GATE 2027 Notification Out: IIT Madras Releases Information Brochure — Application Dates, Fee, Eligibility, 30 Papers, New RA Paper, Exam Pattern

Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) is the Organizing Institute for the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) 2027. The revised Information Brochure was released on 27 August 2026. GATE 2027 will be held on 6, 7, 13, 14, 20 and 21 February 2027 in two sessions per day, as a Computer Based Test (CBT) across 30 test papers. A brand-new Robotics and Automation (RA) paper has been added, Textile Engineering & Fibre Science (TF) has been folded into XE as XE9, and the syllabus of most papers has been revised. Registration is through GOAPS at https://gate2027.iitm.ac.in. Results will be declared on 19 March 2027.

GATE 2027 Overview

GATE 2027 Important Dates

The brochure was revised on 27 August 2026. Earlier dates (14 August 2026 portal opening, 21 September 2026 regular closing, 30 September 2026 extended closing) have been struck off in the revised brochure. The dates below are the currently valid ones.

All dates are liable to change. Candidates should track the official GATE 2027 website.

GATE 2027 Application Fee

Fee is charged per test paper. A candidate applying for two papers pays twice the single-paper fee.

*PwD means Persons with Benchmark Disability (40% and above) as per the RPwD Act 2016. Only benchmark-disability candidates get the fee concession.

Payment modes: Net banking, debit card, credit card, wallet, UPI.

Important points on fee:

• The fee does not include bank service charges, processing charges or other bank levies.
• The fee is non-transferable and non-refundable, except when a particular two-paper combination is withdrawn by the GATE Committee.
• If money is debited but payment acknowledgement is not received, the amount is credited back to the same account within 15 working days. Candidates should initiate a fresh payment rather than wait for the refund.
• OBC-NCL and EWS candidates get no fee concession and are not required to upload any category certificate.

GATE 2027 Eligibility Criteria

There is no age limit and no restriction on number of attempts for GATE 2027.

Basic rule: A candidate currently studying in the 3rd year or higher of any UG degree programme, or who has already completed any UGC/AICTE-approved degree programme in Engineering, Technology, Architecture, Science, Commerce, Arts or Humanities, is eligible.

For professional medical and agriculture streams: candidates in the 5th/6th/7th semester or higher, or who have already completed M.B.B.S./B.D.S./B.V.Sc./B.Sc. (Agriculture, Horticulture, Forestry), are eligible.

Detailed Eligibility Table

Foreign / overseas degrees: Candidates studying or graduated outside India must be in the 3rd year or higher, or must have completed a Bachelor's degree of at least three years' duration in Engineering/Technology/Science/Commerce/Arts/Architecture/Humanities.

Higher qualification: A candidate already holding or pursuing a degree higher than those listed above is also eligible.

Recognized professional bodies: IE (India), ICE, IETE, AeSI, IIChE, IIM, IIIE. Certification must be approved by MoE/AICTE/UGC/UPSC as equivalent to B.E./B.Tech./B.Arch./B.Planning.

What's New in GATE 2027

1. New test paper — Robotics and Automation (RA). It carries Part A (common, 60 marks) plus a choice of Part B1 (Electrical) or Part B2 (Mechanical), 25 marks.
2. Textile Engineering & Fibre Science (TF) discontinued as a standalone paper. It is now a section of Engineering Sciences — XE9.
3. Section codes changed for XE, XH and XL papers. Old alphabetic codes (XE-A, XH-B1, XL-P, etc.) are replaced with numeric codes (XE0, XH0, XL0, etc.).
4. Syllabus revised for most test papers. Candidates must check the updated syllabus in Appendix D of the brochure before starting preparation.
5. Live facial capture during registration. Applicants must provide live facial details, so a webcam-enabled computer or a phone with at least a 5 MP camera is required.
6. DigiLocker (verified) registration recommended for smooth application and centre verification. Indian nationals may need to register through DigiLocker.
7. Total number of papers stays at 30 (RA added, TF removed).

GATE 2027 Test Papers and Codes (30 Papers)

*Papers with sectional choices.

