GATE Exam Answer Key 2026

IIT Madras releases the GATE 2027 provisional answer key right after the exam ends, weeks before the result. The key reaches candidates through the GOAPS portal, the same login used for the application. It lists the correct option for every question across all 30 subjects. Candidates use it to estimate their score before the official result on 19 March 2027.

What does the GATE 2027 answer key PDF show?

Each answer key PDF carries the paper code, the paper name and the session number in its header. Every question number appears in sequence with its correct option marked. For Numerical Answer Type (NAT) questions, the key gives an accepted range instead of a single value. Some sessions mark a question as "dropped", which means every candidate gets marks for it. Read the header carefully, since one paper can run across two sessions with separate keys.

IIT Madras has confirmed the GATE 2027 result date as 19 March 2027. It has not yet announced the provisional answer key date.

When will IIT Madras release the GATE 2027 answer key?

The provisional key is expected in the last week of February 2027, based on the GATE 2026 pattern. IIT Guwahati released the GATE 2026 provisional key on 22 February 2026, seven days after the last exam on 15 February 2026. The last GATE 2027 exam falls on 21 February 2027. Applying the same seven-day gap puts the expected release around 28 February 2027. Treat this as an estimate, not an official date.

Why does the GATE conducting institute change every year?

The role of conducting GATE rotates each year among the IITs and IISc Bangalore. IIT Madras conducts GATE 2027 after IIT Guwahati ran GATE 2026. This change mostly affects the website address and the portal branding. The marking scheme, the fee structure and the objection process stay the same regardless of which institute conducts the exam.

Download the GATE 2027 answer key from the GOAPS portal using your candidate login. Follow these seven steps.

1. Visit the official website, gate2027.iitm.ac.in.
2. Click the GOAPS candidate login link on the homepage.
3. Enter your enrolment ID or registered email ID, plus your password.
4. Go to the "Answer Key" or "Response Sheet" tab on your dashboard.
5. Choose your paper code from the dropdown menu.
6. Download the document in PDF format.
7. Save the file locally for score calculation and future reference.

Download your response sheet in the same session. Comparing your own marked answers against the official key is easier when both files are open together.

Can I trust coaching institute answer keys for GATE 2027?

No, treat unofficial keys only as a same-day estimate, not as a final reference. Coaching institutes publish their own keys within hours of each shift. Only the GOAPS-hosted key counts for filing an objection or for the official result.

What if the GOAPS portal is slow right after the answer key releases?

Portal traffic peaks in the first hour after release. If pages load slowly, wait and retry after some time rather than repeatedly refreshing.

What mistake should I avoid while downloading the answer key?

Check your paper code on the admit card before downloading. Downloading the wrong paper code gives you an answer key that does not match your question paper.

🌐GATE 2027 Official WebsiteNotices, schedule and portal links for GATE 2027.Visit website🔑GOAPS Candidate LoginAccess your response sheet, answer key and objection form.Log in📄Expected late Feb 2027Provisional Answer Key (Expected)View the paper wise correct options after release, via GOAPS candidate login.⚖️Contest Answer KeyRaise an objection against the provisional key, per question, via GOAPS candidate login.✅With resultFinal Answer Key (Expected)The binding key used for the official score calculation, via GOAPS candidate login.📊GATE 2027 ScorecardDownload after the result is declared on 19 March 2027, via GOAPS candidate login.

All six links sit inside the same GOAPS-linked portal. IIT Madras activates each one at its own stage. A link with no data before its stage is normal, not an error.

The provisional answer key and the response sheet are two separate documents, both released together on GOAPS. The response sheet shows the option you marked for each question. The answer key shows the option IIT Madras considers correct. You need both, side by side, to check your own performance.

What is the difference between the provisional and final GATE answer key?

The provisional key can change. The final key cannot. The table below sets out both stages.

If IIT Madras removes or changes a question after review, the change applies to every candidate who attempted it, not just the one who objected.

Do I need to pay to view my GATE response sheet?

No, viewing or downloading your response sheet needs no fee and no objection. Only challenging a specific answer through the "Contest Answer Key" section carries a fee.

You can challenge the GATE 2027 provisional key only within the official objection window on GOAPS.

Who can raise an objection to the GATE 2027 answer key?

Only candidates who actually appeared for that session can raise an objection. Candidates with an unresolved application discrepancy, such as a photo or signature issue, may be restricted from challenging, though they can still view their response sheet. Check your application status on GOAPS before the window opens.

How do I raise an objection on GOAPS?

Follow these seven steps to file an objection.

1. Log in to GOAPS with your enrolment ID and password.
2. Open the "Contest Answer Key" or "Challenge" section on your dashboard.
3. Select the specific question ID you want to challenge.
4. Write a clear, technical justification for your claim.
5. Upload supporting evidence, such as scanned textbook or journal pages.
6. Pay the objection fee for that question.
7. Submit the objection and download the acknowledgement receipt.

How much does it cost to challenge a question?

The fee is charged per question challenged, not per objection form. Indian candidates pay Rs 500 per question. International candidates pay US $10 per question. You can pay through net banking, UPI or a credit or debit card. The fee does not get refunded, whatever the outcome of your objection.

A panel of subject experts reviews every valid objection after the window closes. Objections backed by a standard textbook reference have a stronger chance of acceptance than those without one.

When does the GATE 2027 objection window close?

IIT Madras has not announced the exact 2027 window yet. For GATE 2026, the window ran from 25 to 28 February 2026, a four-day span. Applying the same pattern, the GATE 2027 window is expected to close within the first week of March 2027.

Two mistakes cost candidates the most at this stage. Filing an objection based on an unofficial answer key wastes the fee, since only the GOAPS key counts for a formal challenge. Waiting until the window is about to close leaves too little time to gather solid references. Submit your objection early instead.

Calculate your raw GATE score by matching your response sheet against the official answer key, question by question.

How is the GATE score calculated from the answer key?

Follow these six steps.

1. Open your response sheet and the official answer key side by side.
2. Match your marked option for each question against the official key.
3. Note whether each question carries 1 mark or 2 marks.
4. Apply the negative marking rule only to wrong MCQ answers.
5. Add up marks for correct answers and subtract the penalty for wrong ones.
6. Skip negative marking entirely for MSQ and NAT questions.

What is the negative marking rule for GATE 2027?

A correct answer gets full marks, either 1 or 2. A wrong 1-mark MCQ answer loses 1/3 mark. A wrong 2-mark MCQ answer loses 2/3 mark. MSQ and NAT questions carry no negative marking, whether correct or wrong. An unattempted question scores zero.

In this example, a candidate attempts 60 questions and gets 45 MCQs correct. The remaining 8 MCQs are wrong: 5 of them 1-mark questions, 3 of them 2-mark questions. The penalty for these 8 wrong answers works out to roughly 3.7 marks in total. Subtract this penalty from the gross marks to get the raw GATE score.

The raw score is later converted into a normalised score for candidates whose paper runs across several sessions. Only multi-session papers, mostly high-demand branches, need normalisation. A single-session paper uses the raw mark directly, with no conversion.

How do marks, score and rank differ in GATE?

PSUs and IITs shortlist candidates using the score and the rank, not the raw marks. Wait for the normalised score before you compare yourself with other candidates. The provisional key alone cannot tell you your rank.

What should I do after crosschecking my GATE 2027 answer key?

Compute your raw score using the method above. If any answer looks wrong to you, gather textbook or journal evidence before you object. The objection window closes on a fixed date, and no further changes follow after that. Once the final key and result are out, check your scorecard for the normalised score. That score, along with your category rank, decides your M.Tech or PSU eligibility.