GATE 2026: Apply for M.Tech counselling now for IIT/IISc admissions

GATE 2026: Apply for M.Tech counselling now for IIT/IISc admissions

ByNishit Kumar

In short

  • M.Tech admissions to IITs and IISc are currently underway, based on GATE 2026 scores declared in March 2026.
  • Participation in the Common Offer Acceptance Portal (COAP) counselling process is mandatory for securing admission to IITs and IISc.
  • The official qualifying GATE CSE Cutoff 2026 is 30 marks for General (UR), 27 marks for OBC-NCL/EWS, and 20 marks for SC/ST/PwD categories.
  • IITs will release their specific GATE admission cutoffs, which are typically higher than the qualifying cutoffs, considering factors like candidate numbers and seat availability.
  • Around 2 lakh students appeared for the Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) paper in GATE 2026.

M.Tech admissions for the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) are currently in progress, with candidates securing seats through their Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) 2026 scores. The GATE 2026 results were declared in March 2026, initiating the subsequent counselling processes.

Admission to M.Tech programs at IITs and IISc is supported via the Common Offer Acceptance Portal (COAP), while NITs, IIITs, and other centrally funded institutions admit students through the Centralised Counselling for MTech (CCMT). Lakhs of candidates compete for a limited number of seats each year, making the cutoff scores a critical factor for admission.

GATE 2026 Qualifying and Admission Cutoffs

Qualifying the GATE exam is a mandatory prerequisite for admission to IITs and IISc through GATE scores. The GATE cutoff is categorised into two types: the qualifying cutoff and the admission cutoff. The qualifying cutoff represents the minimum marks required to pass the GATE exam and receive a valid scorecard. The admission cutoff, used by institutes during counselling, is consistently higher than the qualifying cutoff.

For GATE CSE 2026, the official qualifying cutoffs are 30 marks out of 100 for the General (UR) category, 27 marks for the OBC-NCL / EWS category, and 20 marks for the SC / ST / PwD category. These raw marks are then converted into GATE scores, which are normalized values calculated out of 1000. A raw mark of 65+ in GATE CSE typically translates to a GATE score above 800.

GATE Paper 2022 General OBC-NCL/ EWS SC/ST/PwD
CS 25 22.5 16.6
ECE 25 22.5 16.5
Biotechnology 35.5 31.9 23.6
Chemical Engineering 25.3 22.7 16.8
Statistics 25 22.5 16.6
Metallurgical engineering 46.2 41.5 30.8
Mathematics 27.3 24.5 18.2
Electrical engineering 30.7 27.6 20.4
Textile engineering and fibre science 36.8 34.9 25.6
Mechanical Engineering (ME) 28.1 25.2 18.7
Physics 26.5 23.8 –
Life Science (Botany/ Zoology) 33.9 30.5 22.5
Ecology and life sciences 33.4 30 22.2
Agriculture Engineering 26 NA NA

Factors Influencing GATE Cutoffs and Admission Process

The GATE cutoff for each IIT varies and is determined by several factors, including the total number of qualified candidates, the difficulty level of the examination, and the availability of seats for a specific course. Previous years’ cutoffs also contribute to the determination of the current year’s cutoffs. For the general category, the cutoff for IITs through GATE typically ranges from 780-900+ for top GATE papers, while for the reserved category, a score of 400+ generally allows for admission to GATE CSE, ECE, and ME branches.

The admission process for IIT M.Tech CSE programs is conducted through COAP. Each IIT later releases its own cutoff, which considers the GATE score, and in some cases, a written test or interview, along with academic performance. NITs, then again, admit M.Tech students through CCMT counselling, with their cutoffs being released round-wise and subject to change between rounds.

Paper Name Paper Code GATE Cutoff 2021 GATE Cutoff 2020 GATE Cutoff 2019
Aerospace Engineering AE 26.3 27.2 33.5
Agricultural Engineering AG 25 26.3 28.3
Architecture and Planning AR 40.9 34.8 41
Biomedical Engineering BM 25 25 N/A
Biotechnology BT 30 30.7 35.9
Civil Engineering CE* 29.2 32.9 28.2
Chemical Engineering CH 35.1 35.7 34.8
Computer Science and Information Technology CS* 26.1 28.5 29.5
Chemistry CY 36.2 26.7 32
Electronics and Communication Engineering EC 25 28.8 26.7
Electrical Engineering EE 30.3 33.4 39.6
Environmental Science & Engineering ES 39.6 – –
Ecology and Evolution EY 35.7 42.2 37.1
Geology GG 38.9 38.4 44.5
Geophysics GG 44.8 51.9 N/A
Instrumentation Engineering IN 36 34.6 31.9
Mathematics MA 29 25 25
Mechanical Engineering ME* 33 34 34.1
Mining Engineering MN 31 32.7 31.5
Metallurgical Engineering MT 48.5 49.2 53.5
Petroleum Engineering PE 51.4 39.8 49.9
Physics PH 32.8 37.2 25.2
Production and Industrial Engineering PI 35.7 36.6 32.2
Statistics ST 25 25 32.5
Textile Engineering and Fibre Science TF 41.8 37.1 40.1
Engineering Sciences Minor XE 37 26 26.7
Economics XH-C1 29.4 – –
English XH-C2 41.7 – –
Linguistics XH-C3 35.3 – –
Philosophy XH-C4 37.9 – –
Psychology XH-C5 48.5 – –
Sociology XH-C6 34.3 – –
Life Sciences XL 36 31.7 36.7

