GATE 2027 Application Guide: DigiLocker, Documents, Cities and Key Dates

GATE 2027 registration opened on 27 August 2026 on the GATE Online Application Processing System (GOAPS) at gate2027.iitm.ac.in, organised by IIT Madras. The exam will be held on 6, 7, 13, 14, 20 and 21 February 2027, with results scheduled for 19 March 2027. The process itself is straightforward — if you prepare the right things before you start.

Key dates (from the official Important Dates page)

• Regular registration closes: 27 September 2026
• Extended registration (with late fee): until 5 October 2026
• Application rectification window: 14–21 October 2026
• City allotment notification: 4 January 2027
• Examination: 6, 7, 13, 14, 20 and 21 February 2027 · Results: 19 March 2027

What is new in GATE 2027

• DigiLocker registration is mandatory for all Indian nationals — your name, date of birth, mobile number, email, photo and verified ID are fetched from DigiLocker, so create or update a VERIFIED DigiLocker account (digilocker.gov.in) before you start the form.
• You choose SIX examination cities — but all six must be from the same GATE zone (zones are run by IISc and the seven old IITs).
• Your live photo may be captured during registration, so keep a laptop webcam or a phone with a 5 MP camera ready.
• A new Robotics & Automation test paper has been added.
• GATE 2027 is conducted only at centres inside India — international centres have been withdrawn. Foreign nationals and Indians living abroad can apply (full fee of ₹2,000 per paper) but must appear in India.

Keep these ready before you start

• A verified DigiLocker account linked with your Aadhaar
• Photograph and signature images in the specified format (a live photo may also be captured during registration)
• Scanned, readable PDFs of category (SC/ST), UDID/PwD, or dyslexic certificates if applicable
• Details of your degree and college, with PIN code
• Your list of six preferred exam cities — shortlisted in order, all from one zone
• Net-banking / debit card / credit card / UPI / wallet for the fee

Common mistakes to avoid

• Waiting till the last week — server rush and panic lead to errors that are costly to fix.
• Name mismatch: the name must exactly match your photo ID (no Mr./Shri/Dr. prefixes). The scorecard is printed with the name you enter.
• Unreadable or wrong-format certificates — this can delay processing or even reject your application.
• Picking cities from different zones — all six choices must be in one zone, or you may be allotted an inconvenient centre.

Simple plan

Register on GOAPS today (gate2027.iitm.ac.in), link your verified DigiLocker account, fill and save the form, review it a day later, then submit and download the confirmation PDF. After that, close the tabs and get back to studying — we track every further deadline for you on the Exams & Jobs page.