INFORMATION BROCHURE

Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering

ORGANISING INSTITUTE

INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY BOMBAY

POWAI, MUMBAI 400076

www.engineersacademy.org | www.onlineengineersacademy.org

Helpline : +91-809 444 1 777

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Highlights of GATE 2021
• Dates of examination: Friday 5th, Saturday 6th, Sunday 7th, Friday 12th, Saturday 13th and
Sunday 14th February, 2021. There are two sessions (forenoon and afternoon) each day.

• Fully Computer Based Test (CBT).

• Two NEW subject papers are introduced:

i. ES (Environmental Science and Engineering)
ii. XH (Humanities and Social Sciences) in Economics / English / Linguistics /
Philosophy / Psychology / Sociology.

• Total number of subject papers: 27.

• Syllabi of all subject papers have been revised for GATE 2021.

• All Test Papers of GATE 2021 will be entirely objective type. Pattern of questions may
include (i) Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ), (ii) Multiple Select Questions (MSQ), and/or (iii)
Numerical Answer Type (NAT) questions.

• ONE or TWO subject papers allowed. TWO Paper combinations have to be chosen from the
given list of combinations of papers. Final allotment of TWO papers will still be subject to
availability of infrastructure and dates.

• Eligibility criteria is relaxed. A candidate who is currently studying in the 3rd or higher
years of any undergraduate degree program OR has already completed any government
approved degree program in Engineering / Technology / Architecture / Science / Commerce /
Arts is eligible to appear for GATE 2021 examination.

• There is NO age limit to appear for GATE 2021 examination.

• Applications will be accepted ONLINE only through GATE 2021 website link GOAPS.

• GATE 2021 score card will remain valid for THREE years from the date of announcement of
results.

• Depending on COVID-19 situation, the schedule of the GATE 2021 examination may
change.

• Due to COVID-19 related international travel restrictions, examination at the International

centres may be dropped, if situation is not conducive by end of November 2020.

• Details available at the official website: http://gate.iitb.ac.in

• Organising Institute: Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT Bombay).

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Pattern of Examination
Particulars Details
Examination Mode Computer Based Test (CBT)
Duration 3 Hours
Number of Subjects (Papers) 27
General Aptitude (GA) +
Sections
Candidate’s Selected Subject
(i) Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ)
Type of Questions (ii) Multiple Select Questions (MSQ) and/or
(iii) Numerical Answer Type (NAT) Questions
Recall Comprehension Application
Questions for testing these abilities
Analysis & Synthesis
Number of Questions 10 (GA) + 55 (subject) = 65 Questions
General Aptitude : 15 Marks + Engineering
Distribution of Marks in all Papers EXCEPT
Mathematics : 13 Marks + Subject Questions: 72
papers AR, CY, EY, GG, MA, PH, XH and XL
Marks = Total: 100 Marks
Distribution of Marks in papers AR, CY, General Aptitude: 15 Marks + Subject Questions: 85
EY, GG, MA, PH, XH and XL Marks = Total: 100 Marks
Marking Scheme All of the questions will be of 1 mark and 2 marks

Detailed Marking Scheme

General
Subject Total Total Time
Paper Code Aptitude
Marks Marks (Minutes)
(GA) Marks
AE, AR, AG, BT, CE, CH, CS, CY, EC,
EE, ES, EY, IN, MA, ME, MN, MT, PE, 15 85 100 180
PH, PI, TF, ST and BM
GG [Part A + Part B (Section 1
Geology OR Section 2 15 25 + 60 100 180
Geophysics)]
XE (Section A + Any TWO
15 15 + (2 x 35) 100 180
Sections)
XH (Section B1 + Any ONE
15 25 + (1 x 60) 100 180
Section)
XL (Section P + Any TWO
15 25 + (2 x 30) 100 180
Sections)

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Introduction
Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) is a national 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 Education (MoE),
Government of India.

