GATE Instrumentation Engineering Exam Pattern 2026: Marking Scheme, Weightage, Books
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Content Writer | Updated On - Jul 29, 2025
GATE 2026 is expected to be scheduled on February 2026. GATE aspirants who have registered for the exam should tighten up their preparation, as the exam is close and the time is limited.
Before starting the preparation, the aspirants should be aware of the pattern of the exam. The pattern for the exam will be released on the official website. It will provide all the basic details about the exam, like the exam duration, total marks, sections, marking scheme, etc.
- The GATE IN paper includes important sections such as Engineering Mathematics, General Aptitude, Measurements, Analog Electronics, Electrical Circuits, Control Systems, Digital Electronics.
- There will be a total of 65 questions i.e. MCQs, MSQs, and NATs in the question paper as per the GATE 2026 exam pattern.
- There will be no negative marking in the case of MSQs and NAT questions. 72% weightage is given to the Instrumentation Engineering section, 15% to General Aptitude and 13% to Engineering Mathematics
- Candidates who are going to apply for GATE 2026, should know that they have to appear for EC, EE or PH paper as their second paper.
- Candidates who want to appear for the GATE 2026 IN paper, are advised to go through the latest syllabus and exam pattern on the official site while preparing for the test.
Table of Content
- GATE Instrumentation Engineering Exam: Highlight
- GATE Instrumentation Engineering Exam: Question Type
- GATE Instrumentation Engineering Exam: Sections
- GATE Instrumentation Engineering Exam: Marking Scheme
- GATE Instrumentation Engineering Exam: Important Topics
5.1 General Aptitude
Experts usually release the expected weightage of the important topics, based on their analysis of the previous year's question papers. The aspirants can also do this by referring to the previous year's question papers and solving the practice papers. Having an idea of the exam pattern can help them prepare a proper plan to get a seat in the top engineering colleges across India.
GATE Instrumentation Engineering Exam: Highlight
The basic details about the GATE Exam for Instrumentation Engineering are mentioned in the table below:
| Particulars | Details |
|---|---|
| Exam Mode | Computer-Based Test (CBT) |
| Duration | 3 Hours |
| Total Marks | 100 marks |
| Sections | General Aptitude (GA) + Engineering Mathematics + Subject of Choice |
| Types of Questions | Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ), Multiple Select Questions (MSQ), Numerical Answer Type (NAT) Questions. |
| Questions for testing the ability |
|
| Total Questions | 65 Questions |
| Marking Scheme | Questions carry 1 - 2 marks |
| Negative Marking | mark deduction for every wrong answer. |
GATE Instrumentation Engineering Exam: Question Type
- The GATE exam will have a total of 65 questions.
- These questions will be of 2 types: MCQ (Multiple Choice Questions), MSQ (Multiple Select Questions), and/or NAT (Numerical Answer Type Questions).
These questions will test the ability of the candidates on various grounds which are shown in the below table:
| Recall | It will include questions that will be directly linked to the principles, facts, formulas, or laws of Instrumentation Engineering. |
| Comprehension | It will include questions that will test the basic understanding of the candidates in the field of Instrumentation Engineering. In these questions, the candidates have to stress fundamental ideas to draw out a conclusion. |
| Application | It will include questions that will require the candidates to apply computational and logical reasoning skills. |
| Analysis & Synthesis | It will include questions comprising a mix of data, diagrams, and images. The candidates should be able to solve these questions by analyzing the information contained in them. |
GATE Instrumentation Engineering Exam: Sections
The GATE Instrumentation Engineering Exam consists of 3 sections. These 3 sections are mentioned below, along with the weightage of marks.
| Sections | Number of Questions | Total Marks |
|---|---|---|
| General Aptitude | 10 | 15% |
| Engineering Mathematics | 10 | 13% |
| Core Discipline - Instrumentation Engineering (IN) | 45 | 72% |
| Total | 65 | 100 |
GATE Instrumentation Engineering Exam: Marking Scheme
Every question consists of 1 or 2 marks. Also, there will be negative markings for each wrong answer. The negative marking is as follows.
- For 1 mark MCQ: mark will be deducted
- For 2 marks MCQ: mark will be deducted
- No negative markings for incorrect answers to MSQ or NAT questions.
GATE Instrumentation Engineering Exam: Important Topics
There are 3 sections in the GATE Instrumentation Engineering Exam. Some of the important topics for these 3 sections are mentioned below. For a detailed GATE IN syllabus, Click Here.
