All About GATE

About GATE Exam

  1. What is GATE Exam ?

    2. The Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) is an All-India Examination conducted by 7 IITs and IISC on behalf of the National Coordinating Board – GATE, Department of Education, Ministry of Human Resources Development (MHRD), Government of India. GATE identifies meritorious candidates for admission to postgraduate programs in Engineering, Technology, Architecture, Science and Pharmacy at National level. The examination is a compulsory requirement for availing scholarship released by Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) for M.E. and M. Tech. programs.

  2. What are the benefits of writing GATE exam?

    • A good GATE score is helpful for getting admission in to IITs, IISC, IIITs, NITs and many other renowned institutions
    • Many PSUs like IOCL, BPCL, HPCL, MECON, PGCIL, etc. have a lot of weightage for GATE score in their recruitment process.
    • GATE qualification is also a minimum requirement to apply for various fellowships awarded by many Government organizations like DRDO, BARC, ISRO etc.
    • GATE qualified candidates are also eligible for Junior Research Fellowships in CSIR Labs and CSIR sponsored projects.
    • Focused GATE Preparation also helps in preparation for Indian Engineering Services (IES) Exam and other prestigious PSU recruitment examinations like CIL, AP Genco, AP Transco, NTPC, BSNL JTO, etc.
    • GATE preparation helps in better preparation for B.Tech Semester examinations
    • Preparation for GATE Exam also supplements preparation in Aptitude and technical skills for Campus Placements.
    • Through GATE, students can also apply for PGDIE program at National Institute of Technical Industrial Education (NITIE), Mumbai. The program is treated at par with the PGDM (MBA) course at NITIE.
    • GATE score is also accepted by IIMs for their Fellowship programs in Management courses with a monthly stipend of 22,000/-
    • With GATE Score, students can also apply for MS program in NUS and NTU in Singapore and other colleges in New Zealand & Germany.

  3. Eligibility criteria for appearing in GATE ?

    4. The following are eligible to take GATE
    • B.E./B.Tech./B.Pharm. (Bachelor's degree holders in Engineering/ Technology (4 years after 10+2 or 3 years after Diploma in Engineering/Technology) and those who are in the final year of such programs) Currently in the final year or already completed.
    • B. Arch Bachelor's degree holders of Architecture (Five years course )Currently in the final year or already completed
    • B.Sc. (Research)/ B.S. (Bachelor's degree in Science(Post-Diploma/4 years after 10+2) Currently in the 4th year or already completed.
    • M.Sc. /M.A./MCA or equivalent (Master's degree in any branch of Science/Mathematics/Statistics/ Computer Applications or equivalent)Currently in the final year or already completed.
    • Int. M.E/M.Tech (Post-B.Sc.) Post-BSc Integrated Master's degree programs in Engineering / Technology (Four year program)Currently in the 2nd/3rd/4th year or already completed.
    • Int. M.E./ M.Tech or Dual Degree (afterDiploma or 10+2) Integrated Master's degree program or Dual Degree program in Engineering / Technology (Five year program) Currently in the 4th/5th year or already completed.
    • Int. M.Sc/Int. B.S.-M.S. Integrated M.Sc. or Five year integrated B.S.-M.S. program Currently in the final year or already completed.
    • Professional Society Examinations (equivalent to B.E./B.Tech./B.Arch.)B.E./B.Tech./B.Arch. equivalent examinations, of Professional Societies, recognized by MHRD/UPSC/AICTE (e.g., AMIE by Institution of Engineers-India, AMICE by the Institute of Civil Engineers-India) Completed section A or equivalent of such professional courses.

  4. When is GATE conducted ?

    5. GATE is usually held on weekends starting from last week of January or 1st week of February. Examinations are held in two slots - forenoon session conducted between 9 am to 12 Noon and afternoon Session conducted between 2 pm to 5pm.

  5. Pattern of GATE Paper?

    6. Out of 100 Marks, Engineering Mathematics will carry 15% and General Aptitude will carry 15% of the total marks. The remaining 70% of the total marks is dedicated to the core subject of the paper.

