Learn What is Gate Exam, Eligibility criteria, Gate exam Pattern and Gate Exam Syllabus.

GATE - Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering

What is GATE?

Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) is an all India entrance Examination conducted jointly by the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore and the seven Indian Institutes of Technology (at Bombay, Delhi, Guwahati, Kanpur, Kharagpur, Madras, and Roorkee). It is conducted every year in the month of February.The GATE Score/Rank is mandatory for admission into and/or financial assistance to Master’s programs and direct Doctoral programs in Engineering/Technology/Architecture in IISc, IITs and other prestigious Institutes / Universities in India. The GATE Score is also used by many PSUs for the recruitment of candidates into prestigious jobs with attractive salary packages. Some of the PSUs which use GATE score for providing jobs include BARC, BHEL, IOCL, HPCL, NTPC, Powergrid, NHPC etc.

GATE is an exam that primarily tests the comprehensive understanding of the candidate in various undergraduate subjects in Engineering / Technology / Architecture / Science / Commerce / Arts. The GATE score reflects the relative performance level of the candidate in a particular subject. GATE score is valid for THREE years.

GATE Exam is conducted in 30 subjects shown in the table below:

Exam Paper	General
Aerospace Engineering	AE
Agricultural Engineering	AG
Architecture and Planning	AR
Biotechnology	BT
Bio-Medical Engineering	BM
Civil Engineering	CE
Chemical Engineering	CH
Computer Science & Information Technology	CS
Chemistry	CY
Electronics and Communication Engineering	EC
Electrical Engineering	EE
Ecology & Evolution	EY
Geology and Geophysics	GG
Geomatics Engineering	GE

Exam Paper	General
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 & Fibre Science	TF
Life Sciences	XL
Engineering Sciences	XE
Environmental Science & Engineering	ES
Humanities & Social Sciences	XH
Naval Architecture & Marine Engineering	NM

GATE Exam Organizing Institutes (Year-wise)

Organizing Institute	Organizing Year
IIT, Roorkee	GATE-2025
IISc, Bangalore	GATE-2024
IIT, Kanpur	GATE-2023
IIT, Kharagpur	GATE-2022
IIT, Bombay	GATE-2021
IIT, Delhi	GATE-2020
IIT, Madras	GATE-2019
IIT, Guwahati	GATE-2018
IIT, Roorkee	GATE-2017
IISc, Bangalore	GATE-2016
IIT, Kanpur	GATE-2015
IIT, Kharagpur	GATE-2014
IIT, Bombay	GATE-2013
IIT, Delhi	GATE-2012
IIT, Madras	GATE-2011
IIT, Guwahati	GATE-2010
IIT, Roorkee	GATE-2009
IISc, Bangalore	GATE-2008
IIT, Kanpur	GATE-2007
IIT, Kharagpur	GATE-2006
IIT, Bombay	GATE-2005
IIT, Delhi	GATE-2004

Organizing Institute	Organizing Year
IIT, Madras	GATE-2003
IISc, Bangalore	GATE-2002
IIT, Kanpur	GATE-2001
IIT, Kharagpur	GATE-2000
IIT, Bombay	GATE-1999
IIT, Delhi	GATE-1998
IIT, Madras	GATE-1997
IISc, Bangalore	GATE-1996
IIT, Kanpur	GATE-1995
IIT, Kharagpur	GATE-1994
IIT, Bombay	GATE-1993
IIT, Delhi	GATE-1992
IIT, Madras	GATE-1991
IISc, Bangalore	GATE-1990
IIT, Kanpur	GATE-1989
IIT, Kharagpur	GATE-1988
IIT, Bombay	GATE-1987
IIT, Delhi	GATE-1986
IIT, Madras	GATE-1985
IISc, Bangalore	GATE-1984

GATE 2025 Two-Paper Combinations

The following table gives the codes of test papers allowed as the second paper for the candidate’s choice of the first paper. These combinations were announced in the regular and extended periods of application.

