GATE Exam Centre List 2026 – Zone-Wise Cities & Important Info
The GATE Exam Centre List 2026 has been officially released for all candidates appearing in the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) 2026. The exam will be conducted as a Computer-Based Test (CBT) on 7, 8, 14, and 15 February 2026, and the Admit Card was released in January 2026.
Candidates must select their preferred exam cities while filling the application form, and the exam centre allotted depends on preference, availability, and administrative decisions. All three city choices must be from the same GATE zone.
📊 Zone-Wise GATE 2026 Exam Cities
| Zone / Zonal Coordinating Institute | States / UTs Covered | Exam Cities Included (Example List) |
|---|---|---|
| IISc Bengaluru | Andaman & Nicobar Islands | Port Blair |
| Andhra Pradesh | Ananthapuramu, Kurnool | |
| Karnataka | Bagalkot, Ballari, Bengaluru North, Bengaluru South, Belagavi, Bidar, Chikkaballapur, Chikkamagaluru, Davanagere, Hassan, Hubballi/Dharwad, Kalaburagi, Kolar, Mandya, Mangaluru, Manipal–Udupi, Mysuru, Shivamogga, Tumakuru | |
| Kerala | Angamaly, Payyanur, Vatakara, Kannur, Kasaragod, Kozhikode, Malappuram, Palakkad, Pathanamthitta, Thrissur, Wayanad | |
| Telangana | Hyderabad, Nalgonda, Narsapur/Medak | |
| IIT Bombay | Goa | Madgaon, Mapusa, Panaji |
| Gujarat | Ahmedabad, Anand, Bhavnagar, Bhuj, Gandhinagar, Jamnagar, Mehsana, Rajkot, Surat, Vadodara | |
| Maharashtra | Ahilyanagar (Ahmednagar), Akola, Amravati, Aurangabad, Baramati, Chandrapur, Dhule, Jalgaon, Kolhapur, Latur, Mumbai, Nagpur, Nanded, Nashik, Navi Mumbai, Panvel-Rasayani, Pune, Ratnagiri, Sangamner-Loni, Sangli, Satara, Solapur, Thane, Vasai-Palghar, Wardha | |
| IIT Delhi | Haryana | Faridabad, Gurugram, Hisar |
| Jammu & Kashmir | Jammu-Samba, Srinagar | |
| Ladakh | Leh | |
| Madhya Pradesh | Indore, Ujjain | |
| New Delhi | New Delhi | |
| Rajasthan | Ajmer, Alwar, Bhilwara, Bikaner, Dausa, Hanumangarh, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Kota, Sikar, Udaipur | |
| Uttar Pradesh | Greater Noida, Mathura | |
| IIT Guwahati | Arunachal Pradesh | Naharlagun–Itanagar |
| Assam | Dibrugarh, Guwahati, Jorhat, Silchar, Tezpur | |
| Bihar | Bhagalpur, Muzaffarpur, Patna, Purnea | |
| Jharkhand | Bokaro Steel City, Dhanbad | |
| Manipur | Imphal | |
| Meghalaya | Shillong | |
| Mizoram | Aizawl | |
| Nagaland | Dimapur–Kohima | |
| Sikkim | Gangtok | |
| Tripura | Agartala | |
| West Bengal | Asansol, Durgapur, Burdwan, Kalyani, Siliguri | |
| IIT Kanpur | Madhya Pradesh | Bhopal, Gwalior, Jabalpur, Sagar, Satna |
| Uttar Pradesh | Agra, Aligarh, Bareilly, Gorakhpur, Jhansi, Kanpur, Lucknow, Prayagraj, Varanasi | |
| IIT Kharagpur | Andhra Pradesh | Bhimavaram, Eluru, Kakinada–Surampalem, Rajamahendravaram, Srikakulam, Tadepalligudem, Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram |
| Chhattisgarh | Bhilai–Durg, Bilaspur, Raipur | |
| Jharkhand | Hazaribag, Jamshedpur, Ranchi | |
| Odisha | Balasore–Bhadrak, Baripada, Bhubaneswar, Brahmapur, Cuttack, Dhenkanal, Rourkela, Sambalpur | |
| West Bengal | Bankura, Berhampore, Hooghly, Howrah, Kharagpur–Midnapur, Kolaghat, Kolkata, Suri | |
| IIT Madras | Andhra Pradesh | Chirala–Bapatla, Chittoor, Guntur, Kadapa, Nandyala, Nellore, Ongole, Tirupati |
| Kerala | Alappuzha, Aluva–Ernakulam, Attingal, Chengannur, Kanjirappally, Kollam, Kothamangalam, Kottayam, Muvattupuzha, Thiruvananthapuram | |
| Puducherry | Puducherry | |
