GATE 2026 Agricultural Engineering (AG) Paper Analysis & Cutoff Guide

Topic-wise Weightage, Paper Difficulty, and IIT-wise Expected Cutoffs for 2026.

Updated: 1 month ago

Categories: GATE 2026, Agricultural Engineering, Paper Analysis.
Tags: GATE 2026 AG Analysis, Agricultural Engineering Paper Review, GATE AG Cutoff 2026, Farm Machinery Weightage, IIT M.Tech Ag Admissions.
Post Thumbnail

GATE 2026 Agricultural Engineering (AG) Analysis

Detailed Breakdown of the Feb 2026 Examination

Difficulty Analysis

The 2026 AG paper was rated as Moderate. Unlike previous years where Irrigation was the toughest section, this year saw more complex NAT (Numerical Answer Type) questions in Food Process Engineering and Soil & Water Conservation.

Theory: 40% Numerical: 60%

Subject-Wise Weightage Analysis

Subject Domain Marks Key Focus Areas
Farm Machinery & Power 18-22 Marks Tractor Stability, Engine Cycles, Hitching.
Soil & Water Conservation 15-18 Marks Runoff Estimation, Watersheds, Soil Erosion.
Irrigation & Drainage 12-15 Marks Pump Selection, Canal Design, Drainage Coeff.
Food Process Engineering 10-12 Marks Drying Kinetics, Heat Transfer, Rheology.
Math & Aptitude 28 Marks Differential Equations, Probability, Logic.

Expected Qualifying Cutoff 2026

Category 2026 (Exp.) 2025 (Actual) 2024 (Actual)
General (GEN) 25.5 - 27.5 25.0 25.0
OBC-NCL / EWS 22.9 - 24.5 22.5 22.5
SC / ST / PwD 17.0 - 18.5 16.6 16.6

IIT-wise Expected Admission Score

Since fewer IITs offer M.Tech in AG compared to CS or ME, competition for the top 3 institutes is intense.

IIT Kharagpur (Agri & Food Eng.): Score 650+ (GEN)
IIT BHU (Agri. Systems): Score 620+ (GEN)
IIT Roorkee (Water Resources): Score 680+ (GEN)

Note: These are based on student responses. Official keys are usually released by late Feb.