Code of the First Paper	Codes of the Second Paper	Code of the First Paper	Codes of the Second Paper
AE	CE, ME, XE, GE	GE	AR, CE, CS, ES, GG, MN, XE, AE, DA
AG	CE, XE	GG	GE, AR, MN, XE
AR	CE, GE, GG, XE	IN	BM, EC, EE, ME, DA
BM	BT, IN, DA, EE, XE	MA	CS, DA, PH, ST, EY
BT	BM, XL, ES, EY, CS, DA	ME	AE, DA, IN, NM, PI, XE, CS
CE	AE, AG, AR, ES, GE, NM, XE, DA, TF, EE	MT	XE, PI, DA
CH	ES, PE, XE, CV, XL, DA	NM	CE, ME, XE
CS	DA, EC, GE, MA, PH, ST, XE, BT, EE, ME	PE	CH, XE
CY	XE, XL, CH, XH	PH	CS, DA, EC, EE, MA, XE, XL
DA	CS, EC, EE, MA, ME, PH, ST, XE, BM, CE, IN, CH, MT, BT, XH, GE	PI	ME, XE, MT
EC	CS, DA, EE, IN, PH, XL	ST	CS, DA, MA, XH
EE	DA, EC, IN, PH, BM, XL, CS, CE	XE	AE, CE, CH, CY, DA, ME, MT, PH, PI, AG, AR, BM, CS, GE, GG, NM, PE, TF
ES	CE, CH, GE, BT, EY	XH	ST, DA, CY
EY	XL, BT, MA, ES	XL	BT, CY, EY, CH, EE, PH, EC

Note

The test papers will be in English. Candidates opting to appear in TWO test papers must have a primary choice of test paper. The second test paper must be chosen from the allowed combinations given in the table above. Combinations other than the listed ones are NOT allowed in the initial (Regular and Extended) windows of registration. We may open up additional two-paper combinations at a later date, which will be notified on the GATE 2025 website. This is subject to the availability of infrastructure and scheduling feasibility.
The examination centre of a candidate for the second test paper may be different (but in the same city) from that for the first paper due to infrastructure and scheduling constraints. GATE 2025 shall NOT be liable for any legal obligations arising out of this issue.
Under unforeseen circumstances, certain combinations may be removed from the list in the above table at a later date. In such cases, the fee paid towards the second test paper will be refunded to the candidates.

GATE - 2025 Important Dates

GATE 2025 Important Dates:

Important Dates	Dates
Release of GATE 2025 notification	August 2024
GATE 2025 registration start date	24th August 2024
GATE 2025 registration last date	26th September 2024
GATE 2025 registration last date with late fee	7th October 2024
GATE application form correction date	November 2024
GATE admit card release date	January 2025
GATE 2025 Exam Date	1st,2nd, 15th &16th Feb 2025
Release of GATE response sheets	February 2025
GATE answer key release date	February 2025
GATE 2025 answer key challenge date	February 2025
Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering result date	19th March 2025
Availability of scorecard	March 2025

GATE 2025 Important Dates:

