GATE 2027 Registration: Process, Dates, Documents & Fees

Registration opens

2 Sep 2026

GOAPS portal

Last date

27 Sep 2026

5 Oct 2026 with late fee

Exam window

6–21 Feb 2027

Paper slots unannounced

Result

19 Mar 2027

Valid for 3 years

Dates follow the official GATE 2027 Important Dates page, checked 2026-09-06, which IIT Madras marks liable to change. The registration schedule has been revised. Always confirm on gate2027.iitm.ac.in before acting on any deadline.

This guide covers the complete GATE 2027 registration process — from creating your DigiLocker account to submitting payment. Every date, fee and document requirement comes from the official GATE 2027 website run by IIT Madras. The process applies to all 30 GATE test papers.

GATE 2027 registration dates and deadlines

The schedule below follows the official Important Dates page, checked 2026-09-06. IIT Madras has already revised the opening date twice — from 14 August to 27 August to the current 2 September 2026. Always verify on the official site before acting on any deadline.

Step-by-step GOAPS registration process

Registration happens only through the GATE Online Application Processing System (GOAPS), reachable from gate2027.iitm.ac.in. Nothing is submitted on paper — IIT Madras explicitly asks candidates not to post printed application forms or documents.

1. 1Create or update your DigiLocker account. Visit digilocker.gov.in and ensure your profile has a verified Aadhaar-linked ID, correct name, date of birth, mobile number, email and address. GATE 2027 will fetch these details automatically.
2. 2Visit the GOAPS portal. Go to https://gate2027.iitm.ac.in/guideline/ after the portal opens on 2 September 2026. Provide consent for GATE 2027 to access your DigiLocker data.
3. 3Capture your live photo. A live photo will be captured during registration. Use a computer with a webcam or a phone with a minimum 5 MP front-facing camera in a well-lit area.
4. 4Upload your photograph and signature. Both must meet the official specifications detailed below. Your GATE 2027 admit card and score card will carry the same photograph.
5. 5Fill in academic and exam details. Enter your degree details, institute name with PIN code, choice of GATE test paper(s), and select six examination cities from the same zone.
6. 6Upload category or PwD certificates if applicable. SC/ST certificates go in a DigiLocker folder named 'GATE2027' as CATEGORY.pdf. PwD certificates go in the same folder as UDID_CERT.pdf or PWD_CERT.pdf.
7. 7Pay the application fee. Use internet banking, debit card, credit card, UPI or wallet. The fee depends on your category, registration period and number of papers.
8. 8Review and submit. Verify all details before final submission. Use the rectification window (14-21 October 2026) only to correct a submitted application, not to register afresh.

Required documents for GATE 2027 registration

The official Required Documents page lists everything needed. Prepare these before the portal opens:

• DigiLocker account with verified Aadhaar-linked ID — mandatory for all Indian nationals.
• Passport-size colour photograph conforming to the official specifications (see below).
• Signature image in black or dark blue ink, conforming to the official specifications (see below).
• The same ID verified through DigiLocker must be produced in original at the examination centre.
• SC/ST category certificate (if applicable) — upload as CATEGORY.pdf in a DigiLocker folder named 'GATE2027'.
• UDID or PwD certificate (if applicable) — upload as UDID_CERT.pdf or PWD_CERT.pdf in the same DigiLocker folder.
• Appendix-B1, B2 or Dyslexic Certificate (if applicable for compensatory time and scribe) — compile with PwD certificate as a single PDF.
• Parent or guardian name and mobile number.
• Payment method — internet banking, debit card, credit card, UPI or wallet details.

Photograph and signature specifications

The official Photograph and Signature page gives the complete specifications. Non-conforming images can lead to application rejection without fee refund.

