AE covers Engineering Mathematics, Flight Mechanics and Space Dynamics, Aerodynamics, Structures and Propulsion. Its syllabus distinguishes core topics from special topics within these subjects.

Aerospace Engineering is tested within a 100-mark paper. The paper also includes General Aptitude. The sections below show the complete subject syllabus.

GATE AE Syllabus and Marks Distribution

There is no optional subject block in this paper. All listed sections are part of the syllabus.

Aerospace Engineering Unit-wise Syllabus

Engineering Mathematics

• Core Topics: Linear Algebra: Vector algebra, matrix algebra, systems of linear equations, rank of a matrix; Eigenvalues and eigenvectors.
• Calculus: Functions of single variable, limits, continuity and differentiability, chain rule, maxima and minima, Integration; Functions of several variables, partial derivatives, gradient, divergence and curl, directional derivatives; Line, surface and volume integrals. Theorems of Stokes, Gauss and Green.
• Differential Equations: First order linear ordinary differential equations; Higher order linear ODEs with constant coefficients; Classification of partial differential equations ; solution to: wave equation, Laplace equation, heat equation using separation of variables methods.
• Numerical Methods: Numerical solutions for linear and nonlinear algebraic equations by bisection, Newton - Raphson method; basic numerical differentiation; numerical integration by trapezoidal and Simpson’s rules; linear regression and least squares method; linear interpolation.
• Special Topics: Fourier series; complex numbers, analytic functions and Cauchy-Riemann equations.
• Basics of probability and statistics : Bayes theorem, mean, median, & mode; variance; binomial, normal and Poisson distribution.

Flight Mechanics & Space Dynamics

• Core Topics: Atmosphere: Properties of standard atmosphere.
• Classification of aircraft. Airplane (fixed wing aircraft) configuration and various parts; Pressure altitude; equivalent, calibrated, indicated air speeds;
• Primary flight instruments: Altimeter, air speed indicator, vertical speed indicator, turn-bank indicator.
• Aerodynamic forces and moments; angle of attack; sideslip;
• High-lift devices; roll, pitch & yaw controls.
• Airplane performance: CL-alpha curve, drag polar; take -off and landing; steady climb and descent; absolute and service ceiling; range and endurance, load factor, turning flight, V-n diagram. Winds: head, tail and cross winds.
• Static stability: stability and control derivatives; longitudinal stick fixed and free stability; horizontal tail position and size; directional stability, vertical tail position and size; lateral stability; wing dihedral, sweep & position; hinge moments, stick forces.
• Linear momentum and angular momentum balance for rigid bodies.
• Space Dynamics: central force motion, Keplerian orbits, Kepler’s laws; escape velocity.
• Special Topics: Equations of motion; Euler angles; decoupling of longitudinal and lateral -directional dynamics; longitudinal modes; lateral-directional modes, Hohmann orbital transfers.

Aerodynamics

• Core Topics: Basic fluid mechanics: fluid kinematics, streamline, streakline, pathline; conservation laws : mass, linear momentum and energy (integral and differential form); dimensional analysis and dynamic similarity; incompressibility conditions; Newtonian fluids.
• Elementary ideas of viscous flows: Hagen-Poiseulle flow, Couette flow, basic concepts in boundary layers , boundary layer thickness.
• Two-dimensional potential flow theory: sources, sinks, doublets, point vortex and their superposition, Bernoulli’s equation.
• Airfoils and wings: airfoil nomenclature; aerodynamic coefficients : lift, drag and moment; Kutta -Joukoswki theorem; thin airfoil theory, Kutta condition, starting vortex; finite wing theory: induced drag, Prandtl lifting line theory; critical and drag divergence Mach numbers.
• Compressible flows: basic concepts of compressibility, one -dimensional compressible flows, isentropic flows, normal and oblique shocks, Prandtl-Meyer flow; flow through nozzles and diffusers.
• Special Topics: Fanno flow; Rayleigh flow; pressure measurements using U-tube manometers and Pitot probe.

Structures

• Core Topics: Strength of materials: Stress and strain, stress-strain curves of steel and Aluminium; stresses and deflections in statically determinate and indeterminate linear elastic trusses, bars, beams, and shafts; two-dimensional transformations of stresses and strains, Mohr’s circle, principal stresses and strains; combined loading, failure criteria: maximum stress, Tresca, von Mises; strain energy; Castigliano’s principles; three-dimensional Hooke's law; plane stress and strain; Euler buckling of columns.
• Flight vehicle structures : torsion, bending and shear of open and closed thin -walled sections: symmetric and unsymmetric cross-sections; loads on aircraft.
• Structural Dynamics: free and forced vibrations of undamped and damped SDOF systems; free vibrations of undamped 2-DOF systems.
• Special Topics: Equilibrium and compatibility equations in two-dimensional elasticity.

Propulsion

• Core Topics: Basics of thermodynamics. Aerothermodynamics of aircraft engines: thrust, efficiency, range. Brayton cycle. Engine performance: ramjet, turbojet, turbofan, turboprop and turboshaft engines; after-burners. Aerothermodynamics of non-rotating propulsion components such as intakes, nozzles.
• Gas turbine combustor: types and configurations; combustion, stoichiometric fuel-to-air ratio.
• Turbomachinery: Axial compressors: angular momentum, work and compression, characteristic performance of a single axial compressor stage, efficiency of the compressor and degree of reaction, multi -staging; Centrifugal compressor: stage dynamics, inducer, impeller and diffuser; Axial turbines: stage performance.
• Rockets: thrust equation and specific impulse, rocket performance; multi-staging; chemical rockets; performance of solid and liquid propellant rockets.
• Special Topics: Turbine blade cooling, compressor-turbine matching.

General Aptitude Syllabus

General Aptitude contributes 15 marks within the 100-mark paper. It is not an additional paper that can be left out when choosing the technical sections.

Chapter-wise Weightage and Important Topics

Only the section-wise marks are fixed. IIT Madras has not assigned a guaranteed number of marks to each chapter of Aerospace Engineering. A topic may appear in one year and receive fewer questions in another; a past-paper count is not an official 2027 weightage.

For a chapter-weightage comparison, record the year, paper code, session, question number and marks of each matching question. Keep a combined question under one main topic or label the overlap explicitly; counting it twice inflates the total. GATE previous-year question papers can be used for this topic-by-topic practice.

Question Types and Negative Marking

The paper uses one-mark and two-mark questions. The number of MCQ, MSQ and NAT questions is not a fixed chapter-wise quota. In an MSQ, selecting one correct option is not enough when the correct answer contains two options.