Degree / Program	Qualifying Degree / Examination	Description of Eligible Candidates
B.E. / B.Tech. / B. Pharm.	Bachelor’s degree in Engineering / Technology (4 years after 10+2 or 3 years after B.Sc. / Diploma in Engineering / Technology)	Currently in the 3rd year or higher or already completed
B. Arch.	Bachelor’s degree of Architecture (5-year course) / Naval Architecture (4-year course) / Planning (4-year course)	Currently in the 3rd year or higher or already completed
B.Sc. (Research) / B.S.	Bachelor’s degree in Science (Post-Diploma / 4 years after 10+2)	Currently in the 3rd year or higher or already completed
Pharm. D.(after 10+2)	6 years degree program, consisting of internship or residency training, during third year onwards	Currently in the 3rd/ 4th/ 5th/ 6th year or already completed
M.B.B.S. / B.D.S. / B.V.Sc.	Degree holders of M.B.B.S. / B.D.S. / B.V.Sc and those who are in the 5th/ 6th/ 7th semester or higher semester of such programme	5th/ 6th/ 7th or higher semester or already completed
M. Sc. / M.A. / MCA or equivalent	Master’s degree in any branch of Arts / Science / Mathematics / Statistics / Computer Applications or equivalent	Currently in the first year or higher or already Completed
Int. M.E. / M.Tech.(Post-B.Sc.)	Post-B.Sc Integrated Master’s degree programs in Engineering / Technology (4-year program)	Currently in the 1st/ 2nd/ 3rd/ 4th year or already completed
Int. M.E. / M.Tech. / M.Pharm or Dual Degree (after Diploma or 10+2)	Integrated Master’s degree program or Dual Degree program in Engineering / Technology (5-year program)	Currently in the 3rd/ 4th/ 5th year or already completed
B.Sc. / B.A. / B.Com.	Bachelor degree in any branch of Science / Arts / Commerce (3 year program)	Currently in the 3rd year or already completed
Int. M.Sc. / Int. B.S. / M.S.	Integrated M.Sc. or 5-year integrated B.S.- M.S. program	Currently in the 3rd year or higher or already completed
*Professional Society Examinations (equivalent to B.E. / B.Tech. / B.Arch.)**	B.E. / B.Tech. / B.Arch. equivalent examinations of Professional Societies, recognized by MoE / UPSC / AICTE (e.g. AMIE by Institution of Engineers-India, AMICE by the Institute of Civil Engineers-India and so on)	Completed Section A or equivalent of such professional courses
B.Sc. (Agriculture, Horticulture, Forestry)	4-years program	Currently in the 3rd/ 4th year or already completed

GATE 2025 Cut off Marks

GATE 2025 Cut off Marks:

Cut Off Marks to qualify in GATE 2025 (Out of 100)
Branch	General	OBC	SC/ST/PH	AIR 1
EC	25	22.5	16.6	82.67
EE	25	22.5	16.6	81.67
CE	29.2	26.2	19.4	89.02
ME	35.8	32.2	23.8	95.33
CS	29.2	26.2	19.4	100
IN	25.6	23	17	65
DA	29	26.1	19.3	96.33

GATE 2025 Eligibility

Eligibility for GATE 2024

Qualifying Degree	Qualifying Degree / Examination	Description of Eligible Candidates	Year of Qualification not later than
B.E./ B.Tech./ B. Pharm.	Bachelor’s degree holders in Engineering/ Technology (4 years after 10+2 or 3 years after B.Sc./Diploma in Engineering /Technology)	Currently in the Pre-final / Final Year or already completed	2022 / 2023
B. Arch.	Bachelor’s degree holders of Architecture (5 years course)	Currently in the Pre-final / Final Year or already completed	2023 / 2024
B.Sc. (Research)/ B.S	Bachelor’s degree in Science (Post-Diploma/4 years after 10+2)	Currently in the Pre-final / 4th year or already completed	2022 / 2023
Pharm.D (After 10+2)	6 years program, consisting of intership or residency training during sixth year	Currently in the 3rd / 4th / 5th / 6th year already completed	2022 / 2023/2024/ 2025
M. Sc./ M.A./MCA or equivalent	Master’s degree in any branch of Science /Mathematics/Statistics/ Computer Applications or equivalent	Currently in the Pre-final / final Year or already completed	2022/ 2023
Int. M.E./ M.Tech. (Post-B.Sc.)	Post-B.s.c Integrated Master’s Degree Programs in Engineering Technology (4 years program)	Currently in the 1st / 2nd/ 3rd/ 4th Year or already completed	2022 / 2023/2024/ 2025
Int. M.E./ M.Tech. or Dual Degree (after Diploma or 10+2)	Integrated Master’s degree program or Dual Degree program in Engineering/Technology (5 years program)	Currently in the 3rd / 4th / 5th year or already completed	2022 / 2023/2024
Int. M.Sc./ Int. B.S.-M.S.	Integrated M.Sc. or 5 years integrated B.S.-M.S. program	Currently in the Pre-final / final Year or already completed	2022 / 2023
B.sc/B.A/B.com	Bachelor degree in any branch of science/arts/commerce (3 Year Program)	Currently in the 3rd year or already completed	2022 / 2023
Professional Society Examinations* (equivalent to B.E./B.Tech./B. Arch.)	B.E./B.Tech./B.Arch. equivalent examinations of Professional Societies, recognized by MHRD/UPSC/AICTE (e.g., AMIE by Institution of Engineers India, AMICE by the Institute of Civil Engineers-India and so on)	Completed Section A or equivalent of such professional courses	NA