Sectional Papers — New GATE 2027 Codes

• XE: choose at most TWO optional sections (XE1–XE9), 2 × 35 = 70 marks. Choice made during the exam.
• XH: choose ONE optional section (XH1–XH6), 60 marks. Choice made at the time of application — cannot be changed in the exam hall.
• XL: choose at most TWO optional sections (XL1–XL5), 2 × 30 = 60 marks. Choice made during the exam.

Papers with Part A / Part B Structure

Section-wise score and rank will be provided only for GG and XH papers. AR, RA and GE will not get section-wise scores.

GATE 2027 Two-Paper Combinations (Tentative)

A candidate may appear for one or two test papers. If two, the combination must be from the list below.

Mining Engineering (MN) has no allowed second-paper combination.

GATE 2027 Exam Pattern

Distribution of Marks

General Aptitude section: 10 questions worth 15 marks — 5 questions of 1 mark and 5 questions of 2 marks. Present in every paper.

Types of Questions

• MCQ (Multiple Choice Question): four options, exactly one correct. Negative marking applies — 1/3 mark deducted for a 1-mark MCQ, 2/3 mark deducted for a 2-mark MCQ.
• MSQ (Multiple Select Question): four options, one or more correct. No negative marking, but no partial marking either — the full correct combination must be selected.
• NAT (Numerical Answer Type): answer is a signed real number entered on a virtual numeric keypad (the physical keyboard is disabled). No options are shown. No negative marking, no partial marking. Candidates should round off only at the final step, not at intermediate stages.

Abilities Tested

Recall, Comprehension, Application, and Analysis & Synthesis.

GATE 2027 Zones, Cities and Contact Details

Exam cities are grouped into eight zones. A candidate can choose three cities, and all three must be from the same zone as the first choice. The GATE Committee reserves the right to add or remove cities and to allot a city not among the candidate's choices.

There are no international centres for GATE 2027. Foreign nationals must travel to India to appear.

How to Apply for GATE 2027 — Step by Step

1. Visit the official website https://gate2027.iitm.ac.in and open the GOAPS link.
2. Register. Indian nationals may need to register via DigiLocker (verified). Provide full name exactly as on the photo ID, a valid email, mobile number and a password of 8–15 characters. Only one person can register with one email address. Email and mobile number cannot be changed later.
3. Note the Enrolment ID emailed to you — it is required for all future communication.
4. Fill the application form with personal details, communication address with PIN code, degree details, college name and address, choice of test paper(s) and three exam city choices from one zone.
5. Capture live facial details during registration (webcam or 5 MP phone camera required).
6. Upload documents: photograph, signature, valid photo ID, and category (SC/ST), UDID/PwD or Dyslexia certificate wherever applicable in PDF.
7. Review using "Save and View Application". No changes are possible after clicking "Submit and Proceed to Payment".
8. Pay the fee online via net banking, debit/credit card, wallet or UPI, and download the PDF copy of the submitted form.
9. Track application status on GOAPS — Received / Under scrutiny / Accepted / Defect / Rejected — and rectify any defects within the stipulated time. Defects are intimated by email or SMS/WhatsApp.

Note: No hard copy of the application or documents should be sent to IIT Madras or any zonal GATE office. The entire process is online.

Accepted Photo IDs

Aadhaar-UID (preferred), Aadhaar Virtual ID, Passport, PAN card, Voter ID, Driving Licence, or any valid photo ID issued by the Central or State Government. Upload the most recently issued ID, and bring the same ID in original to the exam centre. Foreign nationals may use only a valid Passport, Government-issued ID or Driving Licence.

Photograph Specifications

• Colour passport-size photo, 3.5 cm × 4.5 cm, plain white background, face covering 30–35% of the photo (60–70% after cropping).
• JPEG/JPG format, aspect ratio 0.66 to 0.89.
• Resolution: minimum 200 × 260 px, maximum 530 × 690 px. Maximum size 600 kB.
• Frontal view looking into the camera; forehead, eyes, nose and chin visible. No caps, hats, sunglasses or coloured glasses. Normal spectacles allowed but no glare. Head coverings only for religious reasons.
• Photo must not be older than 3 months. A non-compliant photo can lead to rejection with no fee refund.

