GATE
Gateway to MTech/MS/PhD admission at the IITs, NITs, IIITs and IISc, and to recruitment in Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) such as ONGC, IOCL and NTPC. Scores are also accepted by some universities abroad, including NUS and NTU in Singapore.
Eligibility
Candidates in the third year or above of any government-recognised bachelor's degree — engineering, science, commerce, arts, architecture and more — or those who have completed one, may appear. There is no age limit and no cap on the number of attempts. A candidate may take one paper or an approved two-paper combination.
Age limit: No age limit
Exam pattern
Computer-based test of 3 hours, offered in 30 test papers across two February weekends. Every paper carries 65 questions for 100 marks: a 15-mark General Aptitude section common to all papers, and 85 marks from the subject syllabus. Question types are Multiple Choice (MCQ), Multiple Select (MSQ) and Numerical Answer Type (NAT). Wrong MCQs cost one-third of a mark (1-mark questions) or two-thirds (2-mark questions); MSQ and NAT have no negative marking. Scores remain valid for three years.
Syllabus at a glance
Each of the 30 papers mirrors the undergraduate curriculum of its discipline — Computer Science covers algorithms, operating systems, databases, networks and theory of computation; Mechanical covers thermodynamics, manufacturing and machine design, and so on. Most engineering papers include Engineering Mathematics, and every paper carries the common General Aptitude section (verbal, quantitative, analytical and spatial reasoning). Newer papers include Data Science & Artificial Intelligence (DA), Environmental Science and Humanities.
Upcoming dates
| Event | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|
| GATE 2027 notification and information brochure | July–Aug 2026 | expected |
| Application window (regular) | Late Aug – late Sept 2026 | expected |
| Admit card release | Early Jan 2027 | expected |
| Exam | 6, 7, 13 & 14 Feb 2027 | expected |
| Result | Mid-March 2027 | expected |
Expected dates follow the usual calendar; confirm on the official notification before planning.
Free prep material
Standard books
- Higher Engineering Mathematics — B.S. Grewal
- GATE Previous Years' Solved Papers (branch-wise) — Made Easy Publications
- Introduction to Algorithms — Thomas H. Cormen et al. (CS/DA)
- Network Analysis — M.E. Van Valkenburg (EE/EC)
- Strength of Materials — R.K. Bansal (ME/CE)
- A Modern Approach to Verbal & Non-Verbal Reasoning — R.S. Aggarwal (General Aptitude)
How toppers play it
- Negative marking applies only to MCQs (−1/3 or −2/3): attempt every MSQ and NAT, and skip MCQs where you are down to a coin-flip guess.
- Bank the 15 General Aptitude marks first — GA questions are formulaic, and previous-paper practice alone can secure 13-plus of them.
- Practise exclusively on the official virtual calculator; NAT questions punish calculator fumbling on exam day.
- Solve 10–15 years of previous papers for your branch — GATE recycles concepts far more than it invents new ones.
- Decide early whether your target is MTech admission or a PSU job: PSU cutoffs are far higher and concentrated in a few branches, and the score stays valid for three years.