* Some of these Professional Societies / Institutions, which conduct examination in various fields of engineering are as follows:

The Institution of Engineers (India) (IE)
The Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE)
The Institution of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineers (IETE)
The Aeronautical Society of India (AeSI)
The Indian Institute of Chemical Engineers, including Polymer and Environmental Group (IIChemE)
The Indian Institute of Metals (IIM)
The Indian Institute of Industrial Engineers (IIE)

However, the candidates who possess certification from any of the professional societies must ensure that those examinations conducted by the societies are approved by MHRD/AICTE as equivalent to B.E./B.Tech./B.Arch.

GATE 2025 Exam Pattern

The Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) is a national-level examination conducted annually for admission to various postgraduate programs in engineering and technology. The GATE exam pattern is designed to test the aptitude of candidates in their respective engineering disciplines.

The GATE exam is a computer-based test that comprises multiple-choice questions (MCQs), Multiple Select Questions (MSQs) and numerical answer type (NAT) questions. The duration of the exam is three hours, and it is conducted in two sessions each day.

The GATE exam pattern consists of a total of 65 questions, with a maximum of 100 marks. The MCQs carry one or two marks each and MSQs carry one or two marks each, while the NAT questions carry one or two marks each, depending on the question. There is also a provision for negative marking, with a one-third mark being deducted for every wrong answer in the MCQs.

The GATE exam pattern varies for different engineering disciplines, and candidates need to be aware of the pattern specific to their discipline. Overall, the GATE exam pattern is designed to test the conceptual understanding and problem-solving skills of candidates in their respective engineering fields.

GATE EC/EE/ME/CE/PI/IN/CS Exam Pattern

Particulars	Details
Mode of Examination	The test papers will be in English. Computer Based Test (CBT) [will be conducted at select centers in select cities].
Duration	3 Hours
Number of Subjects (Papers)	30
Sections	General Aptitude (GA) + Candidate’s Selected Subjects
Type of Questions	andidate’s Selected Subject(s) (a) Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ) (b) Multiple Select Questions (MSQ) and/or (c) Numerical Answer Type (NAT) Questions
Questions for testing these abilities	(a) Recall (b) Comprehension (c) Application (d) Analysis & Synthesis
Distribution of Marks in all Papers EXCEPT papers AR, CY, DA, EY, GG, MA, PH, ST, XH and XL	General Aptitude: 15 marks Engineering Mathematics: 13 marks Subject Questions: 72 marks Total: 100 marks (XE includes Engineering Mathematics section XE-A of 15 marks)
Distribution of Marks in papers AR, CY, DA, EY, GG, MA, PH, ST, XH and XL	General Aptitude: 15 marks Subject Questions: 85 marks Total: 100 marks
Marking Scheme	Questions carry 1 mark or 2 marks
Negative Marking	For a wrong answer chosen in an MCQ, there will be negative marking. For a 1-mark MCQ, 1/3 mark will be deducted for a wrong answer. For a 2-mark MCQ, 2/3 mark will be deducted for a wrong answer. There is no negative marking for wrong answer(s) to MSQ or NAT questions. There is no partial marking in MSQ.

Paper Code	General Aptitude (GA) Marks	Compulsory Section	Subject Marks	Total Marks	*Total Time (Minutes)**
AE, AG, BM, BT, CE, CH, CS, EC, EE, ES, IN, ME, MN, MT, NM, PE, PI, TF; Subject marks in these papers include questions on Engineering Mathematics (13 marks), which are paper-specific.	15	–	85	100	180
CY, DA, EY, MA, PH, ST	15	–	85	100	180
AR [Part A is Common and Compulsory for all; Part B1 or Part B2 can be selected during Exam. B1: Architecture or B2: Planning]	15	60	25	100	180
GE [Part A is Common and Compulsory for all; Part B1 or B2 can be selected during the Exam. B1 – Surveying and Mapping or B2 -Image Processing and Analysis.	15	55	30	100	180
GG [Part A is Common and Compulsory for all; Part B can either be Geology (B1) or Geophysics (B2) — which must be chosen at the time of Application.]	15	25	60	100	180
XE [Section A (Engineering Mathematics) is Common and Compulsory for all; Applicants must select any TWO additional Sections during the Exam]	15	15	2 x 35	100	180
XH [Section B1 (Reasoning and Comprehension) is Common and Compulsory for all; Applicants must select any ONE additional Section at the time of Application]	15	25	60	100	180
XL [Section P (Chemistry) is Common and Compulsory for all; Applicants must select any TWO additional Sections during the Exam]	15	25	2 x 30	100	180

