GATE 2027
● EXAM FEB 2027 — REGISTRATION CLOSED ORGANISED BY IIT MADRASLast updated — Oct 2026 · checked against the official IIT Madras notification
GATE 2027 is the current cycle, organised by IIT Madras. Registration — including the extended window and a special window — closed on 16 October 2026, so no fresh application is possible now. The exam will be held on 6, 7, 13, 14, 20 and 21 February 2027 and results will be announced on 19 March 2027. A GATE score is used for M.Tech and PhD admissions (often with scholarship) and for PSU recruitment shortlisting, and it stays valid for three years.
GATE 2027 — Key Dates
From the official GATE 2027 brochure (revised 17 Oct 2026) and gate2027.iitm.ac.in. Registration is closed.
| Application portal (GOAPS) opened | 14 Aug 2026 (closed) |
|---|---|
| Regular registration closed (without late fee) | 27 Sep 2026 (closed) |
| Extended registration closed (with late fee) | 5 Oct 2026 (closed) |
| Special registration window | 15 – 16 Oct 2026 (closed) |
| Exam cities notified to candidates | 4 Jan 2027 |
| Admit card download | To be announced |
| GATE 2027 examination | 6, 7, 13, 14, 20 & 21 Feb 2027 |
| Results announcement (on GOAPS) | 19 Mar 2027 |
The brochure's registration dates were revised more than once mid-cycle; the closing position above is the final one and the official homepage confirmed "Application registration is CLOSED" on 23 Oct 2026.
GATE Eligibility
In plain words — from §6.1 and Table 2 of the GATE 2027 brochure.
You are eligible if you are currently studying in the 3rd or higher year of any undergraduate degree programme, or have already completed a government-approved degree in Engineering / Technology / Architecture / Science / Commerce / Arts / Humanities. There is no age limit, and the brochure states no minimum percentage for appearing.
Your degree does not have to match your GATE paper — any eligible candidate may choose any test paper, subject to the allowed two-paper combinations list.
- B.E./B.Tech./B.Pharm, B.Arch, B.Sc. (Research)/B.S. — 3rd year or higher, or completed
- M.Sc./M.A./M.C.A. — 1st year or higher, or completed
- Integrated M.E./M.Tech. / Dual Degree — 3rd/4th/5th year, or completed
- MBBS/BDS and other listed professional degrees — 5th/6th/7th semester or higher, or completed
- No age limit · no minimum marks · no domicile rule
GATE Exam Pattern
Every paper: 65 questions, 100 marks, 3 hours, computer-based, English only.
| Section | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| General Aptitude (all papers) | 10 | 15 |
| Subject component — engineering papers (incl. Engineering Maths, 13 marks) | 55 | 85 |
| Subject component — other papers | 55 | 85 |
| XE (Engineering Sciences) | GA 10 + Maths 11 + any 2 optional sections (22 each) | 15 + 15 + 35 + 35 |
| XH (Humanities & Social Sciences) | GA 10 + Reasoning 16 + 1 optional section (39) | 15 + 25 + 60 |
| XL (Life Sciences) | GA 10 + Chemistry 17 + up to 2 optional sections (19 each) | 15 + 25 + 30 + 30 |
Question types: MCQ, MSQ and NAT. Negative marking applies only to MCQs — −1/3 for a 1-mark question and −2/3 for a 2-mark question. MSQ and NAT have no negative marking and there is no partial marking.
GATE Syllabus — What to Study
GATE 2027 has 30 test papers, each with its own revised syllabus in the brochure's Appendix D. General Aptitude is common to all papers.
General Aptitude (all papers)
15 marksWEIGHTAGE- Verbal Aptitude — grammar, vocabulary, reading comprehension, narrative sequencing
- Quantitative Aptitude — data interpretation, numerical computation, mensuration, statistics & probability
- Analytical Aptitude — logic, analogy, numerical relations
- Spatial Aptitude — transformation of shapes, paper folding & patterns
Engineering & Science papers
- AE Aerospace
- AG Agricultural
- AR Architecture & Planning
- BM Biomedical
- BT Biotechnology
- CE Civil
- CH Chemical
- CS Computer Science & IT
- CY Chemistry
- DA Data Science & AI
- EC Electronics & Communication
- EE Electrical
- ES Environmental Science
- EY Ecology & Evolution
- GE Geomatics
- GG Geology & Geophysics
- IN Instrumentation
- MA Mathematics
- ME Mechanical
- MN Mining
- MT Metallurgical
- NM Naval Architecture & Marine
- PE Petroleum
- PH Physics
- PI Production & Industrial
- RA Robotics & Automation (new in 2027)
- ST Statistics
XE — Engineering Sciences
- XE0 Engineering Mathematics (common)
- Any two of: Fluid Mechanics · Materials Science · Solid Mechanics · Thermodynamics · Polymer Science · Food Technology · Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences · Energy Science · Textile Engineering & Fibre Science
XH — Humanities & Social Sciences
- XH0 Reasoning and Comprehension (common)
- Any one of: Economics · English · Linguistics · Philosophy · Psychology · Sociology
XL — Life Sciences
- XL0 Chemistry (common)
- At most two of: Biochemistry · Botany · Microbiology · Zoology · Food Technology
Section codes for XE, XH and XL changed for GATE 2027, and the brochure advises candidates to use the updated syllabi published on gate2027.iitm.ac.in.
