GATE
Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering
GATE tests undergraduate-level subjects in Engineering, Technology, Architecture, Science, Commerce, Arts and Humanities across 30 test papers. Qualified candidates can seek admission, with possible financial assistance, to master's and direct doctoral programmes in Engineering, Technology and Architecture and to doctoral programmes at institutions supported by the Ministry of Education; some institutions also use GATE scores for admission without that assistance, and several public sector undertakings — BHEL, NTPC and ONGC among them — have used them for recruitment. Admission and hiring follow each institution's and employer's own criteria. It is a three-hour computer-based test held only at centres in India (GATE 2027 has no international centres), and a score is valid for three years from the date the results are announced.
Frequency
Once a year (GATE 2027: 6, 7, 13, 14, 20 and 21 February 2027, in forenoon and afternoon sessions)
Duration
3 hours
Format
Computer-based
Score range
100 per test paper (65 questions); the scorecard also reports a GATE score computed from the marks
Eligibility
Currently in the third or a higher year of any undergraduate degree, or holding any government-approved degree, in Engineering, Technology, Architecture, Science, Commerce, Arts or Humanities; applicants with degrees from outside India must be in the third or a higher year of, or have completed, a bachelor's degree of at least three years (GATE 2027).
Conducting body
IISc and seven IITs, for the National Coordination Board (Ministry of Education); GATE 2027 organising institute: IIT Madras
Registration fee
GATE 2027, per test paper: ₹2,000 for all other candidates, including foreign nationals (₹2,500 in the extended period); ₹1,000 for female, SC, ST and PwD candidates (₹1,500 in the extended period). Two papers cost twice as much; bank charges are extra
Source: IISc and seven IITs, for the National Coordination Board (Ministry of Education); GATE 2027 organising institute: IIT Madras. Details here are for guidance only — fees, dates and eligibility change each cycle, so confirm on the official site before applying.
Verified against: GATE 2027 — official site (organising institute: IIT Madras); GATE 2027 Information Brochure, revised 27 Sep 2026 (§4 pattern, §5 about GATE and administration, §6.4.1 fee and centres, §8 score and validity) (PDF); GATE 2027 — eligibility criteria; GATE 2027 — application fees; GATE 2027 — important dates.
Last verified: 30 September 2026.
Universities that accept GATE
Acceptance can differ by level and programme — confirm on the programme’s own page.
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