Photograph requirements

• Size: passport size (3.5 cm width x 4.5 cm height), face covering 60-70% of the photograph.
• Background: white, no other objects or persons.
• View: frontal face, looking directly into camera, showing forehead, eyes, nose and chin.
• Format: JPEG/JPG, aspect ratio between 0.66 and 0.89.
• Resolution: minimum 200 x 260 pixels, maximum 530 x 690 pixels.
• File size: minimum 5 kB, maximum 600 kB.
• Restrictions: no caps, hats, sunglasses or coloured glasses. Normal spectacles allowed if there is no glare. Head coverings permitted only for religious reasons, but facial features must be visible from chin to forehead.

Signature specifications

• Ink colour: black or dark blue only.
• Format: JPEG/JPG, aspect ratio (height:width) of 1:R where R is between 2.75 and 3.75.
• Resolution: minimum 250 x 80 pixels, maximum 580 x 180 pixels.
• File size: minimum 3 kB, maximum 300 kB.
• Restrictions: no digital signatures, no ALL CAPITALS, no initials-only. Signature area must cover 70-80% of the image. Must be signed by the applicant only.
• Match requirement: your signature must match the one you produce at the examination centre. A mismatch can lead to disqualification.

GATE 2027 application fees

Fees depend on your category, registration period and number of papers. The official fees page, checked 2026-09-06, lists the following amounts. The two-paper extended fee is not obtained by doubling the one-paper extended fee.

Regular period

Until 27 September 2026

No late fee

Extended period

Until 5 October 2026

Late fee applies

Payment modes

5 options

Net banking, debit, credit, UPI, wallet

Refund policy

Non-refundable

No refund on rejection due to non-conforming photo/docs

Who can register for GATE 2027

The official eligibility criteria set a single academic bar: candidates currently in the third or higher year of any undergraduate degree programme, or who have completed a government-approved degree in Engineering, Technology, Architecture, Science, Commerce, Arts or Humanities, are eligible. There is no age limit and no cap on the number of attempts.

• B.E./B.Tech./B.Pharm: currently in the 3rd year or higher, or already completed.
• B.Arch./B.Planning: currently in the 3rd year or higher, or already completed (5-year or 4-year programme).
• B.Sc. (Research)/B.S.: currently in the 3rd year or higher, or already completed (4-year programme).
• M.Sc./M.A./MCA or equivalent: currently in the 1st year or higher, or already completed.
• B.Sc./B.A./B.Com./BCA (3-year): currently in the 3rd year or already completed.
• Integrated M.E./M.Tech. (5-year after 10+2): currently in the 3rd year or higher, or already completed.
• Professional societies (IE, IETE, AeSI, etc.): must ensure their certification is approved by MoE/AICTE/UGC/UPSC as equivalent to B.E./B.Tech.
• International candidates: must be in the 3rd year or higher, or have completed a Bachelor's degree of at least 3 years.

Choosing one or two GATE papers

You may register for one or two test papers. A second paper must be chosen from the allowed two-paper combinations — the combinations are not free-form. Additional combinations may be opened later, subject to infrastructure and scheduling feasibility.

• 30 test papers are offered for GATE 2027, including the new Robotics and Automation (RA) paper.
• The examination centre for a secondary paper may differ from the primary paper's centre, but will be in the same city.
• Under unforeseen circumstances, certain combinations may be removed. In such cases, the second-paper fee is refunded.
• Check the two-paper combination table before registering. An invalid combination cannot be corrected after submission unless the rectification window permits it.

Examination cities and centre allocation

During registration, you select six GATE examination cities — all from the same zone. The official exam cities page lists tentative cities under eight zonal coordinating institutes: IISc Bangalore, IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi, IIT Guwahati, IIT Hyderabad, IIT Kanpur, IIT Kharagpur and IIT Madras.

