GATE CS Exam Guide 2026

Graduate Aptitude Test is a national level examination for the admission of post-graduate and doctorate-level courses in various IITs, NIIT’s & IIIT’s across India. Every year, thousands of candidates appear for the GATE CS exam and it is expected that this year also a the applications will receive a similar number of applications for this years’ exam as well. In recent years, candidates from Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Ethiopia, and UAE are also allowed to appear for this exam. The GATE Score is valid for a period of 3 years. The GATE CS exam will be conducted in the month of February 2026. Get all the details of this upcoming exam on this page.

The GATE CS 2026 Syllabus is: Section 1: Engineering Mathematics Section 2: Digital Logic Section 3: Computer Organization and Architecture Section 4: Programming and Data Structures Section 5: Algorithms Section 6: Theory of Computation Section 7: Compiler Design Section 8: Operating System Section 9: Databases Section 10: Computer Networks

Candidates who want to apply for post-graduate and doctorate level courses in IITs, NITS & IIITs are required to give the GATE exam. Once the results are declared, you can download the scorecard. This scorecard will let you know about your marks in the GATE CS exam. Furthermore, this GATE Score will be valid for a period of 3 years.

Interested and eligible candidates can apply online for the upcoming GATE 2026 through IIT. Any other modes of application will be rejected by the authorities.

We have provided a few tips that will help you to prepare for the upcoming GATE CS exam, know the GATE CS 2026 exam pattern and syllabus, get the expected & previous years’ GATE CS Cut Off.

Candidates who have backlogs (arrears/ failed subjects) in any paper of the qualifying degree or have appeared in the final year/ semester examination in 2024 should either submit a copy of any one of the marks sheets of the final year or they have to obtain a declaration from their Principal along with the signature and seal beforehand and upload the same during the online submission of the application form.

This Computer Based Test will be conducted for a total of 100 marks. There will be 65 questions in this exam in which 10 questions will be for General Aptitude and 55 questions will be from Computer Science. These questions will be designed to test the candidate’s Recall, Comprehension, Application & Analysis & Synthesis abilities.

Candidate can apply for the GATE CS 2026 exam starting from 25th August 2025. The regular application window closes on 25th September 2025, and the extended registration with a late fee is available on 6th, 9th, and 13th October 2025.

For candidates who missed the regular window, the extended registration with a late fee is available on 6th, 9th, and 13th October 2025.

The GATE CS 2026 exam will be conducted on 7th, 8th, 14th, and 15th February 2026 in multiple shifts.