GATE 2027 (Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering)
Can I sit GATE 2027, which paper or pair of papers should I take, how is it marked and scored, and what does a GATE score lead to?
GATE (Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering) is the national computer-based test that IISc and the IITs run for the Ministry of Education. Institutes use the GATE score to admit students to M.Tech., M.E., direct PhD and PhD programmes, often with a scholarship, and some public sector companies use it to recruit. IIT Madras organises GATE 2027 in 30 papers on 6, 7, 13, 14, 20 and 21 February 2027. This page follows the GATE 2027 Information Brochure, revised on 17 October 2026, and the official website.
This page may be out of date. It was due for a re-check on 30 April 2027. Confirm every rule with the official source before acting on it.
Registration closed on 16 October 2026. Rectification of flagged defects closes on 31 October 2026; the exams are on 6 to 21 February 2027 and results on 19 March 2027.
Exam at a glance
- Conducted by
- IISc Bengaluru and seven IITs for the National Coordination Board, Ministry of Education; IIT Madras organises GATE 2027[1]
- Who can sit it
- Students in the third year or later of an undergraduate degree, or graduates in engineering, technology, architecture, science, commerce, arts or humanities (Table 2 lists every route)[1]
- Age limit
- None[1]
- Papers
- 30 papers; you may take one, or two from the allowed pairs. Robotics and Automation (RA) is new in 2027[1]
- Pattern
- Computer-based, 3 hours, 65 questions for 100 marks, in English; General Aptitude is 15 marks in every paper[1]
- Negative marking
- Only on MCQs: minus 1/3 mark for a wrong 1-mark MCQ, minus 2/3 for a wrong 2-mark MCQ; none on MSQ and NAT[1]
- Exam dates
- 6, 7, 13, 14, 20 and 21 February 2027; forenoon 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM, afternoon 2:30 PM to 5:30 PM[1]
- Results
- 19 March 2027 on the GOAPS portal[1]
- Score valid for
- Three years from the date the results are announced[1]
- Application fee (closed)
- Rs 1,000 per paper for female, SC, ST and PwD candidates and Rs 2,000 per paper for others in the regular period; Rs 1,500 and Rs 2,500 per paper with the late fee[1]
This check runs in your browser and sends nothing anywhere. It applies Table 2 (eligibility), Table 4 (paper pairs) and section 8.1 (qualifying marks) of the GATE 2027 Information Brochure revised on 17 October 2026, checked 21 October 2026. It does not tell you your chances, and admitting institutes and employers set their own rules on top of GATE.
Where the 100 marks are in most engineering papers
GATE 2027: from now to the result
| Degree programme | You can sit GATE 2027 if you are |
|---|---|
| B.E., B.Tech. or B.Pharm. (4 years after Class 12, or 3 years after B.Sc. or a diploma) | In the 3rd year or later, or have completed it |
| B.Arch. (5 years), Naval Architecture (4 years) or Planning (4 years) | In the 3rd year or later, or have completed it |
| B.Sc. (Research) or B.S. (4 years) | In the 3rd year or later, or have completed it |
| B.Sc., B.A., B.Com., BCA or equivalent (3 years) | In the 3rd year, or have completed it |
| B.Sc. Agriculture, Horticulture or Forestry (4 years) | In the 3rd or 4th year, or have completed it |
| Integrated M.Sc. or 5-year B.S.-M.S. | In the 3rd year or later, or have completed it |
| Integrated M.E./M.Tech./M.Pharm. or dual degree (5 years) | In the 3rd, 4th or 5th year, or have completed it |
| Integrated M.E./M.Tech. after B.Sc. (4 years) | In any year, or have completed it |
| Pharm.D. (6 years after Class 12) | In the 3rd to 6th year, or have completed it |
| MBBS, BDS, B.V.Sc., BSMS, BAMS, BUMS, BHMS or BNYS | In the 5th semester or later, or have completed it |
| M.Sc., M.A., MCA or equivalent | In any year, or have completed it |
| AMIE, AMICE or another professional society exam recognised as equal to B.E./B.Tech./B.Arch. | Have completed Section A or its equivalent |
If you are doing or hold a degree higher than the one listed, you can sit too. A degree from outside India counts if it is a bachelor's of at least three years and you are in the third year or later. Professional society exams must be recognised by MoE, AICTE, UGC or UPSC.[1]
| Papers | General Aptitude | Subject part |
|---|---|---|
| AE, AG, BM, BT, CE, CH, CS, EC, EE, ES, IN, ME, MN, MT, NM, PE, PI | 15 marks | 85 marks: 13 marks of Engineering Mathematics + 72 marks of subject questions |
| CY, DA, EY, MA, PH, ST | 15 marks | 85 marks |
| AR, RA | 15 marks | 60 marks common Part A + 25 marks from Part B1 or B2, chosen in the exam |
| GE | 15 marks | 55 marks common Part A + 30 marks from Part B1 or B2, chosen in the exam |
| GG | 15 marks | 25 marks common Part A + 60 marks from Geology or Geophysics, chosen in the application form |
