The GATE 2027 registration window closes today, September 27, for candidates applying without a late fee. However, candidates who miss the regular deadline can still submit their applications with a late fee until October 5. Candidates can go to the official website at gate2027.iitm.ac.in, in order to check specific eligibility criteria and list of papers to apply. Notably, this year, the registration process has been made mandatory through a verified DigiLocker account for Indian nationals. The examination will be conducted by IIT Madras in February 2027 across 30 test papers.GATE 2027: Check important dates belowGATE 2027 eventDateRegular registration closesSeptember 27, 2026Registration with late fee closesOctober 5, 2026City allotmentJanuary 4, 2027Admit cardJanuary 2027ExaminationFebruary 6, 7, 13, 14, 20 and 21, 2027ResultMarch 19, 2027What’s new in GATE 2027?One of the major changes is the introduction of a new Robotics and Automation (RA) test paper. With this addition, GATE 2027 will have 30 papers. The Commission has also changed the sectional paper codes and structure for XE, XH and XL, while the syllabus has been revised for the GATE 2027 papers. Candidates should therefore check the syllabus for their selected paper rather than relying on previous-year versions.Another change is the mandatory DigiLocker-based registration for Indian nationals. Candidates have been advised not to delete the DigiLocker account used while submitting the application, as future communication from GATE 2027 will be linked to that account. The official FAQ also says candidates must upload specified PwD documents to the GATE 2027 DigiLocker folder where applicable.Candidates can apply for one or two papers, but a second paper can only be selected from the combinations permitted by GATE 2027. The official list has also been revised, with the new RA paper appearing in several combinations. Candidates applying for two papers have to select the combination in a single application.GATE 2027 will continue to be a three-hour computer-based test carrying 100 marks. The paper will contain 65 questions, including General Aptitude and questions from the selected subject. Questions will be of MCQ, MSQ and Numerical Answer Type formats. Negative marking applies only to wrong answers in MCQs; there is no negative marking for MSQ or NAT questions.GATE scores can be used for admission to postgraduate and doctoral programmes and for opportunities where institutions or public sector organisations accept GATE scores. The official website also states that a GATE score remains valid for three years from the date of announcement of results.