GATE Exam Pattern
Discover the structured exam patterns meticulously crafted to assess students’ comprehension and application of knowledge, providing a clear roadmap for success and confidence in facing academic challenges.
Syllabus, Exam Pattern, Eligibility, Age limit, Fellowship
| Number of tests | Once in a year |
| Fellowship/ Assistantship | Subject to fulfilling the admission criteria of the admitting institutes. |
| Administering institutes | IISc Bangalore and 7 IITs |
| Organizing Institute of Exam | One of the administering institutes |
| Medium of examination | English |
| Mode of examination | Computer based test (CBT) |
| Subject papers allowed | Maximum TWO Paper combinations |
| Combination of TWO Papers Allowed | BM (Biomedical Engineering), BT (Biotechnology), CY (Chemistry), EY (Ecology and Evolution): Allowed as the Second Paper, if primary paper is Life Sciences |
| Time duration | 3 hours |
| Maximum marks | 100 |
| Paper Sections |
General Aptitude (GA) + Chemistry (Compulsory) Any TWO optional Sections: Biochemistry, Botany, Microbiology, Zoology, Food Technology |
| Type of questions |
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ) Multiple Select Questions (MSQ) Numerical Answer Type (NAT) Questions |
| Number of questions | 10 (GA) + 55 (subject) = 65 Questions |
| Pattern of questions |
GA : 5 x 1 + 5 x 2 =15 : 5 questions carrying 1-mark each and 5 questions carrying 2-marks each. Subject: Chemistry (Compulsory): 9 x 1 + 8 x 2 =25 marks : 9 questions carrying 1-mark each and 8 questions carrying 2-marks each. Only TWO optional sections can be answered at a time. Each of the optional sections of the XL paper (Biochemistry, Botany, Microbiology, Zoology, Food Technology) contains 19 questions carrying a total of 30 marks: 8 questions carrying 1-mark each (sub-total 8 marks) and 11 questions carrying 2-marks each (sub-total 22 marks). |
| Distribution of Marks | General Aptitude: 15 Marks + Chemistry: 25 Marks + Optional TWO Subjects: 60 Marks , Total: 100 Marks |
| Marking Scheme | Questions carry 1 mark and 2 marks |
| Negative Marking | For a wrong answer chosen in a MCQ, there will be negative marking. For 1-mark MCQ, 1/3 mark will be deducted for a wrong answer. Likewise, for 2-mark MCQ, 2/3 mark will be deducted for a wrong answer. |
| Eligibility | 3rd Year or higher years of any undergraduate degree program OR Currently in the first year or higher or already completed Master’s degree in any relevant science subject |
| Age limit | No age limit |
| Syllabus | Click here |
| Validity of Score Card | Three years |
| Relevant website | https://gate2024.iisc.ac.in/ |
| Useful Links |
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