The Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) is one of the most challenging competitive exams in the field of engineering. Students aspiring to study M.Tech courses in reputed engineering institutions focus on this exam. Candidates willing to excel in GATE need to know comprehensive details about the GATE 2024 exam pattern to secure top scores in this exam.
IISc Bangalore has released the GATE exam pattern 2024 to benefit aspiring students so that they can follow the same and prepare themselves properly to fetch good marks in GATE Exam.
This article thoroughly overviews the GATE 2024 exam pattern for GATE aspirants. They must take note of the details provided in this article to make their exam preparation journey more effective and fruitful.
GATE Exam 2024 Question Paper Pattern
The question papers of GATE 2024 will be divided into three types as follows:
- Multiple choice questions (MCQ)
- Multiple select questions (MSQ)
- Numerical Answer type (NAT)
GATE 2024 will be conducted online for 3 hours. There will be 65 questions, and the GATE exam’s total marks are 100.
| Features | Description |
| Exam Name | GATE |
| Duration | 3 hours |
| Exam mode | Single-paper Computer-Based Test(CBT) |
| Type of questions |
|
| No. of questions | 65 |
| Total Marks | 100 |
| GATE Number of Sections | Two/ Three (depending on the paper) |
| GATE Section-wise Number of Questions |
|
| GATE Section-wise Weightage |
|
| Marking Scheme | Each correct answer in the exam will be awarded either 1 or 2 marks. |
| GATE Negative Marking |
|
GATE 2024 Exam Pattern: Comprehensive Breakdown of Paper Patterns by Subject
The GATE Exam Pattern 2024 differs for each paper, considering the sections and marks distribution.
Every GATE paper includes a General Aptitude section, which accounts for 15% of the total marks. This section evaluates verbal, numerical, and quantitative abilities. It consists of 10 questions, with 5 questions worth 1 mark each and 5 questions worth 2 marks each.
| Subject | Number of questions | Marks per Question | Total Marks |
| General Aptitude | 5 | 1 | 5 |
| 5 | 2 | 10 | |
| Total | 10 | – | 15 |
For the papers with codes AE, AG, BM, BT, CE, CH, CS, EC, EE, ES, IN, ME, MN, MT, PE, PI, TF, and XE, The marks will be divided or distributed as follows: 15% will be allocated to General Aptitude, 13% to Engineering Mathematics, and the remaining 72% to the subject paper.
Regarding the papers with codes AR, CY, EY, GG, MA, PH, ST, XH, and XL, the General Aptitude section will account for 15% of the total marks, while the subject paper will be responsible for the remaining 85% of the total marks.
| GATE Exam Pattern for Civil Engineering | GATE Exam Pattern for Computer Science | GATE Exam Pattern for Mechanical Engineering |
| GATE Exam Pattern for Electrical Engineering | GATE Exam Pattern for Instrumentation Engineering | GATE Exam Pattern for Production and Industrial Engineering |
| GATE Exam Pattern for Electronics and Communication Engineering | GATE Exam Pattern for Biomedical Engineering | GATE Exam Pattern for Textile Engineering |
GATE 2024 Exam Pattern for AE, AG, BM, BT, CE, CH, CS, EC, EE, ES, IN, ME, MN, MT, NM, PE, PI, TF, and ST Papers
The question paper for paper codes AE, AG, BM, BT, CE, CH, CS, EC, EE, ES, IN, ME, MN, MT, NM, PE, PI, TF, and ST consists of three sections, which are as follows:
| Sections | Marks Weightage |
| General Aptitude | 15% |
| Engineering Mathematics | 13% |
| Core Discipline | 72% |
In addition to the 10 questions in the General Aptitude section, there will be 55 questions from the core discipline and engineering mathematics. Of these, 25 questions will be worth 1 mark each, while 30 will be worth 2 marks each.
| Subjects | Number of questions | Marks per Question | Total Marks |
| AE, AG, BM, BT, CE, CH, CS, EC, EE, ES, IN, ME, MN, MT, NM, PE, PI, TF, and ST | 25 | 1 | 25 |
| 30 | 2 | 60 | |
| Total | 55 | – | 85 |
GATE 2024 Exam Pattern for CY, EY, MA, and PH Papers
Each GATE paper with the codes CY, EY, MA, and PH is divided into two sections: General Aptitude and Core Discipline.
| Sections | Number of Questions | Marks Weightage |
| General Aptitude | 15 | 15% |
| Core Discipline | 55 | 85% |
The marking scheme for GATE papers with codes AR, CY, EY, MA, and PH is presented in the table below:
| Subjects | Number of questions | Marks per Question | Total Marks |
| AR, CY, EY, MA, PH | 25 | 1 | 25 |
| 30 | 2 | 60 | |
| Total | 55 | – | 85 |
GATE 2024 Exam Pattern for Architecture and Planning (AR)
The GATE Exam Pattern for Architecture and Planning paper has been updated this year. The updated exam pattern consists of three sections: GA (General Aptitude), Part A, and Part B. Everyone must attempt Part A, but Part B is further divided into two sections: B1 (Architecture) and B2 (Planning). Candidates need to choose one of these two sections during the exam.
