Eduspray
HomeExamsGATE 2027Exam Pattern
GATE 2027
Entrance Exam

GATE 2027

Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras (Organizing Institute) on behalf of the National Coordination Board (NCB-GATE), Ministry of Education, Government of India

Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) 2027 is a national-level entrance examination for admission to M.Tech, M.E., Ph.D., and other postgraduate programs in Engineering, Technology, Science, Architecture, Humanities, and related fields. GATE scores are also used by several PSUs for recruitment

IIT GuwahatiEngineering Entrance ExamMTech AdmissionPSU JobsGraduate Aptitude Test in EngineeringGOAPSNational Level ExamGATE2027IIT MADRAS

Last updated: 26 Sept 2026

Syllabus

Exam Pattern

Updated 28 September 2026Published 28 September 2026
GATE 2027SYLLABUS

IIT Madras has released the GATE Exam Pattern 2027 at gate2027.iitm.ac.in. GATE 2027 will include 30 test papers, and candidates can choose to appear for up to two papers from the permitted combinations.

  • The GATE 2027 exam will be conducted in CBT mode for 3 hours (180 minutes).

  • GATE Exam Pattern has 65 questions for 100 marks. The 65 questions are split into two parts: 10 questions from general aptitude and 55 subject-specific questions.

  • The General Aptitude (GA) section is common across all papers and accounts for 15 marks, while the remaining 85 marks are based on the selected test paper.

  • GATE paper pattern includes Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs), Multiple Select Questions (MSQs), and Numerical Answer Type (NAT) questions.

  • According to GATE marking scheme, a question may carry either 1 mark or 2 marks.

  • There is no negative marking for incorrect answers in MSQ and NAT. For an incorrect answer in MCQ, there is negative marking of 1/3 for a 1-mark question and 2/3 marks for a 2-mark question.

  • In GATE CSE, Engineering Mathematics contains 8- 10 questions (13%), and Programming & Data Structures contains 6-8 questions (10- 12%).

  • In GATE ECE, Signals & Systems has 10- 14% weightage (6- 8 questions), and Analogue Circuits has 9- 12%( 5- 7 questions).

GATE Exam Pattern 2027: Latest Updates

The GATE 2027 Exam Pattern has a few updates, including the introduction of the new Robotics and Automation (RA) paper and changes to the sectional codes for XE, XH, and XL.

  • GATE 2027 introduces Robotics & Automation as a new test paper.

  • The sectional paper codes have been revised for Engineering Sciences (XE), Humanities & Social Sciences (XH), and Life Sciences (XL).

  • Textile Engineering & Fibre Science (TF) has been moved into the XE paper as XE9.

  • The syllabus for GATE 2027 test papers has been revised, so candidates should refer to the latest paper-wise syllabus when preparing.

Key Summary

  • GATE 2027 will be conducted on February 6, 7, 13, 14, 20, and 21, 2027.

  • The mode of GATE 2027 exam is in English only.

  • In MCQs, only one out of four options is correct. In MSQs, one or more than one out of four options is/are correct. For NAT questions, the numerical answer is entered using a virtual keypad.

  • The GATE exam pattern tests candidates' recall, application and analysis abilities.

  • The syllabus of the GATE 2027 has been revised. So you are advised to follow the new syllabus prescribed on the official website.

  • GATE 2027 will have a new test paper on Robotics and Automation (RA). Textile Engineering and Fibre Science (TF) paper will be a part of the XE sectional paper.

GATE Exam Pattern 2027: Key Highlights

A brief overview of GATE 2027 exam pattern is tabulated below. Follow it to prepare accordingly.

