The Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) is a big step for aspirants willing to take on the exam. As they say, a little knowledge is a dangerous thing and for GATE aspirants, it certainly is. Without knowing how the exam works you will end up following in the footsteps of the majority and committing the same mistakes they make.
Moreover, without proper knowledge of what you are doing, it is impossible to arrive at conclusions that shape your career. To make things easier for you, this article has all information you need to attempt the exam, crack it and plan your move after that.
Everything you need to know about the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE)
About the GATE exam
GATE is a national-level examination conducted to test the knowledge and comprehensive understanding of different engineering, technology, and architecture subjects taught at the undergraduate level and various arts, commerce, and science subjects taught at the postgraduate level.
Your GATE score remains valid for up to three years from the date of announcement of results.
Who conducts the GATE exam?
The GATE is conducted by the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bangalore and seven Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) at Guwahati, Kanpur, Delhi, Kharagpur, Madras, Bombay, and Roorkee on behalf of the National Coordination Board (NCB)-GATE, Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education (MoE), Government of India.
What is the significance of the GATE Exam?
- Getting a qualifying score is mandatory to get admission and/or financial assistance to postgraduate programs including Masters and doctoral programs with the Ministry of Education (MoE).
- The GATE score is considered in the recruitment process conducted by some Public Service Undertakings (PSUs) and a lot of universities not only in India but also abroad (For example Singapore).
Eligibility Criteria for GATE:
Age and Nationality don’t come in your way of attempting this exam as there is no defined age limit and along with people of Indian nationality, candidates from other countries can also appear for the exam.
Considering the qualification, the following candidates are eligible to appear for the GATE:
- The candidates who have completed their graduation course with a passing percentage in engineering/technology/architecture or have obtained their Master’s degree in a relevant science subject.
- The students who are in the final or pre-year of their qualifying degree.
- Candidates with qualifications received from institutions recognized by UGC/AICTE, AMICE by the Institute of Civil Engineers (India)-ICE(I), AMIETE By IETE(India)) as equivalent to B.E./B.Tech.
Exam Pattern for GATE exam
The GATE is a computer-based exam. It has 29 subjects which are called Papers and they have particular codes. A candidate has to pick one of these to appear for the exam:
| GATE Paper | Code |
| Aerospace Engineering | AE |
| Agricultural Engineering | AG |
| Architecture and Planning | AR |
| Biotechnology | BT |
| Biomedical Engineering | BM |
| Civil Engineering | CE |
| Chemical Engineering | CH |
| Computer Science and Information Technology | CS |
| Chemistry | CY |
| Electronics and Communication Engineering | EC |
| Electrical Engineering | EE |
| Environmental Science and Engineering | ES |
| Ecology and Evolution | EY |
| Geology and Geophysics | GG |
| Instrumentation Engineering | IN |
| Mathematics | MA |
| Mechanical Engineering | ME |
| Mining Engineering | MN |
| Metallurgical Engineering | MT |
| Petroleum Engineering | PE |
| Physics | PH |
| Production and Industrial Engineering | PI |
| Statistics | ST |
| Textile Engineering and Fibre Science | TF |
| Engineering Sciences | XE |
| Humanities and Social Sciences | XH |
| Life Sciences | XL |
The GATE exam is divided into two sections- 1) General Aptitude and 2) Core Subject. Regardless of the subject you choose, general aptitude is common for all Papers.
The core subject section bears two kinds of questions- compulsory and optional. Each question carries either one mark or two marks. The exam has three different types of questions- Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs), Multiple Section Questions (MSQs), and Numerical Answer Type (NAT) Questions.
The questions are framed in a way to test various abilities of the candidates including application, analysis, recall, comprehension, and synthesis.
Check the given exam pattern of the GATE 2023 to know what you can expect and how you must plan your GATE Exam Preparation:
Exam Pattern for GATE 2023
- Duration of the exam- 3 hours
- Sections of the exam-2: General Aptitude and The Core Subject (chosen by the candidate)
- Mode of the examination– Computer-Based
- Types of questions
- Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)
- Multiple Select Questions (MSQs)
- Numerical Answer Type (NAT) Questions
- Maximum marks– 100
- Total number of questions– 65
- Total number of General Aptitude questions– 10
- Distribution of questions and marks in all the Papers except CY, PH, XL, AR, EY, GG, MA–
- Engineering Mathematics- 13 marks
- Core Subject- 72 marks
- General Aptitude- 15 marks
- Distribution of questions and marks in CY, PH, XL, AR, EY, GG, MA
- Core Subject- 85 marks
- General Aptitude- 15 marks
- Negative Marking
- MCQs type 1- 1 mark to be awarded for every correct answer & ⅓ to be deducted for every incorrect answer
- MCQs type 2- 2 marks to be awarded for every correct answer & ⅔ to be deducted for every incorrect answer.
- NAT & MSQ- No negative marking
How should you prepare for GATE?
In most cases, you would be required to devote four to six months to prepare for the GATE exam. It varies as per the individual circumstances and the number of hours a candidate can manage to give to the preparation every day.
Regardless of how many months you study, the plan must include completion of the syllabus while ensuring that there is a complete understanding of the concepts, ample time for revision, and mock tests. When you start analyzing the weaknesses right in the beginning, it can be rewarding in the concluding phase of the plan.
Another important factor to remember is ensuring you make the most of the study material. Use the video lectures, question banks, and mock tests available online. For instance, PrepLadder has done an amazing job in compiling everything that you need in one place, leaving no room for doubts and problems.
Once you understand how the exam works and the details associated with it, all the hurdles go away automatically. Further, it enables you to confidently aim at excellence and prevents you from settling for the average.
Last but not the least, it is critical to have the right mindset. That by itself will unlock most doors and drive you towards success.
With that you now know everything there is to know about GATE. So go ahead and kickstart your GATE exam preparation and ace the exam. All the best!
