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

GATE XL 2026: Exam Date, Syllabus, Question Paper, Answer Key, Response Sheet covers the Life Sciences paper conducted under the GATE examination framework. The exam this year is being organised by IIT Guwahati, with the detailed schedule across 4 days: February 7, 8, 14, and 15, 2026, as per the common GATE exam window.
The official GATE XL syllabus includes multiple Life Sciences sections with internal choices, as per the standard XL paper structure. Chemistry is a compulsory segment and has 9 areas such as Atomic Structure and Periodicity, Structure and Bonding, s, p and d Block Elements, Chemical Equilibria, Electrochemistry, Reaction Kinetics, Thermodynamics, Structure-Reactivity Correlations and Organic Reaction Mechanisms, and Chemistry of Biomolecules. Other GATE XL optional components available are Biochemistry, Botany, Microbiology, Zoology, and Food Technology.
GATE XL has consistently seen strong participation in recent years, reflecting steady competition in the Life Sciences stream. Talking about the previous year, this exam witnessed a total of 50,084 registrations, out of which 41,086 turned up for the exam.
After the exam concludes, the GATE master question paper is released first, followed by the official answer key and the response sheet. These resources help test takers assess their performance before the final results are declared. This article brings together key details related to the GATE XL 2026 exam date, syllabus, question paper, answer key, and response sheet in one place.
Also Check - GATE XH 2026: Exam Date, Syllabus, Question Paper, Answer Key, Response Sheet

GATE XL 2026 Exam Dates

The GATE XL exam date has been announced by IIT Guwahati. The table below elaborates the details related to the GATE 2026 exam dates :-

GATE XL 2026 Syllabus

IIT Guwahati has provided the GATE 2026 Life Science syllabus on its website. As per the official notification, the GATE XL syllabus includes a mandatory Chemistry section covering nine core topics such as Atomic Structure and Periodicity, Structure and Bonding, Chemical Equilibria, s, p and d Block Elements, Electrochemistry, Reaction Kinetics, Structure-Reactivity Correlations and Organic Reaction Mechanisms, Thermodynamics, and Chemistry of Biomolecules. Other GATE XL optional components available are Biochemistry, Botany, Microbiology, Zoology, and Food Technology.
In addition to this, the GATE XL 2026 paper includes General Aptitude and multiple Life Sciences sections, from which aspirants are required to choose two as per the prescribed structure.
You can fetch the official syllabus PDF from the link mentioned below:-

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GATE XL 2026 Question Paper

The GATE XL question paper 2026 will be released a few days after the conclusion of the exam. The question paper will contain all the questions asked in the exam, and you will be able to download it from the official website of IIT Guwahati. Until the master question paper is released, you can start practising from the previous year's question papers mentioned below:-

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GATE XL 2026 Answer Key

The answer key for the GATE Life Sciences exam 2026 will be released a few days after the exam concludes. It serves as a useful resource for estimating your score. Initially, IIT Guwahati will publish a provisional GATE 2026 answer key , which you can review and raise objections to if needed. Once all objections are reviewed, the final answer key will be released, and no further challenges will be allowed. You can find the answer key PDFs from the past three years in the table below:

GATE XL 2026 Response Sheet

IIT Guwahati will make the GATE XL response sheet available on its official website, along with the answer key. You can access and download your response sheet by logging in with your credentials. This sheet will display the answers you selected during the exam. Using the 2026 GATE response sheet, you’ll be able to estimate your probable score.

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