The in-basket test step by step: a minute-by-minute plan for a 45-minute inbox, a sorting matrix, delegation rules, what government employers say assessors score, and costly mistakes.

How to Pass an In-Basket Exercise: Sort, Delegate, 45-Minute Plan

What an in-basket item looks like, two original worked items with every listed action rated and explained, how two public employers score in-baskets, and a full supervisor inbox to practice on.

In-basket exercise examples: a worked inbox with scored answers

Articles related to In-Basket Exercise (Supervisor and Manager Assessment) on page 1 

<div style="background:#eef3fb;color:#303846;border:1px solid #c9d7ee;border-radius:12px;padding:14px 18px;margin:0 0 18px"><p style="margin:0;font-size:14px;line-height:1.6"><strong style="color:#171d29">Checked 28 September 2026.</strong> From the GATE 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026 statistical and performance reports and cut-off pages. Scores for given marks and counts of candidates at or above a mark are our arithmetic; GATE 2027 figures will differ.</p></div>

<p style="margin:0 0 16px;line-height:1.7">GATE Mining is a small, single-session paper: <strong>6,732 candidates appeared in 2026</strong>, 1,597 qualified, and the general cut-off was <strong>29.5 marks</strong>. Because it runs in one session, your raw marks are not normalised — but they are still converted to a score out of 1000 that depends on how the top candidates did. That is why the same 40 marks was about a top-100 result in 2023 and top-130 in 2024, and only about top-400 to top-480 in 2025 and 2026. This guide lays out every official MN number from the last four reports and turns them into a calculator.</p>

<div style="display:flex;flex-wrap:wrap;gap:10px;margin:18px 0"><div style="flex:1 1 140px;background:#fbfaf6;border:1px solid #e4e1d8;border-radius:10px;padding:12px 14px"><div style="font-size:24px;font-weight:800;color:#171d29;line-height:1.2">6,732</div><div style="font-size:13px;color:#5b6472;line-height:1.4;margin-top:4px">appeared in GATE MN 2026 (8,415 registered)</div></div><div style="flex:1 1 140px;background:#fbfaf6;border:1px solid #e4e1d8;border-radius:10px;padding:12px 14px"><div style="font-size:24px;font-weight:800;color:#171d29;line-height:1.2">29.5</div><div style="font-size:13px;color:#5b6472;line-height:1.4;margin-top:4px">general qualifying marks, 2026 (30.6 in 2025)</div></div><div style="flex:1 1 140px;background:#fbfaf6;border:1px solid #e4e1d8;border-radius:10px;padding:12px 14px"><div style="font-size:24px;font-weight:800;color:#171d29;line-height:1.2">83.67</div><div style="font-size:13px;color:#5b6472;line-height:1.4;margin-top:4px">highest marks in 2026 (score 1000)</div></div><div style="flex:1 1 140px;background:#fbfaf6;border:1px solid #e4e1d8;border-radius:10px;padding:12px 14px"><div style="font-size:24px;font-weight:800;color:#171d29;line-height:1.2">401</div><div style="font-size:13px;color:#5b6472;line-height:1.4;margin-top:4px">appeared candidates with 40 or more marks in 2026 (our count)</div></div></div><p style="margin:12px 0 0;font-size:13px;color:#5b6472;margin:-8px 0 18px">GATE 2026 statistical report and cut-off page.</p>

GATE 2023–2026 statistical reports (MN pages) and cut-off pages. The 2023 report prints the mean and SD without a clear order, so both readings are left open. *The 2024 report prints 212 as MN’s SC/ST/PwD qualifying score; the official formula with its own figures (16.6, 25, 54.77) gives 195 (our arithmetic). That column of the 2024 table does not match the formula for most papers, while the OBC-EWS column matches for every paper, so we show the formula value.

<figure style="background:#ffffff;color:#303846;border:1px solid #e4e1d8;border-radius:12px;padding:18px 20px;margin:18px 0;margin:18px 0"><figcaption style="margin:0 0 10px;font-size:17px;font-weight:700;color:#171d29">GATE MN qualifying marks by category, 2023–2026</figcaption><div style="margin:0 0 6px"><span style="display:inline-flex;align-items:center;gap:6px;margin:0 14px 6px 0;font-size:13px;color:#303846"><span style="width:14px;height:4px;background:#1f7a45;display:inline-block"></span>General</span><span style="display:inline-flex;align-items:center;gap:6px;margin:0 14px 6px 0;font-size:13px;color:#303846"><span style="width:14px;height:4px;background:#2f6fb0;display:inline-block"></span>OBC-NCL / EWS</span><span style="display:inline-flex;align-items:center;gap:6px;margin:0 14px 6px 0;font-size:13px;color:#303846"><span style="width:14px;height:4px;background:#b7791f;display:inline-block"></span>SC / ST / PwD</span></div><svg viewBox="0 0 640 300" width="100%" role="img" aria-label="GATE MN qualifying marks by category, 2023–2026" style="display:block;max-width:100%;height:auto"><line x1="44" y1="260.0" x2="620" y2="260.0" stroke="#ece8dc" stroke-width="1"/><text x="36" y="264.0" font-size="12" text-anchor="end" fill="#5b6472">10</text><line x1="44" y1="201.0" x2="620" y2="201.0" stroke="#ece8dc" stroke-width="1"/><text x="36" y="205.0" font-size="12" text-anchor="end" fill="#5b6472">16.3</text><line x1="44" y1="142.0" x2="620" y2="142.0" stroke="#ece8dc" stroke-width="1"/><text x="36" y="146.0" font-size="12" text-anchor="end" fill="#5b6472">22.5</text><line x1="44" y1="83.0" x2="620" y2="83.0" stroke="#ece8dc" stroke-width="1"/><text x="36" y="87.0" font-size="12" text-anchor="end" fill="#5b6472">28.8</text><line x1="44" y1="24.0" x2="620" y2="24.0" stroke="#ece8dc" stroke-width="1"/><text x="36" y="28.0" font-size="12" text-anchor="end" fill="#5b6472">35</text><text x="44.0" y="286" font-size="13" text-anchor="middle" fill="#303846">2023</text><text x="236.0" y="286" font-size="13" text-anchor="middle" fill="#303846">2024</text><text x="428.0" y="286" font-size="13" text-anchor="middle" fill="#303846">2025</text><text x="620.0" y="286" font-size="13" text-anchor="middle" fill="#303846">2026</text><polyline fill="none" stroke="#1f7a45" stroke-width="3" points="44.0,118.4 236.0,118.4 428.0,65.5 620.0,75.9"/><circle cx="44.0" cy="118.4" r="5" fill="#1f7a45"/><text x="44.0" y="108.4" font-size="12" font-weight="700" text-anchor="middle" fill="#1f7a45">25</text><circle cx="236.0" cy="118.4" r="5" fill="#1f7a45"/><text x="236.0" y="108.4" font-size="12" font-weight="700" text-anchor="middle" fill="#1f7a45">25</text><circle cx="428.0" cy="65.5" r="5" fill="#1f7a45"/><text x="428.0" y="55.5" font-size="12" font-weight="700" text-anchor="middle" fill="#1f7a45">30.6</text><circle cx="620.0" cy="75.9" r="5" fill="#1f7a45"/><text x="620.0" y="65.9" font-size="12" font-weight="700" text-anchor="middle" fill="#1f7a45">29.5</text><polyline fill="none" stroke="#2f6fb0" stroke-width="3" points="44.0,142.0 236.0,142.0 428.0,94.8 620.0,104.2"/><circle cx="44.0" cy="142.0" r="5" fill="#2f6fb0"/><text x="44.0" y="132.0" font-size="12" font-weight="700" text-anchor="middle" fill="#2f6fb0">22.5</text><circle cx="236.0" cy="142.0" r="5" fill="#2f6fb0"/><text x="236.0" y="132.0" font-size="12" font-weight="700" text-anchor="middle" fill="#2f6fb0">22.5</text><circle cx="428.0" cy="94.8" r="5" fill="#2f6fb0"/><text x="428.0" y="84.8" font-size="12" font-weight="700" text-anchor="middle" fill="#2f6fb0">27.5</text><circle cx="620.0" cy="104.2" r="5" fill="#2f6fb0"/><text x="620.0" y="94.2" font-size="12" font-weight="700" text-anchor="middle" fill="#2f6fb0">26.5</text><polyline fill="none" stroke="#b7791f" stroke-width="3" points="44.0,197.7 236.0,197.7 428.0,161.8 620.0,169.4"/><circle cx="44.0" cy="197.7" r="5" fill="#b7791f"/><text x="44.0" y="187.7" font-size="12" font-weight="700" text-anchor="middle" fill="#b7791f">16.6</text><circle cx="236.0" cy="197.7" r="5" fill="#b7791f"/><text x="236.0" y="187.7" font-size="12" font-weight="700" text-anchor="middle" fill="#b7791f">16.6</text><circle cx="428.0" cy="161.8" r="5" fill="#b7791f"/><text x="428.0" y="151.8" font-size="12" font-weight="700" text-anchor="middle" fill="#b7791f">20.4</text><circle cx="620.0" cy="169.4" r="5" fill="#b7791f"/><text x="620.0" y="159.4" font-size="12" font-weight="700" text-anchor="middle" fill="#b7791f">19.6</text></svg><p style="margin:12px 0 0;font-size:13px;color:#5b6472">From the table above. 2023 and 2024 sat on the 25-mark floor; in 2025 and 2026 the cut-off was set by the paper’s mean and standard deviation and came out higher.</p></figure>

