GATE Exam Pattern 2020
Go through the detailed GATE Exam Pattern here. Check the complete pattern here according to the latest GATE 2020 Notification.
GATE Exam is conducted for 24 disciplines in online mode. This year a new paper Biomedical Engineering has been added. As the GATE Exam Dates 2020 has been released, it is time for candidates to plan their preparation.
GATE Exam Pattern 2020
The GATE Exam is scheduled in the month of February 2020 according to the latest notification released by GATE. As there is an ample amount of time for the exam, candidates who are willing to take up the Exam can know the detailed GATE Exam Pattern in this post.
- The paper includes 2 types of questions- MCQ and NAT. The total time duration for all papers is 3 hours.
- Each paper has been divided into three sections: Section A- General Aptitude, Section B- Engineering Mathematics, Section C- Subject Paper
For any preparation to be successful, it is suggested by experts to firstly know the Exam Pattern. Being thorough with the pattern will help candidates to be aware of the number of question, marks for each section, and also time duration.
GATE Exam Pattern Highlights
| Exam Mode | Online |
| Number of Questions | 65 |
| Total Marks | 100 |
| Type of Questions | MCQs (Multiple Choice Questions) and NAT (Numerical Answer Type) |
| Number of Sections | 3 sections (Section A- General Aptitude, Section B- Engineering Mathematics, Section C- Subject Paper) |
| Sectional Time Limit | No |
GATE Exam Paper with Codes
This year, GATE is held for 25 papers with a new addition of Biomedical Engineering subject. Every candidate can appear for only one paper in the following disciplines.
| Paper Name | Paper Code |
| Civil Engineering | CE |
| Electrical Engineering | EE |
| Computer Science and Information Technology | CS |
| Mechanical Engineering | ME |
| Petroleum Engineering | PE |
| Electronics and Communication Engineering | EC |
| Chemical Engineering | CH |
| Chemistry | CY |
| Biotechnology | BT |
| Engineering Sciences | XE |
| Textile Engineering and Fibre Science | TF |
| Aerospace Engineering | AE |
| Agricultural Engineering | AG |
| Architecture and Planning | AR |
| Ecology and Evolution | EY |
| Geology and Geophysics | GG |
| Instrumentation Engineering | IN |
| Mathematics | MA |
| Mining Engineering | MN |
| Metallurgical Engineering | MT |
| Physics | PH |
| Production and Industrial Engineering | PI |
| Statistics | ST |
| Biomedical Engineering | BE |
GATE Exam Pattern
Here is the table below comprising of GATE exam pattern based on the paper code for GATE Exam.
| Paper Code | Exam Pattern |
| CE, CS, EC, AE, AG, BT, CH, ME, MN, MT, EE, IN, TF, XE, PE, ST and PI |
|
| AR, CY, GG, EY, XL, PH and MA |
|
GATE Marking Scheme 2020
- GATE papers with the codes AE, AG, BT, CE, CH, CS, EC, EE, IN ME, MN, MT, PE, PI, TF and XE will include a compulsory sections of Engineering mathematics (15% of total marks) and General Aptitude (15% of total marks).
- The rest of the paper (70%) will be based on the subject selected by the candidate.
- GATE papers with the codes AR, CY, EY, GG, MA, PH, ST, and XL will consist of the compulsory section of General Aptitude (15% of the total marks) and the remaining 85% will be for the selected subject.
| Paper Code | General Aptitude Marks | Subject Marks (out of 100) | Negative Marking |
| CS, CY, EC, EE, CE, CH, AR, AE, AG, EY, BT, GG, IN, ME, MA, PH, PI, TF, MN, MT, PE, ST | 15 | 85 |
|
| XE (Section A + any two sections) | 15 | 15+2*35 | |
| XL (Section P + any two sections) | 15 | 25+2*30 |
- There is no negative marking in NAT questions.
- 1/3 marks will be deducted for each wrong answer of 1 Mark MCQs
- 2/3 marks will be deducted for each wrong answer of 2 Mark MCQs
Distribution of Marks for GATE 2020
Here is the detailed distribution of marks in the according to the latest GATE Exam Pattern. The below table comprises of a number of questions in each section, type of questions, and also the format of questions.
| Question Type | Distribution of Marks | Total Marks | Question Format |
| General Aptitude (Common for all subjects |
|
15 marks | MCQ |
| Subject-based questions (except for subject codes: GG, XE, XL) |
|
85 marks | MCQ and NAT |
| Subject-based questions for subject code GG |
|
85 marks | MCQ and NAT |
| Subject-based questions for subject code XE |
|
85 marks | MCQ and NAT |
| Subject-based questions for subject code XL |
|
85 marks | MCQ and NAT |
Type of Questions in GATE 2020
The GATE Paper is divided into Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) and Numerical Answer Type (NAT) questions. Candidates must mark the correct answer by choosing any of the 4 options provided for each question. There are different types of questions asked in GATE Exam which are explained below.
Numerical Answer Type (NAT) Questions
- NAT includes questions with real number or values as their answer
- There is no negative marking for NAT Questions
- Keyword usage must be avoided as it will lock the answer panel.
- There won’t be any choices provided for NAT questions
General Aptitude Questions
Apart from regular subject-based questions, the paper contains general ability questions. These questions are asked to test the language and analytical skills of the candidate. 15% of the total marks are allocated to the General Aptitude section in all papers. The marks for General Aptitude is listed below
- 5 questions for total 5 marks (1 mark for each question)
- 5 questions for total 10 marks (2 marks for each question)
There are four types of questions asked in GATE 2020 which are as follows
- Recall: This includes questions based on facts, principles, formulae, and laws of discipline. It mainly includes memory-based questions or one line answer.
- Comprehension: These type of questions test the candidates’ basic understanding of the field they belong to. The candidates need to draw simple conclusions from fundamental ideas in these type of questions.
- Application: These are the logical reasoning based questions
- Analysis and Synthesis: In these questions, the candidate is presented with data, diagrams, images, etc. that require analysis before a question can be answered. A Synthesis question might require the candidate to compare two or more pieces of information.
Share your thoughts/queries here!
