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GATE 2026 ME question paper PDF and answer key

The official GATE 2026 Mechanical Engineering paper, organised by IIT Guwahati: 65 questions for 100 marks in 3 hours. Download the official question paper and answer key as PDFs. Below is how the marks were split by topic, the complete official answer key and 5 questions solved step by step.

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Question paper (PDF)Official answer key (PDF)

Source: the official paper and answer key published by IIT Guwahati for GATE 2026 (official GATE site). Spotted a mistake? Email team@lemyte.com.

General Aptitude
10 · 15 marks
Mechanical Engineering
55 · 85 marks
MCQ / MSQ / NAT
45 / 0 / 20
Marks to all
None

Where the marks were

GATE 2026 ME topic-wise marks

Mechanical Engineering questions only; General Aptitude adds 15 marks on top. The top three topics carried 31 of the 85 subject marks.

TopicQuestionsMarks
Manufacturing Engineering812
Industrial Engineering510
Mechanics of Materials59
Thermodynamics58
Heat Transfer58
Fluid Mechanics56
Applied Mechanics36
Differential Equations35
Theory of Machines44
Vibrations23
Calculus22
Numerical Methods22
Machine Design22
Complex Variables12
Probability and Statistics12
Thermal Applications12
Engineering Materials12

Free solved questions

5 solved questions from GATE 2026 ME

Question text and figures as in the official paper, the answer from the official key, and a worked solution. The other 60 solutions are in your report after you take the paper.

Q1 · General Aptitude · MCQ · 1 mark

‘The team ______ more than 300 runs in 20 overs ___________ rains. However, some players needed to improve their batting skills.’

Choose the option with the correct sequence of words to fill the blanks.

  • (A)
    score; despite
  • (B)
    scoring; instead of
  • (C)
    scored; despite
  • (D)
    scoring; in spite of

Answer (official key): C

Solution

The completed event requires the past-tense verb “scored”. “Despite” expresses that the team scored well even though it rained. Therefore, the correct sequence is “scored; despite”, option C.

Q10 · General Aptitude · MCQ · 2 marks

Which one of the patterns labelled P, Q, R, and S is used to generate the following figure?

Figure for GATE 2026 ME question 10 (Spatial Aptitude)

  • (A)
    P
  • (B)
    Q
  • (C)
    R
  • (D)
    S

Answer (official key): B

Solution

The upper figure consists of three horizontal repetitions of pattern Q. Its internal black segments and boundary connections match each repeated section. Hence option B.

Q52 · Mechanics of Materials · Numerical · 2 marks

A welded square plate of 1 m×1 m1\ \mathrm{m}\times1\ \mathrm{m} is subjected to biaxial stress of magnitude 6.56.5 MPa and 2525 MPa, as shown in the figure below. The ratio of the normal stress acting in the perpendicular direction of the weld to the shear stress of the weld is ________ (rounded off to 2 decimal places).

Figure for GATE 2026 ME question 52 (Mechanics of Materials)

Answer (official key): -0.61 to -0.57 or 0.57 to 0.61

Solution

The horizontal stress is compressive, σx=−6.5\sigma_x=-6.5 MPa, and the vertical stress is tensile, σy=25\sigma_y=25 MPa. On the 45∘45^\circ weld, σn=(σx+σy)/2=9.25\sigma_n=(\sigma_x+\sigma_y)/2=9.25 MPa and ∣τ∣=∣σy−σx∣/2=15.75|\tau|=|\sigma_y-\sigma_x|/2=15.75 MPa. Hence σn/∣τ∣=0.59\sigma_n/|\tau|=0.59. The signed value −0.59-0.59 is also accepted when the opposite shear convention is used.

Q53 · Fluid Mechanics · Numerical · 2 marks

Water with a density of 1000 kg/m31000\ \mathrm{kg/m^3} comes out of an industrial condenser through a horizontal pipe of 1515 cm radius at the flow rate of 4.5 m3/min4.5\ \mathrm{m^3/min}. The outlet of the pipe is connected to a coaxial diffuser of 0.50.5 m length using a flange to raise the pressure of water to atmospheric condition without any backflow. The inner radius (rr, in m) of the diffuser cross-section is expressed as r=0.15+0.4x2r=0.15+0.4x^2 where, xx represents the axial distance of the diffuser in m, from its inlet. Considering frictionless flow, the magnitude of the force exerted by the diffuser on the flange is ________ N (rounded off to 2 decimal places).

Answer (official key): 15.5 to 17.1

Solution

The outlet radius is 0.250.25 m and Q=0.075 m3/sQ=0.075\ \mathrm{m^3/s}. Thus V1=Q/(π0.152)=1.06103V_1=Q/(\pi0.15^2)=1.06103 m/s and V2=Q/(π0.252)=0.38197V_2=Q/(\pi0.25^2)=0.38197 m/s. With outlet gauge pressure zero, Bernoulli gives p1=ρ(V22−V12)/2=−489.94p_1=\rho(V_2^2-V_1^2)/2=-489.94 Pa. The fluid force on the diffuser is F=p1A1−ρQ(V2−V1)=16.30F=p_1A_1-\rho Q(V_2-V_1)=16.30 N, transmitted to the flange.

Q54 · Heat Transfer · Numerical · 2 marks

Two rectangular surfaces both having 1 m21\ \mathrm{m^2} area are placed perpendicular to each other with a common edge. One surface is hot, having a temperature of 10001000 K and emissivity of 0.40.4, while the other is insulated and in radiant balance with a large surrounding room at 300300 K. If the fraction of radiation leaving the hot surface which reaches the cold surface is 0.20.2, then the equivalent overall resistance for the radiation heat loss from the hot surface is _______ m−2\mathrm{m^{-2}} (rounded off to 2 decimal places).

