GATE Exam

GATE Exam Highlights

GATE Exam Eligibility Criteria

The candidates aspiring to write the GATE Exam should be aware of the eligibility criteria before filling up the application form to avoid the aftermath of disqualification. Given below are the eligibility criteria that both students with qualifications obtained from India as well as abroad have to meet the eligibility criteria to qualify for the test.

• Both Indian as well as foreign students can attempt the GATE Exam. Students from Nepal, Sri Lanka, Ethiopia, Bangladesh, Singapore, and UAE are also eligible to apply for the exam.
• There is no age limit to attempt the exam.
• Academic qualifications are an integral part of the eligibility criteria. Detailed information about the educational qualification is given below:

GATE Exam Application Process

The application process is the preliminary step to qualify for the GATE Exam. The process includes registration, filling out the application form, and finally, paying the fees. Here is how the candidate needs to go about the application process.

Steps to Follow to Apply for GATE Exam

The candidate has to first register for the Exam and then fill out an application form. The steps to follow are given below:

• Visit the official website of GATE gate.iisc.ac.in.
• Click on the GATE registration option, enter the required details and tap on the submit tab.
• On entering the one-time password sent to the mobile number or email ID of the candidate an enrollment ID and password will be allotted to candidates who have registered successfully for the exam.
• Log in to the GATE website using the ID and password.
• Fill out the GATE application form. The details required to be filled in the application form are personal details, educational qualifications, subjects chosen, and the exam centres preferred.
• Upload the scanned images of the essential documents.
• Make payment of the registration fees through debit/credit card/UPI/Net banking or any other available payment gateway.
• Check the details filled in the application form for accuracy.
• Submit the application form.
• Candidates who have submitted the application form will be issued an Admit Card which can be downloaded from the official website of GATE.

Candidates should fill in the application form carefully as no scope will be given for corrections after submission. The form will be rejected without giving prior information. However, steps for correction will be sent to the email ID of the applicant which they can follow and make the corrections. Every correction made will attract a fee.

Documents required for GATE Application

The following documents will be required for the GATE application:

• Scanned image of the latest passport-size photograph.
• Scanned image of the signature.
• A scanned copy of the SC/ST/OBC certificate in the prescribed format (wherever applicable).
• A scanned copy of the PwBD certificate in the prescribed format (wherever applicable)
• scanned copy of a valid photo ID proof in the prescribed format.

Application Fee For GATE Exam

The application fee will be charged based on the candidate's category and gender. The details are given below:

GATE Exam Preparation Tips

A well-prepared candidate will undoubtedly come out meritorious in the GATE Exam. Every candidate can prepare well and attend the exam confidently. What is required is some planning. Here are some preparation tips that will help the candidates to be equipped and perform well in the GATE exam.

• Understand the syllabus and the weightage attached to each subject. This will help in preparing a study plan after assessing the areas that need more time for preparation.
• Collecting study material is the first step. The candidates can get reference material from the college library as well as online.
• Revising the completed subjects on a daily basis is necessary to gain proficiency.
• Solve question papers from previous years to master the concepts and gain speed.
• Create the habit of making notes that will help with last-minute brushing up.

GATE Exam Admit Card

The GATE Admit Card is a mandatory document that is to be produced at the exam centre. Post registration, IISc GATE will release the Admit Card. The Admit Card can be downloaded from the official GATE website.

Steps to Download Admit Card

• Access the official GATE website gate.iisc.ac.in login.
• Enter the enrolment ID and password and click on the login tab.
• Click on the GATE Admit Card Download option.
• The Admit Card will be downloaded in the pdf format.
• Take and print out the Admit Card and preserve it carefully. It is an important document and has to be presented at the exam centre.

