Checked 25 September 2026. From NIC’s CCMT 2025 and 2026 opening/closing GATE scores, IIT Madras M.Tech cut-off PDFs (2025, 2026) and IIT Bombay minimum cut-offs. “Lowest closing in any round” is our aggregation.
For most mechanical graduates who do not take a PSU job, GATE is the route to an M.Tech — at an NIT through CCMT, or at an IIT through its own admission. The question is always the same: what score is enough? This guide sets out the 2026 answer from the official data — CCMT’s round-by-round closing scores for NIT mechanical programmes, IIT Madras’s published cut-offs and IIT Bombay’s minimum — and a checker for your own score.
NIC CCMT 2026 data (our aggregation); IIT Madras and IIT Bombay PDFs.
Where other pages get this wrong
CCMT admitted candidates on GATE 2024, 2025 or 2026 scores, and closing scores fall sharply between Round 1 and the final rounds.
Commonly published instead: A single “NIT cut-off” quoted per programme.
CCMT 2026 brochure; NIC round-wise opening and closing scores.
NIT core-mechanical programmes, 2026
| 2025 | Category | 2026 programmes · lowest / median / highest |
|---|---|---|
| 96 · 350 / 362 / 566 | OPEN | 111 · 350 / 363 / 559 |
| 56 · 314 / 336.5 / 553 | GEN-EWS | 49 · 304 / 344 / 437 |
| 89 · 309 / 327 / 528 | OBC-NCL | 93 · 311 / 329 / 449 |
| 96 · 184 / 249 / 390 | SC | 92 · 110 / 258 / 337 |
| 35 · 197 / 248 / 364 | ST | 42 · 195 / 269.5 / 359 |
Lowest closing GATE score in any CCMT round, across core-mechanical programmes (design, thermal, manufacturing, production, industrial, energy, automobile, mechatronics; dual degrees excluded) that admit GATE ME. Our aggregation of NIC’s CCMT data. OPEN Round-1 closing: 2026 median 392, 2025 median 411.
| Institute · programme | 2026 OPEN R1 / lowest | 2026 OBC | 2025 OPEN |
|---|---|---|---|
| NIT Surathkal · Mechanical Design | 632 / 559 | 600 / 449 | 715 / 566 |
| NIT Trichy · Engineering Design | 619 / 441 | 537 / 411 | — |
| NIT Rourkela · Mech. Systems Design & Control | 634 / 433 | — | 573 / 444 |
| NIT Warangal · Machine Design | 533 / 441 | 485 / 407 | 580 / 473 |
| NIT Trichy · Thermal Power Engg | 507 / 437 | 474 / 366 | 591 / 466 |
| NIT Trichy · Industrial Engg & Mgmt | 510 / 430 | 461 / 355 | 573 / 470 |
| NIT Surathkal · Thermal Engg | 463 / 403 | 455 / 333 | 539 / 432 |
| NIT Warangal · Thermal Engg | 441 / 366 | 415 / 322 | 521 / 355 |
| NIT Trichy · Manufacturing Technology | 472 / 370 | 429 / 322 | 508 / 383 |
| NIT Warangal · Manufacturing Engg | 407 / 359 | 385 / 317 | 470 / 366 |
NIC CCMT 2026 and 2025, Group 1: Round-1 closing / lowest closing in any round. “—” = no allotment in that category or year.
Which NIT mechanical programmes did your score clear in CCMT 2026?
Enter a GATE score (out of 1000) and your category. The check compares it with the lowest CCMT 2026 closing score in any round for 29 featured NIT core-mechanical programmes (the full set has 111).
NIC’s CCMT 2026 opening and closing GATE scores for Group 1 core-mechanical NIT programmes; “lowest closing in any round” is our aggregation and includes later rounds, which cover only candidates still in the process. A blank means no seat was allotted in that category. 2027 closing scores will differ.