Qualifying in GATE is a mandatory requirement for seeking admission and/or financial assistance
to: (i) Master’s programs and direct Doctoral programs in Engineering/Technology/Architecture
and (ii) Doctoral programs in relevant branches of Arts and Science, in the institutions supported
by the MoE and other Government agencies. Even in some colleges and institutions, which admit
students without MoE scholarship/assistantship, the GATE qualification is mandatory. Further,
many Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) have been using the GATE score in their recruitment
process.

The information in this brochure is mainly categorized into Pre-Examination (Eligibility, Application
Submission, Examination Centres, etc.), Examination (Pattern, Marks/Score, etc.) and Post-
Examination (Answers, Contests, Results, Scorecard, etc.) sections.

Note: Candidates opting to appear in TWO subject papers must have a primary choice of paper,
which will be their default choice and second choice of paper, which has to be chosen from the
allowed combinations given in Table 4.2a. Combinations other than the listed ones are NOT
allowed. Under unforeseen circumstances, GATE 2021 committee has the rights to remove certain
combinations listed in Table 4.2a at a later date. In such case, the fee paid towards the second
paper will be refunded to the candidates. Also note that the examination centre for candidate to
appear for the second paper may be different (but in same city) from that for the first paper due to
the infrastructure and scheduling constraints. GATE committee is NOT liable for any legal
obligations related to this issue.

Disclaimer :

GATE is NOT an admission ensuring examination. Qualifying in GATE examination does NOT
guarantee admission / scholarship. Admission to any institute is fully dependent on the admitting
institute's criteria for educational qualification. Similarly, GATE qualification does not assure a
Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) job, as it depends on the recruitment procedure of the concerned
PSU. GATE committee is NOT liable for any legal obligations related to admission / job.

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About GATE
Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) is basically a national examination on the
comprehensive understanding of the candidates in various undergraduate subjects in Engineering
/ Technology / Architecture and post-graduate level subjects in Arts, Commerce and Science.
GATE 2021 will be conducted for 27 subjects (also referred to as “papers”) and it would be
distributed over Friday 5th, Saturday 6th, Sunday 7th, Friday 12th, Saturday 13th and Sunday 14th
of February 2021. The GATE examination is conducted in different cities across India as well as in
six cities outside India (In International centres, GATE-2021 will be conducted only if the current
COVID-19 situation eases and travel and other restrictions are relaxed. Else GATE-2021 in
international centres will be "CANCELLED"). The examination would be purely a Computer Based
Test (CBT).

The GATE score would reflect the relative performance level of the candidate in a particular
subject, which is quantified based on several years of examination data. Note that the GATE 2021
score is valid for THREE YEARS from the date of announcement of the results. No information on
the GATE 2021 score will be available after this period.

Administration
GATE is administered jointly by the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore and seven Indian
Institutes of Technology (namely, IITs at Bombay, Delhi, Guwahati, Kanpur, Kharagpur, Madras
and Roorkee). The GATE Committee, which comprises of representatives from the administering
institutes, is the sole authority for regulating the examination and for declaring the results. For
administrative purposes, the examination cities in India are segregated into eight zones. The
operations related to GATE, in each of the eight zones, are managed by a Zonal GATE Office at
the administering institute (IIT or IISc).

Table : Gives details of the zones and the corresponding administering institutes.

One of the administering institutes is designated as the Organising Institute (OI), and it would be
responsible for the end-to-end process, as well as, the overall coordination amongst the
administering institutes for conducting the GATE Examination. The Organising Institute for GATE
2021 is Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IITB).

