The official GATE PH 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 PH exam covers General Aptitude and Physics core. Download them below, then sit the paper under exam timing with the attempt plan and error-log routine on this page.
Explore: GATE PH hub · Syllabus & pattern · GATE PH 2025 · GATE 2026 (all papers) · How to use PYQs
Download the paper
Download the official GATE PH 2026 paper and answer key (PDF), hosted on this site with the official source linked.
GATE PH 2026 at a glance
GATE PH 2026 was set by IIT Guwahati. The files are hosted below: the question paper and answer key.
| Organising institute | IIT Guwahati |
| Paper | Physics (PH) |
| GATE 2026 exam window | 7, 8, 14 and 15 February 2026 |
| Paper hosted here | 1 (plus answer key) |
| Question types | 37 MCQ, 11 MSQ, 17 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 PH 2026.
Paper analysis
Snapshot of GATE PH 2026
GATE PH 2026 gave one full paper. The official key lists 37 MCQ, 11 MSQ, 17 NAT, so 26% of the paper is typed-answer (NAT) questions, which carry no negative marking.
Of the 55 Physics questions, 25 are worth 1 mark and 30 worth 2 marks; 9 of the 2-mark questions are NAT.
Against GATE PH 2025, MCQs moved by +3 and NATs by +4, MSQs by -7.
11 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
- PH is heavy on short conceptual questions that test a result you must already know, so a one-page list of standard results per topic is worth building from your misses.
- Mathematical physics and quantum mechanics questions feed each other: practise the mathematics inside physical setups, not in isolation.
- 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 Physics from this sitting: Mathematical Physics, Classical Mechanics, Electromagnetic Theory 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 PH 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 Physics 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
FAQ
Where can I download the official GATE PH 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 PH 2026?
65 questions for 100 marks in 3 hours: 10 General Aptitude questions for 15 marks and 55 Physics questions for 85 marks. The key lists 37 MCQ, 11 MSQ, 17 NAT.
When was GATE PH 2026 held?
GATE PH 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 PH 2026?
11 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 PH 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 PH syllabus and pattern?
See the GATE PH syllabus and pattern page on this hub, and check the current official brochure before your exam.