A GATEway to the prestigious IITs and also a score that can be used for evaluation as you aspire to join PSUs like SAIL, ONGC and IOC, the GATE exam is one of the most important competitive exams in India. A good GATE score also helps in getting financial assistance from the Ministry of Human Resources Development (MHRD) or other Government agencies for certain Master’s and Doctorate programs. Once you have decided to attempt the exam, understanding the GATE exam pattern is crucial to plan and schedule your studies.
The Many Disciplines of GATE
Currently the GATE exam is conducted across 23 disciplines which are divided into 2 larger groups, one which include engineering mathematics in the GATE question pattern.
GATE Disciplines Chart
| GATE Paper | Code | GATE Paper | 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 Fibre Science | TF |
| Electrical Engineering | EE | Engineering Sciences | XE* |
| Ecology and Evolution | EY | Life Sciences | XL** |
| Geology and Geophysics | GG |
GATE 2017 Exam Pattern Elements
- The GATE paper pattern contains 65 questions which are for 100 marks. The GATE exam for all disciplines consists of 10 questions on General Aptitude that account for 15 marks.
- For the following Engineering disciplines – Aerospace, Metallurgical, Electrical, Civil Engineering, Chemical, Mechanical, Electronics and Communication, Agricultural, Instrumentation, Biotechnology, Mining, Petroleum, Production and Industrial Engineering, Computer Science and IT, Textile Engineering and Fibre Sciences and Engineering Sciences, the GATE exam paper pattern is as follows – General Aptitude will carry 15% of the marks, the Engineering Mathematics another 15% and the remaining 70% is accounted by the subject material.
- The GATE question pattern for the disciplines – Agriculture & Planning, Chemistry, Ecology & Evolution, Geology & Geophysics, Mathematics, Physics and Life Sciences is 15% for the General Aptitude Section and the remaining 85% for the subject material.
Types of Questions
To master the GATE exam question pattern, whether it is the GATE exam pattern for Civil Engineering or the GATE paper pattern for ECE, it is imperative that you are familiar with the types of questions that will test your knowledge.
- Multiple choice questions of 1 or 2 marks are objective in nature and the candidate will have to choose the correct answer from a choice of four.
- Numerical questions are for 1 or 2 marks, and the answer is a number which has to be typed in using a virtual keypad.
Question Designs
The exam pattern of GATE includes questions that are designed to test multiple abilities of the candidate.
- The Recall type questions are based on your memory of study material.
- The Comprehension type questions require you to navigate your existing knowledge and draw a conclusion unique to the question.
- The Application type questions require logical reasoning or computation.
- For the Analysis and Synthesis type questions you will have analyse given data to find answers.
- Linked answer questions require you to solve the first part of a problem in order to be able to continue onto the second and common data questions comprise of independent questions based on common data.
Negative Marking in GATE – Mind those Options
- Negative marking is assigned for the multiple-choice answers, so make your choices carefully.
- A wrong choice for a 2-mark answer results in a 0.66 deduction and a 0.33 deduction is given for a wrong answer to a 1 mark question.
The Base for Your Efforts
The GATE provides some of the most diverse platforms for you to grow and learn in. Cracking this exam will give you a multitude of choices in India’s top colleges.