Table : Zones and The Corresponding Administrative Institutes for GATE 2021

Zone Administering Institute Zonal Websites

Zone-1 Indian Institute of Science Bangalore http://gate.iisc.ac.in
Zone-2 Indian Institute of Technology Bombay http://gate.iitb.ac.in
Zone-3 Indian Institute of Technology Delhi http://gate.iitd.ac.in
Zone-4 Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati http://iitg.ac.in/gate-jam
Zone-5 Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur http://gate.iitk.ac.in
Zone-6 Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur http://gate.iitkgp.ac.in
Zone-7 Indian Institute of Technology Madras http://gate.iitm.ac.in
Zone-8 Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee http://gate.iitr.ac.in
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Scholarship/Assistantship for Postgraduate Programs
To avail the financial assistance (scholarship/assistantship), the candidate must first secure the
admission to a program in one of the central government supported institutes, by a procedure that
could vary from institute to institute. Depending upon the norms adopted by a specific institute or
department of the institute, the candidates may be admitted directly into a course based on: their
performance in GATE only; or based on their performance in GATE and an admission
test/interview conducted by the department to which they have applied and/or the candidate’s
academic record. In the test/interview based selection procedure, as per the MoE guidelines, a
minimum of 70% weightage will be given to the performance in GATE and the remaining will be
given to the candidate’s performance in test/interview and/or academic record. However, the
admitting institutes could prescribe a minimum passing marks in the test/interview.

Candidates are advised to seek the complete details of the admission procedures and the
availability of MoE scholarship/assistantship from the corresponding admitting institutions. The
criteria for postgraduate admission with scholarship/assistantship could be different for different
institutions. The management of the post-graduate scholarship/assistantship is also the
responsibility of the admitting institution. Similarly, reservation of the seats for different categories
will be as per the policies and norms of the admitting institution and the Government of India rules.

The admitting institute may also specify the number of candidates who will be provided financial
assistance (scholarship), if admission is secured. Qualification in GATE is also a minimum
requirement to apply for various fellowships awarded by many Government organizations.

Note:
(i) Call for admissions to M.Tech. / Ph.D. or any other program will be advertised separately by
the respective institutions and GATE committee is NOT responsible for the admission
process.
(ii) GATE zonal offices will NOT entertain any enquiry about admission, reservation of seats
and/or award of scholarship/assistantship.
(iii) GATE committee is NOT liable for any legal obligations related to admission.

Use of GATE score for Employment

In the past, several Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) have used GATE scores to shortlist the
candidates for employment. A few such organizations are: Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited
(BHEL), Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL), Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Indian Oil
Corporation Limited (IOCL), National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC), Nuclear Power
Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL), Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) and Power Grid
Corporation of India (PGCI).

Direct recruitment to Group A level posts in Central government, i.e., Senior Field Officer (Tele),
Senior Research Officer (Crypto) and Senior Research Officer (S&T) in Cabinet Secretariat,
Government of India, is now being carried out on the basis of GATE score. The details of the
scheme of recruitment are normally published in National Newspapers / Employment News /
Rozgar Samachar by the concerned authority.

Some other Government of India Organizations have also expressed their interest to utilize GATE
2021 score for their recruitment purpose.

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Note: GATE qualification does not assure a PSU job, as that depends on the recruitment
procedure of the concerned PSU. GATE committee is NOT responsible for any employment
opportunities. The qualified candidates must check newspapers and other reliable sources for any
such information. GATE committee is NOT liable to any legal obligations related to jobs.

About GATE 2020

• IIT Bombay is the organising institute for GATE 2021.

• Information website for GATE 2021 is http://gate.iitb.ac.in/

• GATE 2021 will be conducted on 27 subjects (also referred to as “papers”).

• Examination for all the 27 subjects (papers) will be conducted as ONLINE Computer Based
Test (CBT).

• The online examination paper may contain some questions for which numerical answers
must be keyed in by the candidate using a virtual keypad. The remaining questions will be of
(i) Multiple Choice Question (MCQ) type, where only one option out of four options is correct
and (ii) Multiple Select Question (MSQ) type, where one or more than one options out of four
options is/are correct. The Candidates will use ONLY an on-screen virtual calculator provided
for the examination.

• A candidate can appear in ANY ONE or UP TO TWO papers of the GATE examination.
However, note that the combination of TWO papers in which a candidate can appear MUST
be from the pre-defined list as given in Table.

• GATE 2021 examinations will be held during the forenoon and afternoon sessions on Friday
5th, Saturday 6th, Sunday 7th, Friday 12th, Saturday 13th and Sunday 14th of February
2021.
• Examination for some of the papers in GATE 2021 may be held in multiple sessions.
However, a candidate will be mapped to appear for the examination in ONLY one of the
multiple sessions of the same paper.
• Exact details of the complete examination schedule will be notified later on the GATE
2021 website (http://gate.iitb.ac.in/).

