GATE 2026 Life Sciences (XL) Paper Analysis: Difficulty, Weightage & Cutoffs
Detailed Review of Feb 7 XL Paper, Subject-wise Marks Distribution, and Expected IIT/IISc Admission Scores.
Updated: just now
Categories: GATE 2026, Paper Analysis, Life Sciences.
GATE 2026 Life Sciences (XL) Detailed Analysis
Overall Paper Difficulty
The GATE 2026 XL paper was rated Moderate. As per student reactions, the General Aptitude section was easy, providing a good scoring base. Chemistry (XL-P) was moderately tough, while optional sections like Biochemistry and Food Technology were relatively straightforward. Zoology and Botany featured more conceptual MSQs this year.
General Aptitude: 15 Marks
Chemistry (Compulsory): 25 Marks
Optional (Any Two): 60 Marks
Subject-Wise Analysis & Weightage
| Section Code | Subject Domain | Difficulty & Key Topics (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| XL-P (Compulsory) | Chemistry | Moderate-Tough: SN1/SN2 reactions, Thermodynamics, Coordination Compounds. |
| XL-Q (Optional) | Biochemistry | Moderate: Enzyme Kinetics, Protein Folding, TCA Cycle. |
| XL-S (Optional) | Microbiology | Moderate: Lac Operon, Microbial Growth, Virology. |
| XL-R (Optional) | Botany | Easy-Moderate: Plant Hormones, Genetics, Photosystems. |
| XL-T (Optional) | Zoology | Moderate-Tough: Animal Behavior, Developmental Biology, Physiology. |
Expected Qualifying Cutoff 2026
The expected cutoffs are predicted based on the moderate difficulty of the core subjects and normalized performance across the different optional combinations.
| Category | 2026 (Expected) | 2025 (Actual) | 2024 (Actual) |
|---|---|---|---|
| General (GEN) | 30.5 - 32.5 | 31.3 | 29.3 |
| OBC-NCL / EWS | 27.5 - 29.2 | 28.1 | 26.3 |
| SC / ST / PwD | 20.0 - 21.5 | 20.8 | 19.5 |
Admission Safe Scores (IITs & IISc)
IISc Bangalore / Top IITs
Score: 750+ | Marks Range: 65+
Newer IITs / Top NITs
Score: 600+ | Marks Range: 50-58
Safe for PSUs/Research
Score: 820+ | Marks Range: 75+
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