| Sections | Number of Questions | Marks per Question | Total Marks |
| GA | 10 | (5 x 1) + (5 x 2) | 15 |
| Part A (mandatory) | 39 | (18 x 1) + (21 x 2) | 60 |
| Part B: Part B1 (Architecture) or Part B2 (Planning) | 16 | (7 x 1) + (9 x 2) | 25 |
| Total | 55 | – | 100 |
GATE 2024 Exam Pattern: Geomatics Engineering (GE)
Geomatics Engineering was recently added as a subject in the GATE 2022 examination. The exam pattern for Geomatics Engineering includes three sections: General Aptitude (GA), Part A, and Part B.
| Sections | Number of questions | Marks per Question | Total Marks |
| GA | 10 | (5 x 1) + (5 x 2) | 15 |
| Part A (mandatory) | 36 | (17 x 1) + (19 x 2) | 55 |
| Part B: Section I or Section II | 16 | (8 x 1) + (11 x 2) | 30 |
| Total | 55 | – | 100 |
GATE 2024 Exam Pattern for Geology and Geophysics (GG)
The GATE 2024 Geology and Geophysics (GG) paper comprises three sections: General Aptitude, Part A, and Part B. Part B is further divided into Section 1 (Geology) and Section 2 (Geophysics). General Aptitude and Part A are mandatory for all candidates. At the same time, they can choose either Section 1 or Section 2 from Part B.
| Sections | Sub-section | Number of questions | Marks per Question | Total Marks |
| GA | – | 10 | 1 or 2 | 15 |
| Part A | – | 25 | 1 | 25 |
| Part B (either one based on candidates selection) | Geology | 30 | 2 | 60 |
| Geophysics | 30 | 2 | 60 |
GATE 2024 Exam Pattern for Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering (NM)
Introduction of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering (NM) as a New Paper in GATE Exam 2024
| Sections | Number of questions | Marks per Question | Total Marks |
| GA | 10 | (5 x 1) + (5 x 2) | 15 |
| Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering | 55 | (25 x 1) + (30 x 2) | 85 |
GATE 2024 Exam Pattern for Engineering Sciences (XE)
Section-wise Distribution of Marks for GATE XE Paper:
General Aptitude: 10 questions carrying 15 marks in total.
Section A (Engineering Mathematics): 11 questions carrying 15 marks in total.
Section B-H: Candidates must choose any TWO sections from Section B to Section H. Each section consists of 22 questions carrying 35 marks in total. The subjects under each section are as follows:
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
Please refer to the following table for the detailed marking scheme of the XE paper:
| Section Total | Number of 1 mark questions Total | Number of 2 mark questions Total | Number of Questions | Total Marks |
| GA | 5 | 5 | 10 | 15 |
| Section A (Engineering Sciences) | 7 | 4 | 11 | 15 |
| Section B (Any two of these) | 9+9 | 13+13 | 22+22=44 | 35+35= 70 |
| Total | 30 | 70 | 65 | 100 |
GATE 2024 Exam Pattern for Humanities and Social Sciences (XH)
Introduction of Humanities and Social Sciences (XH) Paper in GATE Exam 2024
The GATE XH paper, introduced in 2021, provides an opportunity for students with a humanities background to apply for GATE. The paper is divided into three sections. General Aptitude and B1 (Reasoning and Comprehension) are mandatory sections, while candidates must choose any ONE from C1 to C6. The subjects under C1 to C6 include
XH–C1: Economics
XH–C2: English
XH–C3: Linguistics
XH–C4: Philosophy
XH–C5: Psychology
XH–C6: Sociology
Please refer to the following table for the detailed marks distribution for GATE XH:
| Section Total | Number of 1 mark questions Total | Number of 2 mark questions | Total Number of Questions | Total Marks |
| GA | 5 | 5 | 10 | 15 |
| B1* (Reasoning and Comprehension) | 5 | 10 | 15 | 15 |
| C1-C6(Any one of these) | 20 | 20 | 40 | 60 |
| Total | 30 | 70 | 65 | 100 |
GATE 2024 Exam Pattern for Life Sciences (XL)
Section-wise Distribution of Marks for GATE XL Paper:
General Aptitude: This section is compulsory for all candidates and consists of 10 questions carrying a total of 15 marks.
Section P (Chemistry): This section is also compulsory for all candidates and comprises 15 questions with 25 marks.
