GATE 2027, organised by IIT Madras, closed fresh registration on 12 October 2026, but one window is still open: candidates whose applications were flagged with scrutiny defects can correct them until 31 October 2026. The exam itself runs across three weekends in February 2027 and the results are announced on 19 March 2027.
This page is for two kinds of readers. If you already applied, it lists what you can still change and what each change costs. If you are planning for the next cycle, it gives the official calendar, the fee structure, the eligibility rule and what has changed in GATE 2027, so you can prepare against the right syllabus rather than last year’s.
One line from the organising institute is worth keeping in view: qualifying in GATE does not guarantee admission, a scholarship or a job. Admission to any institute depends on that institute’s own eligibility and selection rules.
GATE 2027 at a glance
Quick facts2026-27
| Conducted by | IIT Madras, GATE-JAM Office, Chennai |
| Last date to apply | 31 October 2026 – the application rectification window for applications with scrutiny defects. Fresh registration closed 12 October 2026. |
| Official website | GATE 2027 important dates, IIT Madras (official) |
GATE 2027 important dates
| Online application portal (GOAPS) opened | 2 September 2026 |
| Regular registration closed, without late fee | 5 October 2026 |
| Extended registration closed, with late fee | 12 October 2026 |
| Special registration window with late fee | 15 October 2026, 10:30 AM to 16 October 2026, 10:29 AM |
| Application rectification for scrutiny defects | Opened 14 October 2026, closes 31 October 2026 |
| Application data correction with fee, candidate request | To be announced |
| Exam city allotment notification | 4 January 2027 |
| Admit card download | To be announced |
| GATE 2027 examination | 6 and 7 February, 13 and 14 February, 20 and 21 February 2027 |
| Results announced | 19 March 2027 |
The institute states that all dates are liable to change. Two rows are still marked to be announced – the paid data correction window and the admit card date – so do not plan travel around an assumed admit card date.
What you can still correct, and what it costs
Rectification is for scrutiny defects, meaning problems the institute found in the application you already submitted. The fee schedule for changes is published per paper:
| Change of category to SC/ST | Rs 500 per paper |
| Change of category from SC/ST to any other category | Rs 500 for female candidates or PwD candidates; Rs 1,500 for all other candidates |
| Change from non-PwD to PwD | Rs 500 per paper |
| Change from PwD to non-PwD | Rs 500 for female or SC/ST candidates; Rs 1,500 for all other candidates |
| Any other change in category | Rs 500 per paper |
| Change in choice of examination cities | Rs 500 per paper |
| Change of existing paper | Rs 500 per paper |
Check the closing date on the portal itself before paying. The important dates table lists 31 October 2026 as the closing date for rectification, and so does the home page banner, while the application fees page still says candidates can log in to GOAPS for rectification up to 21 October 2026. The 31 October date is the later and the one printed in the revised dates table, but the pages disagree – finish the correction well before either date.
GATE 2027 application fees
These are the fees printed on the official application fees page, which the institute has labelled as due to be updated. They cover the registration periods that have already closed, and are useful as the reference point for the next cycle.
| Female / SC / ST / PwD candidates, one paper | Rs 1,000 regular; Rs 1,500 in the extended period |
| Female / SC / ST / PwD candidates, two papers | Rs 2,000 regular; Rs 2,500 in the extended period |
| All other candidates including foreign nationals, one paper | Rs 2,000 regular; Rs 2,500 in the extended period |
| All other candidates including foreign nationals, two papers | Rs 4,000 regular; Rs 4,500 in the extended period |
Who is eligible for GATE 2027?
- Candidates currently in the third or higher year of an undergraduate degree programme.
- Candidates who have completed a government approved degree in Engineering, Technology, Architecture, Science, Commerce, Arts or Humanities.
- Candidates with a degree from outside India must be in the third or higher year, or have completed a bachelor’s degree of at least three years, in those same fields.
- Candidates holding examinations of professional societies – The Institution of Engineers (India), Institution of Civil Engineers, IETE, Aeronautical Society of India, IIChE, Indian Institute of Metals and the Indian Institute of Industrial Engineers – must confirm that the examination is approved by MoE, AICTE, UGC or UPSC as equivalent to B.E./B.Tech./B.Arch.
- Candidates already holding a higher degree may appear; the institute allows candidates pursuing or holding a degree higher than the qualifying degree listed for their paper.
What has changed in GATE 2027?
- A new GATE paper has been introduced this year.
- The sectional paper codes for XE, XH and XL have been changed.
- The syllabi for the GATE 2027 test papers have been revised – candidates are told to check the updated syllabus for their paper rather than reuse an older one.
- Registration through a verified DigiLocker account is mandatory for all Indian nationals.
- There are no international examination centres for GATE 2027; only domestic cities are listed.
- The score is valid for three years, and the exam covers 30 test papers.
The DigiLocker rule catches applicants out: the institute warns candidates not to delete their verified or unverified DigiLocker account after applying, because all future GATE 2027 communication is made only through the DigiLocker account used to submit the application.
What a GATE score is used for
GATE is the national entrance test for master’s and direct doctoral programmes in engineering and technology at the IITs, IISc and other participating institutes, and several public sector undertakings use GATE scores for recruitment. For research students, a valid GATE score is also what many institutes require before they pay a teaching or research assistantship – this site’s IIT and NIT admission posts list GATE as a condition for the fellowship category, and the individual institute’s admission notice is the authority on the amount and the eligibility bar for that assistantship.
The institute’s own disclaimer is the honest framing: GATE qualification does not assure admission or funding. What it does is open the door to the institute’s own selection process.
Frequently asked questions
No. Fresh registration closed on 12 October 2026, and the special window with late fee ran from 15 October to 16 October 2026. The only window open now is application rectification for applications with scrutiny defects, until 31 October 2026.
31 October 2026, according to the revised important dates table and the home page banner. The application fees page still prints 21 October 2026 for the same window, so correct your application before 21 October 2026 to be safe.
The exam is held on 6 and 7 February, 13 and 14 February and 20 and 21 February 2027. Results are announced on 19 March 2027 and the city allotment notification comes on 4 January 2027.
Rs 1,000 for one paper and Rs 2,000 for two papers for female, SC, ST and PwD candidates; Rs 2,000 and Rs 4,000 for all other candidates including foreign nationals, in the regular period. The extended period fees are Rs 1,500 and Rs 2,500, and Rs 2,500 and Rs 4,500 respectively.
Yes. Candidates in the third or higher year of an undergraduate programme are eligible, which covers students in their final year of a four-year B.E. or B.Tech.
No. The organising institute states that qualifying in GATE does not guarantee admission, scholarship or employment. Institutes pay assistantships under their own rules, usually to full-time research students who hold a valid GATE score and meet the department’s cut-off.
Official links
- GATE 2027 important dates, IIT Madras (official)
- GATE 2027 application fees and change charges (official)
- GATE 2027 eligibility criteria (official)
- GATE 2027 official website, IIT Madras
Related reading: Engineering Scholarships
Post Graduation Scholarships
National Scholarships
Related scholarship posts: IIT Madras PhD and MS by Research Admission 2027, UGC NET December 2026 JRF Fellowship, TIFR GS 2027 PhD Admission.