GATE

What is GATE?

The Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) is an All-India Examination conducted by the seven Indian Institutes of Technology and the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, on behalf of the National Coordinating Board - GATE, Department of Education, Ministry of Human Resources Development (MHRD), Government of India.

- Identify, at the National level, meritorious and motivated candidates for admission to Postgraduate Programmes in Engineering, Technology, Architecture, Science and Pharmacy.

- Serve as a mandatory qualification for the MHRD scholarship/assistantship.

- Serve as benchmark of normalization of the Undergraduate Engineering Education in the country.

Eligibility

The following categories of candidates are eligible to appear in GATE 2005:

a) Bachelor's degree holders in Engineering/Technology/Architecture/Pharmacy and those who are in the final or pre-final year of such programmes.

b) Master's degree holders in any branch of Science/Mathematics/Statistics/Computer Applications or equivalent and those who are in the final or pre-final year of such programmes.

c) Candidates in the second or higher year of the Four-year Integrated Master's degree programme (Post-B.Sc.) in Engineering/Technology or in the third or higher year of Five-year Integrated Master's degree programme and Dual Degree programme in Engineering/ Technology.

d) Candidates with qualifications obtained through examination conducted by professional societies recognised by UPSC/AICTE as equivalent to B.E./B.Tech. Those who have completed Section A or equivalent of such professional courses are also eligible.

Exam pattern

The GATE 2006 examination consists of a single paper of 3 hours duration and of 150 marks. GATE 2006 will have the following twenty one papers:

Paper	Code
Agricultural Engineering	AG
Architecture and Planning	AR
Civil Engineering	CE
Chemical Engineering	CH
Computer Science & Engineering	CS
Chemistry	CY
Electronics & Communication Engineering	EC
Electrical Engineering	EE
Geology & Geophysics	GG
Instrumentation Engineering	IN
Information Technology	IT
Mathematics	MA
Mechanical Engineering	ME
Mining Engineering	MN
Metallurgical Engineering	MT
Physics	PH
Production & Industrial Engg.	PI
Pharmaceutical Sciences	PY
Textile Engg. & Fibre Science	TF
Engineering Sciences	XE
Life Sciences	XL

Papers XE and XL are of general nature and will comprise the following Sections:

Engineering Sciences(XE):

Section	Code
Engg. Mathematics (Compulsory)	A
Computational Science	B
Electrical Sciences	C
Fluid Mechanics	D
Materials Science	E
Solid Mechanics	F
Thermodynamics	G

Life Sciences(XL):

Section	Code
Chemistry (Compulsory)	H
Biochemistry	I
Biotechnology	J
Botany	K
Microbiology	L
Zoology	M

Candidates appearing in XE or XL papers are required to answer three sections. Sections (A) and (H) are compulsory in XE and XL respectively. Candidates can choose any two out of the remaining sections mentioned against the respective papers.

- The choice of the appropriate paper is the responsibility of the candidate. However, some guidelines are suggested below:

- Candidates are expected to appear in a paper appropriate to the discipline of their qualifying degree.

However, the candidates are free to choose any paper according to their admission plan, keeping in mind the eligibility criteria of the admitting institute.

Main Papers (Non-XE/XL Papers)

- The question paper will be fully objective type for a total of 150 marks divided into three groups:

- i. Group I: Question Numbers 1 to 20 (20 questions) will carry one mark each.

- ii. Group II: Question numbers 21 to 75 (55 questions) will carry two marks each. Out of this, Q.71 to Q.75 may be common data based questions.

- iii. Group III: Question Numbers 76 to 85 (10 questions) will carry two marks each. These questions are called linked answer questions. These 10 questions comprise five pairs of questions (76 & 77, 78 & 79, etc.). The solution to the second question of each pair (e.g. Q.77) will be linked to the correct answer to the first one (e.g. Q.76) in the pair.

- Each question will have four choices for the answer. Only one choice is correct.

- Wrong answers carry 25% negative marks. In Q.1 to Q.20, 0.25 mark will be deducted for each wrong answer and in Q.21 to Q.76, Q.78, Q.80, Q.82 and Q.84, 0.5 mark will be deducted for each wrong answer. However, there is no negative marking in Q.77, Q.79, Q.81, Q.83 and Q.85.

- Papers bearing the code AG, CE, CH, CS, EC, EE, IN, IT, ME, MN, MT, PI, TF will contain questions on Engineering Mathematics to the extent of 20 to 25 marks

- XE/XL Papers

- XE and XL papers contain a number of sections. Each Section is of 50 marks. Each Section will be fully objective type and the questions are divided into three groups.

- i. Group I: Question Numbers 1 to 6 (6 questions) will carry one mark each (subtotal 6 marks).

- ii. Group II: Question numbers 7 to 24 (18 questions) will carry two marks each (subtotal 36 marks). Out of this, Q.23 and Q.24 may be common data based questions.

- iii. Group III: Question Numbers 25 to 28 (4 questions) will carry two marks each. These questions are called linked answer questions. These 4 questions comprise two pairs of questions (25 & 26 and 27 & 28). The solution to the second question of each pair (e.g. Q.26) will be linked to the correct answer to the first one (e.g. Q.25) in the pair (subtotal 8 marks).

- All questions have four choices with only one being correct.

- Wrong answers carry 25% negative marks. In Q.1 to Q.6 of each section, 0.25 mark will be deducted for each wrong answer and in Q.7 to Q.25 and Q.27, 0.5 mark will be deducted for each wrong answer. However, there is no negative marking in Q.26 and Q.28.

More Info

Online submission of application forms may be made by accessing the websites of IITs and IISc, Bangalore . The candidate should pay the Application Fee through an SBI ATM or through a Demand Draft in favour of ‘IIT Kharagpur' on any nationalized bank payable at ‘Kharagpur'.