GATE 2026 Ecology & Evolution (EY) Paper Analysis: Difficulty & Cutoffs
Topic-wise Marks Distribution, Expected Qualifying Scores, and Tier-1 Admission Trends for 2026.
Updated: just now
Categories: GATE 2026, Paper Analysis, Ecology & Evolution.
GATE 2026 Ecology & Evolution (EY) Detailed Analysis
Exam Review: Feb 8, 2026 | Analyzing the Patterns & Predictions
Overall Difficulty Analysis
The GATE 2026 EY paper was Moderate. Candidates reported that the paper was well-balanced, though the section on Applied Ecology was more technical than last year. The General Aptitude section was scoring, while the Biometry section featured tricky MSQs.
Ecology: Moderate
Evolution: Easy-Moderate
Math/Stats: Tough
Subject-Wise Weightage Analysis
| Subject Domain | Approx. Marks | High-Yield Topics (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Ecology | 25-28 Marks | Lotka-Volterra Models, Species Area Curves, Island Biogeography. |
| Evolutionary Biology | 20-22 Marks | Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium, Natural Selection, Phylogeny. |
| Behavioral Ecology | 10-12 Marks | Optimal Foraging, Kin Selection, Hamilton’s Rule. |
| Biometry & Stats | 10-12 Marks | Hypothesis Testing (t-test/ANOVA), Regression, Probability. |
| Math & Aptitude | 28 Marks | Calculus, General Logic, Quantitative Ability. |
Expected Qualifying Cutoff 2026
The expected cutoffs for 2026 are likely to align with the slightly higher difficulty of the biometry section compared to 2024.
| Category | 2026 (Exp.) | 2025 (Actual) | 2024 (Actual) |
|---|---|---|---|
| General (GEN) | 35.5 - 37.5 | 36.1 | 35.8 |
| OBC-NCL / EWS | 32.0 - 33.8 | 32.4 | 32.2 |
| SC / ST / PwD | 23.5 - 25.0 | 24.0 | 23.8 |
Top Admission Targets (IISc, NCBS, & IITs)
Ecology & Evolution is a specialized branch. For top research institutes, the requirements are:
IISc (CES) / NCBS
Score: 780+ | AIR: Under 50
IIT Bombay / IIT Kanpur
Score: 700+ | AIR: Under 150
WII / Newer IITs
Score: 620+ | AIR: Under 350
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