<p style="margin:0 0 16px;line-height:1.7">Why did the cut-off jump in 2025? The GATE 2027 brochure sets the general qualifying mark as max(25, min(40, μ + σ)) — the mean plus one standard deviation of all candidates’ marks, with a floor of 25 and a ceiling of 40; OBC-NCL/EWS get 9/10 of it and SC/ST/PwD 2/3. In 2024 the mean plus SD was 22.79 — below 25 — so the floor applied. In 2025 it was 30.67 and in 2026 29.51, against the published 30.6 and 29.5 (our arithmetic; the reports print the mark cut to one decimal, which is why 30.67 appears as 30.6). The 2025 and 2026 papers were simply friendlier at the middle: the mean rose from 12.4 to about 17–18 marks.</p>

The formula, and what your marks convert to

<p style="margin:0 0 16px;line-height:1.7">GATE converts marks to a score with <strong>Score = 350 + 550 × (M − Mq) ÷ (M̄t − Mq)</strong>, where Mq is the general qualifying mark and M̄t the mean marks of the top 0.1% of candidates (or the top 10, if that is more). The score is capped at 1000. So the qualifying mark always maps to 350 and the toppers’ mean to 900, and everything between is a straight line. A harder paper at the top (lower M̄t) makes each mark above the cut-off worth more score.</p>

Our arithmetic from the official Mq and M̄t of each year. A score below 350 is below the general cut-off (reserved categories qualify lower). 30 marks is below 2025’s 30.6 cut-off, hence below 350 that year.

<p style="margin:0 0 16px;line-height:1.7">Two practical consequences. Because MN is single-session, there is no normalisation to argue about: the marks your response sheet shows after the final key are the marks the formula uses. And because the score depends on the toppers’ mean, you cannot know your 2027 score until the result — but you can bracket it by entering your expected marks for each of the last four years below. If the four answers are close, your estimate is robust; if they differ by 100 points or more, the paper’s difficulty at the top will decide.</p>

