GATE

GATE 2025 Eligibility Criteria – Age, Qualification, Attempts & Reservation

Engineering

Updated on 2025

Table of Contents

Academic Eligibility for GATE

Age Limit and Relaxation

GATE Category wise criteria

Nationality, Domicile, and Foreign Applicants

Nationality Requirements

Number of Attempts

Attempt Restrictions

Academic Eligibility For Gate

Candidates applying for Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering must have:

A candidate who is currently studying in the 3rd or higher year of any undergraduate degree program (e.g., B.E. / B.Tech. / B.Pharm. / B.Arch. / B.Sc. (Research) / B.S. / M.Sc. / M.A. / MCA / M.Com. etc.) or has already completed any Government approved degree program in Engineering / Technology / Architecture / Science / Commerce / Arts.
Not specified by GATE itself for appearing in the exam. Admitting institutions may have their own criteria for postgraduate admissions.
Required subjects: Engineering, Technology, Architecture, Science, Commerce, Arts

Age Limit And Relaxation

For GATE Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering 2026, there is no strict upper age limit for candidates wishing to appear for the examination. Similarly, no minimum or maximum age criteria are specified. Since there is no upper age limit, the concept of age relaxation for various categories such as SC/ST, OBC-NCL, or PwD does not apply.

Gate Category Wise Criteria

GATE Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering 2026 offers certain relaxations for candidates belonging to specific reserved categories. These benefits primarily include a 50% discount on the application fee for Female candidates and those from SC, ST, and PwD categories. To avail these concessions, candidates must upload valid and up-to-date category certificates during the online registration process. The verification of these documents will be conducted according to the official protocol established by the conducting authority. Additionally, PwD candidates with a benchmark disability exceeding 40% are eligible for compensatory time during the examination.

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Nationality, Domicile, And Foreign Applicants

GATE Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering 2026 is open to Indian citizens. Valid OCI/PIO card holders are also eligible to apply. As GATE is a national-level examination, there are no specific domicile requirements for candidates. Foreign applicants and Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) are also eligible to apply. Candidates who have obtained or are currently pursuing their qualifying degree from institutions outside India must be in their third year or higher, or have completed a Bachelor's degree of at least three years duration, in Engineering, Technology, Architecture, Science, Commerce, Arts, or Humanities.

Indian Nationals, and candidates from Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Nepal, Singapore, and Sri Lanka are eligible.

Number Of Attempts

Before preparing for GATE Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering 2026, it is essential to know if there is a cap on the number of attempts. The GATE examination does not impose any limit on the number of times a candidate can appear for the test. This means aspirants have unlimited attempts to take the exam. Consequently, no category-based relaxations for the number of attempts are applicable.