The spread between Round 1 and the last round is the most useful number here. NIT Surathkal’s Mechanical Design closed at 632 in Round 1 but admitted down to 559 by the end; NIT Warangal Thermal went from 441 to 366. For a candidate near the line, staying in every round is worth more than chasing one top programme. As an anchor, a 2026 OPEN score of about 450 would have cleared the final round of most core NIT programmes but Round 1 only of a few — and 450 was about 34 marks on the 2026 ME paper (official score formula).
How CCMT works
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Scores accepted (2026) | GATE 2024, 2025 or 2026 |
| Rounds | Round 1, 2, 3; Special Round 1 and 2; National Spot Round |
| Round 1 result (2026) | 12 June 2026 |
| Eligibility groups | Each programme is split into groups by qualifying degree; figures here are Group 1 |
| Data published | Opening and closing GATE score for every programme, category and round |
CCMT 2026 brochure and schedule; NIC opening/closing data.
Because closing scores fall round by round, the median Round-1 closing for OPEN core-mechanical programmes (392 in 2026, 411 in 2025) sits well above the median lowest closing (363 and 362). A candidate at 380 would have missed most programmes in Round 1 but found a seat later. The practical rules: list many programmes in real order of preference, keep participating through the later rounds, and read the round-specific rules on freezing, floating and fees in the CCMT brochure before each round.
| Year | OPEN Round-1 closing, median (max) | OPEN lowest closing, median (max) |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 392 (634) | 363 (559) |
| 2025 | 411 (732) | 362 (566) |
Our aggregation of NIC CCMT data for core-mechanical NIT/GFTI programmes that admit GATE ME.
IIT Madras: published cut-offs
| 2025 | Programme (2026 seats, Table-1) | 2026 GEN / EWS / OBC / SC / ST |
|---|---|---|
| 741 / 525 / 608 / 428 / 390 | Thermal, with assistantship (36) | 674 / 579 / 614 / 499 / 378 |
| 808 / 732 / 712 / 639 / 511 | Mechanical Design, with assistantship (21) | 797 / 677 / 695 / 522 / 441 |
| 632 / 534 / 573 / 483 / 380 | Manufacturing, with assistantship (24) | 622 / 553 / 531 / 403 / 389 |
| Not listed | Computational Engg for Mech. Systems (10) | 656 / 643 / 545 / 400 / 318 |
| 674 / 504 / 547 / 414 / 281 | Thermal, without assistantship (10) | 587 / 515 / 567 / 426 / 303 |
| 739 / 675 / 604 / 535 / 362 | Design, without assistantship (10) | 680 / 645 / 630 / 483 / 373 |
| 569 / 482 / 514 / 345 / 281 | Manufacturing, without assistantship (8) | 543 / 447 / 474 / 382 / 262 |
IIT Madras M.Tech 2026 and 2025 GATE cut-off PDFs and Table-1. IIT Madras notes that for a non-conforming UG subject or GATE paper the department may apply internal criteria.
IIT Madras splits each stream into seats with a Half-Time Teaching Assistantship (HTTA) and seats without it, and publishes separate cut-offs for the two. The assistantship seats are the more competitive: in 2026 the Design stream closed at 797 (GEN) with the assistantship and 680 without. A candidate below the assistantship line can still be considered for the other seats; check IIT Madras’s admission brochure for what the assistantship involves.
IIT Madras M.Tech 2026 cut-offs.
IIT Bombay: a minimum, not a closing score
IIT Bombay publishes a minimum GATE cut-off to be considered for M.Tech admission with a teaching assistantship, not a closing score: for all mechanical specialisations it was 600 for GN/EWS, 540 for OBC-NC and 400 for SC/ST in both 2025-26 and 2026-27. Clearing it earns consideration, after which the department’s own shortlisting applies. Other IITs publish their own cut-offs, which this guide did not collect.
| Institute | GN / EWS | OBC-NC | SC / ST | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IIT Bombay (all ME specialisations) | 600 | 540 | 400 | Minimum to be considered |
| IIT Madras (lowest conforming-discipline ME programme, 2026) | 543 / 447 | 474 | 382 / 262 | Published cut-off |
IIT Bombay minimum cut-off PDFs 2025-26 and 2026-27; IIT Madras 2026 cut-offs. IIT Madras lists separate, lower rows for candidates from non-conforming disciplines.