Particulars

Details

Medium

English

Mode of Exam

Online

GATE Exam Duration

3 Hours

Number of Test Papers

30

Distribution of Marks in all Papers Except AR, CY, DA, EY, GE, GG, MA, PH, RA, ST, XH, and XL

Total: 100 marks

  • General Aptitude: 15 marks

  • Engineering Mathematics: 13 marks

  • Subject Questions: 72 marks

GATE 2027 Marks Distribution in papers AR, CY, DA, EY, GE, GG, MA, PH, RA, ST, XH, and XL

Total: 100 marks

  • General Aptitude: 15 marks

  • Subject Questions: 85 marks

Total Questions

65 (10 questions from GA + 55 Subject Question)

Question Types

MCQ, MSQ and NAT

GATE Marking Scheme

Questions carry either 1 mark or 2 marks

Negative Marking

Applicable only to MCQs

  • For a 1-mark MCQ, 1/3 mark will be deducted for a wrong answer.

  • For a 2-mark MCQ, 2/3 marks will be deducted for a wrong answer.

Number of Papers a Candidate Can Attempt

1 or 2, subject to permitted combinations

GATE Exam Pattern 2027: Subject-wise Paper Pattern

The subject-wise GATE exam pattern 2027 is discussed below. Check it out based on your subject preference.

GATE Exam Pattern 2027: Major Papers

CSE, CE, ME, ECE and EE are the most popular choices among GATE aspirants. Along with these, the GATE paper pattern for AE, AG, BM, BT, ES, IN, MN, MT, NM, PE, and PI is the same. Check out the detailed GATE 2027 exam pattern for these papers.

Particulars

Details

Total number of questions

65

GATE Total Marks

100

GATE Section-wise Weightage

  • General Aptitude: 15 marks

  • Engineering Mathematics: 13 marks

  • Subject Questions: 72 marks

Question types

MCQs, MSQs, and NATs

GATE Exam Pattern 2027: AR Paper

Check out the GATE exam pattern 2027 for Architecture and Planning (AR) Test Paper below.

  • Part A is common for all candidates.

  • Part B contains two parts: Part B1 (Architecture) and Part B2 (Planning).

  • The choice of Part B1 or Part B2 can be made during the examination

Particulars

Details

Total number of questions

65

GATE Total Marks

100

GATE total marks in Part A

60 marks

GATE total marks in Part B

  • 16 questions, each carrying a total of 25 marks

  • 7 questions carrying 1 mark each

  • 9 questions carrying 2 marks each

Question types

MCQs, MSQs, and NATs

GATE Exam Pattern 2027: XE Paper

The GATE exam pattern 2027 for the Engineering Science paper is discussed below.

  • General Aptitude section is compulsory and carries a total of 15 marks.

  • Engineering Mathematics section is common, and it carries 11 questions for 15 marks.

Particulars

Details

Total number of questions

65

GATE Total Marks

100

GATE total marks for XE

GA- 15 marksEngineering Mathematics- 15 marksAny Two Optional XE Sections- 35 marks x 2

Question types

MCQs, MSQs, and NATs

Watch the YouTube video by “Dr. Gajendra Purohit” to learn about the complete GATE Exam pattern 2027 and syllabus.

GATE Exam Pattern 2027: Subject-wise Weightage

GATE 2027 will conduct tests for 30 papers. But among all the test papers, CSE, CE, ME, ECE and EE are the most popular choices.

  • Each paper carries 100 marks, including 15 marks for General Aptitude (GA).

  • For most engineering papers, the remaining 85 marks include 13 marks for Engineering Mathematics and 72 marks for subject-specific questions.

