The official GATE MA 2026 question paper and answer key are on this page as PDFs from IIT Guwahati, with the original source linked beside each file. The GATE MA exam covers General Aptitude and Mathematics core. Download them below, then sit the paper under exam timing with the attempt plan and error-log routine on this page.
Explore: GATE MA hub · Syllabus & pattern · GATE MA 2025 · GATE 2026 (all papers) · How to use PYQs
Download the paper
Download the official GATE MA 2026 paper and answer key (PDF), hosted on this site with the official source linked.
GATE MA 2026 at a glance
GATE MA 2026 was set by IIT Guwahati. The files are hosted below: the question paper and answer key.
| Organising institute | IIT Guwahati |
| Paper | Mathematics (MA) |
| GATE 2026 exam window | 7, 8, 14 and 15 February 2026 |
| Paper hosted here | 1 (plus answer key) |
| Question types | 32 MCQ, 14 MSQ, 19 NAT |
| Questions | 65: 10 General Aptitude (15 marks) + 55 core (85 marks) |
| Total marks | 100 |
| Duration | 3 hours |
All counts come from the official answer key for GATE MA 2026.
Paper analysis
Snapshot of GATE MA 2026
GATE MA 2026 gave one full paper. The official key lists 32 MCQ, 14 MSQ, 19 NAT, so 29% of the paper is typed-answer (NAT) questions, which carry no negative marking.
Of the 55 Mathematics questions, 25 are worth 1 mark and 30 worth 2 marks; 11 of the 2-mark questions are NAT.
Against GATE MA 2025, MCQs moved by -2 and NATs by +5, MSQs by -3.
14 questions are multi-select (MSQ): they score only when the full correct set is chosen and nothing wrong, with no negative marking.
GATE 2026 was organised by IIT Guwahati; the original files were published on the organising institute’s GATE site.
What this paper stresses
- MA has no separate engineering-mathematics block: the whole core is mathematics, so proof-style reasoning shows up inside MCQ options.
- Counterexample questions reward checking each option against a simple test case before reaching for theory.
- General Aptitude is 10 questions and 15 marks, easy to rush.
What to extract before you move on
- NAT vs MCQ miss counts. MSQ misses separately, since one wrong option loses the whole question.
- GA topics you guessed versus knew.
- A personal subject-weight table for Mathematics from this sitting: Calculus, Linear Algebra, Real Analysis and the rest.
- Every question where your answer was right but your time on it was not.
Analyst note: Mark by the numbering in the paper you downloaded.
How to sit GATE MA 2026
- Download the paper and its answer key from this page. Do not open the key yet.
- Sit the full paper in three hours, one sitting: 10 GA questions and 55 Mathematics questions. Re-key NAT answers before you stop.
- Mark it with the official key: MCQ by option, NAT by the range in the key. Give an MSQ mark only when the whole option set matches. Apply negative marks on MCQs only.
- Fill the error log the same day: section, subject, and miss type (concept, silly, time or misread).
- Next session, repair only the logged items, then pick another year from the list below.
Other years on this hub
- GATE MA 2025
- GATE MA 2024
- GATE MA 2023
- GATE MA 2022
- GATE MA 2019
- GATE MA 2018
- GATE MA 2017
- GATE MA 2016
FAQ
Where can I download the official GATE MA 2026 question paper?
On this page: the official IIT Guwahati question paper and answer key, with a link to each original source.
How many questions were in GATE MA 2026?
65 questions for 100 marks in 3 hours: 10 General Aptitude questions for 15 marks and 55 Mathematics questions for 85 marks. The key lists 32 MCQ, 14 MSQ, 19 NAT.
When was GATE MA 2026 held?
GATE MA 2026 was part of the GATE 2026 exam window, organised by IIT Guwahati, which ran on 7, 8, 14 and 15 February 2026.
How were MSQs marked in GATE MA 2026?
14 questions were multi-select (MSQ). A multi-select answer scores only when every correct option, and no wrong one, is chosen; there is no negative marking for MSQ or NAT.
Are memory-based GATE MA 2026 papers reliable?
There is no need for them where the official paper is public. Use the files from IIT Guwahati’s GATE site, not coaching reconstructions.
Where is the GATE MA syllabus and pattern?
See the GATE MA syllabus and pattern page on this hub, and check the current official brochure before your exam.