    Marks No. of Questions Total Marks
    1 35 70
    2 30 30
    TOTAL 65 Questions 100 Marks
    Marking Scheme- For 1-mark Multiple-Choice Questions (MCQ), 1/3 mark will be deducted for a wrong answer. Likewise, for 2-mark multiple-choice questions (MCQ), 2/3 mark will be deducted for a wrong answer. There is NO negative marking for Numerical Answer Type (NAT) questions.

  6. What is Application and Registration Process ?

    7. All candidates have to apply ONLINE.
    Details of the application fee are shown in table below:
    Women candidates / SC / ST / PwD category candidates INR.750/-
    All other candidates INR.1500/-
    The application fee is non-refundable.

    For GATE 2016, payments would have to be made online by using net banking or debit card or e-challan facilities. Additional charges will be applicable as per the rule of the bank from where the money is being transferred. This charge will be specified on the payment portal.

  7. What is the GATE Syllabus ?

  8. What strategy should be followed to qualify in the GATE exam? Do we need to cover each and every topic from GATE Syllabus ?

    9. Instead of covering the entire syllabus, it is more important to focus on the right subjects and topics within the syllabus for a particular stream. As far as the strategy is concerned, one can refer the previous year's papers of their stream and identify the important subjects and topics to focus upon.

  9. For how many GATE papers can I apply?

    10. A candidate can apply to only ONE of the 23 streams for which GATE exam is being conducted. The candidate is responsible for choosing the appropriate stream. Please refer to the following instructions -
    1. The candidate is expected to appear in a paper appropriate to the discipline of his/her qualifying degree.
    2. The candidate is, however, free to choose any paper according to his/her admission plan, keeping in mind the eligibility criteria of the institutions in which he/she wishes to seek admission

  10. What is the ideal time duration for preparation for GATE Exam.

    11. Preparation duration for GATE depends on many factors such as individual's aptitude, fundamental strength, perseverance and focus. Typically, a rigorous preparation of 4-6 months is considered good enough for getting into IISc or IITs.

  11. What is GATE Score card, what does GATE Score card Contains ?

    12. The GATE score card is a valuable document with details of All-India Rank for the applicable stream, GATE Score and absolute marks. It will comprise the personal details of the student. Additional Score Cards (maximum of two) will be issued on fee payment of Rs 300 per scorecard. Scorecard will be sent only to the qualified candidates. No information will be sent to Candidates who did not qualify.
    GATE score is valid for THREE YEAR only.

  12. How is GATE Score calculated ?

    13. After the evaluation of the answers, the raw marks obtained by a candidate will be normalized and then scaled to a GATE Score out of 1000.

  13. When GATE Result will be announced ?

    14. GATE'16 results will be announced on 19th March 2016.

About M.Tech Admissions

  1. What happens in an M.Tech degree course?

    2. M.Tech stands for Masters in Technology. The course is a two-year program which offers specialization in the particular area of Engineering.

  2. What are the benefits of M.Tech degree?

    • M.Tech from a top-class institute with the best faculty and infrastructure helps a student to work on the best research technologies in India
    • M.Tech helps a student to differentiate himself from other B.Tech graduates.
    • There is scope for better Placements with higher pay and superior job profiles in top PSUs, MNCs and Indian companies both in India and Abroad.
    • M.Tech opens up a lot of career paths in the fields of Teaching, Research and other Core sectors, apart from the existing alternatives
    • Chance to pursue specializations of interest.
    • Opportunity to work in research positions like JRFs, in ISRO/DRDO/BARC/IITs etc
    • Minimum stipend of 12,400/- per month is given to regular students joining colleges under MHRD

  3. How are the placements for M.Tech students?

    4. Companies like Tata Steel, Tata Motors, L&T, Analog Devices, ST Micro, Intel, Adobe, Cisco, Oracle, Amazon, Microsoft, Google, Facebook etc. are recruiting M.Tech students specifically for core roles. The average package offered is 7 - 8 Lacs.

  4. How to pursue M.Tech in IISC/IIT/NIT?

    5. A student has to perform well in GATE and interview process to qualify for M.Tech admission in IISC/IIT/NIT and many other prestigious institutes. A student must also be careful in selecting the right specialization for pursuing M.Tech.

