Chemical Engineering GATE Cutoff 2026: Qualifying Marks, College-Wise Scores & Counselling Schedule
Chemical Engineering GATE Cutoff for 2026 for the General category settled at 25 marks, a slight decrease from the 27.7 marks recorded in 2025. This chemical engineering GATE cutoff is the minimum qualifying score required for M.Tech admissions at IITs, NITs, and other institutes, with IIT Bombay’s 2025 admission cutoff for Chemical Engineering (Open category) being 600, significantly higher than the qualifying threshold. The 2026 cutoff was officially released by IIT Guwahati on March 19, 2026, alongside the GATE results.
GATE 2026 Qualifying Cutoff for Chemical Engineering
The table below presents the minimum qualifying marks for Chemical Engineering (CH) in GATE 2026 across different categories.
| Category | Qualifying Marks (Out of 100) |
|---|---|
| General | 25 |
| OBC-NCL | 22.5 |
| SC/ST/PwD | 16.6 |
GATE Chemical Engineering Cutoff Trends: 2025 vs 2026
A comparison of the qualifying cutoffs for Chemical Engineering in GATE for 2025 and 2026 highlights the year-on-year shifts.
| Category | 2025 Qualifying Marks | 2026 Qualifying Marks |
|---|---|---|
| General | 27.7 | 25 |
| OBC-NCL/EWS | 24.9 | 22.5 |
| SC/ST/PwD | 18.4 | 16.6 |
Top Institutes’ GATE Chemical Engineering Admission Cutoffs 2025
Admission cutoffs for M.Tech Chemical Engineering programs at premier institutes like IIT Bombay (Mumbai, Maharashtra) and IIT (BHU) Varanasi (Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh) vary significantly from the qualifying marks.
| Institute | Category | 2025 GATE Score |
|---|---|---|
| IIT Bombay | Open | 600 |
| IIT Bombay | OBC | 540 |
| IIT Bombay | SC/ST | 400 |
| IIT (BHU) Varanasi | GEN | 389 |
| IIT (BHU) Varanasi | OBC-NCL | 403 |
| IIT (BHU) Varanasi | SC | 271 |
| IIT (BHU) Varanasi | ST | 232 |
| IIT (BHU) Varanasi | EWS | 384 |
GATE 2026 Examination Schedule
The Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) 2026 was conducted across two weekends in February.
| Event | Date(s) |
|---|---|
| GATE 2026 Exam Dates | February 7, 8, 14, 15, 2026 |
| Announcement of Results | March 19, 2026 |
GATE 2026 Counselling & Admission Timeline
The counselling process for M.Tech admissions through GATE 2026 involves both COAP (for IITs) and CCMT (for NITs, IIITs, and GFTIs).
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| COAP 2026 Round 1 Counselling Begins | May 11, 2026 |
| CCMT 2026 Counselling Registration Begins | May 15, 2026 |
| COAP 2026 Round 5 Counselling Ends | June 10, 2026 |
FAQs
Q: What is considered a good GATE score for Chemical Engineering to get into top IITs?
A: A GATE score of 750+ is generally considered very good for securing admission to top IITs like IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi, or IIT Madras for Chemical Engineering. For other older IITs, a score between 700-750 is strong.
Q: Do PSUs recruit through GATE Chemical Engineering scores?
A: Yes, several Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) such as IOCL, BPCL, HPCL, ONGC, GAIL, NTPC, and NFL recruit Chemical Engineering graduates based on their GATE scores, followed by interviews.
Q: How does the GATE Chemical Engineering cutoff differ for qualifying versus admission?
A: The GATE Chemical Engineering qualifying cutoff is the minimum score required to pass the exam and receive a scorecard. The admission cutoff, however, is significantly higher and represents the minimum score needed to secure a seat in a specific M.Tech program at an institute.
Q: What factors influence the GATE Chemical Engineering cutoff each year?
A: The GATE Chemical Engineering cutoff is influenced by several factors, including the difficulty level of the exam, the total number of candidates who appeared, the number of available seats in participating institutes, and previous year’s cutoff trends.
Q: Is there any age limit to appear for the GATE Chemical Engineering exam?
A: No, there is no age limit to appear for the GATE examination. Candidates who are in their third year or higher of an undergraduate degree program or have already completed a government-approved degree are eligible.
