Should I prepare for GATE or CAT? I am pursuing BE in mechanical which will be completed this year.

The factors that determine the GATE cutoff are -

• Availability of seats (the total seat intake varies every year for NITs, IIITs, and IIT admission)
• Number of registered applicants
• The difficulty level of the examination - (GATE is conducted on multiple days, however, the paper difficulty varies for every session)
• Previous year cutoff trends

Based on the previous year's trends, the GATE 2026 expected cutoff for computer Science and engineering can be checked below- 

• For General category it might go around 30 to 31.0

However, the GATE cutoff varies every year, depending on the difficulty level, number of applicants appearing for the exam, etc. 

No, a duplicate GATE 2026 admit card will not be provided at the test center. Candidates must carry their own admit card along with the mentioned documents and items to the GATE exam center. IIT Guwahati will release the GATE admit card on January 2. 

Candidates will get only one scribble pad at a time. They must write their name and registration number before using it. If the rough sheet gets filled, then they can ask for another one scribble pad after returning the previous one to the invigilator. After the exam concludes, candidates must return the scribble pad to the invigilator.

Yes, candidates will get a scribble pad in the GATE exam 2026 to do the rough work. Candidates have to write their name and registration number on the scribble pad before using it. However, the rough sheet must be returned after the completion of the exam.