| Tamil Nadu | Chennai, Coimbatore, Cuddalore, Dindigul, Erode, Kanyakumari–Nagercoil, Karaikudi, Krishnagiri, Madurai, Namakkal, Ooty, Pollachi, Ramanathapuram, Salem, Thanjavur, Theni, Thoothukudi, Tiruchirappalli, Tirunelveli, Vellore, Virudhunagar | |
| Telangana | Adilabad, Karimnagar, Khammam, Kodad, Kothagudem, Nizamabad, Suryapet, Warangal | |
| IIT Roorkee | Haryana | Ambala, Kurukshetra |
| Himachal Pradesh | Baddi, Bilaspur, Hamirpur, Kangra–Dharamshala, Mandi, Palampur, Shimla–Solan, Una | |
| Punjab | Amritsar, Bathinda, Jalandhar-Phagwara, Ludhiana, Mohali-Chandigarh, Patiala, Pathankot | |
| Uttarakhand | Dehradun, Haldwani, Roorkee | |
| Uttar Pradesh | Ghaziabad, Meerut, Moradabad, Muzaffarnagar, Noida, Saharanpur |
✳️ Note: This list is tentative and subject to change before the exam.
📝 Key Instructions for Candidates
🔹 Choosing Exam Cities
- You must select 3 cities from the same GATE zone during the application process.
- If a city’s centres are full, you may be allotted a different city within the same zone.
🔹 Changing Exam City
- Changes can be made only during the official correction window with a fee.
- Once confirmed on the admit card, exam city allotment cannot be changed.
🔹 Exam & Admit Card
- Final exam venue, reporting time, and shift details will be printed on the GATE 2026 Admit Card.
Note: The above list of GATE 2026 examination cities is tentative and subject to change.
GATE 2026 Zones and Exam Centre Allocation System
GATE 2026 exam centres are organised across eight zones, each managed by an IIT or IISc, with every exam city mapped to a specific zone. During the application process, candidates select three preferred exam cities from the same zone, and exam centres are allotted based on these preferences and centre availability.
What is a GATE Zone?
GATE 2026 will be administered in eight zones, to be operated by an IIT or an IISc. These zones will further manage the entire process, from receipt of applications to assignment of centers for exams. Each city where GATE 2026 will be conducted will be associated with one zone.
Why Zone Selection is Important?
During the application process, candidates must select three exam city preferences, and all selected cities must belong to the same GATE zone. Choosing cities from different zones is not allowed. Exam centres are allotted based on candidate preferences and availability, and if a seat is not available in the first-choice city, a centre may be allotted in another city within the same zone.
How to Choose the Best 3 GATE Exam Cities Before the Exam?
Selecting the right exam cities is an important step in the GATE 2026 application process, as it directly affects travel and exam-day convenience. Candidates should plan their choices carefully to avoid last-minute difficulties.
- Select a primary exam city close to your place of residence
- Choose two backup cities within a reasonable travel distance
- Ensure good transport connectivity to the selected cities
- Avoid selecting far-off cities as backup options
- Make sure all three exam cities belong to the same GATE zone
Can You Change GATE Exam City After Selection?
Yes, candidates are allowed to change their GATE exam city, but only under specific conditions. Exam city modifications can be made during the official correction window announced by the organising institute, and a modification fee may be applicable. Any change is subject to availability of exam centres, and candidates are not permitted to change their GATE zone. Once the correction window closes, the allotted exam city becomes final and cannot be changed further.