<div style="background:#ffffff;color:#303846;border:1px solid #e4e1d8;border-radius:12px;padding:18px 20px;margin:18px 0" id="mncalc"><h3 style="margin:0 0 10px;font-size:17px;font-weight:700;color:#171d29">GATE MN score and rank calculator</h3><p style="margin:0 0 12px;line-height:1.6">Enter your expected marks out of 100 (after negative marking). The calculator applies the official GATE score formula using the real qualifying mark and topper average of the year you pick, and estimates a rank from that year's official mark distribution.</p><div style="display:flex;flex-wrap:wrap;gap:10px;margin:0 0 12px"><label style="font-size:13px;font-weight:700;color:#5b6472">Marks<br><input id="mncalc-m" type="number" min="0" max="100" step="0.01" value="45" style="width:110px;padding:8px;border:1px solid #c9c4b5;border-radius:8px;font-size:16px"></label><label style="font-size:13px;font-weight:700;color:#5b6472">Compare with<br><select id="mncalc-y" style="padding:8px;border:1px solid #c9c4b5;border-radius:8px;font-size:16px"><option>2026</option><option>2025</option><option>2024</option><option>2023</option></select></label><label style="font-size:13px;font-weight:700;color:#5b6472">Category<br><select id="mncalc-c" style="padding:8px;border:1px solid #c9c4b5;border-radius:8px;font-size:16px"><option value="0">General</option><option value="1">OBC-NCL / EWS</option><option value="2">SC / ST / PwD</option></select></label></div><button id="mncalc-go" type="button" style="background:#ffffff;color:#1f7a45;border:2px solid #1f7a45;padding:9px 18px;border-radius:8px;font-weight:700;font-size:15px;cursor:pointer">Calculate</button><div id="mncalc-out" style="margin:14px 0 0;line-height:1.7"></div><p style="margin:12px 0 0;font-size:13px;color:#5b6472">Estimates only. Your real score depends on the 2027 field, which is not known until the result on 19 March 2027. Qualifying marks by category are the official figures for that year. Rank is interpolated between official mark bands and is approximate.</p><script>(function(){var S={"2023":{"mq":25,"mt":58.833,"top":63.33,"cat":[25,22.5,16.6],"cum":[[60,5],[50,21],[40,99],[30,381],[20,1206],[10,3033]]},"2024":{"mq":25,"mt":54.77,"top":58.33,"cat":[25,22.5,16.6],"cum":[[50,20],[40,129],[30,499],[20,1508],[10,3652]]},"2025":{"mq":30.6,"mt":68.7,"top":75.67,"cat":[30.6,27.5,20.4],"cum":[[70,2],[60,24],[50,132],[40,477],[30,1276],[20,2699],[10,5061]]},"2026":{"mq":29.5,"mt":68.33,"top":83.67,"cat":[29.5,26.5,19.6],"cum":[[80,1],[70,2],[60,21],[50,96],[40,401],[30,1058],[20,2299],[10,4475]]}},P='mncalc';function g(x){return document.getElementById(P+x);}function rank(m,c,top){if(top!=null&&m>=top)return '1 (the highest mark that year)';if(m>=c[0][0])return 'within the top '+c[0][1].toLocaleString('en-IN');for(var i=0;i<c.length-1;i++){var a=c[i],b=c[i+1];if(m<=a[0]&&m>=b[0]){var t=(a[0]-m)/(a[0]-b[0]);return 'about '+Math.round(Math.exp(Math.log(a[1])+t*(Math.log(b[1])-Math.log(a[1])))).toLocaleString('en-IN');}}return 'beyond '+c[c.length-1][1].toLocaleString('en-IN');}function go(){var m=parseFloat(g('-m').value),y=g('-y').value,f=parseInt(g('-c').value,10),o=g('-out'),d=S[y];if(isNaN(m)||m<0||m>100){o.innerHTML='Enter marks between 0 and 100.';return;}var sc=Math.round(350+550*(m-d.mq)/(d.mt-d.mq));sc=Math.min(1000,sc);var q=d.cat[f];o.innerHTML='<strong>GATE score (on the '+y+' field): '+sc+' / 1000</strong><br>Qualifying mark for your category in '+y+': '+q+' — '+(m>=q?'<span style="color:#1f7a45;font-weight:700">you would have qualified</span>':'<span style="color:#b42318;font-weight:700">below the qualifying mark</span>')+'<br>Approximate all-India rank in '+y+': '+rank(m,d.cum,d.top);}var b=g('-go');if(b){b.addEventListener('click',go);go();}})();</script></div>

How many candidates scored at least your marks

Appeared candidates, summed by us from the official 10-mark distribution tables of each report. Rank at a mark is roughly this count; ties and the exact position inside a 10-mark bin are not published.

