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GATE 2026 Physics (PH) Paper Analysis: Difficulty, Weightage & Cutoffs

Comprehensive Review of PH 2026, Subject-wise Marks Distribution, and Expected IIT/NIT Admission Scores.

Updated 9 months agoGATE 2026 · Paper Analysis · Physics.
#GATE 2026 Physics Analysis#PH Paper Review#GATE Physics Expected Cutoff
Revision kit710 GATE GA questions of 2017–2026, ranked
  • Marks booster + cheatsheet: most-asked concepts in 2 lines each
  • 8 high-yield rules
  • 14 grammar rules GATE tested
  • 16 algebra formulas with solved PYQs
  • 130+ past questions solved in a line
  • 16% since 2021: spatial reasoning
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GATE 2026 Physics (PH) Paper Analysis: Difficulty, Weightage & Cutoffs

GATE 2026 Physics (PH) Detailed Paper Analysis

Exam Date: February 7, 2026 | Conducting Body: IIT Guwahati

Overall Difficulty & Pattern

The GATE 2026 PH paper was rated Moderate to Difficult. The paper followed the standard 65-question format. Students observed that the MSQ section in Solid State Physics and Electronics was conceptually demanding, while the NAT section in Thermodynamics involved multi-step calculations.

Technical: 72 Marks
Aptitude: 15 Marks
Maths: 13 Marks

Subject-Wise Marks Weightage

Subject Domain Approx. Marks High-Yield Topics (2026)
Mathematical Physics 10-12 Marks Complex Analysis, Matrices, Differential Equations.
Quantum Mechanics 12-14 Marks 1D Box, Harmonic Oscillator, Perturbation Theory.
Electromagnetic Theory 10-12 Marks Maxwell’s Equations, Waveguides, Boundary Conditions.
Classical Mechanics 8-10 Marks Lagrangian & Hamiltonian, Central Forces.
Thermodynamics & Statistical 8-10 Marks Partition Function, Phase Transitions, Carnot Cycle.
Solid State & Electronics 12-15 Marks Crystal Structures, Op-Amps, Logic Gates.

Expected Qualifying Cutoff 2026

The qualifying marks are expected to remain within the typical range for Physics, which usually sees a slightly higher cutoff compared to engineering branches.

Category 2026 (Expected) 2025 (Actual) 2024 (Actual)
General (GEN) 31.5 - 33.5 31.1 32.0
OBC-NCL / EWS 28.3 - 30.2 27.9 28.8
SC / ST / PwD 20.8 - 22.3 20.7 21.3

Target Scores for Admissions & PSUs

IISc / IIT Bombay (Ph.D.)

Score: 780+ | Rank: Under 100

IIT Delhi / Kanpur (M.Tech)

Score: 700+ | Rank: Under 250

BARC / ISRO / PSUs

Score: 850+ | Rank: Under 50

Official Update: GATE 2026 response sheets will be live on the GOAPS portal by the third week of February.

Revision kit710 GATE GA questions of 2017–2026, ranked
  • Marks booster + cheatsheet: most-asked concepts in 2 lines each
  • 8 high-yield rules
  • 14 grammar rules GATE tested
  • 16 algebra formulas with solved PYQs
  • 130+ past questions solved in a line
  • 16% since 2021: spatial reasoning
Page 1 free about 8 min read, Full kit about 1 h 5 min read
₹129
Read page 1 freeabout 8 minView details

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Gauss Law Applications Fundamentals | GATE Physics

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Solid State Physics Practice Quiz | GATE Physics

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GATE General Aptitude — Grammar and Vocabulary (GATE 2026 pattern)

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GATE General Aptitude — Counting, Probability and Geometry (GATE 2026 pattern)

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