GATE XH 2026: Exam Date, Syllabus, Question Paper, Answer Key, Response Sheet

GATE XH 2026: Exam Date, Syllabus, Question Paper, Answer Key, Response Sheet covers the Humanities and Social Sciences paper conducted under the GATE examination framework.

GATE 2026 is being organised by IIT Guwahati, with the schedule spread across February 7, 8, 14, and 15, 2026. The paper-wise examination schedule has been released, and the exact date for GATE XH is February 7, 2026, from 2:30 pm to 5:30 pm (Afternoon Session - AN).

The official GATE XH syllabus consists of three segments mainly: General Aptitude, a compulsory Reasoning and Comprehension section, and one optional subject selected by the aspirant. You can choose your main subject from Economics, English, Linguistics, Philosophy, Psychology, or Sociology, according to the GATE exam pattern.

Over the years, GATE XH has seen steady participation, indicating growing competition in the Humanities and Social Sciences stream. Roughly 10,000 to 11,000 test takers appear for the Humanities & Social Sciences each year, while only about 2,500 manage to qualify, reflecting the selective nature of the exam.

The GATE 2026 master question paper is released after the examination, followed by the official answer key and the response sheet. These documents help test takers evaluate their performance before the GATE results are declared. Follow this article to know more about GATE XH 2026 exam date, syllabus, question paper, answer key, and response sheet.

GATE XH 2026 Exam Date

The GATE 2026 exam date for the XH paper has been announced by IIT Guwahati a few days ago. Check the schedule here.

GATE XH 2026 Syllabus

IIT Guwahati has issued the GATE 2026 Humanities and Social Sciences (XH) syllabus on its official portal. As per the official notification, the GATE 2026 syllabus for the XH paper includes a compulsory General Aptitude section and a mandatory Reasoning and Comprehension segment that focuses on assessing reading comprehension, expression, analytical reasoning, and logical reasoning.

In addition to these, you must choose one optional subject from the prescribed list of six disciplines, each with its respective topic areas such as Economics, English, Linguistics, Philosophy, Psychology, and Sociology, with each discipline covering its core topics as per the official syllabus.

Economics includes microeconomic and macroeconomic principles, Statistics, Econometrics and Mathematical Economics, the Indian Economy, etc. English encompasses multi-genre Literature, Literary Theory and Criticism, and historical perspectives. Linguistics covers phonetics, Morphology, Syntax, Semantics, Applied Linguistics, etc. Philosophy includes Indian and Western traditions, Logic, Metaphysics, Ethics, and more. Psychology focuses on Research Methods and Statistics, Psychometrics, Biological and Evolutionary Basis of Behaviour, and Personality, among others. Sociology includes foundations of Sociological Theory, Social Institutions, Social Stratification, and Research Methodology.

You can access the GATE 2026 Humanities and Social Sciences syllabus PDF from below to get a better understanding of the topics and chapters you need to study.

Quick Links:

GATE XH 2026 Question Paper

During your GATE exam preparation, you must solve the previous year's question papers too. Attempting the GATE old question papers, firstly, will help you analyse your exam preparation. This way, you will get an idea of how well you have understood the topics and chapters. If you are getting any answers wrong while solving GATE question papers, you can study those topics and improve your preparation. Attempting the GATE previous year question papers will also help you work on your time management skills.

You can download the last 3 years’ GATE Humanities and Social Sciences question papers from the links given below.

Quick Links:

GATE XH 2026 Answer Key

If you want to know the correct answers to the questions asked in the GATE Humanities and Social Sciences exam, you can use the answer key. You will be able to access the GATE Humanities and Social Sciences answer key in February 2026. The answer key for GATE 2026 will be available a few days after the GATE exam has been held. You can use the GATE 2026 answer key to match your answers with the correct ones. Most importantly, if you find any errors in the provisional answer key, you will be given the option to raise an objection against it. To challenge the answer key, you will need to submit proper proof and pay the objection fee. Then, authorities will go through all the objections received and issue the final answer key.

You can access the last 3 years’ GATE Humanities and Social Sciences answer key from the links given below.

GATE XH 2026 Response Sheet

If you want to know what answers you gave in the GATE 2026 exam, you can use the response sheet. Every year, the GATE response sheet is also released along with the answer key and the question paper. You can download your response sheet for GATE 2026 in February 2026 along with the preliminary key. You can use the GATE response sheet, answer key, and question paper to match your answers with the correct ones and calculate your expected scores.

Related Articles

If you have further queries regarding admission to top private engineering colleges in India , you can write to hello@collegedekho.com or call our toll free number 18005729877, or simply fill out our Common Application Form on the website.