GATE 2026 cutoff for Data Science & AI released: check qualifying marks and top institute scores
In short
- The GATE 2026 exam for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (DA) was held on February 15, 2026, with results declared on March 19, 2026.
- IIT Guwahati, the conducting body, has released the official qualifying cutoffs for GATE DA 2026.
- Around 10 lakh candidates applied for GATE 2026, with approximately 57,054 appearing for the DA paper in 2025.
- Admission to postgraduate programs at IITs/NITs and top PSU jobs requires securing scores significantly higher than the qualifying cutoff.
The Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) 2026 results were released by IIT Guwahati on March 19, 2026, following examinations held on February 7, 8, 14, and 15, 2026. Aspirants for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (DA) can now check the minimum marks required to qualify the exam and assess their prospects for admission into postgraduate programs (M.Tech/Ph.D.) at IITs/NITs or securing top technical jobs in Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs).
The GATE DA paper, introduced by IISc Bangalore in 2024, is a highly competitive examination. The overall difficulty of the GATE DA 2026 paper was assessed as Moderate to Slightly Tough, characterized by a math-dominant and lengthy calculation focus. Factors such as exam difficulty, candidate volume, seat availability, and normalization procedures influence the final cutoff marks.
GATE 2026 Data Science & AI Qualifying Cutoffs
The GATE cutoff is bifurcated into two types: a qualifying cutoff, which determines if a student has passed the exam, and an admission cutoff, which varies by institute based on competition and seat availability. For GATE DA 2026, the expected qualifying cutoffs for various categories have been estimated, with a slight upward trend anticipated for General and OBC-NCL categories compared to the 2025 actual cutoffs.
The GATE 2026 DA paper comprised 33 Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ), 14 Multiple Select Questions (MSQ), and approximately 18 Numerical Answer Type (NAT) questions. The exam was held for a 3-hour duration, with 65 questions totaling 100 marks, covering General Aptitude, Probability & Statistics, Linear Algebra, Programming (Python), Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, and DBMS & Warehousing.
| Category | Expected Cutoff Range |
|---|---|
| General (Unreserved) | 30 – 38.7 marks |
| OBC-NCL / EWS | 26 – 27.5 marks |
| SC / ST / PwD | 19.3 – 20 marks |
For comparison, the official qualifying cutoffs for previous years for the DA paper, as released by the respective organizing institutes, are provided below. The GATE 2025 official cutoff for DA was released by IIT Roorkee, while IISc Bangalore released the 2024 cutoff.
| Category | GATE 2024 (IISc) | GATE 2025 (IITR) |
|---|---|---|
| General (UR) | 37.1 | 29 |
| OBC-NCL / EWS | 33.3 | 26.1 |
| SC / ST / PwD | 24.7 | 19.3 |
Admission Cutoffs for Top Institutes
Securing a seat in top-tier institutions like IITs and IISc, or landing a PSU job through the Data Science & Artificial Intelligence (DA) paper, is highly competitive. Admission cutoffs are typically much higher than the qualifying cutoffs and depend on the specific institute, program, and the overall performance of candidates. A higher number of registered applicants, which was around 10 lakh for GATE 2026, increases competition, potentially driving admission cutoffs upward.
The expected scores required for admission to various top institutes in the General Category for GATE DA 2026 are estimated to be in the range of 780-850+ for IIT Bombay, 750-820 for IIT Delhi, and 740-810 for IISc Bangalore. These scores are out of 1000, which is the scaled GATE score, not the raw marks out of 100.
| Institute | Expected Score Range 2026 (General Category) | 2025 Reference Prediction Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| IIT Bombay (AI/DS programs) | 780 – 850+ | ~790–860 High |
| IIT Delhi | 750 – 820 | ~760–830 High |
| IIT Madras | 720 – 790 | ~730–800 High |
| IISc Bangalore (AI/Computational Data Science) | 740 – 810 | ~750–820 High |
| IIT Kharagpur | 680 – 760 | ~690–770 High |
| IIT Kanpur | 650 – 730 | ~660–740 Medium |
| IIT Roorkee / Guwahati | 600 – 680 | ~610–690 Medium |
| NIT Trichy / Surathkal / Warangal | 520 – 620 | ~530–630 Low-Medium |
Score, Percentile, and Rank Estimation for GATE Da 2026
Aspirants can estimate their potential percentile and rank based on their GATE score, which in turn indicates their admission prospects across various institutions. A score of 850+ is estimated to place candidates in the 99.9 – 100 percentile range, potentially securing admission to top IITs and IISc, along with opportunities in leading multinational corporations. Conversely, lower scores may lead to opportunities in other NITs, state universities, or sponsored seats.
The GATE 2026 exam saw around 10 lakh candidates apply across all papers. For the DA paper specifically, 75,854 candidates registered in 2025, with 57,054 appearing for the exam. The India AI market is projected to target over $17 billion by 2027, highlighting the growing demand and career opportunities in this field.
| GATE Score Range | Expected Percentile | Expected Rank Range | Admission Prospects |
|---|---|---|---|
| 850+ | 99.9 – 100 | 1 – 20 | IIT Bombay/Delhi/IISc + top MNCs |
| 800 – 850 | 99.5 – 99.9 | 20 – 80 | Top IITs + IISc |
| 750 – 800 | 98 – 99.5 | 80 – 250 | Old IITs |
| 700 – 750 | 94 – 98 | 250 – 600 | Most IITs, top NITs |
| 650 – 700 | 88 – 94 | 600 – 1200 | Newer IITs, good NITs |
| 600 – 650 | 80 – 88 | 1200 – 2500 | Other NITs, state unis |
| 550 – 600 | 70 – 80 | 2500+ | Sponsored seats, lower-tier |
GATE 2026 Examination Timeline and Future Outlook
The GATE 2026 examination cycle, conducted by IIT Guwahati, concluded with the announcement of results on March 19, 2026. The official cutoffs have also been released. Looking ahead, IIT Madras will conduct the GATE 2027 exam in February 2027, with results expected on March 19, 2027. A new category of subject, XE 1, was added in GATE 2026, indicating ongoing evolution in the examination structure.
| Authority | Conducting Body | Name of Exam | Examination Dates | GATE 2026 Result | GATE 2026 Cutoff Released | Official Website |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) | IIT Guwahati | GATE 2026 | 07 February, 08 February, 14 February, 15 February 2026 | 19 March 2026 | Released | gate2025.iitr.ac.in |
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