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GATE Exam Pattern 2027: Questions, Marks and Negative Marking

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Zollege Team

Content Curator | Updated On - Oct 12, 2026

GATE 2027 has 65 questions for 100 marks in three hours. General Aptitude carries 15 marks. The remaining structure depends on the paper and, for some papers, the selected optional sections.

Robotics and Artificial Intelligence (RA) is a new paper in 2027. Textile Engineering and Fibre Science is XE9, an optional XE section; do not count it as an additional standalone paper.

GATE 2027 Paper Structure

Feature	Rule
Duration	3 hours
Total questions	65: 10 General Aptitude and 55 subject questions
Total marks	100
Mode and language	Computer-based test; English
Question types	MCQ, MSQ and numerical answer type
Mark value	1 or 2 marks per question

Paper group	Marks distribution
Most engineering papers	15 GA + 13 Mathematics + 72 subject
CY, DA, EY, MA, PH, ST	15 GA + 85 subject
AR / RA	15 GA + 60 common + 25 option
GE	15 GA + 55 common + 30 option
GG	15 GA + 25 common + 60 option
XE	15 GA + 15 Mathematics + 35 + 35 options
XH	15 GA + 25 Reasoning + 60 option
XL	15 GA + 25 Chemistry + 30 + 30 options

Robotics and Artificial Intelligence (RA) is a new paper in 2027. Textile Engineering and Fibre Science is XE9, an optional XE section; do not count it as an additional standalone paper.

GG and XH optional subjects are chosen during the application. AR, GE, RA, XE and XL options are chosen during the examination. GG and XH options have separate ranks and qualifying marks; AR, GE and RA options do not.

MCQ, MSQ and Numerical Questions

Question	How to answer
MCQ	Select the one correct option
MSQ	Select every correct option; there may be more than one
NAT	Enter the numerical answer using the on-screen virtual keypad

An MSQ is not an MCQ with extra chances. Selecting a subset of the correct options, or adding a wrong option, earns no marks. NAT questions have no listed answer options; enter the number at the precision requested in the question.

Marking Scheme and Negative Marking

Question type	Correct	Incorrect
MCQ, 1 mark	+1	-1/3
MCQ, 2 marks	+2	-2/3
MSQ, 1 or 2 marks	Full marks only for the exact correct set	0; no partial credit
NAT, 1 or 2 marks	Full marks for an accepted numerical answer	0

Unanswered questions carry zero. The MCQ penalty is a fraction of that question's marks, not a flat one-mark deduction. Wrong MSQ and NAT responses receive zero, with no additional penalty.

Raw Marks Calculation: Worked Example

For a mixed paper, add the marks earned on correct answers and subtract only the applicable MCQ penalties. This example is illustrative, not a fixed question-type distribution.

Answers	Calculation	Marks
One-mark MCQs: 12 correct, 3 wrong	12 - 3/3	11
Two-mark MCQs: 15 correct, 3 wrong	30 - (3 x 2/3)	28
MSQs: four correct two-mark questions	4 x 2	8
NATs: six correct two-mark questions	6 x 2	12
Combined example	11 + 28 + 8 + 12	59 / 100

The remaining questions in this example are incorrect non-MCQs or unanswered, contributing zero. These 59 marks are not a GATE score of 590. GATE score calculation uses paper-level qualifying and top-performance benchmarks, with normalised marks where applicable.

Subjects and Syllabus Coverage

Robotics and Artificial Intelligence (RA) is a new paper in 2027. Textile Engineering and Fibre Science is XE9, an optional XE section; do not count it as an additional standalone paper.

Paper code	Subject
CY	Chemistry
MA	Mathematics
PH	Physics
CH	Chemical Engineering
CE	Civil Engineering
EC	Electronics and Communication Engineering
ME	Mechanical Engineering
XE	Engineering Sciences
MN	Mining Engineering
IN	Instrumentation Engineering
CS	Computer Science and Information Technology
EE	Electrical Engineering
AE	Aerospace Engineering
BM	Biomedical Engineering
GG	Geology and Geophysics
EY	Ecology and Evolution
ST	Statistics
AR	Architecture and Planning
XL	Life Sciences
MT	Metallurgical Engineering
PI	Production and Industrial Engineering
PE	Petroleum Engineering
BT	Biotechnology
DA	Data Science and Artificial Intelligence
NM	Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering
ES	Environmental Science and Engineering
GE	Geomatics Engineering
AG	Agricultural Engineering
XH	Humanities and Social Sciences
RA	Robotics and Artificial Intelligence

The GATE 2027 syllabus lists the detailed subject and optional-section coverage.

Using Previous Papers as Mocks

Use the current paper structure when choosing a full mock. A Textile student must prepare the complete XE combination, not only the old TF technical questions.

Use a complete paper for the three-hour practice attempt. A short topic set measures that topic only; do not convert its percentage into an expected GATE rank. Compare the question types, marks and current topics before using previous-year GATE papers as full simulations.

Raw Marks, Normalised Marks, Score and Rank

Measure	Meaning
Raw marks	Marks earned from the answers and MCQ penalties
Normalised marks	Adjusted marks for a paper conducted across multiple sessions
GATE score	Standardised score based on the official paper-level formula
Rank	Relative position in the applicable paper or optional-subject list

Normalisation is not a fixed bonus for a difficult shift. It depends on session-level and all-session statistics, which are unavailable from an individual response sheet alone.

