GATE Cut Off 2023: Branch-Wise Qualifying Marks & Category-Wise Details

GMU

Updated on - Jun 18, 2025

A common question among prospective M.Tech applicants is how to use and what GATE cutoffs represent. Qualifying cutoffs in GATE are the lowest scores (out of 100) needed to pass the test and be eligible for counseling. The GATE committee sets these annually, and they vary depending on the paper and category (General, OBC, SC, ST, and PwD).

Conversely, the scores that some programs or institutions require for entry are known as admission cutoffs. A qualifying cutoff in CS might be about 32/100 (Gen), while prestigious colleges like IISc or IITs frequently require significantly higher scores (sometimes 600–700 out of 1000 in GATE score) for M.Tech seats. In summary, admission cutoffs govern which programs you can enroll in, whereas qualifying cutoffs allow you to enter the gate.

GATE 2023 Qualifying Cutoffs Category-Wise

The GATE 2023 qualifying scores for the various engineering disciplines differed greatly. Sample GATE 2023 qualifying cutoff scores (out of 100) for several important papers for the General (GEN), OBC/EWS, and SC/ST/PwD categories are listed in the table below, per the official performance report. To be eligible, candidates usually need to have slightly better raw scores than these marks because of normalization and scoring.

Note: GATE 2023 qualifying cutoff marks (out of 100) for selected papers and categories.

The GATE 2023 qualifying scores, for example, were similar to those of 2022 overall, while there were minor changes in a few streams. CE, for instance, witnessed a Gen cutoff of about 26.6 in 2023 as opposed to about 30.4 in 2022. These variances represent the annual performance of the candidates and the difficulty of the exam. Keep in mind that SC/ST/PwD cutoffs are around 30–40% lower than GEN, while OBC/EWS cutoffs are about 10% lower (due to relaxation).

Also Read: GATE Cutoff Trends for Top IITs and NITs: Check Previous Year's Cutoffs

Admission Cutoff Trends at Top Institutes (IISc & IITs)

It is far more difficult to get into prestigious schools; meeting the qualifying threshold merely allows you to sit for admissions. Admission cutoffs are published by the institutions themselves, usually as GATE scores out of 1000. For example, extremely high GATE scores were needed for admission to IISc Bangalore's 2023 M.Tech program. According to IISc's admission report, Table 2 displays sample IISc cutoffs for a few flagship programs (GEN and other categories):

Table 2: Sample IISc 2023 M.Tech admission cutoffs (GATE score out of 1000) by department and category.

Also Read: List of PSUs for Mechanical Engineers after GATE Qualification Vacancy, Eligibility, Selection Process, Average Salary

Conclusion

According to these figures, only extremely high scorers were accepted by IISc. Candidates in computer science, for instance, required a GATE score of approximately 675 out of 1000 (GEN), which is comparable to the top few percent of test takers. Additionally, note that reserved categories (SC/ST/PwD) have substantially lower cutoffs than OBC and other categories (cf. CS OBC cutoff 640). Cutoffs may also vary by specialization; for example, the Electronic Systems Eng. group at IISc, which accepts papers in CS, EC, EE, and IN, consistently had cutoffs of 625 (GEN). Similar trends are followed by other IITs, which often require extremely high GATE scores for popular M.Tech streams. The majority of IITs, for instance, recorded closing ranks in 2023 that were comparable to GATE scores in the 700+ range for key fields like EE, CS, and ME. Newer branches or lower-tier IIT programs, on the other hand, frequently have lower cutoffs.

The eligibility requirements for postgraduate engineering programs are defined by the qualifying cutoffs for GATE 2023 (see Table 1). Elite institute admissions requirements are significantly higher and frequently call for GATE scores in the top decile. Candidates should review these tables to determine target scores, account for category relaxations, and coordinate their GATE preparation to meet or surpass anticipated admission cutoffs. To get into competitive programs, use past cutoff trends as a guide and maintain the mindset that you should strive comfortably above them.

One of India's most demanding exams is the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE), which provides access to high-profile colleges and PSU opportunities. In the 2023 session, cutoff patterns across disciplines underwent several notable alterations.

If you didn’t make it this time, don’t lose heart. Many successful candidates have stories of setbacks and comebacks. Use the cutoff trends as a guide, but let your own determination set the pace.