GATE 2027 Photo & Signature Size
Exactly as prescribed in §6.7 of the GATE 2027 brochure (IIT Madras).
The resizer below targets 240 × 320 px and up to 200 KB for the photo — safely inside the official GATE range.
How to Apply for GATE
GATE 2027 registration is closed. The process on GOAPS (goaps.iitm.ac.in) was:
- 1Register on GOAPS via gate2027.iitm.ac.in — preferably with a verified DigiLocker account — and note the Enrolment ID sent by email.
- 2Fill the application: personal details, degree details, your test paper(s) — one, or an allowed two-paper combination — and three exam cities from the same zone.
- 3Upload the photograph, signature, photo ID and, where applicable, the SC/ST, PwD/UDID and dyslexia certificates.
- 4Pay the fee online (UPI / card / wallet / net banking) and submit — after "Submit and Proceed to Payment", no changes can be made.
- 5Check the application status on GOAPS and fix any scrutiny defects in the announced window; download the admit card from GOAPS when announced.
Fee per paper: regular period ₹1,000 (Female / SC / ST / PwD) and ₹2,000 (all others); extended period and special window ₹1,500 / ₹2,500. Two papers cost twice the single-paper fee.
Documents Required — With Sizes
Uploads are online only, on GOAPS — no hard copies are sent. The brochure states no KB limits for the PDF certificates.
- Photograph (as per the size rules above) JPEG/JPG · up to 600 KB
- Signature (as per the size rules above) JPEG/JPG · up to 300 KB
- Valid photo ID — Aadhaar, Passport, PAN, Voter ID, Driving Licence or a government photo ID (carry the same ID, in original, to the exam) No KB limit prescribed
- SC/ST category certificate (for the fee concession) PDF
- PwD certificate / UDID (for the fee concession and facilities) PDF
- Dyslexic certificate (if applicable, for a scribe) PDF
GATE 2027 Qualifying Marks — The Official Formula
GATE does not fix qualifying marks in advance. The brochure (§8.1) prescribes the formula below; the actual paper-wise qualifying marks are computed after the exam.
| Category | Qualifying marks (Mq) |
|---|---|
| General | max(25, min(40, μ + σ)) for that test paper |
| OBC-NCL / EWS | 90% of the General-category qualifying marks |
| SC / ST / PwD | Two-thirds of the General-category qualifying marks |
μ is the mean and σ the standard deviation of the marks of all candidates who appeared in that test paper.
GATE — Frequently Asked Questions
Who is organising GATE 2027, and what is the official website?
IIT Madras is the Organizing Institute; GATE is conducted jointly by IISc and the IITs on behalf of the NCB, Ministry of Education. The official website is gate2027.iitm.ac.in and the application portal is GOAPS (goaps.iitm.ac.in).
Can I still apply for GATE 2027?
No. The official homepage stated "Application registration is CLOSED" on 23 Oct 2026 — the regular window, the extended window and the Special Window (which ended 16 Oct 2026) have all passed.
When is the GATE 2027 exam and when are results?
The exam is on 6, 7, 13, 14, 20 and 21 February 2027, in forenoon (9:30 AM–12:30 PM) and afternoon (2:30 PM–5:30 PM) sessions. Results will be announced on 19 March 2027. Admit-card download dates are To be announced.
Who is eligible for GATE — is there an age limit or a minimum percentage?
Anyone in the 3rd or higher year of an undergraduate degree (or who has completed one) in Engineering / Technology / Architecture / Science / Commerce / Arts / Humanities, per the degree table in the brochure. There is no age limit, and the brochure states no minimum percentage for appearing.
How many papers can I take in GATE, and what does it cost?
One paper, or two papers if the pair is in the allowed-combinations list. Per paper: ₹1,000 (Female/SC/ST/PwD) or ₹2,000 (all others) in the regular period; ₹1,500 / ₹2,500 in the extended period and special window. Two papers cost twice the single-paper fee.
What is the GATE exam pattern and marking?
65 questions, 100 marks, 3 hours, CBT, English only: 10 General Aptitude questions (15 marks) plus 55 subject questions. Questions are MCQ, MSQ and NAT. Only MCQs have negative marking (−1/3 for a 1-mark question, −2/3 for a 2-mark question); MSQ and NAT have none.
What photo and signature must I upload for GATE 2027?
A colour passport-size photo (3.5 × 4.5 cm), white background, JPEG/JPG, 200×260 to 530×690 pixels, up to 600 KB, not older than 3 months; and a signature in black/dark-blue ink, JPEG/JPG, 250×80 to 580×180 pixels, up to 300 KB. A live photo is also captured during registration.
What is new in GATE 2027?
A new test paper — Robotics and Automation (RA); Textile Engineering & Fibre Science moved into XE as section XE9; changed section codes for XE, XH and XL; and revised syllabi for the test papers. The GATE 2027 score is valid for three years.