<figure style="background:#ffffff;color:#303846;border:1px solid #e4e1d8;border-radius:12px;padding:18px 20px;margin:18px 0;margin:18px 0"><figcaption style="margin:0 0 10px;font-size:17px;font-weight:700;color:#171d29">Where GATE MN candidates’ marks fell, 2023–2026</figcaption><div style="margin:0 0 8px"><span style="display:inline-flex;align-items:center;gap:6px;margin:0 14px 6px 0;font-size:13px;color:#303846"><span style="width:12px;height:12px;border-radius:3px;background:#1f7a45;display:inline-block"></span>below 0</span><span style="display:inline-flex;align-items:center;gap:6px;margin:0 14px 6px 0;font-size:13px;color:#303846"><span style="width:12px;height:12px;border-radius:3px;background:#2f6fb0;display:inline-block"></span>0–10</span><span style="display:inline-flex;align-items:center;gap:6px;margin:0 14px 6px 0;font-size:13px;color:#303846"><span style="width:12px;height:12px;border-radius:3px;background:#b7791f;display:inline-block"></span>10–20</span><span style="display:inline-flex;align-items:center;gap:6px;margin:0 14px 6px 0;font-size:13px;color:#303846"><span style="width:12px;height:12px;border-radius:3px;background:#8e3b8e;display:inline-block"></span>20–30</span><span style="display:inline-flex;align-items:center;gap:6px;margin:0 14px 6px 0;font-size:13px;color:#303846"><span style="width:12px;height:12px;border-radius:3px;background:#c2553a;display:inline-block"></span>30–40</span><span style="display:inline-flex;align-items:center;gap:6px;margin:0 14px 6px 0;font-size:13px;color:#303846"><span style="width:12px;height:12px;border-radius:3px;background:#2a8f8f;display:inline-block"></span>40+</span></div><div style="margin:0 0 10px"><div style="font-size:14px;color:#303846;margin:0 0 4px">2023 (6,032 appeared)</div><div style="display:flex;height:22px;border-radius:6px;overflow:hidden"><div style="width:7.03%;background:#1f7a45;color:rgb(255,255,255);font-size:12px;font-weight:700;text-align:center;line-height:22px;overflow:hidden;white-space:nowrap">424</div><div style="width:42.69%;background:#2f6fb0;color:rgb(255,255,255);font-size:12px;font-weight:700;text-align:center;line-height:22px;overflow:hidden;white-space:nowrap">2575</div><div style="width:30.29%;background:#b7791f;color:rgb(255,255,255);font-size:12px;font-weight:700;text-align:center;line-height:22px;overflow:hidden;white-space:nowrap">1827</div><div style="width:13.68%;background:#8e3b8e;color:rgb(255,255,255);font-size:12px;font-weight:700;text-align:center;line-height:22px;overflow:hidden;white-space:nowrap">825</div><div style="width:4.68%;background:#c2553a;color:rgb(255,255,255);font-size:12px;font-weight:700;text-align:center;line-height:22px;overflow:hidden;white-space:nowrap">282</div><div style="width:1.64%;background:#2a8f8f;color:rgb(255,255,255);font-size:12px;font-weight:700;text-align:center;line-height:22px;overflow:hidden;white-space:nowrap">99</div></div></div><div style="margin:0 0 10px"><div style="font-size:14px;color:#303846;margin:0 0 4px">2024 (7,046)</div><div style="display:flex;height:22px;border-radius:6px;overflow:hidden"><div style="width:6.36%;background:#1f7a45;color:rgb(255,255,255);font-size:12px;font-weight:700;text-align:center;line-height:22px;overflow:hidden;white-space:nowrap">448</div><div style="width:41.81%;background:#2f6fb0;color:rgb(255,255,255);font-size:12px;font-weight:700;text-align:center;line-height:22px;overflow:hidden;white-space:nowrap">2946</div><div style="width:30.43%;background:#b7791f;color:rgb(255,255,255);font-size:12px;font-weight:700;text-align:center;line-height:22px;overflow:hidden;white-space:nowrap">2144</div><div style="width:14.32%;background:#8e3b8e;color:rgb(255,255,255);font-size:12px;font-weight:700;text-align:center;line-height:22px;overflow:hidden;white-space:nowrap">1009</div><div style="width:5.25%;background:#c2553a;color:rgb(255,255,255);font-size:12px;font-weight:700;text-align:center;line-height:22px;overflow:hidden;white-space:nowrap">370</div><div style="width:1.83%;background:#2a8f8f;color:rgb(255,255,255);font-size:12px;font-weight:700;text-align:center;line-height:22px;overflow:hidden;white-space:nowrap">129</div></div></div><div style="margin:0 0 10px"><div style="font-size:14px;color:#303846;margin:0 0 4px">2025 (7,438)</div><div style="display:flex;height:22px;border-radius:6px;overflow:hidden"><div style="width:3.56%;background:#1f7a45;color:rgb(255,255,255);font-size:12px;font-weight:700;text-align:center;line-height:22px;overflow:hidden;white-space:nowrap">265</div><div style="width:28.39%;background:#2f6fb0;color:rgb(255,255,255);font-size:12px;font-weight:700;text-align:center;line-height:22px;overflow:hidden;white-space:nowrap">2112</div><div style="width:31.76%;background:#b7791f;color:rgb(255,255,255);font-size:12px;font-weight:700;text-align:center;line-height:22px;overflow:hidden;white-space:nowrap">2362</div><div style="width:19.13%;background:#8e3b8e;color:rgb(255,255,255);font-size:12px;font-weight:700;text-align:center;line-height:22px;overflow:hidden;white-space:nowrap">1423</div><div style="width:10.74%;background:#c2553a;color:rgb(255,255,255);font-size:12px;font-weight:700;text-align:center;line-height:22px;overflow:hidden;white-space:nowrap">799</div><div style="width:6.41%;background:#2a8f8f;color:rgb(255,255,255);font-size:12px;font-weight:700;text-align:center;line-height:22px;overflow:hidden;white-space:nowrap">477</div></div></div><div style="margin:0 0 10px"><div style="font-size:14px;color:#303846;margin:0 0 4px">2026 (6,732)</div><div style="display:flex;height:22px;border-radius:6px;overflow:hidden"><div style="width:4.47%;background:#1f7a45;color:rgb(255,255,255);font-size:12px;font-weight:700;text-align:center;line-height:22px;overflow:hidden;white-space:nowrap">301</div><div style="width:29.06%;background:#2f6fb0;color:rgb(255,255,255);font-size:12px;font-weight:700;text-align:center;line-height:22px;overflow:hidden;white-space:nowrap">1956</div><div style="width:32.32%;background:#b7791f;color:rgb(255,255,255);font-size:12px;font-weight:700;text-align:center;line-height:22px;overflow:hidden;white-space:nowrap">2176</div><div style="width:18.43%;background:#8e3b8e;color:rgb(255,255,255);font-size:12px;font-weight:700;text-align:center;line-height:22px;overflow:hidden;white-space:nowrap">1241</div><div style="width:9.76%;background:#c2553a;color:rgb(255,255,255);font-size:12px;font-weight:700;text-align:center;line-height:22px;overflow:hidden;white-space:nowrap">657</div><div style="width:5.96%;background:#2a8f8f;color:rgb(255,255,255);font-size:12px;font-weight:700;text-align:center;line-height:22px;overflow:hidden;white-space:nowrap">401</div></div></div><p style="margin:12px 0 0;font-size:13px;color:#5b6472">Official marks distributions (40+ summed by us). About four in five scored under 20 marks in 2023–24; about two in three in 2025–26 (our arithmetic).</p></figure>