GATE - list of IIT/NIIT and IIITs

List of IITs

S.No	Name of IIT	State	Year of Establishment	Website
1	IIT Kharagpur	West Bengal	1951	Website
2	IIT Bombay	Maharashtra	1958	Website
3	IIT Madras	Tamil Nadu	1959	Website
4	IIT Kanpur	Uttar Pradesh	1959	Website
5	IIT Delhi	Delhi	1961	Website
6	IIT Guwahati	Assam	1994	Website
7	IIT Roorkee	Uttarakhand	2001	Website
8	IIT Ropar	Punjab	2008	Website
9	IIT Bhubaneswar	Odisha	2008	Website
10	IIT Gandhinagar	Gujarat	2008	Website
11	IIT Hyderabad	Telangana	2008	Website
12	IIT Jodhpur	Rajasthan	2008	Website
13	IIT Patna	Bihar	2008	Website
14	IIT Indore	Madhya Pradesh	2009	Website
15	IIT Mandi	Himachal Pradesh	2009	Website
16	IIT (BHU) Varanasi	Uttar Pradesh	2012	Website
17	IIT Palakkad	Kerala	2015	Website
18	IIT Tirupati	Andhra Pradesh	2015	Website
19	IIT Dhanbad	Jharkhand	2016	Website
20	IIT Bhilai	Chhattisgarh	2016	Website
21	IIT Dharwad	Karnataka	2016	Website
22	IIT Jammu	Jammu and Kashmir	2016	Website
23	IIT Goa	Goa	2016	Website

List of NITs

S.No	Name of IIT	State	Year of Establishment	Website
1	NIT Allahabad	Uttar Pradesh	2002	Website
2	NIT Bhopal	Madhya Pradesh	2002	Website
3	NIT Nagpur	Maharashtra	2002	Website
4	NIT Durgapur	West Bengal	2002	Website
5	NIT Hamirpur	Himachal Pradesh	2002	Website
6	NIT Jaipur	Rajasthan	2002	Website
7	NIT Jalandhar	Punjab	2002	Website
8	NIT Jamshedpur	Jharkhand	2002	Website
9	NIT Kurukshetra	Haryana	2002	Website
10	NIT Calicut	Kerala	2002	Website
11	NIT Rourkela	Odisha	2002	Website
12	NIT Silchar	Assam	2002	Website
13	NIT Karnataka	Karnataka	2002	Website
14	NIT Warangal	Telangana	2002	Website
15	NIT Surat	Gujarat	2002	Website
16	NIT Tiruchirappalli	Tamil Nadu	2002	Website
17	NIT Srinagar	Jammu and Kashmir	2003	Website
18	NIT Patna	Bihar	2004	Website
19	NIT Raipur	Chhattisgarh	2005	Website
20	NIT Agartala	Tripura	2006	Website
21	NIT Arunachal Pradesh	Arunachal Pradesh	2010	Website
22	NIT Delhi	Delhi	2010	Website
23	NIT Goa	Goa	2010	Website
24	NIT Manipur	Manipur	2010	Website
25	NIT Meghalaya	Meghalaya	2010	Website
26	NIT Mizoram	Mizoram	2010	Website
27	NIT Nagaland	Nagaland	2010	Website
28	NIT Puducherry	Puducherry	2010	Website
29	NIT Sikkim	Sikkim	2010	Website
30	NIT Uttarakhand	Uttarakhand	2010	Website
31	NIT Andhra Pradesh	Andhra Pradesh	2015	Website