Signature Specifications

• JPEG/JPG format, aspect ratio (height : width) 1 : R where R is between 2.75 and 3.75; signature area covering 70–80% of the cropped image.
• Black or dark blue ink only.
• Resolution: minimum 250 × 80 px, maximum 580 × 180 px. Maximum size 300 kB.
• Must be signed by the applicant only. All-capital signatures, initials, digital signatures and signatures on a dark background are not accepted. A mismatch on exam day can lead to disqualification.

PwD Candidates, Scribes and Compensatory Time

GATE 2027 follows O.M. F. No. P-13013/75/2023-Policy-DD-III dated 1 August 2025 of the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment.

• Candidates with blindness, locomotor disability (both arms) or cerebral palsy can request a scribe on producing a valid disability certificate or UDID card.
• For other specified disabilities, a scribe is allowed only on producing a certificate of functional limitation in writing, issued after medical examination by a three-member medical authority chaired by a CMO/Civil Surgeon/CDMO/Medical Superintendent of a government healthcare institution (Appendix B1 proforma).
• Scribes arranged by GATE are strongly preferred. Candidate's own scribe is allowed only if GATE cannot arrange one (Appendix B2 proforma). Scribe qualification must be two to three academic years below the minimum GATE eligibility — typically 12th pass or first-year UG.
• Where GATE arranges scribes, a panel of (Y+1) scribes is kept for Y candidates, and each candidate chooses one of two offered scribes.
• The scribe may only read out instructions and questions verbatim and click the mouse. No translation, interpretation or emphasis is permitted. The scribe communicates only in English.
• Compensatory time: 20 minutes per hour — a total of 60 minutes for the 3-hour exam — applied automatically. Candidates with writing limitations can request compensatory time even without a scribe, but only at the time of application. On-the-spot requests at the exam hall will not be entertained.
• Assistive devices (Braille slate, wheelchair, etc.) must be arranged and brought by the candidate; zonal institutes will not provide them. On-screen magnification of approximately 1.25x or 1.5x is available.

Exam Day Rules and Code of Conduct

• Candidates may occupy their seats 40 minutes before the start; instructions can be read 20 minutes before.
• Login is not permitted after 15 minutes from the scheduled start time.
• Candidates cannot leave the hall before the scheduled end of the exam.
• Carry a printed copy of the admit card (preferably colour, on A4) plus the same original photo ID declared in the application. Admit cards are not posted or emailed as hard copies.
• Prohibited: calculators, mobile phones, Bluetooth and other electronic/communication devices, wallets, books, papers, loose sheets, data or handbooks, tables, pen/pencil boxes and pouches, and analog/digital/smart watches. Possession alone — used or not — leads to disqualification.
• Scribble pads are provided for rough work. Write your name and registration number on them, hold only one at a time, and return them to the invigilator before leaving.
• Candidates found using unfair means may be banned from GATE for the next 3 years, apart from cancellation of candidature and possible legal action.
• Requests to change the centre, city, date or time on the admit card will not be entertained.
• Any dispute regarding GATE 2027 falls under the exclusive jurisdiction of the Madras High Court, Chennai.

GATE 2027 Result, Score Calculation and Validity

After the exam, candidate responses appear on GOAPS, answer keys are published on the official website, and challenges against the keys can be submitted during the specified window on payment of a fee. Results will be declared on 19 March 2027.

Normalization for Multi-Session Papers

Papers held in multiple sessions are normalized to account for differences in difficulty across sessions. The normalized mark of the j-th candidate in the i-th session is:

M̂ij = [ (M̄tg − Mqg) / (M̄ti − Miq) ] × (Mij − Miq) + Mqg

where M̄tg is the average marks of the top 0.1% across all sessions, Mqg is the sum of the mean and standard deviation across all sessions, M̄ti is the average of the top 0.1% in that session, and Miq is the sum of mean and standard deviation of that session.

