
GATE 2021 Answer Key has been released unofficially. GATE 2021 Exam started on February 5 and continued on 6, 7, 12, 13, 14 February (6 days 2 sessions). GATE Answer Key by various coaching institutes has been released for the exams held. GATE Response Sheet has been released on February 20. Now, GATE Result will be announced on 22nd March 2021.
This year, 2 more subjects were added in GATE Paper Pattern, GATE eligibility criteria were also changed to 10+2+3, Arts and Commerce students are eligible, and aspirants could apply for max 2 papers. Due to the inclusion of Humanities and Social Sciences area subjects, PSU can hire candidates with a Humanities background.
A total of 8,82,684 candidates applied for GATE 2021, which is a slight increase from 8.59 lakh applications last year. In order to have an edge over others, candidates must have a clear knowledge of all the aspects of the exam, like GATE Cutoff, GATE Marks vs Rank, GATE Previous Year Question Papers. In this article, we have provided all the necessary information regarding GATE Notification 2021. Read on to find out.
GATE 2021 Exam: Overview
What is GATE? Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) exam is conducted every year to evaluate the knowledge and understanding of candidates in various undergraduate subjects of Engineering/ Architecture/ Technology as well as various Science subjects of a post-graduate level.
Purpose of GATE Exam:
- – The exam is conducted for admission to Master’s and Doctoral programs in Engineering/ Architecture/ Technology and various branches of Science.
- – Many Public Sector Undertakings (PSU) in India also select students for jobs on the basis of GATE score.
- – With the required GATE score, financial assistance in the form of Scholarships is also provided by the Ministry of Education (MoE) and other Governments.
Name of the Exam | Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) 2021 |
Conducting Body | Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi |
Mode of the Exam | Online |
Number of Stages | One |
GATE Online Registration | September 14 to 30, 2020 |
Exam Date | February 5, 6, 7, 12, 13, & 14, 2021 |
Total Subjects in GATE Syllabus 2021 | 27 |
Official Website | gate.iitb.ac.in |
Conducting Body: GATE exam is jointly conducted by the Indian Institute of Science (IISC) Bangalore and one of the 7 Indian Institutes of Technology i.e. IIT Bombay, Delhi, Guwahati, Kanpur, Kharagpur, Madras, Roorkee. This year the GATE exam is organised by IIT.
Also Check:
Changes In GATE Exam Center
GATE Online Application Procession System (GOAPS) portal has allowed the candidates to change their choice of exam centres. All those candidates who had earlier applied for the GATE 2021 can now change the exam centres till December 15, 2020, from official website i.e. gate.iitb.ac.in. Candidates will have to visit the application window and log in using their enrolment IDs and passwords.
The window has been open on December 14, 2020, and will remain open till December 15, 2020. No further changes will be allowed. The officials have clearly said that “After this, no further change can be done in the GOAPS portal as the centre allocation of GATE 2021 for admit card generation needs to be completed urgently.”
“GATE 2021 committee received several requests from the successfully registered candidates to provide the last chance to change the choice of examination city,” the official notice read. “Considering the pandemic situation and the requests received from a large section of the registered candidates, the GATE 2021 committee has decided to re-open the online portal GOAPS.”
