GATE
Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering
Important dates
Eligibility criteria
Currently in the 3rd or higher year of an approved undergraduate degree, or completed an approved degree, in Engineering/Technology/Architecture/Science/Commerce/Arts/Humanities. Professional degrees such as MBBS/BDS/B.V.Sc. and master's degrees such as M.Sc./M.A./MCA are also covered as per the current GATE eligibility table.
Exam pattern
65 questions, 100 marks, 3 hours. MCQ + MSQ + NAT (Numerical Answer Type). -1/3 for wrong MCQ, no negative for NAT/MSQ.
Syllabus overview
Subject-specific: 30 papers in GATE 2026, including engineering, science, architecture, humanities/social sciences, data science/AI, and other papers
General Aptitude: Verbal Ability + Numerical Ability (15 marks)
Engineering Mathematics or paper-specific quantitative sections where applicable
Core subject: normally the major share of the 100-mark paper
Accepted colleges
Cutoff trends
For CS and Data Science/AI papers, top IIT M.Tech seats usually require very high GATE scores and ranks; exact cutoffs vary by paper, institute, category, and year. PSU cutoffs are recruitment-specific and can change sharply with vacancies.
Preparation tip
6–12 months post-graduation; 12–18 months while studying of dedicated preparation is recommended. Start with the official syllabus and previous year papers.
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