Answer (official key): 2.5 to 2.6

Solution

The hot-surface resistance is (1−ϵ1)/(A1ϵ1)=1.5 m−2(1-\epsilon_1)/(A_1\epsilon_1)=1.5\ \mathrm{m^{-2}}. Reciprocity gives F21=0.2F_{21}=0.2, so F13=F23=0.8F_{13}=F_{23}=0.8. The direct space resistance is R13=1/0.8=1.25R_{13}=1/0.8=1.25, while the path via the reradiating surface has R12+R23=5+1.25=6.25R_{12}+R_{23}=5+1.25=6.25. Their parallel equivalent is 1/(0.8+0.16)=1.041671/(0.8+0.16)=1.04167. Thus Roverall=1.5+1.04167=2.54 m−2R_{\mathrm{overall}}=1.5+1.04167=2.54\ \mathrm{m^{-2}}.

The other 60 questions are solved in your report when you take GATE 2026 ME as a 3-hour test.

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Official answer key

GATE 2026 ME answer key

All 65 answers from the official key. Numerical answers are ranges; “or” means the key accepts either answer.

Download the official GATE 2026 ME answer key (PDF)
QTopicTypeMarksAnswer
1Verbal AptitudeMCQ1C
2Quantitative AptitudeMCQ1A
3Spatial AptitudeMCQ1A
4Analytical AptitudeMCQ1D
5Quantitative AptitudeMCQ1C
6Verbal AptitudeMCQ2B
7Quantitative AptitudeMCQ2B
8Quantitative AptitudeMCQ2C
9Analytical AptitudeMCQ2B
10Spatial AptitudeMCQ2B
11CalculusMCQ1A
12CalculusMCQ1A
13Differential EquationsMCQ1A
14Numerical MethodsMCQ1A
15Numerical MethodsMCQ1A
16Theory of MachinesMCQ1A
17Theory of MachinesMCQ1A
18VibrationsMCQ1A
19Machine DesignMCQ1A
20Theory of MachinesMCQ1A
21Machine DesignMCQ1A
22Theory of MachinesMCQ1A
23ThermodynamicsMCQ1A
24Fluid MechanicsMCQ1A
25Fluid MechanicsMCQ1A
26Fluid MechanicsMCQ1A
27Heat TransferMCQ1A
28ThermodynamicsMCQ1A
29Fluid MechanicsMCQ1A
30Manufacturing EngineeringMCQ1A
31Manufacturing EngineeringMCQ1A
32Manufacturing EngineeringMCQ1A
33Manufacturing EngineeringMCQ1A
34Mechanics of MaterialsNumerical1102 to 105
35Heat TransferNumerical124.5 to 26
36Complex VariablesMCQ2A
37Differential EquationsMCQ2A
38Differential EquationsMCQ2A
39Probability and StatisticsMCQ2A
40Mechanics of MaterialsMCQ2A
41Applied MechanicsMCQ2A
42VibrationsMCQ2A
43Heat TransferMCQ2A
44ThermodynamicsMCQ2A
45Manufacturing EngineeringMCQ2A
46Industrial EngineeringMCQ2A
47Industrial EngineeringMCQ2A
48Applied MechanicsNumerical218.5 to 19.5
49Mechanics of MaterialsNumerical22.9 to 3.1
50Applied MechanicsNumerical24.2 to 4.29
51Mechanics of MaterialsNumerical2838 to 842
52Mechanics of MaterialsNumerical2-0.61 to -0.57 or 0.57 to 0.61
53Fluid MechanicsNumerical215.5 to 17.1
54Heat TransferNumerical22.5 to 2.6
55Heat TransferNumerical249.5 to 51.5
56ThermodynamicsNumerical2396 to 406
57ThermodynamicsNumerical211 to 11.9
58Thermal ApplicationsNumerical257.5 to 61.5
59Manufacturing EngineeringNumerical20.59 to 0.63
60Industrial EngineeringNumerical2572
61Industrial EngineeringNumerical21353 to 1355
62Engineering MaterialsNumerical20.12 to 0.16
63Manufacturing EngineeringNumerical2571 to 574
64Manufacturing EngineeringNumerical20.29 to 0.33
65Industrial EngineeringNumerical222

Questions about GATE 2026 ME

How many questions are in the GATE 2026 ME paper?

65 questions for 100 marks: 10 General Aptitude questions worth 15 marks and 55 Mechanical Engineering questions worth 85 marks. By type, there were 45 MCQs, 20 numerical answer (NAT) questions. The paper lasted 3 hours.

Is there negative marking in GATE 2026 ME?

Yes, for MCQs only. A wrong MCQ answer costs one-third of its marks (−⅓ for a 1-mark question, −⅔ for a 2-mark question). MSQ and numerical (NAT) questions have no negative marking, and an MSQ earns marks only when every correct option is chosen.

Which topics carried the most marks in GATE 2026 ME?

Outside General Aptitude, the biggest topics were Manufacturing Engineering (12 marks), Industrial Engineering (10 marks), Mechanics of Materials (9 marks). The full topic-wise split is in the table on this page.

Were any GATE 2026 ME questions awarded marks to all?

No. Every question was graded with the answer in the official key.

Where does this GATE 2026 ME answer key come from?

From the official answer key published by IIT Guwahati, which organised GATE 2026. Range answers for numerical questions and questions with more than one accepted answer are kept exactly as the key gives them.

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