Estimate your GATE score from raw marks using the official IIT formula. GATE score determines PSU recruitment eligibility, M.Tech IIT admissions, and PhD fellowships.
What is GATE Score?
GATE (Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering) is conducted by IITs/IISc for admission to M.Tech and for PSU recruitment (NTPC, BHEL, ONGC, IOCL, etc.). It's a 3-hour paper, 100 marks. Around 9-10 lakh candidates appear annually across 30+ disciplines.
GATE reports two metrics: (1) raw marks out of 100, and (2) a scaled GATE Score (typically 350-1000). The GATE Score normalises across years and disciplines and is what PSUs and universities use for cutoffs.
How the GATE Score is computed
Official IIT formula: GATE Score = 350 + (650 × (Mᵢ − Mq) / (Mₜ − Mq)), where Mᵢ = your marks, Mq = qualifying cutoff (typically 25 marks for general), Mₜ = mean of top 0.1% marks (anchors high end). The constants 350 and 650 are by design — 350 is the qualifying score floor, 1000 is the upper anchor.
This linear scaling between qualifying mark and top-0.1% mean means your raw-to-scaled relationship depends on the year's specific cutoffs. The same 60 raw marks could be 700 score in a hard paper and 650 in an easy paper.
- Mᵢ
- Your raw marks—your marks out of 100 from the answer key
- Mq
- Qualifying cutoff—general category cutoff for the year, typically 25
- Mₜ
- Top 0.1% mean—mean of top 0.1% candidates' marks for the year, typically 80-85
How to use this calculator
Enter your raw marks (after answer key)
Total marks scored out of 100. Use the official IIT answer key — be careful with multi-mark questions and negative marking (which is 0.3 or 0.6 per wrong answer depending on question type).
Enter qualifying cutoff (Mq)
General category cutoff varies year-on-year (recent years: 25-31). The official notification publishes this. Default to 25 if unknown.
Enter top-0.1% mean (Mₜ)
Mean of top 0.1% candidates' marks. Recent years: 80-85. The notification publishes this too. Default to 80 if unknown.
Read your estimated GATE Score
Calculator outputs your scaled GATE Score (350-1000 range). Check it against published PSU cutoffs to see which PSUs/IITs your score qualifies for.
When to use it
PSU recruitment shortlists
PSU cutoffs vary widely. NTPC general engineering trainee cutoff has been GATE Score 700-750 in recent years. BHEL: 650-720. IOCL: 700-750. Match your estimated score against the PSU's published cutoff for the year.
IIT M.Tech admission
IIT M.Tech direct admission typically needs GATE Score 700+ for top branches at top IITs. Lower-tier IITs accept 600+. Calculator helps you set realistic expectations during M.Tech application.
Ph.D. fellowship eligibility
MHRD/CSIR Ph.D. fellowships have minimum GATE Score requirements. Calculator helps you check whether you qualify before applying.
Common mistakes to avoid
Using generic cutoff numbers instead of current year's
Always use the Mq and Mₜ values from the year's official notification. Generic '25 and 80' approximations can be off by 5-15 GATE Score points.
Confusing GATE Score with percentile
GATE Score (350-1000) and percentile are separate metrics. PSUs and IITs use Score; some Ph.D. programs use percentile. Make sure you're matching what the cutoff requires.
Frequently asked questions
Is the GATE score formula official?
What's a good GATE score?
Why are Mq and Mt paper-specific?
How long is the GATE score valid?
References
- GATE — official IIT/IISc portal— IIT (host for the year)