GATE 2026 Linguistics (XH-C3) Paper Analysis: Difficulty, Weightage & Cutoffs
Detailed Review of the Feb 7 Exam, Subject-wise Marks Distribution, and Safe Scores for IIT Admissions.
Updated: just now
Categories: GATE 2026, Paper Analysis, Linguistics.
GATE 2026 Linguistics (XH-C3) Detailed Analysis
Overall Difficulty & Question Trends
The GATE 2026 Linguistics paper was rated Moderate. Candidates noted that the questions in Phonetics and Morphology were standard but required attention to detail. Sociolinguistics and Historical Linguistics featured more conceptual Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs), while the Reasoning section (B1) was time-consuming for some.
Part GA: 15 Marks (Easy)
Part B1: 25 Marks (Moderate)
Part C3: 60 Marks (Moderate)
Subject-Wise Marks Weightage
| Subject Domain | High-Weightage Topics (2026) | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|
| Phonetics & Phonology | Acoustic phonetics, Phonological rules, Distinctive features. | Moderate |
| Morphology & Syntax | Allomorphs, Word formation, X-bar theory, Binding. | Moderate |
| Semantics & Pragmatics | Truth conditions, Entailment, Speech acts, Maxims. | Easy-Moderate |
| Sociolinguistics | Dialect vs. Variety, Diglossia, Language change. | Moderate |
| Historical Linguistics | Grimm’s Law, Verner’s Law, Comparative method. | Moderate |
Expected Qualifying Cutoff 2026
The qualifying marks for XH-C3 have historically been higher than many engineering papers due to the competitive nature of the Humanities pool.
| Category | 2026 (Expected) | 2025 (Actual) | 2024 (Actual) |
|---|---|---|---|
| General (GEN) | 45.0 - 49.0 | 40.0 | 49.7 |
| OBC-NCL / EWS | 40.5 - 44.0 | 36.0 | 44.7 |
| SC / ST / PwD | 30.0 - 33.0 | 26.6 | 33.1 |
IIT & PSU Opportunities
IISc / Top IITs (Ph.D.)
Score: 800+ | Marks: 70+
IIT Delhi / Bombay (M.A.)
Score: 720+ | Marks: 62+
Research Fellowships
Score: 650+ | Marks: 55+
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