• Important dates for GATE 2021 are given in Table.

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Important Dates related to GATE 2021

GATE Online Application Processing System

Monday 14th September 2020
(GOAPS) Website Opens
Closing Date of REGULAR online registration/
Wednesday 30th September 2020
application portal
End of Extended period for online
Wednesday 7th October 2020
Registration / application (with late fee)
Last Date for change of Category, Paper
and Examination City (an additional fee will be Friday 13th November 2020
applicable)
Admit Card will be available in the Online
Friday 8th January 2021
Application Portal (for printing)
5th February 2021
6th February 2021
GATE 2021 Examination Forenoon: 9:00 AM to Friday
7th February 2021
12:00 Noon (Tentative) Saturday Sunday Friday
12th February 2021
Afternoon: 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM (Tentative) Saturday Sunday
13th February 2021
14th February 2021
Announcement of the Results in the Online
Monday 22nd March 2021
Application Portal

Important Note: The health and safety of the candidates are of utmost priority. Due to current
COVID-19 pandemic situation, dates mentioned here are subject to change. In rare cases, it may
be necessary to postpone the GATE 2021 examination because of situations beyond the control of
GATE committee. All updates will be available on the website.

• Candidates have to register and fill the application via ONLINE mode ONLY at GATE Online
Application Processing System (GOAPS). The link will be made available on GATE 2021
website.
The entire process of filling up of the application form and uploading of certificates /
documents, etc. is in ONLINE mode only. The candidates should NOT send any hard copy of
their application forms / documents etc. to IIT Bombay or any of the zonal GATE offices.

• The payment of application fees is through electronic mode.

• The Admit Cards for GATE 2021 would be available only on GOAPS website. Candidates
can download their Admit Card from GOAPS website. No printed copy of the Admit Cards
will be posted to the candidates.

• The candidate has to appear at the GATE Examination Centre on the date and time specified
in the Admit Card.
No request for any changes in the Centre or Date/Time specified in the Admit Card will be
entertained. Similarly, this being an examination body with certain constraints, candidates
needing very special or specific facility for the examination may not be entertained (except
scribe facility). Hence, candidates are requested to adhere to the facilities that are possible
within the ambit and resources of GATE Examination Body.
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• Physical calculators, mobile phones, any other electronic/communication devices, wallets,
books, papers, loose sheets, data or handbooks, tables, pen/pencil box/pouch, watches of
any form etc. are strictly prohibited and candidates possessing these in the examination hall
(even if not using) will be disqualified.

• Biometric information (such as, Photograph, Iris scan and Fingerprints etc.) for randomly
selected candidates may be captured before the start or during the examination.

• In all matters concerning GATE 2021, the decision of the GATE 2021 Committee will be final
and binding on all the applicants.

• Although GATE 2021 will be held at different test centres across the country, the Indian
Institute of Technology Bombay, being the Organising Institute, bears the overall
responsibility of conducting GATE 2021. In case of any claims or disputes arising with
respect to GATE 2021, it is hereby made absolutely clear that the High Court of Bombay in
Mumbai alone will have the exclusive jurisdiction to entertain and settle them.

• Two new papers called “Environmental Science & Engineering (ES)” and “Humanities &
Social Sciences (XH)” are being introduced in GATE 2021.

• For candidates appearing for Geology and Geophysics (GG) papers, separate score and
ranking will be provided based on their selection of sections (Refer FAQ).

• For candidates appearing for Humanities and Social Sciences (XH) papers, separate score
and ranking will be provided based on their selection of sections (Refer FAQ).

Pre-Examination Related Information

Eligibility for GATE 2021

Before starting the application process, the candidate must ensure that he/she meets the
educational eligibility criteria of GATE 2021.
A candidate who is currently studying in the 3rd or higher years of any undergraduate degree
program OR has already completed any government approved degree program in Engineering /
Technology / Architecture / Science / Commerce / Arts is eligible for appearing in the GATE 2021
exam.