Expected GATE CSE Cutoffs for IITs and NITs

The GATE exam, organised by IIT Madras for 2026, comprises 65 questions carrying a total of 100 marks, with 10 questions from General Aptitude and 55 from the chosen subject paper. Approximately 2 lakh students appeared for the CSE paper in GATE 2026. Candidates can view the cutoffs for all IITs on the official website of CCMT once they are released.

Expected GATE CSE Cutoffs for 2026 for various IITs and NITs have been outlined, providing an indication for candidates regarding their admission prospects. For top IITs, the General category cutoffs are projected to be in the 800-900+ range, while mid-tier and new IITs are expected to have slightly lower cutoffs. Similarly, top NITs are anticipated to have General category cutoffs ranging from 700-780.

Expected GATE CSE Cutoff 2026 for Top IITs (Out of 1000 GATE Score)

Institute General OBC-NCL EWS SC ST
IIT Bombay (CSE) 850–870 800–820 800–820 700–720 680–700
IIT Delhi (CSE) 830–850 780–800 780–800 680–700 660–680
IIT Kanpur (CSE) 820–840 770–790 770–790 670–690 650–670
IIT Madras (CSE) 810–830 760–780 760–780 660–680 640–660
IIT Kharagpur (CSE) 800–820 750–770 750–770 650–670 630–650
IIT Roorkee (CSE) 780–800 730–750 730–750 630–650 610–630
IIT Guwahati (CSE) 770–790 720–740 720–740 620–640 600–620
IIT Hyderabad (CSE) 800–820 750–770 750–770 650–670 630–650

Expected GATE CSE Cutoff 2026 for Mid-Tier IITs (Out of 1000 GATE Score)

Institute General OBC-NCL EWS SC ST
IIT BHU Varanasi 750–770 700–720 700–720 600–620 580–600
IIT (ISM) Dhanbad 720–740 670–690 670–690 570–590 550–570
IIT Indore 740–760 690–710 690–710 590–610 570–590
IIT Ropar 720–740 670–690 670–690 570–590 550–570
IIT Mandi 700–720 650–670 650–670 550–570 530–550
IIT Gandhinagar 720–740 670–690 670–690 570–590 550–570
IIT Patna 700–720 650–670 650–670 550–570 530–550
IIT Bhubaneswar 690–710 640–660 640–660 540–560 520–540
IIT Jodhpur 680–700 630–650 630–650 530–550 510–530

Expected GATE CSE Cutoff 2026 for New IITs (Out of 1000 GATE Score)

Institute General OBC-NCL SC ST
IIT Tirupati 650–680 600–630 510–540 490–520
IIT Palakkad 640–670 590–620 500–530 480–510
IIT Bhilai 630–660 580–610 490–520 470–500
IIT Jammu 620–650 570–600 480–510 460–490
IIT Dharwad 620–650 570–600 480–510 460–490
IIT Goa 620–650 570–600 480–510 460–490

Expected GATE CSE Cutoff 2026 for Top NITs (Round 1, General Category)

Institute CSE Cutoff (GATE Score) OBC-NCL EWS SC ST
NIT Trichy 750–780 700–730 700–730 600–630 580–610
NIT Warangal 740–770 690–720 690–720 590–620 570–600
NIT Surathkal 720–750 670–700 670–700 570–600 550–580
NIT Calicut 700–730 650–680 650–680 550–580 530–560
NIT Rourkela 680–710 630–660 630–660 530–560 510–540
NIT Allahabad (MNNIT) 680–710 630–660 630–660 530–560 510–540
NIT Nagpur (VNIT) 680–710 630–660 630–660 530–560 510–540
NIT Jaipur (MNIT) 670–700 620–650 620–650 520–550 500–530
NIT Kurukshetra 660–690 610–640 610–640 510–540 490–520
NIT Durgapur 650–680 600–630 600–630 500–530 480–510
NIT Silchar 620–650 570–600 570–600 470–500 450–480
NIT Hamirpur 600–630 550–580 550–580 450–480 430–460
NIT Patna 580–610 530–560 530–560 430–460 410–440
NIT Raipur 570–600 520–550 520–550 420–450 400–430
NIT Goa 580–610 530–560 530–560 430–460 410–440
NIT Meghalaya 540–570 490–520 490–520 390–420 370–400
NIT Sikkim 520–550 470–500 470–500 370–400 350–380

Further reading


Nishit Kumar
Written by

Nishit Kumar is a senior EdTech industry leader with over a decade of experience in building and scaling education platforms, shaping their product, content, and growth strategy. At FindMyCollege, Nishit oversees content and editorial strategy, guiding topic selection and content frameworks to ensure accuracy, relevance, and student-first value across the website.

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