  5. Should I pursue M.Tech after graduation or should I work for a few years after graduation and then pursue M.Tech?

    6. During job, a student will be learning how to apply theoretical knowledge into practical, real world problems, but to get the more detailed knowledge of designing/research aspect of your current work, one should go for the masters. Additionally, it's considered difficult to prepare for GATE exam while working. However, with a validity of 3 years for GATE Score, a student can apply for M.Tech admission even after working for a couple of years.

  6. How many seats are there for M.Tech in IIT's ?

    7. The number of seats for M.Tech & Phd at IITs was recently increased from 1400 to 10,000 in 2014. Source : Hindustan Time 28-oct-2014 Click

  7. How much Stipend is paid for M.Tech students in IIT's ?

    8. Stipend, in form of Half-Time Teaching Assistantship (HTTA), at the rate of Rs.12,400/- p.m. (tenable for a maximum period of 24 months) will be awarded to Indian nationals doing the M.Tech. Programmes, subject to Institute rules.

  8. Reservation of seats for M.Tech in IIT's ?

    9. Seats are reserved for Indian Nationals under the categories, SC/ ST/ OBC (Non-creamy layer) and PwD (Persons with Disability) according to the Government of India rules. The reservations are as follows: (General - 50.5%, OBC - 27%, SC- 15%, ST- 7.5%)

  9. What is the Shortlisting and Selection Criteria for M.Tech in IIT's ?

    10. Admissions into M. tech Programs is based on GATE Score and interviews/written test. Most of the IIT's give 70% weightage to the GATE score and 30% weightage to the written test and interview marks. The fixing of cut-off score for candidates in different categories shall be as per the norms of the Institute.

  10. Can I change my stream during M.Tech?

    11. There are some interdisciplinary departments in IITs which permit the students of different streams in same course. For e.g. - Nuclear Engineering Programme at IIT Kanpur allows students from any branch of engineering and Master's degree in Physics or Mathematics.

  11. What are the options of doing M.Tech from colleges other than IITs?

    12. Other than IITs, GATE is valid for NITs and other reputed colleges and universities. But, IIT's and some NIT's are much better than any other colleges because they provide an excellent infrastructure, faculty, lab facilities and a conducive ambiance.

About PSU'S Recruitment through GATE

  1. What are PSUs ?

    2. PSUs or public sector undertakings are government organizations for public welfare. There are around 250+ PSUs in India.

  2. What are the benefits of working in a PSU?

    • PSUs offer great salary package with an average salary package of 8-9 Lacs.
    • PSUs offer core job profiles for engineering graduates.
    • Jobs with PSU are always secure irrespective of the economical fluctuations and other national issues.
    • Work life balance is usually good in PSUs.
    • People working for PSU's are treated with a lot of respect by society.

  3. How many PSU's Recruit through GATE ?

    4. Currently, more than 30+ PSUs are accepting GATE Score for recruitment like HPCL, BPCL, IOCL, NHPC, NTPC, Power Grid, CONCOR, GAIL, DDA, BHEL, BEL, TCIL, NALCO, MECL, MECON etc.

  4. What is the PSU Recruitment process through GATE ?

    5. The PSUs will release their notification post which applicants have to apply with necessary credentials and GATE Score. After application process is over, the PSUs will release the list of candidates shortlisted for further process (interviews and/or tests) and their dates of further process. After the selection process is over, the PSUs release job offers for selected candidates..

  5. What profiles are offered by PSU's through GATE ?

    6. PSU's offer multiple entry level profiles like Management Trainee, Executive Trainees, Graduate Engineer Trainees, Assistant executive engineer, Junior Engineer Etc.

  6. What is the pay package offered by PSU's?

    7. The pay package offered by PSUs is in the range of 8 - 9 lakh p.a.

  7. How can I know when PSU recruitment notification is released?

    8. Interested applicants need to visit the respective website of PSUs for further information on selection process. Please keep visiting our website for further information on PSU recruitment notifications and process.