Disclaimer:
GATE is NOT an admission ensuring examination. Qualifying in GATE examination does NOT
guarantee admission / scholarship. Admission to any institute is fully dependent on the admitting
institute's criteria for educational qualification. Similarly, GATE qualification does not assure a
Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) job, as it depends on the recruitment procedure of the concerned
PSU. GATE committee is NOT liable for any legal obligations related to admission / job.

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Some of the Professional Societies/Institutions, which conduct examination in various fields of
engineering, are as follows.
• The Institution of Engineers (India) (IE)
• The Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE)
• The Institution of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineers (IETE)
• The Aeronautical Society of India (AeSI)
• The Indian Institute of Chemical Engineers, including Polymer and Environmental Group
(IIChemE)
• The Indian Institute of Metals (IIM)
• The Indian Institute of Industrial Engineers (IIIE)

However, the candidates who possess certification from any of the professional societies must
ensure that those examinations conducted by the societies are approved by
MoE/AICTE/UGC/UPSC as equivalent to B.E. / B.Tech. / B.Arch. / B.Planning, etc.

Candidates who have obtained / are pursuing their qualifying degree from countries other than
India:
• Must be currently in the 3rd or higher years or completed their Bachelor’s degree
(duration: at least 3 years) in Engineering / Technology / Science / Arts / Commerce.

Details of eligibility criteria are given in table. However, any candidate fulfilling the above
mentioned criteria is eligible to appear for GATE 2021.

Note: If a candidate is pursuing any higher degree or has already obtained a degree higher than
that mentioned in the tabl, the candidate will be allowed to appear in GATE 2021 examination.

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Table : Eligibility Criteria for GATE 2021

Description of Expected Year

Degree/Program Qualifying Degree/Examination
Eligible Candidates of Completion
Bachelor’s degree in Engineering /
Currently in the 3rd
B.E. / B.Tech. / Technology (4 years after 10+2 or 3 years
year or higher grade or 2022
B.Pharm. after B.Sc. / Diploma in Engineering /
already completed
Technology)
Bachelor’s degree of Architecture (5- year 2023 (for 5-year
Currently in the 3rd
course) / Naval Architecture (4- year program), 2022
B. Arch. year or higher grade or
course) / (for 4-year
already completed
Planning (4- year course) program)
Currently in the 3rd
B.Sc. (Research) / Bachelor’s degree in Science
year or higher grade or 2022
B.S. (Post-Diploma/4 years after 10+2)
already completed
6 years degree program, consisting of Currently in the
Pharm. D. (after 10+2) internship or residency training, during third 3rd/4th/5th/6th year or 2024
year onwards already completed
Degree holders of M.B.B.S. and those who 5th, 6th, 7th or higher
M.B.B.S. are in the 5th/6th/7th semester or higher semester or already 2022
semester of such programme. completed
Currently in the first
Master’s degree in any branch of Arts/
M. Sc. / M.A. / MCA or year or higher or
Science/Mathematics/Statistics/ Computer 2022
equivalent already
Applications or equivalent
Completed
Post-B.Sc Integrated Master’s degree Currently in the 1st /
Int. M.E./ M.Tech.
programs in Engineering/ 2nd/3rd/4th year or 2024
(Post-B.Sc.)
Technology (4-year program) already completed
Integrated Master’s degree program or
Int. M.E./ M.Tech. or Currently in the 3rd
Dual Degree program in
Dual Degree /4th /5th year or 2023
Engineering/Technology (5-year
(after Diploma or 10+2) alreadycompleted
program)
Currently in the 3rd
Bachelor degree in any branch of Science /
B.Sc. / B.A. / B.Com. year or already 2021
Arts / Commerce (3 years program)
completed
Currently in the 3rd
Int. M.Sc. / Int. B.S. / Integrated M.Sc. or 5-year integrated B.S.- year or higher or
2022
M.S. M.S. program already
completed
B.E./B.Tech./B.Arch. equivalent
Professional Society
examinations of Professional Societies,
Examinations Completed Section A
recognized by MoE/UPSC/AICTE
(equivalent to B.E. / or equivalent of such NA
(e.g. AMIE by Institution of Engineers-
B.Tech. / professional courses
India, AMICE by the Institute of Civil
B.Arch.)
Engineers-India and so on)

