GATE 2026 Mechanical Engineering Expected Difficulty Level: Previous Years' Trends, Section-wise Difficulty

GATE 2026 Mechanical Engineering exam is scheduled to be held on February 14, 2026, in the afternoon shift. If you are preparing to give the exam, one question is probably on your mind. How difficult will the paper be this time? Every serious students thinks about this. And honestly, looking at previous years gives you a very clear idea.

Based on GATE Mechanical Engineering paper analysis from 2023 to 2025, the overall difficulty has usually stayed between moderate and tough. Some years felt balanced and doable. Some years were slightly tricky and concept-heavy. For example, 2025 was considered moderate, while 2023 was a bit difficult for many students.

When you study past trends, you start noticing patterns. Certain subjects in GATE Mechanical Engineering carry more weightage. Manufacturing, Thermodynamics, Engineering Mathematics, Strength of Materials, and Fluid Mechanics often determine your final score. So instead of guessing, it is better to look at section-wise trends and expected difficulty for GATE 2026 Mechanical Engineering.

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GATE 2026 Mechanical Engineering Expected Difficulty Level

The GATE 2026 Mechanical Engineering exam is expected to follow a similar structure to previous years. The paper will likely include General Aptitude, Engineering Mathematics, and Core Mechanical subjects. The core section will carry the highest GATE Mechanical Engineering weightage, so it needs maximum focus.

We have collected some of the opinions of students who are preparing for GATE ME 2026 exam. You can check them below:

GATE Mechanical Engineering Previous Years' Trends

To understand GATE 2026 Mechanical Engineering properly, we must study past paper analysis. Below is a year-wise analysis of difficulty level and important topics.

GATE 2025 Mechanical Engineering Analysis & Difficulty Level

GATE 2024 Mechanical Engineering Analysis & Difficulty Level

GATE 2023 Mechanical Engineering Analysis & Difficulty Level

Final Thoughts: What Can You Expect in GATE 2026 Mechanical Engineering Exam?

So, what should you realistically expect in GATE 2026 Mechanical Engineering? Let us talk honestly. All the pointers below have been concluded based on previous year trends and expert analysis of GATE papers:

1. Manufacturing and Thermodynamics together usually account for 25 to 30% of the total marks. You simply cannot ignore these in GATE 2026 Mechanical Engineering preparation.

2. Multiple Select Questions are increasing every year. Expect around 10 to 15 MSQs. These questions require good conceptual clarity because you only get marks if all the correct options are selected. There is no negative marking, but there is no partial marking either.

3. Thermodynamics and Heat Transfer are the subjects that involve a lot of formulas. Keep a short note sheet for formulas and common mistakes. This helps a lot in Numerical Answer Type questions.

4. Engineering Mathematics and General Aptitude together carry around 28 to 30 marks. These are scoring sections. Many of you can cross the 70 mark range, mainly if you perform well here.