List of IIITs

S.No	Name of IIT	State	Year of Establishment	Website
1	Atal Bihari Vajpayee Indian Institute of Information Technology and Management	Madhya Pradesh	1997	Website
2	Indian Institute of Information Technology, Allahabad	Uttar Pradesh	1999	Website
3	Indian Institute of Information Technology, Design and Manufacturing, Jabalpur	Madhya Pradesh	2005	Website
4	Indian Institute of Information Technology, Design and Manufacturing, Kancheepuram	Tamil Nadu	2007	Website
5	Indian Institute of Information Technology, Sri City	Andhra Pradesh	2013	Website
6	Indian Institute of Information Technology, Guwahati	Assam	2013	Website
7	Indian Institute of Information Technology, Vadodara	Gujarat	2013	Website
8	Indian Institute of Information Technology, Kota	Rajasthan	2013	Website
9	Indian Institute of Information Technology, Tiruchirappalli	Tamil Nadu	2013	Website
10	Indian Institute of Information Technology, Una	Himachal Pradesh	2014	Website
11	Indian Institute of Information Technology, Sonepat	Haryana	2014	Website
12	Indian Institute of Information Technology, Kalyani	West Bengal	2014	Website
13	Indian Institute of Information Technology, Lucknow	Uttar Pradesh	2015	Website
14	Indian Institute of Information Technology, Dharwad	Karnataka	2015	Website
15	Indian Institute of Information Technology, Design and Manufacturing, Kurnool	Andhra Pradesh	2015	Website
16	Indian Institute of Information Technology, Kottayam	Kerala	2015	Website
17	Indian Institute of Information Technology, Manipur	Manipur	2015	Website
18	Indian Institute of Information Technology, Nagpur	Maharashtra	2016	Website
19	Indian Institute of Information Technology, Pune	Maharashtra	2016	Website
20	Indian Institute of Information Technology, Ranchi	Jharkhand	2016	Website
21	Indian Institute of Information Technology, Surat	Gujarat	2017	Website
22	Indian Institute of Information Technology, Bhopal	Madhya Pradesh	2017	Website
23	Indian Institute of Information Technology, Bhagalpur	Bihar	2017	Website
24	Indian Institute of Information Technology, Agartala	Tripura	2018	Website
25	Indian Institute of Information Technology, Raichur	Karnataka	2019	Website

Opportunities through GATE

Students can pursue M.Tech, M.S, M.E, or Ph.D. programs at prestigious institutions like IISc Bangalore, IITs, NITs, IIITs, and other reputed institutes.
specialized Post Graduate Diplomas such as PGDIE, PGDMM, and PGDPM are available at NITIE Mumbai.
Fellowship programs in IIMs (equivalent to PhD) with stipend ranging from Rs. 35,000 to 40,000 per month along with a one time grant of Rs. 1,00,000 to 2,00,000 . specialization in Behavioural Sciences, Economics, Finance and Control, Management Information Systems, Marketing, Human Resource Management, Operations Management, Public Policy and Management,Strategic Management.
Reputed Maharatna and Navratna PSUs and research organizations, including IOCL, NTPC, BHEL, PGCIL, BARC, and CSIR recruit based on GATE scores.
Research Roles:
- Junior Research Fellow: Opportunities at ISRO, DRDO, BARC, CSIR, IITs, etc.
- Senior Research Fellow: Advanced research roles at the same institutions.
- Junior/Senior Research Associates and Scientist ‘C’ Grade positions.
Career Prospects:
- Lucrative opportunities in Research & Development after post-graduation.
- Multinational Firms often shortlist candidates based on their GATE scores.
- Some international universities offer M.S. or Ph.D. programs based on GATE scores. A few foreign universities like National University of Singapore (Singapore), Nanyang Technological University(Singapore), Technical University of Germany (Germany) and RWTH ACHEN (Germany)accept GATE score. Students must keep in mind that the average GATE score they should get is above 90 percentile.

GATE - Exams Cities

There are no international centres for GATE 2025 examination. Desirous foreign or Indian nationals who are interested in appearing for the GATE 2025 examination will have to travel to India to appear for the test.