GATE Exam Schedule 2021
Here is the Branch-wise GATE 2021 Exam Schedule:
Date (Day) | Time (IST) | Activities/ Paper |
5th February 2021 (Friday) | 12:00 – 17:00 hrs | Miscellaneous Activities* |
6th February 2021 (Saturday) | 09:30 – 12:30 hrs (Forenoon Session-FN) | CE-1, IN, CY |
6th February 2021 (Saturday) | 15:00 – 18:00 hrs (Afternoon Session-AN) | CE-2, PH, AR, BM, AE, MN |
7th February 2021 (Sunday) | 09:30 – 12:30 hrs (Forenoon Session-FN) | EE, GG, AG, EY |
7th February 2021 (Sunday) | 15:00 – 18:00 hrs (Afternoon Session-AN) | EC, PE, ES, ST, PI |
12th February 2021 (Friday) | 12:00 – 17:00 hrs | Miscellaneous Activities* |
13th February 2021 (Saturday) | 09:30 – 12:30 hrs (Forenoon Session-FN) | CS-1, MA, BT, CH, TF |
13th February 2021 (Saturday) | 15:00 – 18:00 hrs (Afternoon Session-AN) | CS-2, XE, XL |
14th February 2021 (Sunday) | 09:30 – 12:30 hrs (Forenoon Session-FN) | ME-1, XH |
14th February 2021 (Sunday) | 15:00 – 18:00 hrs (Afternoon Session-AN) | ME-2, MT |
Note: Miscellaneous Activities are:
(i) Conducting trial (mock) test by zonal GATE IIT/IISc officials (NOT for candidates),
(ii) Briefing to Invigilators,
(iii) Scribes selection (if any),
(iv) Preparation of exam center including Sanitisation
(v) Other activities (display posters, signboard, seating arrangements, etc.), Optional visit by Candidates to check the exam center, etc.
Changes In GATE Exam 2021
Here are the changes that have been made in the GATE Exam this year:
- – Subjects of Humanities and Social Sciences have been included. Hence students from Arts and Commerce background can appear for GATE-2021 too.
- – Eligibility Criteria has been modified from 10+2+4 to10+2+3. This means, that students from 3rd year in Undergraduate Course can also apply for GATE 2021.
- – 2 more subjects have been added to this year. The new subjects are Environmental Science and Engineering AND Humanities and Social Sciences. Now there are a total of 27 subjects.
- – Candidates can appear either in ONE (like earlier years) or maximum TWO papers in GATE 2021.
GATE 2021 Exam Dates
Let us now look into the schedule for GATE 2021:
GATE Official Website Live From | July 16, 2020 |
Beginning of Online Application Filling | September 14, 2020 |
Last Date to Apply and Submit the Application Fee | September 30, 2020 |
Last Date to Apply with Late Fee | October 7, 2020 |
Last Date to change category, paper & exam city (with an extra fee) | November 13, 2020 |
Release of GATE Admit Card | January 8, 2021 (Released) |
GATE 2021: Forenoon: 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM (Tentative) Afternoon: 2:30 PM to 5:30 PM (Tentative) | February 5, 2021 February 6, 2021 February 7, 2021 February 12, 2021 February 13, 2021 February 14, 2021 |
Announcement of GATE Results | March 22, 2021 |
GATE Cutoff 2020
Below we have provided GATE Cutoff for the previous year. You can check GATE Previous Year Cutoff for 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015.
Paper Name | Category-wise GATE Cut Off 2020 (Qualifying Marks) |
Life Sciences (XL) | General – 31.7 OBC(NCL) – 28.5 SC/ST/PwD – 21.1 |
GATE 2020 Cut Off Marks For Civil Engineering (CE) | General – 32.9 OBC(NCL) – 29.6 SC/ST/PwD – 21.9 |
Electrical Engineering (EE) | General – 33.4 OBC(NCL) – 30 SC/ST/PwD – 22.2 |
