GATE Exam Pattern 2020

GATE Exam Pattern

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
  • GA (General Aptitude) – 15%
  • Engineering Mathematics – 15%
  • The subject of the Paper – 70%
AR, CY, GG, EY, XL, PH and MA
  • GA (General Aptitude) – 15%
  • The subject of the Paper – 85%

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
  • 1/3rd Mark will be deducted for 1 mark question
  • 2/3rd Mark will be deducted for 2 marks question
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
  • 5 questions of 1 mark each
  • 5 questions of 2 marks each
15 marks MCQ
Subject-based questions (except for subject codes: GG, XE, XL)
  • 25 questions of 1 mark each
  • 30 questions of 2 marks each
85 marks MCQ and NAT
Subject-based questions for subject code GG
  • Part A- 25 questions of 1 mark each
85 marks MCQ and NAT
Subject-based questions for subject code XE
  • Section A- 7 questions of 1 mark each and 4 questions of 2 marks each
  • Section B to H (any 2)- each section has 9 questions of 1 mark each and 13 questions of 2 marks each
85 marks MCQ and NAT
Subject-based questions for subject code XL
  • Section P Chemistry- 5 questions of 1 mark each and 10 questions of 2 marks each
  • Section Q to U (any 2)- each section has 10 questions of 1 mark each and 10 questions of 2 marks each
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

  1. Recall: This includes questions based on facts, principles, formulae, and laws of discipline. It mainly includes memory-based questions or one line answer.
  2. 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.
  3. Application: These are the logical reasoning based questions
  4. 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.
Freetest_App

Share your thoughts/queries here!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *