PG Research · Entrance Exams

GATE Exam Pattern

Every figure here is from the GATE 2027 question-paper-pattern page at IIT Madras and the GATE 2026 cut-off page at IIT Guwahati.

Take a Free GATE MockGATE Syllabus

GATE · checked 19 September 2026

GATE at a glance, from the official notices

The dates, vacancies and rules below are read on the conducting body’s own site and rewritten as each notice appears. The guide beneath carries the full pattern, syllabus, cut-offs and free mock tests.

Free GATE mock testGATE syllabusToday’s current affairs
27Sep 2026

Next deadline

GATE: the facts that matter now

  1. 01

    GOAPS opened 2 September 2026 (rescheduled from 14 and 27 August); regular registration closes 27 September and the extended window with late fee…

    2027 cycle

  2. 02

    Examinations 7–8 and 14–15 February 2026, result 19 March 2026; cut-offs (General / OBC-EWS / SC-ST-PwD) CS 30 / 27 / 20 with 2,59,922 registered…

    GATE 2026 (IIT Guwahati)

  3. 03

    IIT Madras for GATE 2027, on behalf of the National Coordination Board of the Ministry of Education, jointly with IISc and the other IITs…

    Conducted by

  4. 04

    30 test papers, including the new Robotics and Automation (RA) paper; up to two papers from the approved combinations; DigiLocker registration…

    Papers

Pattern

GATE — GATE exam pattern 2027: 65 questions, 100 marks, three question types and the MCQ-only deduction

GATE is a 3-hour computer-based paper of 65 questions for 100 marks — General Aptitude 10 questions for 15 marks and the chosen subject 55 questions for 85 — set as 1- and 2-mark multiple-choice, multiple-select and numerical-answer questions, with a deduction only on wrong multiple-choice answers.

Structure.
SectionQuestionsMarks
General Aptitude1015
Subject (incl. Engineering Mathematics 13 in engineering papers)5585
Total65100 in 180 minutes
Rules.
RuleDetail
MCQ−1/3 on 1-mark, −2/3 on 2-mark wrong answers
MSQ and NATNo negative marking; no partial marks on MSQ
Papers30, including the new RA; two allowed from the approved combinations
ScoreNormalised marks → GATE score out of 1,000; valid three years
2026 cut-offs (General)CS 30, EC 26.4, EE 27.7, ME 25.2, CE 28.7, DA 26.4, XL 36.3

Exam resources

Everything for GATE

Six resource pages, each kept in step with the latest official notification.

GATE SyllabusGATE syllabus — general aptitude, engineering mathematics and the subject syllabus for each paper.GATE Exam PatternGATE exam pattern 2027 — 65 questions for 100 marks in 3 hours, General Aptitude 15 and subject 85, MCQ/MSQ/NAT with −1/3 and −2/3 on MCQs only; 2026 cut-offs.GATE Previous PapersGATE previous year papers — building a topic weighting table and practising the three question types.GATE Mock TestsGATE mock tests — full three-hour practice with the correct marking rules for each question type.GATE PreparationGATE preparation — topic-weighted subject revision, engineering mathematics, general aptitude and choosing your target.GATE Study MaterialGATE study material — guidance on degree textbooks for the subject, plus mathematics and aptitude notes.

Related

More PG Research preparation

All PG Research examsEvery exam in this categoryPrevious-year papersPast papers with solutionsCurrent affairsDaily, weekly and monthlyExam updatesNotifications and results

Start your GATE preparation today

Read the syllabus, attempt a free mock, then fix the section that costs you the most marks.

Take Free Mock TestExplore Exams

Already practising? Create Free Account to track your preparation.

Explore ExamsTake Free Mock Test