GATE Cutoff For ST Category: Branch-Wise Ranks, Trends & Admission Insights
From 16.7 (Mechanical Engineering) to 24.1 (Engineering Sciences), the GATE Cutoff For ST Category for 2026 spanned across various papers. The GATE Cutoff For ST Category is the minimum qualifying mark required for admission to M.Tech programs in IITs, NITs, and other institutions, with the 2026 cutoffs officially released on March 28, 2026. This year’s qualifying marks show slight fluctuations compared to previous years, reflecting changes in exam difficulty and candidate performance.
GATE 2026 Examination Schedule
The Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) 2026 was conducted across two weekends in February, with results and cutoffs released in March.
| Event | Date (2026) |
|---|---|
| Application Process (without late fee) Concluded | October 7, 2025 |
| Admit Card Release | January 13 |
| Exam Dates | February 7, 8, 14, 15 |
| Result Declaration | March 19 |
| Official Cutoff Release | March 28 |
GATE 2026 Branch-wise Cutoff for ST Category
The qualifying marks for the ST category in GATE 2026 varied significantly across different engineering and science papers.
| Paper Code | Test Paper | ST/SC/PwD Cutoff (Marks out of 100) |
|---|---|---|
| CS | Computer Science and Information Technology | 20 |
| CE | Civil Engineering | 19.4 |
| ME | Mechanical Engineering | 16.7 |
| EE | Electrical Engineering | 18.4 |
| EC | Electronics & Communication Engineering | 19.1 |
| BT | Biotechnology | 17.2 |
| XL | Engineering Sciences | 24.1 |
GATE 2026 Category-wise Qualifying Marks
Here is a comparison of the minimum qualifying marks across different categories for popular GATE papers in 2026.
| Test Paper | General (Marks) | OBC-NCL/EWS (Marks) | SC/ST/PwD (Marks) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Science (CS) | 30 | 27 | 20 |
| Civil Engineering (CE) | 29.2 | 26.2 | 19.4 |
| Biotechnology (BT) | 25.8 | 23.2 | 17.2 |
| Engineering Sciences (XL) | 36.3 | 32.6 | 24.1 |
GATE Cutoff Trends for ST Category: 2023-2026
Analyzing the GATE cutoff trends for the ST category over the past four years provides insight into the fluctuating competitiveness of various papers.
| Test Paper | 2026 (Marks) | 2025 (Marks) | 2024 (Marks) | 2023 (Marks) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Science (CS) | 20 | 19.4 | 18.4 | 21.6 |
| Civil Engineering (CE) | 19.4 | 19.4 | 18.8 | 17.7 |
| Mechanical Engineering (ME) | 16.7 | 23.8 | 19 | 18.9 |
| Electrical Engineering (EE) | 18.4 | 16.6 | 17.1 | 16.6 |
| Electronics & Communication (EC) | 19.1 | 16.6 | 16.6 | 19.9 |
FAQs
Q: What is the difference between GATE qualifying marks and admission cutoffs?
A: GATE qualifying marks are the minimum scores required to pass the exam and receive a scorecard. Admission cutoffs, on the other hand, are typically higher scores set by individual institutes (IITs, NITs) for admission to their postgraduate programs, varying by branch and category.
Q: How are GATE cutoffs determined each year?
A: GATE cutoffs are influenced by several factors, including the overall difficulty level of the examination, the total number of candidates who appeared, and the number of available seats in various programs and institutes.
Q: Does the ST category have a lower GATE cutoff compared to other categories?
A: Yes, candidates belonging to the ST category typically have lower qualifying and admission cutoffs compared to the General and OBC-NCL/EWS categories, due to reservation policies.
Q: Can I get admission to an IIT with just the GATE qualifying marks for the ST category?
A: While meeting the qualifying marks makes you eligible for the GATE scorecard, securing admission to top IITs usually requires a significantly higher GATE score than the minimum qualifying cutoff, even for the ST category.
Q: Where can I find the official GATE 2026 cutoffs?
A: The official GATE 2026 cutoffs were released by IIT Guwahati on the official GATE 2026 website, gate2026.iitg.ac.in, on March 28, 2026.
