What is the last date to apply for GATE 2027 without a late fee?

October 5, 2026. IIT Madras extended the deadline from September 27. After October 5, you can still apply with a late fee until October 12.

Who is eligible for GATE 2027?

Students in the third year or higher of a UG programme, or graduates in Engineering, Technology, Architecture, Science, Commerce, Arts or Humanities. There is no age limit and no cap on the number of attempts.

Is DigiLocker registration mandatory for GATE 2027?

Yes, for Indian nationals. You must sign in through a DigiLocker account during registration, and you should not delete that account later since GATE communication is linked to it.

What is the GATE 2027 application fee?

Without late fee, the fee is Rs 1,000 per paper for female, SC, ST and PwD candidates, and Rs 2,000 for all others. With the late fee, it becomes Rs 1,500 and Rs 2,500. Two papers cost double the one-paper fee.

GATE 2027 Registration Ends October 5: 2 Days Left to Apply Without Late Fee

The clock is ticking for GATE 2027 aspirants. IIT Madras has pushed the registration deadline to Monday, October 5, which means you have just two days left to submit the GATE 2027 application form without paying a late fee. Miss this date and the fee goes up, with the final window closing on October 12.

GATE, the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering, is one of the biggest exams in India for engineering and science graduates. It opens doors to MTech and PhD admissions at IITs, NITs and IISc, and several public sector companies accept GATE scores for recruitment. The score stays valid for three years, so even students who are not sure about their plans yet often apply.

October 5 without late fee, October 12 with it

IIT Madras, which is conducting GATE 2027, first set September 27 as the closing date. After requests from candidates, the deadline was extended to October 5 for applications without a late fee. Candidates who miss this can still apply with a late fee until October 12.

The fee structure is simple. Female, SC, ST and PwD candidates pay Rs 1,000 per paper without the late fee and Rs 1,500 with it. All other candidates pay Rs 2,000 without the late fee and Rs 2,500 with it. You can apply for one or two papers, but two papers cost exactly double the one-paper fee. Bank charges are extra.

This deadline week is packed with exam cut-offs across the country. The CAT 2026 correction window also closes around the same time, and the RIMCEE 2026 late application window shuts on October 7, so double-check every deadline you are tracking.

DigiLocker is now compulsory

The big change this year is in how you register. For Indian nationals, registration through a verified DigiLocker account is now mandatory on the GOAPS portal. Your name, date of birth and ID details are pulled from DigiLocker, which is why they must match your certificates.

One warning worth repeating: do not delete the DigiLocker account you used for registration. IIT Madras has said that all future GATE 2027 communication is tied to that account. Losing access later can lock you out of admit card and result updates.

New Robotics paper takes the total to 30

GATE 2027 will be held across 30 test papers, one more than earlier, because of the new Robotics and Automation (RA) paper. The sectional paper codes and structure for XE, XH and XL have also changed, and the syllabus for several papers has been revised. Do not rely on last year’s syllabus PDF. Check the syllabus for your chosen paper on the official website before you fill the form.

You can pick one paper or two permitted paper combinations in a single application. The list of allowed two-paper combinations has been revised too, with the new RA paper appearing in several of them.

“Candidates must upload specified PwD documents to the GATE 2027 DigiLocker folder where applicable, and the official FAQ advises keeping the linked DigiLocker account active for all future communication.”

Exam on six days across three weekends

The exam will be a three-hour computer-based test carrying 100 marks. Each paper has 65 questions, mixing General Aptitude with subject questions in MCQ, MSQ and Numerical Answer Type formats. Negative marking applies only to wrong MCQ answers. There is no negative marking for MSQ or NAT questions.

Keep these dates in mind after you apply. The application correction window opens on October 14 and closes on October 21, so mistakes made in a hurry can still be fixed. Exam city allotment will be announced on January 4, 2027, and admit cards will follow in January. The exam itself runs on February 6, 7, 13, 14, 20 and 21, 2027. Results are expected on March 19, 2027.

How to fill the GATE 2027 form in one sitting

Get these ready before you open the portal: a working DigiLocker account, a recent photograph and signature in the prescribed format, your Class 10 and qualifying degree details, and a valid category certificate if you are claiming a concession. Then:

Go to the official GATE 2027 portal and register through GOAPS.
Sign in with DigiLocker and grant consent so your details are fetched automatically.
Fill in your personal, communication and academic details carefully.
Choose your test paper or two permitted papers, and select your exam cities.
Upload your photograph, signature and other documents in the right format.
Review everything, pay the fee online, and download the confirmation receipt.

The form takes only one application per candidate, so do not submit a second one if the first fails. Keep your login details and the payment receipt safe until the admission process is fully over. Browse our admissions section for more exam deadline alerts like this one.

Submit on gate2027.iitm.ac.in before October 5 if you want to avoid the extra fee, and do not leave it for the final hours. Last-day payment queues and server glitches have cost many students their chance in earlier years.