GATE 2027 Papers

General Aptitude Marks

Engineering Mathematics / Common Section Marks

Subject Sections Marks

Total Marks

AE, AG, BM, BT, CE, CH, CS, EC, EE, ES, IN, ME, MN, MT, NM, PE, PI

15

13

72

100

CY, DA, EY, MA, PH, ST

15

-

85

100

AR

15

60 (Part A)

25 (Part B: Architecture/Planning)

100

GE

15

55 (Part A)

30 (Part B: Surveying & Mapping/Image Processing)

100

GG

15

25 (Part A)

60 (Part B: Geology/Geophysics)

100

RA

15

60 (Part A)

25 (Part B: Electrical/Mechanical)

100

XE

15

15 (XE0)

70 (Any 2 of XE1- XE9)

100

XH

15

25 (XH0)

60 (Any 1 of XH1- XH6)

100

XL

15

25 (XL0)

60 (Any 2 of XL1- XL5)

100

GATE Exam Pattern 2027: Subject-wise Weightage

Source: gate2027.iitm.ac.in

GATE 2027 Two-Paper Combination List

Candidates applying for GATE 2027 must choose the two-paper combination from the following list. Any combination other than the given two-paper combination is not allowed.

Code of the Primary Paper

Codes of Papers Allowed as the Secondary Paper

AE

CE, ME, XE

AG

CE

AR

CE, GE

BM

BT, IN

BT

BM, ES, EY, XL

CE

AE, AG, AR, ES, GE, NM, XE

CH

ES, PE, XE

CS

DA, EC, GE, MA, ME, PH, RA, ST

CY

XE, XL

DA

CS, EC, EE, MA, ME, PH, RA, ST, XE

EC

CS, DA, EE, IN, PH, RA

EE

DA, EC, IN, PH, RA

ES

BT, CE, CH, GE

EY

BT, XL

GE

AR, CE, CS, ES, GG

GG

GE

IN

BM, EC, EE, ME, RA

MA

CS, DA, PH, ST

ME

AE, CS, DA, IN, NM, PI, RA, XE

MT

XE

MN

-

NM

CE, ME, XE

PE

CH

PH

CS, DA, EC, EE, MA, XE

PI

ME, XE

RA

CS, DA, EC, EE, IN, ME

ST

CS, DA, MA, XH

XE

AE, CE, CH, CY, DA, ME, MT, NM, PH, PI

XH

ST

XL

BT, CY, EY

Source: gate2027.iitm.ac.in

GATE Exam Pattern 2027: Types of Questions

The GATE 2027 Exam Pattern includes three types of questions: Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs), Multiple Select Questions (MSQs), and Numerical Answer Type (NAT). Each paper contains a mix of 1-mark and 2-mark questions. The question type may vary across different sections of the paper.

GATE 2027 exam will consist of 65 questions for 100 marks. 65 questions are split into two parts: 10 questions from general aptitude and 55 subject-specific questions.

Question Type

How You Answer

MCQ

Select one correct option

MSQ

Select one or more correct options

NAT

Enter a numerical value using the virtual keyboard

GATE Marking Scheme 2027

According to GATE Marking scheme, questions carry either 1 mark or 2 marks. But there is no negative marking for MSQ and NAT questions. So you are advised to attempt all the questions of these types.

Check out the GATE Marking Scheme for MCQ-type questions in the table below:

Question Type

Marks per answer

GATE Negative Marking

MCQ

1-mark MCQ

1/3 mark will be deducted for a wrong answer.

2- mark MCQ

2/3 marks will be deducted for a wrong answer

GATE Marking Scheme 2027

Source: gate2027.iitm.ac.in

GATE Exam Pattern 2027: Syllabus

The GATE Exam Pattern 2027 is based on the syllabus prescribed for each of the 30 GATE test papers. IIT Madras has revised the syllabi for GATE 2027, so candidates should refer to the latest paper-wise syllabus while preparing.

GATE question types will test your ability to recall, comprehend, apply, analyse, and synthesise.

Component

GATE 2027 Details

General Aptitude (GA)

Common to all papers; 15 marks

Engineering Mathematics

Included in most engineering papers; generally 13 marks

Core Subject

Paper-specific topics; generally 72 marks in standard engineering papers

XE

GA + Engineering Mathematics + any 2 optional sections

XH

GA + Reasoning & Comprehension + any 1 optional section

XL

GA + Chemistry + any 2 optional sections

RA

New Robotics & Automation paper with a separate syllabus

Total Papers

30

Total Marks

100 per paper

GATE 2027 Major Papers: Important Topics Based on Trends

The GATE topic-wise weightage varies from year to year, and it is not officially released by the conducting IITs. The following table is based on previous years' GATE papers.