| XE | 15 marks | 15 marks XE0 Engineering Mathematics + 2 sections of 35 marks each from XE1 to XE9, chosen in the exam |
| XH | 15 marks | 25 marks XH0 Reasoning and Comprehension + 60 marks from one of XH1 to XH6, chosen in the application form |
| XL | 15 marks | 25 marks XL0 Chemistry + 2 sections of 30 marks each from XL1 to XL5, chosen in the exam |
Every paper has 65 questions for 100 marks. General Aptitude has 5 one-mark and 5 two-mark questions. Questions carry 1 or 2 marks each.[1]
| Primary paper | Papers allowed as the second 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 |
| MN | None |
| MT | XE |
| 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 |
The second paper must come from this list. GATE may remove a combination later and refund the second paper's fee. Your second paper may be at a different centre in the same city.[1]
GATE tests your undergraduate subject knowledge: engineering, technology and architecture at undergraduate level, and science, humanities, commerce and arts at undergraduate and postgraduate level. Your GATE score shows how you did against everyone else who took the same paper.
With a GATE score you can apply for admission, often with financial help, to master's and direct doctoral programmes in engineering, technology and architecture, and to PhD programmes in engineering, technology, architecture, science and humanities at institutions run with Ministry of Education or other government support. Some colleges also admit on GATE without the ministry's scholarship.
A GATE score does not give you admission, a scholarship or a job by itself. Each institute and employer runs its own selection, and GATE's committee plays no part in it.[1]
For a scholarship, you first need admission to a programme at a centrally funded institute through that institute's own process. Ministry of Education guidelines give GATE at least 70% weight, and the rest goes to the institute's test, interview or your academic record. The institute decides how many admitted students get the scholarship.
For jobs, the brochure lists public sector companies that have used GATE scores in recent years, among them BHEL, Coal India, GAIL, IOCL, NTPC, ONGC, POWERGRID, SAIL, NHAI and NPCIL. Each company announces its own recruitment and decides whether to use GATE. Direct recruitment to some Group-A posts in the Cabinet Secretariat, such as Senior Field Officer (Tele) and Senior Research Officer (Crypto and S&T), is also done on GATE scores.
Many government bodies also ask for a GATE qualification before you can apply for their fellowships.[1]
You pick one paper, or a primary paper plus one second paper from the allowed list. Most candidates take the paper that matches their degree branch. A science graduate can take the science papers (CY, MA, PH, ST, XL and others); humanities and commerce graduates take XH.
What changes in 2027: a new Robotics and Automation (RA) paper, Textile Engineering and Fibre Science moved into Engineering Sciences as section XE9, new section codes for XE, XH and XL (XE0 to XE9, XH0 to XH6, XL0 to XL5), and revised syllabi for most papers. Check your paper's 2027 syllabus on the official site before you plan.
For GG and XH you choose your section in the application form and cannot change it in the exam hall. For AR, GE, RA, XE and XL you choose in the exam itself.[1]
GATE is a three-hour computer-based test in English. You get an on-screen virtual scientific calculator and a scribble pad; your own calculator, phone and watch are not allowed. Papers held in more than one session give each candidate one session, shown on the admit card.
There are three kinds of questions. A multiple choice question (MCQ) has one right answer out of four. A multiple select question (MSQ) has one or more right answers out of four, and you get marks only if you pick exactly the right set. A numerical answer type (NAT) question needs a number typed on a virtual keypad. Only wrong MCQs cost marks, and no question gives partial marks.
You can take your seat 40 minutes before the start and read the instructions 20 minutes before. You cannot log in more than 15 minutes after the start, and you cannot leave before the end. Persons with benchmark disability get 20 minutes extra per hour, up to four hours in all.
A candidate caught in malpractice can be barred from GATE for the next three years.[1]
Each paper has its own qualifying mark. For General candidates it is the paper's mean plus one standard deviation, but never below 25 or above 40 out of 100. OBC-NCL and EWS candidates need 9/10 of the General mark, and SC, ST and PwD candidates need 2/3 of it.
Your GATE score is out of 1000. The General qualifying mark is set at a score of 350, and the average of the top 0.1% of candidates (or the top 10, whichever is larger) is set at 900; your marks are placed on that scale. For papers held in several sessions, marks are first normalised across sessions.
