GATE MT Syllabus and Marks Distribution

There is no optional subject block in this paper. The syllabus defines what can be tested; it does not offer a choice to replace one subject with another. Leaving a question unanswered earns zero, but it does not reduce the set of topics that may appear.

Metallurgical Engineering Unit-wise Syllabus

Engineering Mathematics

• Linear Algebra: Matrices and determinants; systems of linear equations; eigenvalues and eigenvectors.
• Calculus: Limit, continuity and differentiability; partial derivatives; maxima and minima; sequences and series; test for convergence; Fourier series.
• Vector Calculus: Gradient, divergence and curl; line, surface and volume integrals; Gauss theorem.
• Differential Equations: Linear and non -linear first order ODEs; higher order linear ODEs with constant coefficients; Cauchy’s and Euler’s equations; PDEs – one dimensional heat and wave equations.
• Probability and Statistics: Definitions of probability; conditional probability; mean, median, mode and standard deviation; random variables; Poisson, normal and binomial distributions; analysis of experimental data; linear least squares method.
• Numerical Methods: Roots of linear and non -linear algebraic equations of single variable ( bisection, secant, Newton- Raphson methods); numerical integration (trapezoidal rule) and differentiation (Taylor series expansion).

Metallurgical Thermodynamics

• Laws of Thermodynamics: First law – energy conservation, Second law - entropy; enthalpy, Gibbs and Helmholtz free energy; Maxwell’s relations; chemical potential; applications to metallurgical systems; solutions, ideal and regular solutions; Gibbs phase rule, phase equilibria, binary phase diagram and lever rule; free-energy vs. composition diagrams; equilibrium constant, activity, Ellingham and phase stability diagrams.
• Electrochemistry: Single electrode potential; electrochemical cells; Nernst equation; potential-pH diagrams.

Transport Phenomena and Rate Processes

• Momentum Transfer: Concept of viscosity; shell balances ; Bernoulli’s equation ; mechanical energy balance equation; flow past plane surfaces and through pipes.
• Heat transfer: Conduction - Fourier’s Law, 1-D steady state conduction; convection; heat transfer coefficient and correlations; radiation; Stefan-Boltzmann Law; Kirchhoff’s Law.
• Mass Transfer: Diffusion and Fick’s laws, mass transfer coefficients and correlations.
• Dimensional Analysis: Significance of dimensionless numbers and their applications.
• Basic Laws of Chemical Kinetics: First order reactions; reaction rate constant; Arrhenius relation; heterogeneous reactions; oxidation kinetics.
• Electrochemical Kinetics: Polarization.

Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy

• Comminution; Size classification; Flotation, Gravity, magnetic and electrostatic separation methods of mineral beneficiation.
• Principles of pyro, hydro and electro metallurgy; unit processes for extraction of non-ferrous metals – aluminium, copper, titanium, zinc, and associated heat and material balance.
• Ironmaking: Thermodynamics of blast furnace ironmaking; heat and material balance in blast furnace; production of sinter, pellets, metallurgical coke and testing, alternative routes of iron making (rotary kiln, MIDREX, COREX).
• Primary Steel Making: Structure and properties of slags; thermodynamics and kinetics of steelmaking; basic oxygen furnace and electric arc furnace steel making.
• Secondary Steel Making: Ladle process – deoxidation, degassing, argon stirring, desulphurization, inclusion shape control; basics of stainless steel manufacturing.
• Continuous Casting: Basics of continuous casting, casting defects, thin slab casting.

Physical Metallurgy

• Materials Characterisation: X-ray Diffraction-Bragg’s law; optical microscopy; imaging and spectroscopy in SEM.
• Crystal Imperfections: Point, line and surface defects; coherent, semi-coherent and incoherent interfaces.
• Diffusion in Solids: Atomic models for interstitial and substitutional diffusion; volume, surface and grain boundary diffusion, Kirkendall effect; uphill diffusion.
• Phase Transformation: Driving force; homogeneous and heterogeneous nucleation; growth kinetics; solidification in isomorphous, eutectic and peritectic systems; cast structures and macrosegregation; dendritic solidification and constitutional supercooling; coring and microsegregation.
• Solid-state Transformations: Precipitation; eutectoid transformation, diffusionless transformations; precipitate coarsening, Gibbs-Thomson effect; glass transition in ceramics and polymers.
• Principles of heat treatment: Heat treatment of steels; time-temperature-transformation (TTT) and continuous cooling transformation (CCT) diagrams; surface hardening; recovery, recrystallization and grain growth; heat treatment of cast irons and aluminium alloys.
• Corrosion: Basic forms of corrosion and its prevention.

Mechanical Behaviour of Materials

• Elasticity; strain tensor and stress tensor; representation by Mohr’s circle; uniaxial tensile testing and stress-strain curves for metals, ceramics, and polymers; Tresca and von Mises yield criteria; plastic deformation by slip and twinning.
• Dislocation Theory: Edge, screw and mixed dislocations; sources and multiplication of dislocations; stress fields around dislocations; partial dislocations; dislocation interactions and reactions.
• Strengthening Mechanisms: Work/strain hardening, strengthening due to grain boundaries, solid solution, precipitation and dispersion.
• Fracture behaviour: Griffith theory; linear elastic fracture mechanics; fracture toughness; fractography; ductile to brittle transition; toughening mechanisms in ceramics.
• Fatigue: Low and high cycle fatigue; crack growth.
• High Temperature deformation: Mechanisms of high temperature deformation and failure; creep and stress rupture, stress exponent and activation energy.

Manufacturing Processes

• Metal Casting: Mould design involving feeding, gating and risering, casting practices, casting defects.
• Hot, Warm and Cold Working of Metals: Metal forming – fundamentals of metal forming processes of rolling, forging, extrusion, wire drawing and sheet metal forming; defects in forming.
• Metal Joining: Principles of soldering, brazing and welding; welding metallurgy, defects in welded joints in steels and aluminium alloys.
• Powder Metallurgy: Production of powders, compaction and sintering.
• Non-destructive Testing (NDT): Dye-penetrant, ultrasonic, radiography, eddy current, acoustic emission and magnetic particle inspection methods.

Materials Science and Non-Metallic Materials

• Classification of engineering materials; chemical bonding - ionic, covalent, metallic and secondary bonding in materials; Structure of metals and alloys, ionic and covalent bonded solids and polymers.
• Polymers: Molecular weight; thermoplastics and thermosets; copolymers; crystallinity of polymers.
• Ceramics: Radius ratio and electroneutrality rules for determining crystal structure; Schottky and Frenkel defects, non-stoichiometric defects.
• Composites: Types of reinforcements and matrices; enhancement in modulus and strength; isostrain and isostress loading conditions.
• Electronic Properties: Band gap; Fermi energy; conductors, semiconductors and insulators.
• Magnetic properties: Magnetization and B -H curves, principles of ferro -, ferri -, antiferro -, para - and dia - magnetism.

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

The marks split above is fixed at section level. IIT Madras has not assigned a guaranteed number of marks to each chapter of Metallurgical 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.

Using the 2027 Syllabus for Preparation

Use phase diagrams with heat-treatment and transformation questions, and connect transport principles to extraction processes. Distinguish equilibrium predictions from the rate at which a transformation occurs.

Match each exercise to the current unit list. A previous-year paper may use an older scope or section code. When a current topic has no matching older question, practise that concept separately rather than deleting it from the plan. The GATE preparation plan covers full-paper practice and revision alongside topic study.

1. Unit and Topic Reference
2. Sections and Marks

1. Mathematics and General Aptitude
2. Practice and Marking Reference