<p style="margin:0 0 16px;line-height:1.7">The distribution says something useful about targets. In 2023 and 2024, 40 marks put you in roughly the top 100–130 of about 6,000–7,000 candidates. In 2025 and 2026 the same 40 marks placed you around 400–480. The whole distribution moved up — the mean rose from 12.4 marks in 2024 to 16.9–18.3 in 2025–26 — and the top slice gained the most, so each rank now costs more marks. Plan for a 2027 paper like 2025–26, not like 2024: <strong>on those papers, about 50 marks was needed for a top-100 finish</strong>.</p>

GATE 2023–2026 statistical reports, score-band to AIR tables (qualified candidates). As printed, the lowest band’s end rank in 2024–2026 (1,898 / 2,539 / 2,300) is higher than the number of qualified candidates (1,344 / 1,769 / 1,597); we reproduce the reports and do not correct them.

<div style="background:#ffffff;color:#303846;border:1px solid #e4e1d8;border-radius:12px;padding:18px 20px;margin:18px 0" id="mnband"><h3 style="margin:0 0 10px;font-size:17px;font-weight:700;color:#171d29">Your GATE MN score, read against four years of official rank bands</h3><p style="margin:0 0 12px;line-height:1.6">Enter a GATE score out of 1000. The tool finds the 100-point band it falls in and shows the All India Ranks that band covered in each year’s official statistical report.</p><label style="font-size:13px;font-weight:700;color:#5b6472;flex:1 1 150px;min-width:0;display:block;margin:0 0 12px">GATE score<br><input id="mnband-s" type="number" min="0" max="1000" value="600" style="width:110px;max-width:100%;padding:8px;border:1px solid #c9c4b5;border-radius:8px;font-size:16px"></label><div id="mnband-out" style="padding:12px 14px;background:#ecf7ef;border-radius:10px;line-height:1.6"></div><p style="margin:12px 0 0;font-size:13px;color:#5b6472">Score-band → rank tables of the GATE 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026 statistical reports. Bands are the reports’ own; ranks inside a band are not given, so read the range, not a single number. Our table stops at the 200–300 band.</p><script>(function(){var R=document.getElementById('mnband');if(!R)return;var B=[[900,1000,"1–5","1–3","1–5","1–2"],[800,900,"6–13","5–22","6–13","3–15"],[700,800,"14–35","24–72","14–56","16–53"],[600,700,"38–93","75–148","61–169","55–139"],[500,600,"95–212","155–301","173–412","149–373"],[400,500,"225–463","313–634","431–840","389–799"],[300,400,"487–961","655–1,174","856–1,543","834–1,460"],[200,300,"998–1,636","1,210–1,898","1,579–2,539","1,499–2,300"]];function g(x){return document.getElementById('mnband'+x);}function go(){var s=parseFloat(g('-s').value),o=g('-out');if(isNaN(s)){o.innerHTML='Enter a score.';return;}var b=B.filter(function(r){return s>=r[0]&&s<=r[1];})[0];if(s===1000)b=B[0];if(!b){o.innerHTML='Below 200 this tool has no band. 350 is the general qualifying score every year.';return;}o.innerHTML='A score of <strong>'+s+'</strong> sits in the '+b[0]+'–'+b[1]+' band. Ranks in that band:<ul style="margin:8px 0 0;padding-left:20px"><li>2026: <strong>'+b[5]+'</strong></li><li>2025: '+b[4]+'</li><li>2024: '+b[3]+'</li><li>2023: '+b[2]+'</li></ul>'+(s<350?'<br>Below 350 is below the general qualifying score — only reserved-category candidates qualify there.':'');}g('-s').addEventListener('input',go);go();})();</script></div>

