GATE Admit Card 2026 Update: IIT Guwahati Likely to Release Hall Ticket by Jan 16

Aspirants preparing for the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) 2026 can expect the release of the admit card soon, with indications suggesting it may be issued by January 16. The Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, the organising institute for GATE 2026, is expected to make the hall tickets available on the official website shortly, although no final confirmation date has been announced yet.

Initially, the GATE 2026 admit card was scheduled for release on January 2, but the timeline was later postponed, leaving candidates awaiting an official update. Once released, registered candidates will be able to download their admit cards from the official portal at gate2026.iitg.ac.in using their login credentials.

Mock Test Released Ahead of Admit Card

While the admit card release is pending, IIT Guwahati has already activated the official GATE 2026 mock test link. The practice test allows candidates to familiarise themselves with the actual computer-based test (CBT) interface, question navigation tools, and time management features.

Experts advise aspirants to attempt the mock test multiple times to reduce exam-day anxiety and optimise their performance strategy before the main examination.

GATE 2026 Exam Dates and Schedule

The GATE 2026 examination will be conducted in Computer-Based Test (CBT) mode across multiple sessions on the following dates:

• February 7, 8, 14 and 15, 2026

Each exam day will have two shifts:

• Morning session: 9:30 am to 12:30 pm

• Afternoon session: 2:30 pm to 5:30 pm

Each paper will be of three hours duration.

Exam Pattern and Marking Scheme

Each GATE 2026 paper will carry a total of 100 marks, structured as follows:

• General Aptitude: 15 marks

• Core subject paper: 85 marks

The marking scheme includes:

• Negative marking for MCQs

• No negative marking for MSQs and NAT questions

This structure ensures a balanced assessment of conceptual understanding, analytical ability and technical proficiency.

Who Conducts GATE 2026

GATE 2026 is being conducted by Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati on behalf of the National Coordination Board, under the Ministry of Education.

Why GATE Is Important

GATE is one of India’s most competitive national-level examinations and serves as:

• A gateway for MTech, ME and PhD admissions

• A key recruitment criterion for Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs)

• A benchmark for technical competency across engineering, science, architecture and humanities disciplines

With the exam dates approaching, candidates are advised to regularly check the official website for admit card updates, download the hall ticket immediately once released, and verify all details mentioned on it carefully.