GATE 2027 DigiLocker registration scrutiny ongoing, correction window closes October 31

The scrutiny process for the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) 2027 applications is currently underway, with IIT Madras and coordinating GATE offices reviewing submissions. Candidates whose applications are marked ‘Under Scrutiny’ are being evaluated, and a rectification window for identified defects is open from 14 October 2026 to 31 October 2026.

This year’s GATE examination, conducted jointly by IISc and IITs on behalf of the National Coordination Board (NCB), Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education (MoE), Government of India, has made DigiLocker registration mandatory for all Indian nationals and introduced live facial verification as part of the process. The examination evaluates candidates’ understanding of undergraduate-level subjects for admission to postgraduate and doctoral programs and for recruitment by Public Sector Undertakings.

Application Scrutiny and Rectification Process

The status ‘Under Scrutiny’ indicates that an application is under review and verification is in progress, as per the GATE 2027 FAQ. If defects are identified during this process, candidates will be notified via email or SMS/WhatsApp and required to rectify them within a stipulated timeframe. The rectification window for scrutiny defects is from 14 October 2026 to 31 October 2026. However, the rectification window for GATE 2027 applications specifically closes on 21 October 2026, implying that any identified defects must be addressed by this date.

Candidates who registered with an unverified DigiLocker account will have their documents scrutinized after the registration deadline. The GATE 2027 Information Brochure advises candidates to log in to the application portal and regularly check the status of any defects. Once defects are rectified, the application will again go for ‘Scrutiny’. If everything is found to be in order, the application will be accepted, and no further action will be required from the candidate.

GATE 2027 Registration and Eligibility Details

The registration for GATE 2027 through DigiLocker opened on 2 September 2026. The regular registration without a late fee closed on 5 October 2026, followed by extended registration with a late fee which closed on 12 October 2026. A special window for registration with a late fee was also available from 15 October 2026, 10:30 AM to 16 October 2026, 10:29 AM. Foreign candidates are exempt from the DigiLocker step and register manually.

There is no age limit to appear for GATE 2027. Any undergraduate student currently in their 3rd year or higher of any government-approved program is eligible. Candidates can select up to six examination cities, all of which must fall within the same GATE 2027 zone. International centres have been withdrawn for GATE 2027, requiring foreign nationals and NRIs to choose an examination city within India.

Mandatory Digilocker Integration and Document Requirements

Registration for GATE 2027 through DigiLocker is mandatory for all Indian nationals. Live facial authentication is a confirmed part of the GATE 2027 registration process. While address and Date of Birth (DOB) details will be fetched from DigiLocker/Aadhaar, the photo in the Aadhaar card/DigiLocker will not be considered for the application. Instead, a live photo and a recent uploaded photo will be considered.

Specific documents are required to be uploaded to the ‘GATE2027’ DigiLocker folder based on the candidate’s category. For SC/ST candidates, only the category certificate (‘CATEGORY.pdf’) is required. PwD candidates must upload their PwD Certificate (‘PWD_CERT.pdf’) and Unique Disability ID (UDID) Card (‘UDID_CERT.pdf’). General, OBC-NCL, and EWS candidates do not need to upload documents to this folder. Academic documents such as 10th, 12th, undergraduate, and postgraduate marksheets are not required to be uploaded to DigiLocker for GATE 2027 registration.

Examination Schedule and New Additions

The GATE 2027 examination dates are scheduled across three weekends in February 2027. The exams will take place on 6, 7, 13, 14, 20, and 21 February 2027. Results for GATE 2027 are slated to be announced on 19 March 2027. This cycle introduces a new test paper, Robotics & Automation (RA), bringing the total number of papers to 30. Additionally, every paper’s syllabus has been updated for GATE 2027.

Further reading

• GATE M.Tech 2026: Apply via COAP/CCMT after March results
• GATE 2026 cutoff for Civil Engineering released by IIT Guwahati: check qualifying marks and trends
• GATE exam pattern: sections, marking and duration Next step
• MET 2027: Apply by March 31 for Phase 1 registration
• Design college entrance exams 2026: NIFT, UCEED, CEED registration to open October–December
• Apply for Punjab MSc Food Tech/Nutrition & BTech Food Tech by 2026 Applications open

Written by Nishit Kumar

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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