GATE Exam Pattern 2023
GATE 2023 : Syllabus, Branches, Exam Pattern & Notification
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 2023 exam pattern to secure top scores in this exam.
IIT Kanpur has released the GATE exam pattern 2023 for the benefit of aspiring students so that they can follow the same and prepare themselves properly to fetch good marks in GATE Exam.
This article gives a thorough overview of the GATE 2023 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 2023 Question Paper Pattern
The question papers of GATE 2023 will be divided into three types as follows:
- Multiple choice questions (MCQ)
- Multiple select questions (MSQ)
- Numerical Answer type (NAT)
GATE 2023 will be conducted online for a duration of 3 hours. There will be a total of 65 questions and the GATE exam's total marks are 100 marks.
| Exam Name | GATE |
| Duration | 3 hours |
| Exam mode | Single paper online exam |
| Type of questions |
|
| No. of questions | 65 |
| Total Marks | 100 |
GATE 2023 Subject Code
The GATE exam will be conducted on 29 technical subjects each of which is denoted by a code. A candidate can appear in any one or two papers of the upcoming GATE 2023 examination.
The table given below indicates the GATE 2023 subject codes for different papers in the examination.
| Subject | Code | Subject | Code |
| Aerospace Engineering | AE | Instrumentation Engineering | IN |
| Agricultural Engineering | AG | Mathematics | MA |
| Architecture and Planning | AR | Mechanical Engineering | ME |
| Bio-medical Engineering | BM | Mining Engineering | MN |
| Biotechnology | BT | Metallurgical Engineering | MT |
| Civil Engineering | CE | Petroleum Engineering | PE |
| Chemical Engineering | CH | Physics | PH |
| Computer Science and Information Technology | CS | Production and Industrial Engineering | PI |
| Chemistry | CY | Statistics | ST |
| Electronics and Communication Engineering | EC | Textile Engineering and Fibre Science | TF |
| Electrical Engineering | EE | Engineering Sciences | XE |
| Environmental Science Engineering | ES | Humanities Social Sciences | XH |
| Ecology and Evolution | EY | Life Sciences | XL |
| Geology and Geophysics | GG | - | - |
Gate 2023 Marking Scheme
The GATE 2023 paper consists of three sections as follows:
- Engineering mathematics
- General aptitude
- Technical (subject) section
As per GATE 2023 marking scheme, for students selecting paper codes AE, AG, BT, CE, CH, CS, EC, EE, IN ME, MN, MT, PE, PI, TF, and XE, General Aptitude and Engineering Mathematics will be mandatory sections in GATE 2023, with each carrying 15 marks. The student's chosen subject will carry 70 marks.
For paper codes AR, CY, EY, GG, MA, PH, ST, and XL, the General Aptitude section is mandatory which carries 15 marks. The chosen subject will receive the remaining 85 marks.
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 carry one mark, while the remaining 30 will be two 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 |
Negative Marking in GATE
According to the GATE pattern 2023, there will be a negative marking in GATE 2023 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 |
GATE Exam 2023 - Type of Questions
The GATE exam will consist of different types 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 from 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 need to 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 For Civil Engineering
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
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 answer | +1 and +2 |
| Incorrect answer | ⅓ and ⅔ |
| Unattempted questions | 0 |
GATE Exam Pattern For Mechanical Engineering
GATE exam pattern for Mechanical Engineering 2023 allows candidates to have a thorough preparation for the exam. It is the branch of engineering in which the maximum number of candidates appear in GATE.
The key important points of the GATE Mechanical Engineering exam pattern 2023 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% of the total marks, and Mechanical Engineering subject questions carry 72% of the total marks.
GATE Exam Pattern For Electrical Engineering
- Electrical Engineering Gate exam pattern 2023 will be very helpful for candidates who want to attain higher qualifications in electrical engineering. I will facilitate effective preparation strategies for the exam.
- GATE EE exam pattern 2023 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 Questions, Multiple Select Questions, and Numerical Answer Type questions. The paper includes three parts: 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.
GATE Exam Pattern For Electronics Communication And Engineering
The GATE exam pattern for (ECE) contains a total of 65 questions with 10 questions on general aptitude and 55 questions on electronics and communication engineering.
GATE Life Science Exam Pattern
- The GATE life science exam pattern contains a compulsory chemistry section consisting of 15 questions carrying a total of 25 marks. Apart from Chemistry, the candidates need to answer one more section from Q to U that consists of 20 questions carrying a total of 30 marks.
- This article gives a fair idea of the GATE paper pattern with details related to the mode of the exam, the number of questions, sections, duration, marking scheme, and more. Candidates preparing for the GATE 2023 get to know more about the GATE 2023 exam pattern through this article.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1. Where can I find the official GATE exam pattern 2023?
Ans. The information about the GATE exam pattern is available from the official notification/brochure released by IIT Kanpur that describes the schedule and exam pattern for GATE 2023.
Q2. What is the official GATE exam duration 2023?
Ans. GATE exam duration 2023 exam will be 3hours for competing for one paper.
Q3. Will I get any negative marks for solving a question with a wrong answer in GATE exam 2023?
Ans. There is a negative marking scheme in the GATE 2023 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.
Q4. Can I appear for multiple GATE 2023 papers?
Ans. Yes, you can appear for one or two papers in the GATE 2023 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.
Q5. Is the GATE paper pattern dependent on sectional timing?
Ans. There is no sectional timing in the GATE 2023 exam. The entire paper consisting of different sections needs to be completed in 3 hours duration.
