GATE Exam Pattern 2023: Check Paper-wise Pattern, Marking Scheme

GATE Exam Pattern

The pattern of questions according to the GATE exam pattern 2023 is divided into multiple-choice questions (MCQ), multiple select questions (MSQ), and numerical answer type (NAT) questions. The exam duration of the paper is 3 hours. Moreover, you can check the detailed information about paper-wise GATE weightage and the marking schemes below.

The detailed GATE exam pattern 2023 is provided below for the most asked branches like Civil, Mechanical, Electrical, Electronics, and Computer Science. The pattern of all papers helps in knowing the question type, marking scheme & weightage of the questions in the examination. Thus, candidates have much time to go through the GATE exam pattern to make an effective champion study plan before the examination date.

GATE Exam Pattern 2023 - Highlights

GATE 2023 will be an online exam for the duration of 3 hours, consisting of 65 questions with 100 marks. The different types of questions that will be included according to the GATE exam pattern are MCQ, NAT, and MSQ. MCQs were introduced last year, with no negative marking and having multiple answers. Find the highlights of the exam pattern below in detail. 

1. The GATE exam is a single paper online examination of three hours, with 65 questions carrying a total of 100 marks.
2. The question paper will consist of multiple-choice questions (MCQ), multiple select questions (MSQ), and numerical answer type questions (NAT).
3. According to the GATE exam pattern AE, AG, BT, BM, CE, CH, CS, EC, EE, IN, ME, MN, MT, PE, PI, TF, ST, and XE papers, the weightage of marks is divided into three sections.
   • Engineering Mathematics will carry around 13% of the total marks that is 13 marks.
   • The General Aptitude section will carry 15% of the total marks that is 15 marks.
   • The remaining 72% percentage of the total marks is devoted to the subject (technical section) of the paper, that is 72 marks.
4. According to the GATE exam pattern AR, CY, EY, GG, MA, PH, XH, and XL papers, the weightage of marks is divided into two sections.
   • The General Aptitude section will carry 15% of the total marks that is 15 marks.
   • The remaining 85% of the total marks are devoted to the subject of the paper, that is 85 marks.

GATE Marking Scheme

According to the GATE exam pattern, the marking scheme of the examination is such that the students are awarded 1-2 marks for each correct answer in the paper. The marking scheme is explained below.  

• General Aptitude and Engineering Mathematics will be mandatory sections in GATE 2023, with each receiving 15% of the total points in papers with codes AE, AG, BT, CE, CH, CS, EC, EE, IN ME, MN, MT, PE, PI, TF, and XE. The student's chosen subject will receive the remaining 70% of the weighting.
• There will be a mandatory section of General Aptitude in the GATE 2023 question papers for AR, CY, EY, GG, MA, PH, ST, and XL (15 percent of the total marks). The chosen subject will receive the remaining 85% of the weighting.

Negative Marking in GATE

According to the GATE exam pattern 2023, there is no negative marking for multiple-select questions. For a wrong answer chosen in an MCQ, there will be a negative marking. The detailed marking scheme is mentioned in the table below.

GATE Exam Papers & Subject Codes

GATE 2023 will be conducted on 29 subjects (papers). The table below shows the list of papers and paper codes for the examination. A candidate is allowed to appear in any one or up to two papers of the upcoming GATE examination. Further, the table provided below consists of codes for different papers in the examination.

GATE 2023 Exam Pattern - Type of Questions

The GATE 2023 exam will consist of three types of questions namely, multiple-choice, multiple-select, and numerical answer type questions. Let's take a look at the type of questions usually asked in the examination.

• Recall: These are based on facts, principles, formulae, or laws of the discipline. The candidate is expected to be able to obtain the answer either from his/her memory directly or at most from the one-line computation.
• Comprehension: These questions will examine the candidate's knowledge of the basics of his/her field/course, by requiring him/her to draw simple conclusions from basic concepts.
• Application: In these questions, the candidate is required to apply his/her expertise either through computation or by logical reasoning.
• 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.

