GATE 2026 Civil Engineering(CE) Question Paper with Solution Pdf

The GATE 2026 Civil Engineering (CE) Question Paper with Solution PDF is available here. The GATE CE exam was scheduled for February 14, 2026, and was conducted in two shifts: Session 1 (Forenoon) from 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM and Session 2 (Afternoon) from 2:30 PM to 5:30 PM.

The GATE Civil Engineering exam is held in Computer Based Test (CBT) mode with a total duration of 3 hours. The question paper contains a total of 65 questions for 100 marks, divided into three main sections: General Aptitude (15 marks), Engineering Mathematics (13 marks), and Core Civil Engineering subjects (72 marks).

Based on the analysis of previous years' papers, the Civil Engineering question paper is typically expected to be of moderate difficulty. For candidates, attempting 55 to 65 questions with an accuracy of 85–90% is considered a safe target. Scoring around 60–70 marks is generally regarded as a good performance, which can help in securing admission to top IITs or recruitment by leading PSUs like IOCL, ONGC, and NTPC.

GATE 2026 CE Question Paper with Solution PDF (Memory Based)

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Question 1:

Consider a soil sample where the following parameters are defined:

\(S\) = Soil suction head
\(K\) = Hydraulic conductivity
\(w\) = Moisture content

If the moisture content (\(w\)) of the soil increases, which of the following statements regarding the soil suction head (\(S\)) and hydraulic conductivity (\(K\)) is correct?

(A) Both \(S\) and \(K\) increase.
(B) Both \(S\) and \(K\) decrease.
(C) \(S\) increases while \(K\) decreases.
(D) \(S\) decreases while \(K\) increases.

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Question 2:

A clay deposit is found to have a natural water content and void ratio that corresponds to a pre-consolidation pressure (\(\sigma'_{p}\)) that is greater than the present effective overburden pressure (\(\sigma'_{o}\)). This clay is best classified as:

(A) OCC (Over Consolidated Clay)
(B) LCC (Lightly Consolidated Clay)
(C) NCC (Normally Consolidated Clay)
(D) Quick Clay

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Question 3:

For a two-lane, two-way highway, the length of a summit curve is ideally designed based on which parameter to ensure full operational efficiency (overtaking opportunities)?

(A) Lateral friction (\(f\))
(B) Centrifugal acceleration (\(a_c\))
(C) Stopping Sight Distance (SSD)
(D) Overtaking Sight Distance (OSD)

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Question 4:

In a rectangular open channel, a hydraulic jump occurs. The ratio of the post-jump depth (\(y_2\)) to the pre-jump depth (\(y_1\)) is measured to be 2. What is the Froude number (\(Fr_1\)) of the flow immediately before the jump?

(A) \(\sqrt{2}\)
(B) 1.5
(C) \(\sqrt{3}\)
(D) 2.5

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Question 5:

The Rational Method formula for estimating peak runoff is given as \(Q = \frac{CiA}{360}\). For the result \(Q\) to be in cubic meters per second (\(m^3/s\)), what must be the units of rainfall intensity (\(i\)) and catchment area (\(A\))?

(A) \(i\) in \(cm/hr\), \(A\) in \(km^2\)
(B) \(i\) in \(mm/hr\), \(A\) in \(km^2\)
(C) \(i\) in \(mm/hr\), \(A\) in hectares
(D) \(i\) in \(m/hr\), \(A\) in hectares

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Question 6:

Match the Gradually Varied Flow (GVF) profiles on a mild slope (\(M_1, M_2, M_3\)) with the nature of their water surface slope (\(dy/dx\)) relative to the flow direction.
Profile & Nature of Slope (\(dy/dx\))

P. \(M_1\) Profile & 1. Positive (Rising Curve)

Q. \(M_2\) Profile & 2. Negative (Drawdown Curve)

R. \(M_3\) Profile & 3. Positive (Rising Curve)
Select the correct classification:

(A) \(M_1\) is Rising, \(M_2\) is Rising, \(M_3\) is Falling
(B) \(M_1\) is Rising, \(M_2\) is Falling, \(M_3\) is Rising
(C) \(M_1\) is Falling, \(M_2\) is Rising, \(M_3\) is Falling
(D) \(M_1\) is Rising, \(M_2\) is Falling, \(M_3\) is Falling

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GATE 2026 Preparation

GATE Questions

1.
Two metal parts (a cylinder and a cube) of same volume are cast under identical conditions. The diameter of the cylinder is equal to its height. The ratio of the solidification time of the cube to that of the cylinder is _______________ (rounded off to 2 decimal places).
Assume that solidification time follows Chvorinov's rule with an exponent of 2.