List of Documents for Indian Students

The candidates have to carry photo IDs along with the Admit Card. The acceptable photo IDs for Indian Students are:

• Voter’s ID Card
• Aadhar Card
• Driving Licence
• Passport
• PAN Card
• Valid College ID
• Photo ID issued by Employers

List of Documents for Foreign Students

The acceptable photo IDs for foreign students are:

• Passport
• Photo IDs issued by the Government
• Photo IDs issued by the Employer

GATE Exam Centres

The GATE has 8 zonal exam centres including seven IITs and IISc, Bangalore. The list of exam centres is available on the official GATE website. The candidates need to fill up the exam centre while filling up the application form. They can check for exam centres convenient for them on the GATE website while filling out the application form. They are given a choice of 3 centres. But they should keep in mind that all the 3 centres should come under the same Zone.

GATE Exam Answer key

GATE will release master question papers along with correct answers online separately for all 30 papers. Candidates can download the answer key from the GATE website and compare the correct answers with their answers to assess the score.

Step to Download the Answer Key

Candidates have to follow the steps given below to download the answer key.

• Access the official website of GATE.
• Click on the GATE login tab.
• Choose the ‘GATE answer key’ option.
• The question paper as well as the answer key, will be displayed on the screen.
• Download both the question paper as well as the answer key in pdf format.

Understanding GATE Exam Cutoff

The GATE Exam cutoff is one of the most important aspects of the admission process. The GATE cutoff will be different for each category. Candidates need to score marks equal to or more than the cutoff score to proceed further in the admission process for postgraduate courses like M.Tech/M.E./Ph.D in elite institutes/colleges. The GATE cutoff is determined based on the complexity of the exam, the number of applicants, and trends from previous years.

GATE Exam Result

IISc, Bangalore, will release the GATE Exam results online and will be considered for admission. The scorecard also will be available online, and will be valid for three years.

Steps to Download the Result

The procedure to download the result is given below:

• Access the official GATE website.
• Log in with login credentials, i.e., enrollment ID, email address, or password.
• Choose the GATE result option.
• The IIScBangalore Gate results will appear on the screen. The qualifying cutoff, details of the candidate, and marks scored will also be mentioned.
• Candidates can verify the details mentioned in the GATE result pdf., for accuracy and contact the Zonal IIT if there are any discrepancies.

Scorecard

The GATE Scorecard is an important document that will be considered for admission to elite participating institutes/colleges to pursue postgraduate programmes. Candidates can download the scorecard from the GATE website.

Details on the ScoreCard

The GATE Scorecard comprises:

• Name, registration number, and gender of the candidate
• Name of the paper chosen by the candidate.
• GATE and RAW Score (out of 1000 marks).
• Validity of the scorecard.
• All India Ranking

Understanding GATE Exam Counselling

GATE Exam counselling is the process that follows the GATE Exam results. It is managed by two entities, the Common Offer Acceptance Portal (COAP) and Centralised Counselling for M.Tech (CCMT). Students aspiring for admission to IITs should take up COAP, and those seeking admission to NIT or IIITs should take up CCMT.

GATE COAP

Qualifying students should take up Gate COAP counselling if they seek admission to IITs. The admission process for GATE COAP includes registration and filling of choice. Here is how the candidate has to register for GATE COAP:

• Access the GATE website and register by providing basic details and GATE qualifications.
• Login credentials will be sent to the registered email ID and mobile number of the candidate on successful registration.
• Login using the COAP login details and check the details entered while registering.
• Apply for the desired institutes through the respective websites of the institutes.
• Check the allotment status after the seat allotment round.

The candidates have the option to either accept and freeze the offer, retain the seat allotment and wait for better choices in the next rounds, or reject the existing allotment and wait for better choices in the next rounds.

Documents required at GATE counselling

The following documents are required at GATE counselling:

• Photo ID proof as per GOI norms.
• Date of birth proof.
• Class XII mark sheet
• Degree/Provisional Certificate. If the results of the qualifying degree are awaited, a course completion certificate from the Institute's last study should be submitted in the CCMT format provided.
• GATE scorecard.
• Category certificate (wherever applicable).
• PwBD certificate (wherever applicable)