GATE Exam Pattern or Structure
GATE Exam Pattern / Structure
At present, GATE is conducted in the following 23 engineering branches. A GATE student/aspirant can select any one of these.
| GATE Engineering Branch | Code | GATE Engineering Branch | Code |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aerospace Engineering | AE | Instrumentation Engineering | IN |
| Agricultural Engineering | AG | Mathematics | MA |
| Architecture and Planning | AR | Mechanical Engineering | ME |
| Biotechnology | BT | Mining Engineering | MN |
| Civil Engineering | CE | Metallurgical Engineering | MT |
| Chemical Engineering | CH | Petroleum Engineering | PE |
| Computer Science and Information Technology | CS | Physics | PH |
| Chemistry | CY | Production and Industrial Engineering | PI |
| Electronics and Communication Engineering | EC | Textile Engineering and Fiber Science | TF |
| Electrical Engineering | EE | Engineering Sciences | XE* |
| Ecology and Evolution | EY | Life Sciences | XL** |
| Geology and Geophysics | GG |
There is a total of 14 paper sections that come under these two Papers. The paper sections under XE* and XL* are defined by some dedicated codes which are mentioned in the following table-
| * Engineering Sciences (XE) Paper Sections (A and any 2 of B to H) |
Code | ** Life Sciences (XL) Paper Sections (P and any 2 of Q to U) |
Code |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engineering Mathematics (Compulsory) | A | Chemistry (Compulsory) | P |
| Fluid Mechanics | B | Biochemistry | Q |
| Materials Science | C | Botany | R |
| Solid Mechanics | D | Microbiology | S |
| Thermodynamics | E | Zoology | T |
| Polymer Science and Engineering | F | Food Technology | U |
| Food Technology | G | ||
| Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences | H |
General aptitude questions:
Each subject’s test contains 10 questions that test the “general aptitude” (language and analytic skills), apart from the core subject of the discipline.
Duration and examination type:
The examination is of 3 hours duration, and contains a total of 65 questions worth a maximum of 100 marks. From 2014 onward, the examination for all the papers is carried out in an online Computer Based Test (CBT) mode where the candidates are shown the questions in a random sequence on a computer screen. The questions consist of both multiple choice questions (four answer options out of which the correct one has to be chosen) and numerical answer type questions (answer is a real number, to be entered via an on-screen keypad and computer mouse). Candidates are provided with scribble pads for rough work and these have to be returned after the examination. At the end of the 3-hour window, the computer automatically closes the screen from further actions.
General Aptitude Syllabus (common for all engineering branches)
Verbal Ability:English grammar, sentence completion, verbal analogies, word groups, instructions, critical reasoning and verbal deduction. Numerical Ability:Numerical computation, numerical estimation, numerical reasoning and data interpretation. |