GATE 2026 Philosophy (XH-C4) Paper Analysis: Difficulty, Weightage & Cutoffs
Detailed Review of Feb 7 Philosophy Exam, Topic-wise Weightage, and Expected IIT Admission Scores.
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Categories: GATE 2026, Paper Analysis, Philosophy.
GATE 2026 Philosophy (XH-C4) Detailed Analysis
Overall Difficulty & Question Trend
The GATE 2026 Philosophy paper followed a Moderate difficulty trend. General Aptitude was easy, and the compulsory Reasoning & Comprehension (B1) was balanced. The Philosophy (C4) section was noted for its conceptual depth in Logic and Modern Western Philosophy, while Indian Philosophy questions were largely based on orthodox systems.
GA: 15 Marks (Easy)
B1 (Reasoning): 25 Marks (Moderate)
C4 (Philosophy): 60 Marks (Moderate)
Subject-Wise Marks Weightage
| Domain | High-Weightage Topics (2026) | Weightage |
|---|---|---|
| Classical Indian Philosophy | Nyaya Pramanas, Vedanta (Advaita/Visistadvaita), Buddhism (Sunyavada). | High |
| Modern Western Philosophy | Descartes' Method, Kant’s Categories, Spinoza’s Substance. | High |
| Logic & Epistemology | Truth Tables, Validity, Theories of Truth, Plato’s Episteme. | Moderate |
| Contemporary Philosophy | Wittgenstein (Language Games), Sartre (Freedom), Gandhi/Ambedkar. | Moderate |
| Ethics | Utilitarianism, Kantian Deontology, Virtue Ethics. | Moderate |
Expected Qualifying Cutoff 2026
The cutoff for Philosophy is typically stable. Based on the 2026 difficulty level, we expect the qualifying marks to be slightly higher than the 2024-25 cycle.
| Category | 2026 (Expected) | 2025 (Actual) | 2024 (Actual) |
|---|---|---|---|
| General (GEN) | 40.5 - 43.5 | 38.0 | 39.3 |
| OBC-NCL / EWS | 36.5 - 39.0 | 34.2 | 35.3 |
| SC / ST / PwD | 27.0 - 29.0 | 25.3 | 26.1 |
IIT Admission Scores (Safe Targets)
IIT Bombay / Kanpur
Score: 780+ | Marks: 65+
IIT Madras / Delhi
Score: 700+ | Marks: 58+
Newer IITs
Score: 550+ | Marks: 45+
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