Computer Science and Information Technology (CS) | General – 28.50 OBC(NCL) – 25.6 SC/ST/PwD – 19 |
Mechanical Engineering (ME) | General – 34 OBC(NCL) – 30.6 SC/ST/PwD – 22.6 |
Petroleum Engineering (PE) | General – 39.8 OBC(NCL) – 35.8 SC/ST/PwD – 26.5 |
Electronics and Communication Engineering (EC) | General – 28.8 OBC(NCL) – 25.9 SC/ST/PwD – 19.2 |
Chemical Engineering (CH) | General – 35.7 OBC(NCL) – 32.1 SC/ST/PwD – 23.8 |
Chemistry (CY) | General – 26.7 OBC(NCL) – 24 SC/ST/PwD – 17.8 |
Biotechnology (BT) | General – 30.7 OBC(NCL) – 27.6 SC/ST/PwD – 20.4 |
Engineering Sciences (XE) | General – 26 OBC(NCL) – 23.4 SC/ST/PwD – 17.3 |
Textile Engineering and Fibre Science (TF) | General – 37.1 OBC(NCL) – 33.3 SC/ST/PwD – 24.7 |
Aerospace Engineering (AE) | General – 27.2 OBC(NCL) – 24.4 SC/ST/PwD – 18.1 |
Agricultural Engineering (AG) | General – 26.3 OBC(NCL) – 23.6 SC/ST/PwD – 17.5 |
Ecology and Evolution (EY) | General – 42.2 OBC(NCL) – 37.9 SC/ST/PwD – 28.1 |
Architecture and Planning (AR) | General – 34.8 OBC(NCL) – 31.3 SC/ST/PwD – 23.2 |
Instrumentation Engineering (IN) | General – 34.6 OBC(NCL) – 31.1 SC/ST/PwD – 23 |
Mathematics (MA) | General – 25 OBC(NCL) – 22.5 SC/ST/PwD – 16.6 |
Mining Engineering (MN) | General – 32.7 OBC(NCL) – 29.4 SC/ST/PwD – 21.8 |
Metallurgical Engineering (MT) | General – 49.2 OBC(NCL) – 44.2 SC/ST/PwD – 32.8 |
Physics (PH) | General – 37.2 OBC(NCL) – 33.4 SC/ST/PwD – 24.8 |
Production and Industrial Engineering (PI) | General – 36.6 OBC(NCL) – 32.9 SC/ST/PwD – 24.4 |
Statistics (ST) | General – 25 OBC(NCL) – 22.5 SC/ST/PwD – 16.6 |
Geophysics | General – 51.9 OBC(NCL) – 46.7 SC/ST/PwD – 34.6 |
Geology | General – 38.4 OBC(NCL) – 34.5 SC/ST/PwD – 25.6 |
GATE 2021 Exam Pattern
GATE 2021 will be a computer-based multiple-choice question or MCQ-based exam. Candidates will have to answer 65 questions for a total of 100 marks within 3 hours. The exam consists of two sections:
Mode of Exam | Computer Based Test (CBT) |
Time Duration | 3 hours |
Number of Subjects (Papers) | 27 |
Sections | General Aptitude (GA) + Candidate’s Selected Subject |
Type of Questions | Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ) Multiple Select Questions (MSQ) and/or Numerical Answer Type (NAT) Questions |
Questions test these abilities | Recall, Comprehension, Application, Analysis and Synthesis |
Number of Questions | 10 (GA) + 55 (subject) = 65 Questions |
Total Marks | 100 marks |
Distribution of Marks in all Papers except papers AR, CY, EY, GG, MA, PH, XH and XL | General Aptitude: 15 Marks + Engineering Mathematics: 13 Marks + Subject Questions: 72 Marks = Total: 100 Marks |
Distribution of Marks in papers AR, CY, EY, GG, MA, PH, XH and XL | General Aptitude: 15 Marks + Subject Questions: 85 Marks = Total: 100 Marks |
Marking Scheme | All of the questions will be of 1 mark or 2 marks |
There are two types of questions asked in GATE:
- Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ)
- Numerical Answer Type (NAT) Questions
Out of the 65 questions, 10 questions carrying 15 marks will be on General Aptitude (GA). The remaining 55 questions will be on Engineering Mathematics and the subject you have applied for.
GATE Detailed Marking Scheme
Here is the GATE Marking Scheme 2021.