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2.
A vibrating system has a critical damping coefficient \(C_c = 350 \, \text{N}\cdot\text{s/m}\) and an actual damping coefficient \(C = 35 \, \text{N}\cdot\text{s/m}\). The logarithmic decrement of the system is approximately:

0.10
0.31
0.63
3.14

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3.
Let A and B be real symmetric matrices of same size. Which one of the following options is correct?

\( (AB)^T = B^T A^T \)
\( AB = BA \)
\( A^T = A^{-1} \)
\( A = A^{-1} \)

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4.
Two cars, P and Q, start from a point X in India at 10 AM. Car P travels North with a speed of 25 km/h and car Q travels East with a speed of 30 km/h. Car P travels continuously but car Q stops for some time after traveling for one hour. If both cars are at the same distance from X at 11:30 AM, for how long (in minutes) did car Q stop?

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5.
Consider two infinitely long fins made of the same material and exposed to the same convective environment. One fin has a square cross-section of side \(a\), and the other has a circular cross-section of diameter \(d\). Assume \(a = d\). The ratio of the steady-state heat transfer rate from the square fin to that from the circular fin, \(\frac{\dot{Q}_{\text{square}}}{\dot{Q}_{\text{circular}}}\), is:

\(\frac{\pi}{4}\)
\(\frac{4}{\pi}\)
\(\frac{2}{\sqrt{\pi}}\)
\(\frac{\sqrt{\pi}}{2}\)

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6.
The values of a function \( f \) obtained for different values of \( x \) are shown in the table below.
Using Simpson’s one-third rule, approximate the integral \[ \int_0^1 f(x) \, dx \quad \text{(rounded off to 2 decimal places)}. \]

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GATE 2026 Civil Engineering(CE) Question Paper with Solution Pdf

GATE 2026 CE Question Paper with Solution PDF (Memory Based)

GATE 2026 Preparation

GATE Questions

2.
A vibrating system has a critical damping coefficient \(C_c = 350 \, \text{N}\cdot\text{s/m}\) and an actual damping coefficient \(C = 35 \, \text{N}\cdot\text{s/m}\). The logarithmic decrement of the system is approximately:

3.
Let A and B be real symmetric matrices of same size. Which one of the following options is correct?

6.
The values of a function \( f \) obtained for different values of \( x \) are shown in the table below.
Using Simpson’s one-third rule, approximate the integral \[ \int_0^1 f(x) \, dx \quad \text{(rounded off to 2 decimal places)}. \]

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GATE 2026 CE Question Paper with Solution PDF (Memory Based)

GATE 2026 Preparation

GATE Questions

2.A vibrating system has a critical damping coefficient \(C_c = 350 \, \text{N}\cdot\text{s/m}\) and an actual damping coefficient \(C = 35 \, \text{N}\cdot\text{s/m}\). The logarithmic decrement of the system is approximately:

3.Let A and B be real symmetric matrices of same size. Which one of the following options is correct?

6.The values of a function \( f \) obtained for different values of \( x \) are shown in the table below.Using Simpson’s one-third rule, approximate the integral \[ \int_0^1 f(x) \, dx \quad \text{(rounded off to 2 decimal places)}. \]

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2.
A vibrating system has a critical damping coefficient \(C_c = 350 \, \text{N}\cdot\text{s/m}\) and an actual damping coefficient \(C = 35 \, \text{N}\cdot\text{s/m}\). The logarithmic decrement of the system is approximately:

3.
Let A and B be real symmetric matrices of same size. Which one of the following options is correct?

6.
The values of a function \( f \) obtained for different values of \( x \) are shown in the table below.
Using Simpson’s one-third rule, approximate the integral \[ \int_0^1 f(x) \, dx \quad \text{(rounded off to 2 decimal places)}. \]