Exam centres

300+ cities

India only, no overseas centres

City choices

6 per candidate

All from the same zone

Zones

8

One per coordinating IIT/IISc

City intimation

4 Jan 2027

Your allocated city announced

After registration: what happens next

1. 1Rectification window (14-21 October 2026): correct any errors in your submitted application. No new registrations.
2. 2City intimation (4 January 2027): IIT Madras notifies your allocated examination city. This may or may not be your first preference.
3. 3Admit card download (to be announced): download your admit card from GOAPS. The admit card carries the photograph uploaded during registration.
4. 4Examination (6, 7, 13, 14, 20 & 21 February 2027): the exam is held across three weekends in February 2027, with forenoon (9:30 AM - 12:30 PM) and afternoon (2:30 PM - 5:30 PM) sessions. Your specific paper date and session will be announced in the timetable.
5. 5Results (19 March 2027): GATE 2027 results are scheduled for announcement. A GATE score remains valid for 3 years from the result date.

GATE 2027 exam pattern overview

Every GATE paper is a 3-hour computer-based test of 65 questions carrying 100 marks — 10 General Aptitude questions (15 marks) and 55 subject questions. The exam is conducted in English only. The official question paper pattern specifies three question types:

IIT Madras announces revised syllabi for GATE 2027. Before registering, download the official syllabus PDF for your chosen paper and compare it with any older study material. For paper-specific exam pattern details, see our GATE CS 2027, GATE DA 2027, GATE ECE 2027, GATE EE 2027, GATE ME 2027 or GATE CE 2027 guides.

What a GATE score is used for

The official Opportunities page describes three uses for a valid GATE score:

• Admission to Master's and direct Doctoral programmes in Engineering, Technology, Architecture, Science and Humanities at institutions supported by the Ministry of Education.
• Financial assistance: M.Tech scholarship of Rs 12,400 per month (generally for 22 months). Direct Ph.D. fellowship of Rs 37,000 per month for the first two years and Rs 42,000 per month from the third to the fifth year.
• PSU recruitment: many Public Sector Undertakings use GATE scores for recruitment — including NTPC, IOCL, ONGC, BHEL, GAIL, SAIL, HAL, NPCIL, POWERGRID and others. GATE qualification does not assure a PSU job.

GATE 2027 resources by paper

After registration, start preparing with the official syllabus and our paper-specific guides:

Download the General Aptitude syllabus (PDF) — it is common to every GATE paper and carries 15 of the 100 marks.

Pre-registration checklist

Complete these steps before the GOAPS portal opens to avoid last-minute issues:

1. 1Create or update your DigiLocker account with verified Aadhaar-linked ID.
2. 2Verify that your DigiLocker name matches the ID you will carry to the exam centre.
3. 3Prepare a passport-size photograph meeting the official specifications.
4. 4Prepare a signature image meeting the official specifications.
5. 5Upload SC/ST or PwD certificates to a DigiLocker folder named 'GATE2027' if applicable.
6. 6Decide your primary paper and check the two-paper combination table if you plan to appear for two papers.
7. 7Identify your preferred examination zone and six cities within it.
8. 8Keep your payment method ready (internet banking, debit card, credit card, UPI or wallet).

Frequently asked questions

When does GATE 2027 registration open?

GOAPS registration opens on 2 September 2026. IIT Madras has revised this date twice from the originally announced dates. Regular registration closes 27 September 2026; the extended period with late fee closes 5 October 2026. Dates are liable to change.

Is DigiLocker mandatory for GATE 2027?

Yes. The official Required Documents page states that registration through DigiLocker is mandatory for all Indian nationals. Your personal details, ID, photograph and address are fetched from DigiLocker. Date of birth cannot be changed during the application process.

Can I register during the rectification window?

No. The rectification window (14-21 October 2026) is only for correcting details in an already submitted application. New registrations are not accepted during this period.

What happens if my photograph does not meet the specifications?

IIT Madras states that photographs not adhering to the specified criteria could lead to rejection of your GATE application, and the application fee will not be refunded.

How long is a GATE 2027 score valid?

A GATE 2027 score remains valid for 3 years from the date the results are announced. Results are scheduled for 19 March 2027; dates are liable to change.

Is there negative marking in GATE 2027?

Only MCQs have negative marking: 1/3 mark for a wrong 1-mark answer and 2/3 mark for a wrong 2-mark answer. MSQ and NAT have no negative marking. MSQs require the exact correct set for any marks.