GATE CSE Important Topics: Based on Trends

The table below shows the number of questions in GATE CSE from past years' trend analysis of various sections:

Section

Number of Questions Asked

General Aptitude

15

Engineering Maths

13- 16

Computer Networks

8- 9

Programming and Data Structure

9- 10

Algorithm

6- 8

Operating System

8- 10

Digital Logic

5- 6

Computer Organisation and Architecture

8- 10

DBMS

7- 8

TOC

5- 7

Compiler Design

5- 6

GATE CSE Important Topics: Based on Trends

GATE ECE Topic-wise Weightage 2027

The table below gives the topic-wise GATE EC weightage based on trends.

Section

Marks Covered from Topics

General Aptitude

15

Engineering Mathematics

11 to 15

Communication Systems

10 to 13

Network Theory

8 to 12

Signals and Systems

9 to 12

Analog Circuits

8 to 11

Electromagnetics

8 to 11

Digital Circuits

8 to 10

Electronic Devices

6 to 9

Control Systems

5 to 8

GATE ECE Topic-wise Weightage 2027

GATE ME Topic-wise Weightage 2027

The table below gives the topic-wise GATE ME weightage based on trends.

Section

Marks Covered from Topics

General Aptitude

15

Engineering Mathematics

13 to 15

Manufacturing Engineering

14- 19

Thermodynamics / Thermal Engineering (including Power Plant, IC Engines, RAC)

8- 13

Fluid Mechanics & Hydraulic Machines

7- 12

Heat Transfer

5- 10

Strength of Materials (Mechanics of Materials)

5- 9

Theory of Machines & Vibrations

5- 9

Industrial Engineering

4- 8

Machine Design

3- 6

Engineering Mechanics

2- 6

GATE ME Topic-wise Weightage 2027

GATE CE Topic-wise Weightage 2027

The table below gives the topic-wise GATE CE weightage based on trends.

Section

Marks Covered from Topics

General Aptitude

15

Engineering Mathematics

11- 14

Structural Engineering (SOM, Structural Analysis, RCC, Steel Design, etc.)

15- 20

Geotechnical Engineering

13- 16

Water Resources Engineering (Fluid Mechanics, Hydraulics, Hydrology, Irrigation

11- 14

Environmental Engineering

10- 14

Transportation Engineering

6- 10

Geomatics Engineering (Surveying)

4- 5

GATE CE Topic-wise Weightage 2027

How to Prepare Based on the GATE Exam Pattern 2027?

  • Understand the exam structure: Familiarise yourself with the number of questions, total marks, duration, question types, and marking scheme for GATE 2027.

  • Prioritise core subjects: Give more preparation time to high-weightage and concept-heavy subjects in your GATE paper.

  • Balance theory and practice: Study concepts thoroughly and solve numerical problems regularly to improve accuracy.

  • Practise MCQs and NATs: Solve both objective and numerical answer-type questions to become comfortable with different question formats.

  • Use previous year papers: Analyse GATE question papers to understand recurring topics, difficulty level, and question trends.

  • Take timed mock tests: Practise full-length tests according to the GATE exam pattern to improve speed and time management.

  • Revise Engineering Mathematics and General Aptitude: Include these sections in your weekly preparation schedule.

  • Focus on accuracy: Since GATE has negative marking for certain MCQs, avoid random guessing.

  • Analyse your performance: After every mock or practice test, identify conceptual mistakes, calculation errors, and time-consuming topics to know your strengths and weaknesses.

  • Revise consistently: Prepare short notes, formulas, and important concepts for quick revision during the final weeks.

Found this helpful?Share on WhatsApp