About GATE 

This test opens the gates of higher education for engineering students. GATE scores are recognised by some of the premier institutes in the country who offer specialised postgraduate programmes in various disciplines. Attractive scholarships, Assistantship for postgraduate courses in Engineering, Technology, Architecture and Pharmacy in the country's engineering colleges / institutes are available to those who qualify through GATE. Candidates who qualify in this examination (in Engineering Subjects) are also eligible for the award of Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) in CSIR Laboratories.
 

 
The qualifying examinations are either of the following:

• Master's degree in any branch of Science or M.A. in Mathematics. Students in the final or pre-final year of these programmes are also eligible. If the candidate possesses an MCA qualification, he / she should have studied Mathematics during graduate or postgraduate study.
  

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering / Technology / Architecture / Pharmacy. Candidates in the final or pre-final year can also apply.
  

• Candidates in the II year or higher of the post B.Sc. four-year Integrated Master's Degree Programme, or in the III or higher year of the five-year Integrated Master's Degree Programme in Engineering / Technology.
  

• Candidates with a professional qualification through a UPSC / AICTE recognised examination as equivalent to B.E. / B.Tech. Those who have completed Section A or equivalent of such professional courses are also eligible.

 
There is one major change in the pattern of examination for GATE 2003 viz. all the questions will be fully of objective type. There will be negative marking for each wrong answer as already introduced during last year and the deduction will be 25% of marks allotted.

Candidates are required to appear in a single paper of 3 hours duration for a maximum of 150 marks in any one of the following subjects: 

 
General Papers XE and XL comprise of the following sections of which one paper is compulsory and two are optionals left to the candidate's choice.

Candidates qualifying in XE or XL papers are required to be interviewed by the admitting institute.

A candidate may follow the guidelines given below while choosing a subject for the examination:

• The candidate is free to choose a paper according to the admission plan though he / she is expected to appear in a paper appropriate to the qualifying degree.
  

• Those with a qualifying degree in Planning are expected to appear in the Architecture (AR) paper.
  

• Candidates studying in the IV year of the five-year Integrated M.Tech. / Dual Degree programme are treated at par with those in the final year of the four-year B.Tech. / B.E. programme and are expected to appear in the paper appropriate to the discipline of their qualifying degree.

 
The non-transferable Application Form and Information Brochure can be obtained from select branches of State Bank of India on payment (inclusive of non-refundable Registration Fee) of Rs. 1000/- (Rs. 500/- for SC/ST categories) in cash. The original pay-in-slip must be submitted with the completed application form. They can be obtained also by post or directly from the counter of GATE office on payment of the above fee only by DD drawn in f/o the Institute where the candidate intends to register. In this case, the candidate should submit the original receipt issued from the concerned GATE office along with the application form.
 

• GATE is an all-India examination conducted by the IIT's and IISc, Bangalore, on behalf of the National Coordinating Board - GATE, Department of Education, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India.
  
• The examination is normally held on the second Sunday in February.
  
• The GATE score becomes valid only after the candidate completes all the requirements of the qualifying degree and is considered only for two years thereafter, i.e., GATE 2002 score will cease to be valid after March 31, 2004.
  
• Only candidates who qualify will get the GATE score card.
  
• Generally GATE examination notification appears in leading newspapers in September.