Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) Syllabus
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Exam pattern
Computer Based Test
Conducted in English across 30 test papers. A candidate may appear in one paper or up to two, subject to the permitted two-paper combinations. Questions carry either one or two marks and test recall, comprehension, application, and analysis and synthesis. Certain PwD candidates may claim one hour of compensatory time.
Mark distribution — most papers
General Aptitude 15 marks, Engineering Mathematics 13 marks, subject questions 72 marks. Applies to AE, AG, BM, BT, CE, CH, CS, EC, EE, ES, IN, ME, MN, MT, NM, PE, PI and TF, where the Engineering Mathematics questions are paper-specific.
Mark distribution — AR, CY, DA, EY, GE, GG, MA, PH, ST, XH and XL
General Aptitude 15 marks and subject questions 85 marks, with no separate Engineering Mathematics component.
Topic-wise syllabus
General Aptitude (GA)
Common and compulsory in every one of the 30 test papers.
Engineering Mathematics
Included within the subject marks of AE, AG, BM, BT, CE, CH, CS, EC, EE, ES, IN, ME, MN, MT, NM, PE, PI and TF. In the XE paper it is Section A and carries 15 marks.
Subject questions
72 marks where Engineering Mathematics is separate, or 85 marks in AR, CY, DA, EY, GE, GG, MA, PH, ST, XH and XL.
Papers with an optional section
AR splits 60 compulsory and 25 optional marks between Architecture and Planning; GE splits 55 and 30 between Surveying and Mapping and Image Processing; GG splits 25 and 60 between Geology and Geophysics, chosen at application. XE is 15 marks of Engineering Mathematics plus two sections of 35 marks each; XH is 25 marks of Reasoning and Comprehension plus one 60-mark section; XL is 25 marks of Chemistry plus two sections of 30 marks each.