<p style="margin:0 0 16px;line-height:1.7">Read these bands with the PSU and M.Tech numbers in mind. Coal India’s last UR selection on GATE-2024 was 603, in the 600–700 band (ranks 75–148); NTPC called UR candidates to AIR 155 the same year. At IIT (ISM) Dhanbad the M.Tech Mining first round closed at UR 636 in 2026. So a score of about 600 has been the working line for the best outcomes, and about 350–420 has still brought late-round M.Tech offers (see <a href="/hub/mtech-after-gate-mining-cutoffs-iit-ism-kgp-nit">M.Tech cut-offs</a>).</p>

Our arithmetic with the 2026 inverse formula M = 29.5 + (S − 350) × 38.83 ÷ 550. Recruiter scores come from their own years; the marks column shows what the same score would have needed in 2026.

<div style="background:#ecf7ef;color:#1f3a2a;border:1px solid #b9dec6;border-radius:12px;padding:18px 20px;margin:22px 0"><p style="margin:0 0 8px;font-size:12px;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:.08em;text-transform:uppercase;color:#1f7a45">Practise it, don't just read it</p><p style="margin:0 0 12px;font-size:16px;line-height:1.6;color:#171d29">The difference between 40 and 50 marks is often three or four numericals. Drill the formula-driven topics that return every year.</p><p style="margin:0 0 12px;line-height:1.6">The ProSyllabus GATE MN library has topic quizzes on mine surveying corrections, rock mass classification, shaft sinking and winding, creep in rock, mine planning, mineral economics and underground hazards — the first quiz is free.</p><p style="margin:0"><a href="/exam/gate-mn/practice-quiz" style="display:inline-block;background:#ffffff;color:#1f7a45;border:2px solid #1f7a45;padding:9px 18px;border-radius:8px;text-decoration:none;font-weight:700">Start a GATE MN quiz →</a></p></div>

<div style="background:#ffffff;color:#303846;border:1px solid #e4e1d8;border-radius:12px;padding:18px 20px;margin:18px 0"><h3 style="margin:0 0 10px;font-size:17px;font-weight:700;color:#171d29">More in this series</h3><ul style="margin:0;padding-left:20px"><li style="margin:6px 0;line-height:1.6"><a href="/hub/coal-india-mt-gate-mining-cutoff" style="color:#255a45">Coal India MT through GATE Mining: every cut-off list</a></li><li style="margin:6px 0;line-height:1.6"><a href="/hub/psu-recruitment-through-gate-mining-engineering" style="color:#255a45">PSUs hiring mining engineers through GATE</a></li><li style="margin:6px 0;line-height:1.6"><a href="/hub/gate-mn-syllabus-changes" style="color:#255a45">GATE MN 2027 syllabus: what changed</a></li><li style="margin:6px 0;line-height:1.6"><a href="/hub/gate-mn-previous-year-papers-analysis" style="color:#255a45">GATE MN previous papers 2023–2026, counted</a></li><li style="margin:6px 0;line-height:1.6"><a href="/hub/mtech-after-gate-mining-cutoffs-iit-ism-kgp-nit" style="color:#255a45">M.Tech after GATE Mining: IIT and NIT cut-offs</a></li><li style="margin:6px 0;line-height:1.6"><a href="/hub/exam-alert-and-updates-for-gate-mn" style="color:#255a45">GATE MN notice board — official updates</a></li><li style="margin:6px 0;line-height:1.6"><a href="/hub/gate-mining-engineering-complete-guide" style="color:#255a45">GATE Mining Engineering: the complete guide</a></li><li style="margin:6px 0;line-height:1.6"><a href="/hub/gate-mn-paper-analysis" style="color:#255a45">GATE MN paper analysis</a></li><li style="margin:6px 0;line-height:1.6"><a href="/hub/gate-mining-engineering-cutoff-colleges-placements-ran" style="color:#255a45">GATE Mining: cut-offs, colleges and placements</a></li></ul></div>