What do you need right now?

Quick Navigation PAPER DETAILS

Paper Structure
Question Types and Marking

Paper Structure

−

Feature	Rule
Duration	3 hours
Total questions	65: 10 General Aptitude and 55 subject questions
Total marks	100
Mode and language	Computer-based test; English
Question types	MCQ, MSQ and numerical answer type
Mark value	1 or 2 marks per question

Paper group	Marks distribution
Most engineering papers	15 GA + 13 Mathematics + 72 subject
CY, DA, EY, MA, PH, ST	15 GA + 85 subject
AR / RA	15 GA + 60 common + 25 option
GE	15 GA + 55 common + 30 option
GG	15 GA + 25 common + 60 option
XE	15 GA + 15 Mathematics + 35 + 35 options
XH	15 GA + 25 Reasoning + 60 option
XL	15 GA + 25 Chemistry + 30 + 30 options

Question Types and Marking

−

Type	Correct	Incorrect
MCQ, 1 mark	+1	-1/3
MCQ, 2 marks	+2	-2/3
MSQ, 1 or 2 marks	Full marks only for the exact correct set	0; no partial credit
NAT, 1 or 2 marks	Full marks for an accepted numerical answer	0

Worked Marks Example

−

Answers	Calculation	Marks
One-mark MCQs: 12 correct, 3 wrong	12 - 3/3	11
Two-mark MCQs: 15 correct, 3 wrong	30 - (3 x 2/3)	28
MSQs: four correct two-mark questions	4 x 2	8
NATs: six correct two-mark questions	6 x 2	12
Combined example	11 + 28 + 8 + 12	59 / 100

The example returns raw marks, not a rank or an official GATE score.

Subject and Option Reference

−

Robotics and Artificial Intelligence (RA) is a new paper in 2027. Textile Engineering and Fibre Science is XE9, an optional XE section; do not count it as an additional standalone paper.

Code	Subject
CY	Chemistry
MA	Mathematics
PH	Physics
CH	Chemical Engineering
CE	Civil Engineering
EC	Electronics and Communication Engineering
ME	Mechanical Engineering
XE	Engineering Sciences
MN	Mining Engineering
IN	Instrumentation Engineering
CS	Computer Science and Information Technology
EE	Electrical Engineering
AE	Aerospace Engineering
BM	Biomedical Engineering
GG	Geology and Geophysics
EY	Ecology and Evolution
ST	Statistics
AR	Architecture and Planning
XL	Life Sciences
MT	Metallurgical Engineering
PI	Production and Industrial Engineering
PE	Petroleum Engineering
BT	Biotechnology
DA	Data Science and Artificial Intelligence
NM	Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering
ES	Environmental Science and Engineering
GE	Geomatics Engineering
AG	Agricultural Engineering
XH	Humanities and Social Sciences
RA	Robotics and Artificial Intelligence

GATE Exam Pattern FAQs

Paper and Sections

Is GATE 2027 a 100-mark or 100-question paper?+

It is a 100-mark paper with 65 questions: 10 General Aptitude and 55 subject questions. Questions carry either one or two marks.

Is the whole paper online?+

Yes. GATE is a computer-based examination in English. Numerical answers are entered through the on-screen virtual keypad.

Can I change my optional subject during the examination?+

GG and XH options are selected during application. AR, GE, RA, XE and XL options are selected during the test. For XE and XL, changing an option clears the answers in the deselected section.

Marking and Results

Does selecting one correct MSQ option give partial credit?+

No. You must select exactly all the correct options. A partial set or a set containing an incorrect option earns zero.

Is there negative marking for numerical questions?+

No. An incorrect NAT receives zero. The negative-marking rules apply to MCQs only.

Can I multiply my marks by ten to calculate my GATE score?+

No. The score formula uses the General-category qualifying mark and a top-candidate benchmark for the paper. Multi-session papers use normalised marks first. A simple marks-times-ten calculation does not reproduce the official score.

Will the 2027 chapter distribution match last year?+

The official section allocation applies, but there is no promise of the same chapter-by-chapter distribution. Use dated paper analysis as a record of that examination, not as a guarantee for the next one.

*The article might have information for the previous academic years, please refer the official website of the exam.

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08 Apr 24

For the UG Engineering courses, candidates need to have 10+2 with 45% for the general category. However, the aggregate percentage will be 40% for SC/ST/OBC. For the PG Engineering courses, candidates need to have graduation with 50% and 45% for the SC/ST/OBC.

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GATE Exam Pattern 2027: Questions, Marks and Negative Marking

Important Updates for GATE} }

GATE 2027 Paper Structure

MCQ, MSQ and Numerical Questions

Marking Scheme and Negative Marking

Raw Marks Calculation: Worked Example

Subjects and Syllabus Coverage

Using Previous Papers as Mocks

Raw Marks, Normalised Marks, Score and Rank

What do you need right now?

Paper Structure

Question Types and Marking

Worked Marks Example

Subject and Option Reference

GATE Exam Pattern FAQs

Paper and Sections

Marking and Results

Ask your question

Answered Questions

What are the eligibility criteria for different engineering programs?

Zollege Team

What is the fee structure for b.tech computer science and engineering at VIT University?

Zollege Team

What interdisciplinary research opportunities are available for graduate students at PRSU?

Rency

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