Section Q-U: Candidates must choose any TWO sections from Section Q to Section U. Each section consists of 20 questions carrying 30 marks in total. The subjects under each section are as follows:
XL-Q: Biochemistry
XL-R: Botany
XL-S: Microbiology
XL-T: Zoology
XL-U: Food Technology
Please refer to the following table for the detailed marking scheme of the GATE XL paper:
| Section Total | Number of 1 mark questions Total | Number of 2 mark questions | Total Number of Questions | Total Marks |
| GA | 5 | 5 | 10 | 15 |
| Section P(Chemistry) | 5 | 10 | 15 | 25 |
| Section Q-U(Any two of these) | 10+10 | 10+10 | 20+20=40 | 30+30=60 |
| Total | 30 | 70 | 65 | 100 |
GATE Exam Pattern For Civil Engineering
The Civil Engineering Gate exam pattern gives the number of questions asked in Engineering Mathematics, General Aptitude, and Civil Engineering subject, corresponding marks, and subject-wise description. The details are given in the table below.
| Subject | No. of Questions | Marks |
| Engineering Mathematics | 10 | 13 |
| General aptitude | 10 | 15 |
| Civil engineering subject | 45 | 72 |
| Total | 65 | 100 |
As per the previous year’s exam, the nature of the questions asked as per the GATE CE exam pattern is as follows:
- Application & Formula Based
- Figures Based Questions
- Questions Based on Core Topics
- Questions Based on Analysis or Common Data Questions
- Linked Questions
GATE Exam Pattern For Computer Science And Engineering
The GATE exam pattern for CSE gives the number of questions asked in Engineering Mathematics, General Aptitude, and Civil Engineering subject, corresponding marks, and subject-wise description. The details are given in the table below.
| Subject | No. of Questions | Marks |
| Engineering Mathematics | 10 | 13 |
| General aptitude | 10 | 15 |
| Computer science and engineering subject | 45 | 72 |
| Total | 65 | 100 |
As per the official GATE CSE exam pattern, there is a mixed number of questions of 1 and 2 marks. There is a negative marking of 1/3 marks on the questions of 1 mark and 2/3 marks are deducted on the 2 marks MCQs for each wrong answer.
| Category | Marking |
| Correct answers | +1 and +2 |
| Incorrect answer | ⅓ and ⅔ |
| Unattempted questions | 0 |
GATE Exam Pattern For Mechanical Engineering
GATE 2024 exam pattern for Mechanical Engineering 2024 allows candidates to prepare for the exam thoroughly. It is the branch of engineering in which the maximum number of candidates appear in GATE.
The important key points of the GATE Mechanical Engineering exam pattern 2024 are mentioned below.
- The total marks in GATE ME are 100.
- The total number of questions is 65.
- The duration of the exam is 3 hours.
- The General Aptitude section carries 15% of the total marks, Engineering Mathematics carries 13%, and Mechanical Engineering subject questions carry 72% of the total marks.
GATE Exam Pattern For Electrical Engineering
- Electrical Engineering Gate exam pattern 2024 will benefit candidates who want to attain higher qualifications in electrical engineering. I will facilitate effective preparation strategies for the exam.
- GATE EE exam pattern 2024 describes the latest exam trend to be followed in the upcoming year, along with the different sections and subjects on which the candidates will be assessed extensively.
- The GATE exam paper pattern for Electrical Engineering comprises Multiple Choice, Multiple Select, and Numerical Answer Type questions. The paper includes General Aptitude, Engineering Mathematics, and Subject-specific parts (Electrical Engineering). The Electrical Engineering section carries 72% marks, General Aptitude carries 15%, and Engineering Mathematics carries 13% in the exam.
Also, read: GATE 2024 Preparation
GATE 2024 Marking Scheme
In the GATE Question Paper, regardless of the subject (there are 29 subjects in total), you will find 65 questions. These questions are worth a total of 100 marks. The paper is divided into subsections, and the marking scheme varies based on these subsections.
Out of the 100 marks, the General Aptitude section, which tests your language and analytical skills, has 10 questions worth 15. Specifically, there are 5 questions worth 2 marks each and 5 questions worth 1 mark each.
For specific papers with codes like AE, AG, BM, BT, CE, CH, CS, EC, EE, ES, IN, ME, MN, MT, PE, PI, TF, and XE, the subject called Engineering Mathematics carries about 13% of the total marks (out of 100 marks). The remaining 72% of the marks are assigned to the subject-specific portion of the paper.
However, for papers with codes like AR, CY, EY, GG, MA, PH, ST, XH, and XL, the General Aptitude section contributes 15% of the total marks (out of 100). The remaining 85% of the question paper is dedicated to the subject-specific portion.
