Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE)

About GATE

Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) is basically an examination on the comprehensive understanding of the candidates in various undergraduate subjects in Engineering/Technology/ Architecture and post-graduate level subjects in Science. GATE 2020 will be conducted for 25 subjects (also referred to as “papers”) and it would be distributed over 1st, 2nd, 8th & 9th of February 2020. The GATE examination centres are spread in different cities across India, as well as, in six cities outside India. 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 the several years of examination data. Note that the GATE 2020 score is valid for THREE YEARS from the date of announcement of the results.

1. 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).

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 2020 is Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IITD).

2.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, a candidate may be admitted directly into a course based on: his/her performance in GATE only; or based on his/her performance in GATE and an admission test/interview conducted by the department to which he/she has applied and/or the candidate’s academic record. In the test/interview based selection procedure, as per the MHRD 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 MHRD 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.

3.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 2020 score for their recruitment purpose.