With candidates eagerly awaiting the GATE 2026 answer key and results, set to be announced by IIT Guwahati on March 19, a frequently asked question on social media and forums is, 'Are 45 marks enough to qualify for GATE 2026? ' The answer is yes. Read on to know about colleges accepting 45 marks, marks vs. qualifying cutoff, and more.
IIT Guwahati has yet to release the GATE 2026 answer key along with the response sheets. Though the announcement of results on March 19 has created a tense atmosphere among aspirants. Many candidates have taken to online communities and forums to ask whether 45 marks will be sufficient to clear GATE 2026 or not. Even though for most papers, 45 marks in GATE 2026 is generally above the qualifying cutoff for the General category. But there’s more to it.
Expected qualifying cutoff vs. 45 marks in GATE 2026:
Based on last year’s GATE cutoffs, the minimum qualifying cutoff for popular streams like CSE, ECE, EE, CE, ME, and DA had minimum qualifying marks ranging from 25 to 35 for the General category. If a similar trend continues this year, a raw score of 45 is likely to be above the qualifying cutoff.
However, candidates must remember that qualifying for GATE does not automatically guarantee admission to colleges.
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Eligibility criteria for aspirants:
With 45 marks in GATE, candidates can expect an AIR (All India Rank) roughly between 5000 and 10000, based on previous years’ trends. This corresponds to a GATE score of around 400-500. With this score, candidates are likely to clear the qualifying cutoff. They will be eligible for CCMT counselling. However, this may not be sufficient for top IIT MTech seats or PSU recruitments.
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Colleges accepting 45 marks in GATE:
Candidates with 45 marks in GATE can consider admission and counselling in the following colleges: NIT Meghalaya, NIT Agartala, NIT Silchar, NIT Manipur, Dr MGR Educational and Research Institute, Chennai, and CMR Institute of Technology
So, scoring 45 marks in GATE 2026 is generally safe for qualifying. But the admission chances will depend on the candidate's branch, category, and the institute’s cutoff. It is advisable to check previous years' cutoff trends and use the GATE college predictor to get a clearer idea of one's admission prospects.
The GATE 2026 answer key will be released soon at gate2026.iitg.ac.in. Keep your login credentials and required documents ready for further processing.
