The Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) is a highly competitive national-level exam that evaluates candidates in various undergraduate subjects across Engineering, Technology, Architecture, Science, Commerce, Arts, and Humanities. Conducted annually by one of the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) or the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bengaluru on behalf of the National Coordination Board (NCB)-GATE, the exam is a gateway to postgraduate programs and PSU recruitments. For GATE 2026, candidates are eager to understand the exam centre distribution to plan their preparation and travel logistics effectively. While the official list for GATE 2026 is yet to be released, we can expect it to follow a similar structure to GATE 2025, which was organized by IIT Roorkee. This article provides insights into the expected GATE 2026 exam centres while presenting the confirmed GATE 2025 exam centre list for reference.
GATE 2026 Exam Centres: What to Expect
GATE 2026 is anticipated to maintain the same zonal structure as previous years, with exam centres distributed across eight zones, each managed by an IIT or IISc Bengaluru. Historically, GATE exam centres are selected to ensure accessibility for candidates across India, with no international centres available. Candidates will likely be allowed to choose up to three exam cities within their preferred zone during the application process, with allocations based on availability. Given the trends from past years, GATE 2026 may see minor additions or adjustments to the city list, especially in response to logistical challenges like those seen in GATE 2025. For now, let’s dive into the GATE 2025 exam centre list to understand the probable framework for 2026.
GATE 2025 Exam Centres
The GATE 2025 exam, conducted on February 1, 2, 15, and 16, 2025, had its centres organised under eight zones. The official list, as published by IIT Roorkee on the GATE 2025 website, is detailed below. This list serves as a reliable reference for what candidates can expect from GATE 2026.
Zone 1: IISc Bengaluru
| Cities |
|---|
| Andaman and Nicobar: Port Blair |
| Andhra Pradesh: Ananthapuramu, Kurnool |
| Karnataka: Bagalkot, Ballari (Bellary), Belagavi (Belgaum), Bengaluru North, Bengaluru South, Bidar, Chikkamagaluru, Chikkballapur, Davanagere, Hassan, Hubballi (Hubli)/Dharwad, Kalaburagi (Gulbarga), Kolar, Mandya, Mangaluru, Manipal-Udupi, Mysuru (Mysore), Puttur, Shivamogga (Shimoga), Tumakuru |
| Kerala: Angamaly, Kannur, Kasaragod, Kozhikode, Malappuram, Palakkad, Pathanamthitta, Payyanur, Thrissur, Vatakara, Wayanad |
| Telangana: Hyderabad, Medak, Nalgonda |
Zone 2: IIT Bombay
| Cities |
|---|
| Gujarat: Ahmedabad, Anand, Bhavnagar, Bhuj, Gandhinagar, Mehsana, Rajkot, Surat, Vadodara |
| Maharashtra: Ahmednagar, Akola, Amravati, Aurangabad, Baramati, Chandrapur, Dhule, Gondia, Jalgaon, Kolhapur, Latur, Mumbai (Central Line), Mumbai (Western Line), Nagpur, Nanded, Nashik, Navi Mumbai-Thane, Panvel-Raigad, Pune, Ratnagiri, Sangli, Satara, Solapur, Vasai |
Zone 3: IIT Delhi
| Cities |
|---|
| Haryana: Faridabad, Gurugram, Hisar |
| Jammu and Kashmir: Jammu-Samba, Srinagar |
| Madhya Pradesh: Indore, Ujjain |
| New Delhi: New Delhi |
| Rajasthan: Ajmer, Alwar, Bikaner, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Kota, Sikar, Udaipur |
| Uttar Pradesh: Greater Noida, Mathura |
Zone 4: IIT Guwahati
| Cities |
|---|
| Arunachal Pradesh: Itanagar |
| Assam: Dibrugarh, Guwahati, Jorhat, Silchar, Tezpur |
| Bihar: Muzaffarpur, Patna, Purnea |
| Jharkhand: Bokaro Steel City, Dhanbad, Jamshedpur, Ranchi |
| Manipur: Imphal |
| Meghalaya: Shillong |
| Mizoram: Aizawl |
| Nagaland: Kohima |
| Sikkim: Gangtok |
| Tripura: Agartala |
| West Bengal: Asansol, Burdwan, Durgapur, Kalyani, Siliguri |
Zone 5: IIT Kanpur
| Cities |
|---|
| Madhya Pradesh: Bhopal, Gwalior, Jabalpur |
| Uttar Pradesh: Agra, Aligarh, Allahabad, Bareilly, Gorakhpur, Kanpur, Lucknow, Varanasi |
Zone 6: IIT Kharagpur
| Cities |
|---|
| Andhra Pradesh: Eluru, Kakinada, Machilipatnam, Rajamahendravaram, Srikakulam, Tadepalligudem, Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram |
| Chhattisgarh: Bilaspur, Raipur |
| Jharkhand: Jamshedpur, Ranchi |
| Odisha: Balasore, Berhampur (Odisha), Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Rourkela, Sambalpur |
| West Bengal: Baharampur-Murshidabad, Durgapur, Hooghly, Kharagpur, Kolkata |
Zone 7: IIT Madras
| Cities |
|---|
| Andhra Pradesh: Chirala, Chittoor, Gudur, Guntur, Nellore, Ongole, Tirupati |
| Kerala: Alappuzha, Idukki, Kanchipuram, Kanyakumari-Nagercoil, Thiruvananthapuram |
| Puducherry: Puducherry |
| Tamil Nadu: Chennai North, Chennai South, Coimbatore, Cuddalore, Dindigul, Erode, Madurai, Namakkal, Salem, Thanjavur, Tiruchirappalli, Tirunelveli, Vellore |
| Telangana: Karimnagar, Khammam, Warangal |
Zone 8: IIT Roorkee
| Cities |
|---|
| Chandigarh: Mohali |
| Haryana: Ambala, Karnal, Kurukshetra, Panipat, Sonipat, Yamunanagar |
| Himachal Pradesh: Hamirpur (HP), Shimla-Solan |
| Punjab: Amritsar, Bathinda, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Pathankot, Patiala, Sangrur |
| Uttarakhand: Dehradun, Haldwani, Roorkee |
| Uttar Pradesh: Ghaziabad, Meerut, Moradabad, Muzaffarnagar, Noida |
For more details, visit the official GATE website: gate2025.iitr.ac.in.
Guidelines for Selecting GATE Exam Centres
- Choice of Cities: Candidates can select up to three exam cities within the same zone. The first choice is prioritized, but the final allocation depends on availability.
- No International Centres: GATE exams are conducted only in India. Foreign nationals must choose an Indian centre and manage their travel.
- Centre Change: Requests for changing the exam city can be made during the application correction window, subject to a fee and availability.
- Admit Card: The allotted exam centre is mentioned on the admit card, downloadable from the GOAPS portal. For GATE 2025, candidates affected by the Mahakumbh event had to download updated admit cards after centre reassignments.
- Exam Day: Candidates must carry a printed admit card and a valid photo ID. Electronic devices are not allowed inside the exam hall.
Conclusion
The GATE 2026 exam centres are expected to follow a structure similar to GATE 2025, with potential minor adjustments based on logistical needs. Candidates should stay updated via the official GATE website for the latest announcements. The GATE 2025 list provides a clear idea of the zonal distribution, helping candidates prepare for the upcoming exam.
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