GATE Score Formula

GATE Score = Sq + (St − Sq) × (M − Mq) / (M̄t − Mq)

where M is the candidate's marks (actual for single-session papers, normalized for multi-session papers), Mq is the qualifying mark for the General category in that paper, M̄t is the mean marks of the top 0.1% or top 10 candidates (whichever is larger), Sq = 350 and St = 900.

Qualifying Marks

Scorecard

• Free download during the announced window; thereafter ₹500 per test paper until 31 December 2027.
• No hard copies of the scorecard are issued.
• The score is valid for THREE years from the date of result announcement. No score information will be available after that period.

Benefits of Qualifying GATE 2027

Postgraduate admission with scholarship: M.Tech./M.E., direct Ph.D. and doctoral programmes at IISc, IITs, NITs, IIITs and other centrally funded institutes. MoE guidelines prescribe a minimum 70% weightage to GATE performance, with the remaining weightage to test/interview and academic record. Scholarship/assistantship management is the responsibility of the admitting institute.

PSU recruitment: PSUs that have used GATE scores in recent years include AAI, BHEL, BSNL, CIL, CRIS, CVPPL, DVC, ECIL, EIL, GAIL, GRID India, IOCL, MDSL, NALCO, NCRTC, NHAI, NMDC, NLCIL, HVPNL, NEEPCO, NPCIL, NTPC, OPTCL, ONGC, POWERGRID, POSOCO, PSPCL, RINL and SAIL.

Central government Group-A posts: Direct recruitment to posts such as Senior Field Officer (Tele), Senior Research Officer (Crypto) and Senior Research Officer (S&T) in the Cabinet Secretariat, Government of India, is conducted on the basis of GATE score.

Note: Qualifying GATE does not guarantee admission, scholarship or a job. Admission and recruitment depend entirely on the criteria of the admitting institute or employer.

Candidates with B.Sc./B.A./B.Com. degrees seeking Master's admission in IISc, IITs, NITs and CFTIs may also consider JAM 2027, organized by IIT Kharagpur.

Preparation Resources

• Revised syllabus for all 30 papers is available in Appendix D of the GATE 2027 Information Brochure and on the official website.
• Previous year question papers from 2007 to 2026 can be downloaded from the Downloads tab of the GATE 2027 website.
• Mock test links and the virtual scientific calculator are available on the official website. Practising with the virtual calculator is strongly recommended, since no physical calculator is permitted.

Important Links

GATE 2027 FAQs

Q. Who is the organizing institute for GATE 2027? IIT Madras is the Organizing Institute for GATE 2027.

Q. When will GATE 2027 be held? 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.

Q. What is the last date to apply for GATE 2027? 27 September 2026 in the regular period, and 5 October 2026 in the extended period with late fee. The portal opening date is yet to be announced in the revised brochure.

Q. How many papers are there in GATE 2027? 30 test papers. Robotics and Automation (RA) is new, and Textile Engineering & Fibre Science is now XE9 under Engineering Sciences.

Q. Can I appear for two papers? Yes, but the combination must be from the allowed list in Table 4 of the brochure, and the fee is doubled.

Q. Is there an age limit for GATE 2027? No. There is no age limit and no restriction on the number of attempts.

Q. Am I eligible if I am in the 3rd year of B.Tech.? Yes. Candidates in the 3rd year or higher of any UG programme are eligible.

Q. Is there negative marking in GATE 2027? Yes, for MCQs only — 1/3 mark for a 1-mark MCQ and 2/3 mark for a 2-mark MCQ. There is no negative marking for MSQ and NAT questions, and no partial marking anywhere.

Q. How long is the GATE 2027 score valid? Three years from the date of result declaration (19 March 2027), i.e. up to March 2030. Scorecards, however, will not be issued after 31 December 2027.

Q. Can I change my test paper or exam city after applying? Yes, until 21 October 2026, with an additional fee that may apply per change.

Q. Are there exam centres outside India? No. There are no international centres for GATE 2027. Foreign nationals must travel to India.

Q. When will the exam city be announced? On 4 January 2027. Admit card release dates will be announced separately.