Paper Code | General Aptitude (GA) Marks | Subject Marks |
AE, AR, AG, BT, CE, CH, CS, CY, EC, EE, ES, EY, IN, MA, ME, MN, MT, PE, PH, PI, TF, ST and BM | 15 | 85 |
GG [Part A + Part B (Section 1 Geology OR Section 2 Geophysics)] | 15 | 25 + 60 |
XE (Section A + Any TWO Sections) | 15 | 15 + (2 x 35) |
XH (Section B1 + Any ONE Section) | 15 | 25 + (1 x 60) |
XL (Section P + Any TWO Sections) | 15 | 25 + (2 x 30) |
Total Marks and Total Time for every paper code (as stated above) is 100 marks and 180 minutes respectively.
There is a negative marking in GATE 2021 Exam. 1/3rd of the mark allotted to a question will be deducted for the wrong answer. However, there are no negative marks for NAT questions.
GATE Syllabus 2021
- – This year, there are a total of 27 GATE Papers.
- (i) Environmental Science and Engineering
- (ii) Humanities and Social Sciences in Economics, English, Linguistics, Philosophy, Psychology, and Sociology.
- – Candidates can appear either in ONE (like earlier years) or a maximum of TWO papers in GATE 2021.
- – The second paper must be from the given set of combinations that have been provided below. Some branches may NOT get the second paper option.

GATE 2021 Admit Card
GATE Admit Card will be issued for candidates whose application form has been accepted. The GATE Hall Ticket will contain all the necessary information about the exam, like name of the candidate, GATE paper applied for, exam centre/venue, exam time, photograph and signature, other instructions, etc.
Candidates will have to log in to their account on the GOAPS by entering their Enrollment ID and Password to download their GATE Admit Card.
GATE Result 2021
The GATE result will be declared on the GOAPS website after the papers are evaluated and the scores calculated. To view the GATE result and download the GATE Score Card, candidates will have to enter their Enrollment ID and Password and login into their account.
GATE score will be calculated based on the actual marks secured by the candidate and normalizing it (for multi-session) papers. The Gate score is valid for a period of three years.
GATE 2021: Important Points To Note
- The online examination paper may contain some questions for which numerical answers must be keyed in by the candidate using a virtual keypad. An on-screen virtual calculator will be provided for the same.
- The remaining questions will be:
- (i) Multiple Choice Question (MCQ) type, where only one out of four options are correct
- (ii) Multiple Select Question (MSQ) type, where one or more out of four options are correct.
- Candidates must produce the same photo ID proof submitted with the application during the examination for verification purposes.
- Depending on the COVID-19 situation, the GATE 2021 exam schedule may change.
Social Distancing Measures To Be Followed In the Exam
This year due to Coronavirus, the most important guideline is to follow the social distancing measures.
- Candidates are advised to maintain distance from other candidates and invigilators inside and outside the exam hall.
- They must also bring their own items. Sharing of items can lead to the spread of the virus.
- The use of masks is mandatory. Candidates must also use sanitizer.
- One should report to the exam hall as per the reporting time.
- Candidates must also bring the GATE Admit Card to the exam hall and get the necessary signature from the invigilator on it.
Now that you know everything about GATE Notification 2021, check out the GATE syllabus of the paper you are appearing for as well as the GATE exam pattern. Then start your GATE Preparation. Give your best shot and ace the exam.
GATE Revised Eligibility Criteria
It is important to check out the GATE 2021 eligibility criteria before you fill-up the GATE application form and ensures you fulfil all of them:
- Age Limit: There is no age limit to attempt GATE exam.
- Nationality: Candidates must be an Indian national. Besides that, candidates from Ethiopia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, UAE and Singapore are also eligible for GATE.
- Pass Percentage: There are no minimum pass percentage criteria in the qualifying exam to apply for GATE.
- Educational Qualification: Anyone who has successfully completed 10+2+2 or 10+3+1 and currently in undergraduate 3rd year or higher years of study or graduated in any government-approved degree program in Engineering / Technology / Architecture / Science / Commerce / Arts.