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GATE 2021 Papers
GATE 2021 will be conducted on 27 subjects (papers). Table shows the list of papers and paper
codes for GATE 2021. A candidate is allowed to appear in ANY ONE or UP TO TWO papers of
the GATE examination. However, note that the combination of TWO papers in which a candidate
can appear MUST be from the pre-defined list as given in Table. Also note that for a paper
running in multiple sessions, a candidate will be mapped to appear for the examination in one of
the sessions ONLY.

Table : List of GATE 2021 Papers and Corresponding Codes

GATE Paper Code GATE Paper Code

Aerospace Engineering AE Instrumentation Engineering IN
Agricultural Engineering AG Mathematics MA
Architecture and Planning AR Mechanical Engineering ME
Bio-medical Engineering BM Mining Engineering MN
Biotechnology BT Metallurgical Engineering MT
Civil Engineering CE Petroleum Engineering PE
Chemical Engineering CH Physics PH
Computer Science and Information Technology CS Production and Industrial Engineering PI
Chemistry CY Statistics ST
Electronics and Communication Engineering EC Textile Engineering and Fibre Science TF
Electrical Engineering EE Engineering Sciences XE*
Environmental Science & Engineering ES Humanities & Social Sciences XH**
Ecology and Evolution EY Life Sciences XL***
Geology and Geophysics GG

Note: Environmental Science and Engineering (ES) and Humanities and Social Sciences (XH)
are two new papers introduced in GATE 2021.

**XH Paper ***XL Paper

*XE Paper Sections Code Code Code
Sections Sections
Engineering Reasoning and
Chemistry
Mathematics Comprehension
A B1 (Compulsory) P
(Compulsory) (15 (Compulsory)
(25 marks)
marks) (25 marks)
Any Two optional Sections Any one optional Section Any Two optional Sections
(2 x 35 = 70 marks) (60 marks) (2 x 30 = 60 marks)
Fluid Mechanics B Economics C1 Biochemistry Q
Materials Science C English C2 Botany R
Solid Mechanics D Linguistics C3 Microbiology S
Thermodynamics E Philosophy C4 Zoology T
Polymer Science and Food
F Psychology C5 U
Engineering Technology
Food Technology G Sociology C6
Atmospheric and
H
Oceanic Sciences

*XE (Engineering Sciences), **XH (Humanities & Social Sciences), ***XL (Life Sciences), papers
are of general nature and will be comprised of Sections listed in the above table.

Note: Each subject/paper is of total 100 marks. General Aptitude (GA) section of 15 marks is
common for all papers. Hence remaining 85 marks are for the respective subject/paper code.

Note : CE, CS, EC, EE and ME papers: Examination MAY be conducted in multiple sessions.
However, a candidate is allowed to appear in only ONE specified / assigned session by the
GATE committee.

The syllabus for each of the papers is given on GATE website http://gate.iitb.ac.in/ Making a
choice of the appropriate paper in the GATE application is the responsibility of the candidate.
Some guidelines in this respect are suggested below.

Candidates are expected to appear in paper(s) appropriate to the discipline of their qualifying
degree. However, candidates are free to choose any one or the allowed set of two papers of the
GATE 2021 examination as per their admission or employment plan, while keeping in mind the
eligibility criteria for the institutions in which they wish to seek admission/employment. For more
details regarding the admission criteria in any particular institute, the candidate is advised to refer
to the website of that institute.

Candidates must learn and educated themselves about the paper code of their choice, as this
information is essential during making the application, as well as, during the examination. As the
candidates are permitted to appear in ONE or UP TO TWO papers of the allowed combination of
TWO papers of the 27 papers of the GATE 2021, they should make their choice with due care.

If a candidate makes more than one application for the same paper, he/she will be allowed to
appear in any one session ONLY. One of the duplicate / triplicate applications will be considered
and the remaining applications will be rejected without any refund of application fee.