GATE 2026 Architecture & Planning (AR) Analysis
Exam Date: Feb 2026 | Comprehensive Paper Review
Overall Difficulty Level
The GATE 2026 AR paper was reported as Moderate to Difficult. Part A (Common) featured a heavy emphasis on Building Materials and Sustainable Architecture. Part B1 (Architecture) was more calculation-heavy compared to previous years, while Part B2 (Planning) focused on recent government urban schemes.
Part A: Moderate
Part B: Difficult (Technical)
Subject-Wise Weightage (GATE 2026)
Below is the marks distribution based on initial candidate feedback and memory-based questions.
| Section | Key Topics | Weightage |
|---|---|---|
| Part A (Common) | History of Arch, Building Construction, Services (HVAC/Acoustics), Sustainability. | 60 Marks |
| Part B (Arch/Plan) | Building Science vs. Urban Design/GIS. | 25 Marks |
| Aptitude | Spatial Visualization, Verbal & Quantitative. | 15 Marks |
Expected Qualifying Cutoff 2026
Considering the difficulty of MSQs in the Architecture section, cutoffs are expected to remain steady.
| Category | 2026 (Exp.) | 2025 (Actual) | 2024 (Actual) |
|---|---|---|---|
| General (GEN) | 36.5 - 38.0 | 35.5 | 33.9 |
| OBC-NCL / EWS | 32.8 - 34.2 | 31.9 | 30.5 |
| SC / ST / PwD | 24.3 - 25.5 | 23.6 | 22.6 |
GATE 2026 Expected Cutoff (IIT-wise)
Top ranks for M.Arch and M.Plan usually require a score above 700. Here are the expected admission thresholds:
IIT Roorkee
GEN Score: 720+ | Marks: 62+
IIT Kharagpur
GEN Score: 750+ | Marks: 65+
IIT Bombay (Urban Design)
GEN Score: 780+ | Marks: 68+