GATE 2021 Application Form
Candidates can apply for the exam only through online mode. Here are the steps on how to apply for GATE:
- – 1st Step: Go to the official website – gate.iitb.ac.in.
- – 2nd Step: Click on the link provided to apply for GATE 2021.
- – 3rd Step: Register yourself by providing your full name, valid email ID, mobile number, and password. After successful registration, candidates will be provided with an Enrollment ID. Log in using your enrollment ID and password.
- – 4th Step: Enter your Personal Details.
- – 5th Step: Provide your postal address along with the PIN code.
- – 6th Step: Enter your Academic Details.
- – 7th Step: Enter the name and address of your college along with the PIN code.
- – 8th Step: Enter the GATE subject (paper) you want to appear for and choices of exam cities.
- – 9th Step: Upload scanned images of your Photograph, Signature, Eligibility Certificate and other documents in the necessary format and size.
- – 10th Step: Make the payment of GATE application fees.
- – 11th Step: Submit your application
- – 12th Step: Take a print out of your GATE online application form for future reference.
Note: Candidates must produce the same photo ID proof submitted with the application during the examination for verification purposes.
GATE Application Fee
The GATE application form fee for various categories are tabulated below:
Candidate Category | On or before the last date to apply | During the extended period (with late fee) |
---|---|---|
Female candidates | Rs 750 | Rs 1,250 |
SC/ST/PwD category candidates | Rs 750 | Rs 1,250 |
All other candidates | Rs 1,500 | Rs 2,000 |
GATE application fees can be paid only in the ONLINE mode, through Credit/Debit Cards and Net Banking.
Photograph And Signature Requirements For GATE 2021
The requirements of Photograph and Signature that are to be uploaded while filling up the online GATE application form are tabulated below:
Particulars |
Photograph |
Signature |
Description | Passport size colour photograph with a white background | Signature in black or dark blue ink on white paper |
Dimension | 3.5 cm width x 4.5 cm height | 2 cm height x 7 cm width |
Format | JPEG | JPEG |
Maximum Size | 480 x 640 pixels (0.3 Megapixel) | 160 x 560 pixels |
Minimum Size | 240 x 320 pixels | 80 x 280 pixels |
Other Documents To Be Uploaded During GATE Registration
Candidates will also have to upload scanned copies of the following documents while filling up the online application form:
- Eligibility Certificate – Degree Certificate or Provisional Certificate or Certificate from the Head of the Department/Institute
- Category Certificate in PDF (if applicable)
- PwD Certificate in PDF (if applicable)
- Dyslexia Certificate in PDF (if applicable)
FAQs Regarding GATE 2021 Exam
The frequently asked questions regarding the GATE Exam are listed below:
Q. Why is the GATE exam conducted? Ans: Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) is an examination conducted jointly by the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore and the seven Indian Institutes of Technology (at Bombay, Delhi, Guwahati, Kanpur, Kharagpur, Madras and Roorkee) on behalf of the National Coordination Board (NCB)-GATE, Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), Government of India. |
Q. Is GATE compulsory for government jobs? Ans: No GATE 2021 exam is not compulsory for government jobs. But however, some of the recruitments such as PSU, ONGC, BHEL, NTPC, COAL India, etc., will recruit candidates based on their GATE scores. |
Q. For how many GATE papers can I apply? Ans: A candidate can apply for one or two from the 27 papers. The choice of the appropriate paper is the responsibility of the candidate. – The candidate is expected to appear in a paper appropriate to the discipline of his/her qualifying degree. – The candidate is, however, free to choose any other paper according to his/her admission plan, keeping in mind the eligibility criteria of the institutions in which he/she wishes to seek admission. |
Q. How many candidates have applied for GATE 2021? Ans. A total of 8,82,684 candidates have applied for the GATE 2021, which is a slight increase from 8.59 lakh applications last year. |
We hope this detailed article on GATE 2021 Exam helps you. If you have any query, feel free to drop a comment below. We will definitely help you out.
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