<div style="background:#ffffff;color:#303846;border:1px solid #e4e1d8;border-radius:12px;padding:18px 20px;margin:18px 0"><h3 style="margin:0 0 10px;font-size:17px;font-weight:700;color:#171d29">Sources</h3><ul style="margin:0;padding-left:20px"><li style="margin:6px 0;line-height:1.6"><span style="color:#1f7a45;font-weight:700">official</span> — <a href="https://gate2026.iitg.ac.in/doc/report/GATE%202026%20Statistical%20And%20Performance%20Report%20Web%20Version.pdf" rel="nofollow noopener" style="color:#255a45">GATE 2026 Statistical and Performance Report (IIT Guwahati, PDF)</a></li><li style="margin:6px 0;line-height:1.6"><span style="color:#1f7a45;font-weight:700">official</span> — <a href="https://gate2026.iitg.ac.in/cut-off.html" rel="nofollow noopener" style="color:#255a45">GATE 2026 — cut-off marks</a></li><li style="margin:6px 0;line-height:1.6"><span style="color:#1f7a45;font-weight:700">official</span> — <a href="https://gate2025.iitr.ac.in/doc/download/GATE2025StatisticalAndPerformanceReportWebVersion.pdf" rel="nofollow noopener" style="color:#255a45">GATE 2025 Statistical and Performance Report (IIT Roorkee, PDF)</a></li><li style="margin:6px 0;line-height:1.6"><span style="color:#1f7a45;font-weight:700">official</span> — <a href="https://gate2025.iitr.ac.in/cut-off-marks.html" rel="nofollow noopener" style="color:#255a45">GATE 2025 — cut-off marks</a></li><li style="margin:6px 0;line-height:1.6"><span style="color:#1f7a45;font-weight:700">official</span> — <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20260217164850/https://gate2024.iisc.ac.in/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/GATE2024StatisticalAndPerformanceReportWebVersion2.pdf" rel="nofollow noopener" style="color:#255a45">GATE 2024 Statistical and Performance Report (IISc, PDF; archived copy)</a></li><li style="margin:6px 0;line-height:1.6"><span style="color:#1f7a45;font-weight:700">official</span> — <a href="https://gate.iitk.ac.in/GATE2023/doc/GATE2023_Statistical_Report_WEB.pdf" rel="nofollow noopener" style="color:#255a45">GATE 2023 Statistical Report (IIT Kanpur, PDF)</a></li><li style="margin:6px 0;line-height:1.6"><span style="color:#1f7a45;font-weight:700">official</span> — <a href="https://gate2027ib.iitm.ac.in/GATE2027-IB.pdf" rel="nofollow noopener" style="color:#255a45">GATE 2027 Information Brochure, IIT Madras (revised 27 Sep 2026)</a></li><li style="margin:6px 0;line-height:1.6"><span style="color:#1f7a45;font-weight:700">official</span> — <a href="https://gate2026.iitg.ac.in/doc/IB/GATE2026-IB-10102025.pdf" rel="nofollow noopener" style="color:#255a45">GATE 2026 Information Brochure, IIT Guwahati (PDF)</a></li><li style="margin:6px 0;line-height:1.6"><span style="color:#1f7a45;font-weight:700">official</span> — <a href="https://www.coalindia.in/career-cil/jobs-coal-india/recruitment-management-trainees-basis-gate-2024-score/" rel="nofollow noopener" style="color:#255a45">Coal India — Advt 04/2024 (24.10.2024) on GATE-2024 score, and selection notices 03/2025, 20/2025, 02/2026, 20/2026</a></li><li style="margin:6px 0;line-height:1.6"><span style="color:#1f7a45;font-weight:700">official</span> — <a href="https://careers.ntpc.co.in/recruitment/" rel="nofollow noopener" style="color:#255a45">NTPC — careers: Advt 19/23 (EET-2024 through GATE-2024) and its AIR cut-off notice; Advt 07A/26 (EET-2025 Mining through GATE-2025); Advts 14/24 and 11/26</a></li><li style="margin:6px 0;line-height:1.6"><span style="color:#1f7a45;font-weight:700">official</span> — <a href="https://admissions.iitism.ac.in/mtech/assets/admission/brochure/GATE_cut_off_Round_10.pdf" rel="nofollow noopener" style="color:#255a45">IIT (ISM) Dhanbad — M.Tech GATE cut-off scores 2023-24, 2024-25, 2025-26 (Round 10), 2026-27 (Rounds 1 and 10)</a></li></ul><p style="margin:12px 0 0;font-size:13px;color:#5b6472"><strong style="color:#1f7a45">official</strong> = a document published by the conducting body. <strong style="color:#8a5300">reported</strong> = a news or coaching site we could not check against an original. Where sources disagree this page says so rather than picking one.</p></div>

<a href="/exam/gate-mn">This article has been published in GATE Mining Engineering. Explore everything related to it here.</a>

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