Guides & contents
ProSyllabus JournalGATE Humanities and Social Sciences - Psychology

GATE 2026 Psychology (XH-C5) Paper Analysis: Difficulty, Weightage & Cutoffs

Detailed Review of the Feb 7 Exam, Subject-wise Marks Distribution, and Safe Scores for IIT Admissions.

Updated 8 months agoGATE 2026 · Paper Analysis · Psychology.
#GATE 2026 Psychology#XH-C5 Analysis#GATE Psychology Cutoff#Psychometrics Weightage#IIT Psychology Ph.D. Admissions.
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
GATE 2026 Psychology (XH-C5) Paper Analysis: Difficulty, Weightage & Cutoffs

GATE 2026 Psychology (XH-C5) Detailed Analysis

Exam Date: Feb 7, 2026 | Session: Afternoon (2:30 PM - 5:30 PM)

Difficulty Level & Student Reactions

The GATE 2026 Psychology paper followed a Moderate to Hard difficulty trend. While the General Aptitude section was manageable, the C5 (Psychology) section featured tricky MSQs that required deep conceptual understanding. Many students found the Research Methods and Statistics portion particularly demanding due to its application-based nature.

GA: 15 Marks (Easy)
B1 (Reasoning): 25 Marks (Moderate)
C5 (Psychology): 60 Marks (Moderate to Hard)

Subject-Wise Marks Weightage

Subject Domain High-Yield Topics (2026) Weightage
Research Methods & Stats Hypothesis Testing, ANOVA, Effect Size, Regression Analysis. High
Biopsychology Nervous System structures, Neurotransmitters, Endocrine regulation. High
Cognitive Psychology Memory models, Information processing, Gestalt principles. Moderate
Social Psychology Attribution theory, Cognitive dissonance, Group dynamics. Moderate
Psychological Testing Reliability & Validity types, Item analysis, Norms construction. Moderate

Expected Qualifying Cutoff 2026

The cutoff for Psychology often stays on the higher side compared to other humanities subjects. Based on the 2026 exam's toughness, qualifying marks are expected to align with previous years' high standards.

Category 2026 (Expected) 2025 (Actual) 2024 (Actual)
General (GEN) 48.0 - 52.0 40.0 52.7
OBC-NCL / EWS 43.0 - 46.5 36.0 47.4
SC / ST / PwD 32.0 - 34.5 26.6 35.1

IIT Admission Targets

IIT Delhi / Bombay

Score: 750+ | Marks: 65+

IIT Madras / Kanpur

Score: 700+ | Marks: 58+

Newer IITs / NITs

Score: 600+ | Marks: 50+

Result Date: March 19, 2026 (Official release on GOAPS portal).

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

Get alerts for GATE Humanities and Social Sciences - Psychology

Dates, results and cutoffs, by email when they are announced. Free.

Google, Apple, or a code to your phone or email. It is saved to your account.

More on GATE Humanities and Social Sciences - PsychologyThe exam page: every guide for this exam in one place

Topic tests for GATE Humanities and Social Sciences - Psychology

Short tests, one topic at a time, with every answer explained.

Double-checked questions Real exam pattern 1 free test every month, then ₹9 per test

Try before you buy free, no payment

SampleGATE Humanities and Social Sciences - Psychology · Free sample (4 questions)A few questions in the exact player you get after buying: the clock, the question palette, then your score and every answer explained.
#1

Classical Conditioning Paradigms Fundamentals | GATE Humanities and Social Sciences - Psychology

Start here
10 Qs · ~10 min Sanjana C Lokesh leads with 5/10

Instant score, answer review and weak-topic diagnosis

#2

Measures of Central Tendency Fundamentals | GATE Humanities and Social Sciences - Psychology

10 Qs · ~10 min Sanjana C Lokesh leads with 7/10

Instant score, answer review and weak-topic diagnosis

#3

Neurotransmitters and Limbic Functions Advanced Challenge | GATE Humanities and Social Sciences - Psychology

10 Qs · ~10 min Sanjana C Lokesh leads with 8/10

Instant score, answer review and weak-topic diagnosis

#4

ANOVA and Post Hoc Tests Advanced Challenge | GATE Humanities and Social Sciences - Psychology

10 Qs · ~10 min Sanjana C Lokesh leads with 10/10

Instant score, answer review and weak-topic diagnosis

#5

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

10 Qs · ~10 min

Instant score, answer review and weak-topic diagnosis

#6

GATE General Aptitude — Statements and Logical Inference (GATE 2026 pattern)

10 Qs · ~10 min

Instant score, answer review and weak-topic diagnosis

#7

GATE General Aptitude — Arrangements and Puzzles (GATE 2026 pattern)

10 Qs · ~10 min

Instant score, answer review and weak-topic diagnosis

#8

GATE General Aptitude — Numbers, Algebra and Logarithms (GATE 2026 pattern)

10 Qs · ~10 min

Instant score, answer review and weak-topic diagnosis

#9

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

10 Qs · ~10 min

Instant score, answer review and weak-topic diagnosis

More on GATE Humanities and Social Sciences - Psychology10 guides

Notebook backup + AISave your notes. Revise with AI.Learn more →

Discussion

No discussions yet.

Share this article

Page 1 free about 8 min read, Full kit about 1 h 5 min read
Page 1 freeabout 8 min

View details