Practise it, don't just read it
An M.Tech at a top NIT has needed a score around 450–630 — roughly 34–50 marks on the 2026 paper. Our GATE ME quizzes cover the subjects that carry those marks.
The ProSyllabus GATE ME library has topic quizzes on engineering mathematics, statics, strength of materials, theory of machines and vibrations, fluid mechanics and turbomachinery, thermodynamics, conduction, convection and radiation, refrigeration and air conditioning, and manufacturing — the first quiz is free.
What GATE ME score is needed for NIT M.Tech?
In 2026 the median lowest closing score across NIT core-mechanical programmes was 363 (OPEN); top programmes closed at 430–560 in their final rounds.
What was the NIT Trichy Thermal cut-off in CCMT 2026?
Thermal Power Engineering: Round 1 closing 507, lowest closing 437 (OPEN).
What is the IIT Madras M.Tech Mechanical cut-off?
2026 GEN, with assistantship: Design 797, Thermal 674, Manufacturing 622.
What is the IIT Bombay M.Tech Mechanical cut-off?
A minimum of 600 (GN/EWS), 540 (OBC-NC) and 400 (SC/ST) to be considered.
Which GATE scores does CCMT accept?
CCMT 2026 accepted GATE 2024, 2025 or 2026.
Do CCMT closing scores fall in later rounds?
Yes — often by 50–100 points, sometimes by 150–200 (NIT Rourkela MSDC 634 → 433; NIT Trichy Engineering Design 619 → 441).
What score is 450 in GATE ME marks?
About 34 marks on the 2026 paper, using the official formula with that year’s qualifying mark and topper average.
What is the CCMT cut-off for SC in mechanical?
In 2026 the median lowest closing for SC across core programmes was 258.
Is the CCMT data official?
The round-wise scores are NIC’s; the “lowest closing in any round” summary is our aggregation.
Are these cut-offs valid for 2027?
No — they are 2026 figures; 2027 will differ.
What is HTTA in IIT Madras M.Tech?
Half-Time Teaching Assistantship seats, which had higher cut-offs than seats without it in 2025 and 2026.
How many CCMT rounds are there?
Three regular rounds, two special rounds and a National Spot Round in 2026.
Can I use a GATE 2024 score for CCMT?
CCMT 2026 accepted GATE 2024, 2025 or 2026; check the 2027 brochure for which years it accepts next.
Did NIT mechanical cut-offs fall in 2026?
Round-1 closing scores were generally lower than in 2025 (OPEN median 392 vs 411), while the final-round medians were almost unchanged.
Which NIT mechanical programme had the highest CCMT 2026 closing score?
In Round 1, NIT Rourkela’s Mechanical Systems Design and Control (634) and NIT Surathkal’s Mechanical Design (632), OPEN.
More in this series
Sources
- official — NIC — CCMT 2026 round-wise opening and closing GATE scores
- official — NIC — CCMT 2025 round-wise opening and closing GATE scores
- official — IIT Madras — M.Tech 2026 GATE cut-off scores (PDF)
- official — IIT Madras — M.Tech 2025 GATE cut-off scores (PDF)
- official — IIT Madras — M.Tech 2026 Table-1 (programmes, seats)
- official — IIT Bombay — Minimum GATE cut-off 2026-27 (PDF)
- official — IIT Bombay — Minimum GATE cut-off 2025-26 (PDF)
- official — GATE 2026 Statistical and Performance Report (IIT Guwahati, PDF)
official = a document published by the conducting body. reported = a news or coaching site we could not check against an original. Where sources disagree this page says so rather than picking one.