Please note that the exact details of the marking scheme for each subject within the paper will be specified based on the guidelines as mentioned earlier.
| Paper Code | General Aptitude (GA) Marks | Subject Marks | Total Marks | Total Time (Minutes) |
| AE, AG, BM, BT, CE, CH, CS, CY, EC, EE, ES, EY, IN, MA, ME, MN, MT, NM, PE, PH, PI, TF, ST | 15 | 85 | 100 | 180 |
| AR [Part A + Part B1 (Architecture) OR Part B2 (Planning)] | 15 | 60 + 25 | 100 | 180 |
| GE [Part A + Part B (Section 1 OR Section 2)] | 15 | 55 + 3- | 100 | 180 |
| GG [Part A + Part B (Section 1 Geology OR Section 2 Geophysics)] | 15 | 25 + 60 | 100 | 180 |
| XE (Section A + Any TWO Sections) | 15 | 15 + (2 x 35) | 100 | 180 |
| XH (Section B1 +Any ONE Section) | 15 | 25 + 60 | 100 | 180 |
| XL (Section P+Any TWO Sections) | 15 | 25 + (2 x 30) | 100 | 180 |
Negative Marking in GATE
According to the GATE pattern 2024, there will be a negative marking in GATE 2024 for a wrong answer in an MCQ. Multiple select questions and Numerical answer type has no negative marking. The detailed negative marking scheme is mentioned in the table below.
| Type of Questions | Negative Marking Scheme |
| Multiple-choice questions | For 1-mark MCQ, 1/3 mark will be deducted for a wrong answer. For 2-mark MCQ, 2/3 marks will be deducted for a wrong answer. |
| Multiple-select questions | No negative marking |
| Numerical-answer type questions | No negative marking |
Click here to check Gate Previous year Question Paper
GATE Exam 2024 – Type of Questions
The GATE exam will be conducted on 29 technical subjects, each denoted by a code. A candidate can appear in one or two papers of the upcoming GATE 2024 examination.
The table below indicates the GATE 2024 subject codes for different papers in the examination.
| GATE Exam Subjects and Their Codes | |||
| Subjects | Code | Subjects | Code |
| Aerospace Engineering | AE | Petroleum Engineering | PE |
| Agricultural Engineering | AG | Geology and Geophysics | GG |
| Architecture and Planning | AR | Instrumentation Engineering | IN |
| Biotechnology | BT | Life Sciences | XL |
| Biomedical Engineering | BM | Mathematics | MA |
| GATE Civil Engineering | CE | GATE Mechanical Engineering | ME |
| Chemical Engineering | CH | Mining Engineering | MN |
| GATE Computer Science & Information Technology | CS | Metallurgical Engineering | MT |
| Chemistry | CY | Physics | PH |
| GATE Electronics and Communication Engineering | EC | ||
| Production and Industrial Engineering | PI | GATE Electrical Engineering | EE |
| Textile Engineering & Fiber Science | TF | Engineering Sciences | XE |
| Ecology and Evolution | EY | Humanities and Social Sciences | XH |
| Statistics | ST | Geomatics Engineering | GE |
| Environmental Science and Engineering | ES | Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering | NM |
Click here to check Gate Exam 2024 Syllabus
GATE Exam 2024 – Type of Questions
The GATE exam will consist of questions divided into three categories: multiple-choice, multiple-select, and numerical. The types of questions usually asked in the examination are mentioned as follows:
- Recall: These are based on facts, principles, formulas, or laws of the discipline. The candidate is expected to obtain the answer directly from his/her knowledge or simple computation.
- Comprehension: It assesses the candidate’s knowledge and skill to draw simple conclusions from basic concepts given in the passage.
- Application: In these questions, the candidate must apply his/her logical reasoning to answer questions.
- Analysis and Synthesis: The students must analyze the given data, diagrams, and images and answer questions. A synthesis question requires the candidate to compare two or more sets of information.
GATE Exam Pattern 2024 FAQs
Where can I find the official GATE exam pattern 2024?
The information about the GATE exam pattern is available from the official notification/brochure released by IISc Bangalore, which describes the schedule and exam pattern for GATE 2024.
What is the official GATE exam duration of 2024?
GATE exam duration 2024 exam will be 3 hours for competing for one paper.
Will I get any negative marks for solving a question with a wrong answer in the GATE exam 2024?
There is a negative marking scheme in the GATE 2024 exam for wrong answers in multiple-choice questions (MCQ). For MCQ carrying 1 mark, 1/3 mark will be deducted for a wrong answer, and for MCQ carrying 2 marks, 2/3 marks will be deducted for a wrong answer.
Can I appear for multiple GATE 2024 papers?
You can appear for one or two papers in the GATE 2024 exam. Candidates opting to appear in two subjects must have a primary choice of paper from the core subject. The second choice of paper depends on the allowed combinations.
Is the GATE paper pattern dependent on sectional timing?
There is no sectional timing in the GATE 2024 exam. The entire paper consisting of different sections must be completed in 3 hours.
