit 2026
GATE 2026 Exam Pattern
GATE 2026 exam pattern is decided and released by the organising body. The question paper carries 100 marks questions. However, the marking scheme and division of questions are different for subjects. The details are explained in the table below:
| Particulars | Details |
| GATE Conducting Body | IIT Kanpur |
| GATE Organising Authority | IISc Bangalore |
| Exam Mode | Online |
| GATE Exam Duration | 3 hours (180 minutes) |
| Total Marks | 100 |
| Type of Questions | MCQs |
| MSQs | |
| NAT | |
| Marking Scheme | 1 and 2 marks questions |
| No negative marking for MSQs and NAT questions | |
| ½ marks deduction for each incorrect MCQ question of 1 mark | |
| ⅔ marks deduction for each incorrect MCQ question of 2 marks. |
You are requested to check the response sheet and answer keys to estimate their probable scores. It will also help sort the colleges that admit you based on their scores.
Also Check: GATE Negative Marking 2026
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