The candidate can appear for the exam in any of the 27 subjects in which the exam is conducted. The subjects include statistics, mathematics, computer science and information technology, aerospace engineering etc. Earlier there were 25 subjects. 2 new subjects - Environmental Science and Engineering (ES) and Humanities and Social Science (XS) – have been added this year. The examination is of 3 hours duration, and contains a total of 65 questions worth a maximum of 100 marks. The examination for all the papers is carried out in an online Computer Based Test (CBT) mode where the candidates are shown the questions in a random sequence on a computer screen. The questions consist of the following types of questions:
Candidates are provided with scribble pads for rough work and these have to be returned after the examination.
Out of 65 questions, 10 questions are from General Aptitude (Verbal and Numerical ability) and 55 questions are Technical, based on the Paper chosen. The General Aptitude section has 5 One-mark questions and 5 Two-mark questions. The Technical section and Engineering Mathematics section combinedly have 25 One-mark questions and 30 Two-mark questions.
The results are usually declared about one month after the examinations are over. The results show the total marks scored by a candidate, the GATE score, the all-India rank (AIR) and the cut off marks for various categories in the candidate's paper. The score is valid for 3 years from the date of announcement of the GATE results. The score cards are issued only to qualified candidates.
The rules for qualifying marks have varied from year to year. The qualifying marks (out of 100) are different for different subjects as well as categories.
Unlike undergraduate admissions in India, candidates must apply individually to each institute after the institute has published its M.Tech. notification. There is no separate counselling held. For admissions in NITs and IIITs, CCMT is held every year and the notification is released around April of each year.
Some institutions specify GATE qualification as mandatory even for admission of self-financing students to postgraduate programs. GATE qualified candidates are also eligible for the award of Junior Research Fellowship in CSIR Laboratories and CSIR sponsored projects.
Typically, the Indian Institute of Science and Indian Institutes of Technology are the most selective followed by National Institutes of Technology and others. Also, there are some state universities in India, whose standards and facilities are very much comparable to top IITs and NITs. Some of them are Punjab Engineering College, Bengal Engineering and Science University (recently converted to IIEST) and some more.
Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) – GATE scheme was introduced by CSIR to allow GATE qualified GATE qualified engineering graduates to pursue research through suitable Ph. D. programs at CSIR laboratories.
The fellowship amount is Rs. 25,000 per month plus HRA (House Rent Allowance). In addition, a contingency grant of Rs. 20,000 per annum is also provided. On completion of two years as JRF – GATE, the fellowship may be upgraded to SRF (Senior Research Fellow) – GATE and stipend may be increased to Rs. 28,000 per month in subsequent years.
The total duration of the fellowship is 5 years, within which the candidate is expected to complete the Ph. D. degree.
Public Sector Undertakings or PSUs are government owned corporations that offer jobs through GATE score on various posts. Many companies offer direct recruitment on the basis of GATE scores while some conduct additional tests, interviews or group discussions as well. Haryana Power Utilities recruits directly on the basis of GATE scores while DRDO RAC shortlists candidates on the basis of their GATE scores for a descriptive examination that is followed by a personal interview.
All candidates applying for jobs in PSUs through GATE are supposed to have qualified GATE with the required cutoff. Each company announces its own specific scores for recruitment in its notification. Some PSUs accept only the present year score while some accept even older scores that are valid. Apart from scores, various PSUs also specify certain other requirements like age limit, pass percentage or CGPA obtained during graduation and some more differing with PSU.
More than 100,000 students take the exams for less than 1000 jobs (a selection rate of less than 1%) every year. The syllabus for the GATE exam and its preparation remains the same, irrespective of whether one is applying for a job at a PSU or seeking admission for post-graduation in engineering.
Some PSUs with the disciplines whose scores are preferred are: