Candidates who want to write the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) 2027 have until October 5, 2026 to register without paying a late fee. IIT Madras, the organising institute this year, says on the official GATE 2027 website that regular registration was extended to October 5 "due to many requests received". After that, applications will be accepted with a late fee until October 12, 2026.
GATE scores are used for M.Tech and PhD admissions at IITs, NITs and other institutes, and by several public sector companies for recruitment. The scores stay valid for three years.
GATE 2027 important dates
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Registration opened | September 2, 2026 |
| Regular registration closes (no late fee) | October 5, 2026 |
| Extended registration closes (with late fee) | October 12, 2026 |
| Exam city allotment | January 4, 2027 |
| Exam dates | February 6, 7, 13, 14, 20 and 21, 2027 |
| Result | March 19, 2027 |
The admit card date has not been announced yet; the website lists it as "to be announced".
Application fee
The fee depends on the category and on how many papers you choose (a candidate can take one paper or an allowed combination of two).
| Category | One paper (regular) | One paper (late) | Two papers (regular) | Two papers (late) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Female, SC, ST, PwD | Rs 1,000 | Rs 1,500 | Rs 2,000 | Rs 2,500 |
| All others, including foreign nationals | Rs 2,000 | Rs 2,500 | Rs 4,000 | Rs 4,500 |
In short, applying after October 5 costs Rs 500 more. PwD here means persons with benchmark disability.
Who can apply
- Students in the third year or higher of an undergraduate degree, and those who have already finished their degree.
- Accepted degrees include B.E., B.Tech, B.Arch, B.Pharm, three-year bachelor's degrees in science, commerce, arts or humanities, master's degrees such as M.Sc, M.A. and MCA, integrated master's programmes and medical degrees such as MBBS and BDS.
- The eligibility page does not set an age limit.
- Students from other countries can apply if they are in the third year or higher of a bachelor's degree, or have finished one of at least three years.
GATE 2027 has 30 test papers, including a new paper on Robotics and Automation (RA).
How to apply
- Go to the official website, gate2027.iitm.ac.in, and open the GATE Online Application Processing System (GOAPS).
- Register and log in. Keep a DigiLocker account ready, as the official site links to DigiLocker.
- Fill in personal and academic details, choose the paper (or two papers) and your preferred exam cities.
- Upload your photograph, signature and the required documents in the format given on the website.
- Pay the fee online and keep a copy of the submitted form.
What it means for you
- If you have not applied yet, finish by October 5 to save Rs 500 per form.
- October 12 is the final date. No further extension has been announced.
- Check that your name and category match your documents. Category certificates matter for the lower fee.
Students tracking other scholarship and education deadlines this month can also read our report on the NMMSS scholarship deadline being extended to October 31.
What happens next
After registration closes, IIT Madras will release the exam city allotment on January 4, 2027, followed by admit cards. The exam will be held over three weekends in February 2027 and results are due on March 19, 2027.