General Aptitude
The important topics in the general aptitude section include the following:
- English Grammar
- Sentence Completion
- Instructions
- Verbal Analogies
- Word Groups
- Critical Reasoning
- Verbal Deduction
Mathematical Engineering
The important topics in the mathematical engineering section include the following:
- Linear Algebra
- Calculus
- Differential Equations
- Analysis of Complex Variables
- Probability and Statistics
- Numerical Methods
Subject Related (Instrumentation Engineering)
The instrumentation engineering topics from which the questions could come in the exam are mentioned below:
- Electricity and Magnetism
- Electrical Circuits & Machines
- Signals & Systems
- Control Systems
- Analog Electronics
- Digital Electronics
- Measurements
- Sensors and Industrial Instrumentations
- Communication and Optical Instruments
GATE Instrumentation Engineering Exam: Topic Wise Weightage
The expected weightage and the number of questions that can be asked from the important topics are mentioned in the table below:
| GATE IN Topics | Number of Questions | Weightage |
|---|---|---|
| General Aptitude | 10 | 15% |
| Engineering Mathematics | 7 | 11% |
| Network Theory | 3 | 4% |
| Digital Circuits | 5 | 8% |
| Signals & Systems | 5 | 8% |
| Control Systems | 4 | 6% |
| Measurements | 8 | 12% |
| Analog Circuits | 5 | 8% |
| Communication | 2 | 3% |
| Transducers | 5 | 8% |
| Optical Instrumentation | 3 | 5% |
| Process Control | 1 | 1% |
GATE Instrumentation Engineering Exam: Reference Books
The aspirants preparing for the GATE exam, especially for Instrumentation Engineering, can refer to the following books for their preparation.
| Books | Author/ Publication |
|---|---|
| GATE: Instrumentation Engineering Previous Solved Papers | GKP |
| Instrumentation Engineering GATE | Arihant Experts |
| GATE Guide - Instrumentation Engineering | GKP |
| Advanced Engineering Mathematics | Erwin Kreyszig |
| GATE Engineering Mathematics | Made Easy |
| Engineering Circuit Analysis | Steven M.Durbin |
| Analog Electronics | Behzad Razavi |
| GATE Electronics & Communication | R K Kanodia |
Important Instructions for Candidates
- Candidates should know that, GATE 2026 exam is an online exam and the duration of the GATE 2026 will be 3 hours.
- The candidates who are going to appear in the GATE 2026 exam should need to carry an Admit Card in addition to the original valid photo identity proof with them at the examination hall.
- Candidates should not need to carry any pen, the scribble pads offered to the candidates inside the examination hall so that they can do rough work. Also, don’t forget to write their name and registration number on the pad given to them.
Things not allowed inside GATE 2026 exam center
- Mobile phones or any electronic device inside the examination center is prohibited.
- Also, Any kind of printed or hand-written textual material inside the exam center is not allowed.
FAQs
Ques. Where can I find the officially released GATE exam pattern?
Ans. Once the notification for the GATE exam has been released, the exam pattern will also be available on the GATE official website. The candidates can check this link: https://gate.iitk.ac.in/question_pattern.html
Ques. Where can I find the previous year's question papers for GATE?
Ans. The previous year's questions could be found easily on the official website of GATE. Refer to this link for year-wise previous question papers: https://gate.iitk.ac.in/download_info.html
Ques. Is there a negative marking in the GATE exam?
Ans. Yes, there is a negative marking in the GATE exam for wrong answers. For MCQs questions, ⅓ deducted for 1 mark questions ⅔ deducted for 2 marks questions.
Ques. Is Engineering Mathematics important in the GATE exam?
Ans. Yes, Engineering Mathematics is important for the GATE exam but is mandatory only for engineering papers.
Ques. How many questions are asked in the GATE exam?
Ans. There are a total of 65 questions that are asked in the GATE exam. These questions would be in the form of MCQs and MSQ/ Numerical Answer Type questions.
Ques. Is it possible to appear for another paper while appearing for GATE Instrumentation Engineering (IN) paper?
Ans. Yes, in the year 2025 GATE has introduced a combination of two papers. So those who are appearing for Instrumentation Engineering as the first paper can choose BM, EE, EC, or ME as the second paper.
Ques. What is the marking scheme for GATE for Instrumentation Engineering?
Ans. The marking scheme is similar for all the papers and is as follows:
- Every correct answer will provide 1 or 2 marks.
- For 1 mark MCQ wrong answer, ⅓ mark will be deducted
- For 2 marks MCQ wrong answer, ⅔ mark will be deducted
- No negative markings for incorrect answers to MSQ or NAT questions.
Ques. What are the sections available in the GATE Instrumentation Engineering Exam?
Ans. The sections available in the GATE Instrumentation Engineering Exam are General Aptitude (GA), Engineering Mathematics, and Subject. The weightage of marks in these sections are mentioned below:
| Sections | Total Marks |
|---|---|
| General Aptitude | 15% |
| Engineering Mathematics | 13% |
| Core Discipline - Instrumentation Engineering (IN) | 72% |
| Total | 100 |
Ques. What is the scope of GATE scores?
Ans. The GATE scores can be used to take admission in the master’s program and doctorate programs in areas of Engineering, Technology, Architecture, Science, Commerce, and Arts. These scores are also used by the institutes to provide financial assistance to the students, and it is also used by the PSUs for the recruitment process.
*The article might have information for the previous academic years, please refer the official website of the exam.
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