GATE 2026 Architecture & Planning (AR) Paper Analysis | Cutoff & Trends

Detailed Analysis of Part A & Part B (Architecture/Planning), Topic Weightage, and IIT Admission Scores.

Updated: just now

Categories: GATE 2026, Architecture & Planning, Paper Analysis.
Tags: GATE AR 2026 Analysis, Architecture Paper Review, GATE 2026 Cutoff Architecture, IIT M.Arch Admission, GATE AR Subject Weightage.
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GATE 2026 Architecture & Planning (AR) Analysis

Exam Date: Feb 2026 | Comprehensive Paper Review

Overall Difficulty Level

The GATE 2026 AR paper was reported as Moderate to Difficult. Part A (Common) featured a heavy emphasis on Building Materials and Sustainable Architecture. Part B1 (Architecture) was more calculation-heavy compared to previous years, while Part B2 (Planning) focused on recent government urban schemes.

Part A: Moderate
Part B: Difficult (Technical)

Subject-Wise Weightage (GATE 2026)

Below is the marks distribution based on initial candidate feedback and memory-based questions.

Section Key Topics Weightage
Part A (Common) History of Arch, Building Construction, Services (HVAC/Acoustics), Sustainability. 60 Marks
Part B (Arch/Plan) Building Science vs. Urban Design/GIS. 25 Marks
Aptitude Spatial Visualization, Verbal & Quantitative. 15 Marks

Expected Qualifying Cutoff 2026

Considering the difficulty of MSQs in the Architecture section, cutoffs are expected to remain steady.

Category 2026 (Exp.) 2025 (Actual) 2024 (Actual)
General (GEN) 36.5 - 38.0 35.5 33.9
OBC-NCL / EWS 32.8 - 34.2 31.9 30.5
SC / ST / PwD 24.3 - 25.5 23.6 22.6

GATE 2026 Expected Cutoff (IIT-wise)

Top ranks for M.Arch and M.Plan usually require a score above 700. Here are the expected admission thresholds:

IIT Roorkee

GEN Score: 720+ | Marks: 62+

IIT Kharagpur

GEN Score: 750+ | Marks: 65+

IIT Bombay (Urban Design)

GEN Score: 780+ | Marks: 68+

Summary: Candidates who scored well in building services and structures numericals will likely see the best ranks in 2026.