GATE Question Paper Pattern

The GATE question papers of various subjects consist of sections that are compulsory and optional. The GATE question paper pattern for various subjects along with their marking scheme is provided below.

GATE Paper Pattern for AE, AG, BM, BT, CE, CH, CS, EC, EE, ES, IN, ME, MN, MT, NM, PE, PI, TF, and ST

The GATE question paper pattern for the paper codes AE, AG, BM, BT, CE, CH, CS, EC, EE, ES, IN, ME, MN, MT, NM, PE, PI, TF, and ST is provided in the table below. Further, you can also check the sectional weightage of the exam.

There will be 55 questions from core discipline and engineering mathematics, in addition to the 10 questions in the General Aptitude section. Each of the 25 questions will be worth one mark, while the remaining 30 will be worth two marks each.

GATE Paper Pattern for CY, EY, MA, and PH

The GATE question paper pattern for the codes CY, EY, MA, and PH consists of two sections- General Aptitude and Core Discipline. The sectional marking scheme for these subject codes has been tabulated below.

GATE Paper Pattern for Geomatics Engineering (GE)

Geomatics Engineering is a new paper added by IIT Kharagpur in the year 2022. The GATE question paper pattern for Geomatics Engineering has three sections: General Aptitude, Part A, and Part B. The sectional weightage of the exam is provided in the table below.

GATE Paper Pattern for Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering (NM)

The GATE question paper pattern for Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering consists of two sections- General Aptitude and Core Discipline. The sectional weightage of the exam is provided in the table below.

GATE Paper Pattern for Geology and Geophysics (GG)

The GATE question paper pattern for Geology and Geophysics consists of three sections- General Aptitude, Part A, and Part B. Part B is further divided into two sections- Section 1 (Geology) and Section 2 (Geophysics). The sectional weightage of the exam is mentioned below.

GATE Paper Pattern for Engineering Science (XE)

The GATE question paper pattern for Engineering Science consists of three sections- Section A (Engineering Mathematics) and General Aptitude are required portions, whereas applicants must pick any two from sections B-H. The various subjects under these sections include:

• XE-B – Fluid mechanics
• XE-C – Material Science
• XE-D – Solid mechanics
• XE-E – Thermodynamics
• XE-F – Polymer Science and Engineering
• XE-G – Food technology
• XE-H – Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences

The sectional marking scheme of the exam is mentioned below.

GATE Paper Pattern for Humanities and Social Science (XH)

The GATE XH paper was established, allowing students with a humanities background to apply for the exam. The paper is divided into three sections. General Aptitude and B1 (Reasoning and Comprehension) are mandatory sections, and applicants must pick one of the C1-C6 options. The C1-C6 includes the following topics:

• XH–C1: Economics
• XH–C2: English
• XH–C3: Linguistics
• XH–C4: Philosophy
• XH–C5: Psychology
• XH–C6: Sociology

The detailed marking scheme for the exam is provided in the table below.

GATE Paper Pattern for Life Science (XL)

The GATE XL paper is divided into three components. Candidates must attempt General Aptitude and Section P (Chemistry) which are compulsory, while they must choose two from sections Q-U.

• Biochemistry (XL-Q)
• Botany (XL-R)
• Microbiology (XL-S)
• Zoology (XL-T)
• Food Technology (XL-U)

The following is a detailed marking scheme for the GATE XL exam.

What is Two Paper in GATE?

According to the GATE exam pattern, a candidate can choose any one or two subjects before appearing for the examination. The candidate must select the subjects based on the subjects in which he/ she has attained a graduate degree. A candidate may appear in one or two topic papers. Candidates who pick two exams must choose from a list of approved combinations, which is subject to infrastructure and date availability.

Let us check the allowed combinations along with the first paper mentioned in the table below. 

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