Scorecards are free to download for a period GATE will announce, then cost Rs 500 per paper until 31 December 2027. From 1 January 2028 no GATE 2027 scorecard is issued, so save the PDF.[1]
- Application rectification (fixing defects GATE flagged in scrutiny): closes 31 October 2026
- Exam cities announced: 4 January 2027
- Admit card: date to be announced on gate2027.iitm.ac.in
- Exams: 6, 7, 13, 14, 20 and 21 February 2027
- Results: 19 March 2027
Source[2]
Tips and tricks
- Download your paper's 2027 syllabus from the official site before you start revising. Most syllabi changed for 2027, so older study plans may cover the wrong topics.[1]
- Practise on the official virtual calculator and mock test. You can't bring your own calculator, and NAT answers must be typed on an on-screen keypad.[1]
- If you must guess, guess on MSQ and NAT questions rather than MCQs. A wrong MCQ costs a third of its marks, while a wrong MSQ or NAT answer costs nothing.[1]
- Don't skip General Aptitude. It is 15 of the 100 marks in every paper, the same in CS as in XH.[1]
- Save your scorecard PDF the day results come out. It is free only for a limited period, and no GATE 2027 scorecard is issued after 31 December 2027.[1]
Questions people ask
Can I sit GATE in my third year of B.Tech?
Yes. Students in the third year or later of a B.E., B.Tech. or B.Pharm. can sit GATE 2027, and so can those who have finished the degree.[1]
Can a B.Sc., B.A. or B.Com. student take GATE?
Yes, from the third year of a three-year degree, or after finishing it. Science graduates usually take a science paper, and arts and commerce graduates take XH (Humanities and Social Sciences).[1]
Is there an age limit for GATE 2027?
No. GATE has no age limit.[1]
Can I write two GATE papers?
Yes, but only a primary paper plus one paper from its allowed list in Table 4. For example, CS can be paired with DA, EC, GE, MA, ME, PH, RA or ST. MN has no allowed second paper. The fee doubles for two papers.[1]
Is there negative marking in GATE?
Only for multiple choice questions: 1/3 mark off for a wrong 1-mark MCQ and 2/3 mark off for a wrong 2-mark MCQ. Multiple select and numerical answer questions have no negative marks.[1]
What is the qualifying mark in GATE?
It is set per paper after the exam. For General candidates it is the mean plus one standard deviation of all marks in that paper, kept between 25 and 40 out of 100. OBC-NCL and EWS candidates need 9/10 of it, and SC, ST and PwD candidates need 2/3 of it.[1]
How long is a GATE score valid?
Three years from the date the results are announced. GATE 2027 results are due on 19 March 2027.[1]
Does a good GATE score guarantee a PSU job or an IIT seat?
No. Each institute and each public sector company runs its own selection and decides how to use the score. GATE's committee has no role in admissions or recruitment.[1]
Connected pages
- Related · DegreeB.Tech / B.E.How long a B.Tech takes, the Class 12 subjects and marks NITs ask for, which entrance exam gets you in, and where the degree leads. Sourced from NTA and AICTE.
- Related · DegreeB.Arch (Bachelor of Architecture)B.Arch in India: the Council of Architecture's 45% rule, NATA or JEE Main Paper 2A, the 5-year course with practical training, and registration.
- Related · DegreeB.Sc (Bachelor of Science)How long a B.Sc takes, the honours and research year, the CUET tests that get you in, and M.Sc at IITs through JAM. From UGC and NTA.
- Related · ExamCSIR NET (Joint CSIR-UGC NET)Joint CSIR-UGC NET December 2026 from NTA's bulletin: the five science subjects, the JRF, Assistant Professor and PhD categories, the 55% rule and marking.
Official and partner links
- Official bodyGATE 2027, IIT Madras (official website)
Sources
- GATE 2027 Information Brochure, revised version dated 17 October 2026 (143 pages), IIT Madras, Organizing Institute for GATE 2027. Front matter; sections 2-5 (highlights, dates, pattern, opportunities), 6.1-6.4 (Tables 2-5), 6.10, 7.1-7.3 (Table 8), 8.1-8.2, 9. Accessed 21 October 2026.
- GATE 2027 Important Dates, IIT Madras, GATE 2027. Rectification closes 31.10.2026 (revised from 21.10.2026); city allotment 04.01.2027; exams 6-21.02.2027; results 19.03.2027. Accessed 21 October 2026.
- GATE 2027 Notifications, IIT Madras, GATE 2027. Notices of 19.09.2026 (keep the DigiLocker account), 14.10.2026 (special window) and 16.10.2026 (portal closed). Accessed 21 October 2026.
Found an error or a newer rule? Tell us through the corrections page. Updated 21 October 2026.