GATE FAQ

Yes, any undergraduate student currently in 3rd year or higher years of any government approved program in Engineering/Technology/Architecture/Arts/Commerce/Science is eligible to appear for GATE 2021.

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

NO. One can appear for the GATE examination any number of times.

The candidates are expected to appear in paper(s) [up to two from the given combinations] appropriate to the discipline of their qualifying degree. The candidates is free to choose any other paper of GATE 2021, however, it is better to choose a paper in line with the eligibility criteria of the institutions/organizations in which they wish to seek admission/job.

Refer to Section 4.4.2 given in the GATE 2021 Brochure and by visiting the website https://gate.iitb.ac.in/

NO. One e-mail address can be used to submit only ONE application form.

NO. The two papers option may be selected based on the given set of combinations in a SINGLE form only.

The candidates will most likely be allotted a centre in the examination city of their first choice. Only in cases, where there are too many candidates opting for a certain city as their first choice, the other three choices become relevant. The candidates are required to fill their choices of cities to appear in the examination, but should remember that because of operational constraints, the GATE committee reserves the right to add a new city or remove an existing one, and allot a city that may not be any of the choices of a candidate. For candidates opting for international centres, there will be only one choice (by default).

Please login to the GOAPS website again and continue the application process.

NO. Category certificate is required only for Indian nationals (appearing from exam centres within India), who wishes to avail a concession in application fee. As far as the GATE 2021 examination is concerned, only SC / ST / PwD candidates and all women candidates are eligible for application fee concession.

There is a link to the payment gateway from the application portal. The candidate can opt for any of the payment options listed over there. The additional charges such as service charges, processing fees or bank charges, have to be borne by the candidate.

The fee per subject paper is given below; for two papers the amount of fee is twice that for a single paper.

For the candidates with Foreign nationality, who wish to appear for GATE 2021 examination, the application fee Per Paper is as follows:

For the candidates with Indian nationality, who wish to appear for GATE 2021 examination, the application fee (irrespective of their category and gender) is as follows:

When you can get back online, login back to GOAPS website and check the status of the payment. If the payment was received by GATE, you can continue the process of printing the application form.

If the payment was not received by GATE, you can also check the status of transaction from your bank account. In case, the fee amount has been debited (deducted) from your bank account, but GOAPS does not acknowledge any fee payment, then the money will be credited back to your account. However, this may take a week or more, after the closure of the application process.

In such a situation, you may initiate a fresh payment on GOAPS without waiting for the money to be credited back to your account. This will ensure that your application submission will be on time (within the deadline).

Any unaccounted or excess money that was received on behalf of GATE 2021 from this account, will automatically be returned (credited) to the same bank account. However, this may take a week or more, after the closure of the application process.

Please login back to GOAPS after some time and check the status of the payment. Even then, if GOAPS does not acknowledge any fee payment, the money will be credited back to your account. However, this may take a week or more, after the closure of the application process. In such a situation, you must initiate a fresh payment on GOAPS without waiting for the money to be credited back to your account. This will ensure that your application submission will be on time (within the deadline). Finally, you will be charged only once. Any excess/unaccounted debits will be returned back to you.

NO. The print-out of the application form is NOT required to be sent to the Organising Institute (IIT Bombay) or any other GATE zonal offices.

You can check the status of your application by logging into GOAPS website.

NO. After completing all the steps up to PDF application form generation in the ONLINE application process, you can only download the application form and CANNOT modify the data. Hence, you need to be very careful while entering the data.

You can login using GOAPS Enrolment ID and password and take a print-out for your own reference. The print-out must not be sent to GATE Organising Institute.

YES, without proper photograph, the application will be REJECTED.

YES, without proper signature, the application will be REJECTED.

For Indian candidates, the following valid photo identification documents/cards will be accepted: Aadhaar-UID, Passport, PAN Card, Voter ID, College ID, Employee ID and Driving License. For International candidates, ONLY valid Passport/Government issued ID/College ID/ Employee ID will be accepted as the recognized identification.

The cut-off score and fee for EWS candidates will be SAME as General candidates.

If you are not having a valid EWS certificate at the time of admission/counselling/ recruitment, you will be considered as General category candidate. However, GATE has nothing to do with subsequent admission or recruitment process.

NO. Since, the “GATE CUT-OFF SCORE” for General and General-EWS categories are same, you need not upload any EWS certificate.

NO. Candidates MUST bring a print-out of the downloaded Admit Card, to the Examination for verification along with the original and valid photo Identity Document (NO photocopy/scanned copy/NOT an expired document), which was specified during the filling up of the online application. For Indian candidates, only following identification cards will be accepted: Aadhaar-UID, Passport, PAN card, Voter ID, College ID, Employee ID and Driving License. For International candidates, ONLY a valid Passport/Government issued ID/College ID/Employee ID will be accepted as the recognized identification.

The Admit Card is valid if and ONLY if the candidate's photograph and signature images are clear and legible. The photograph on the Admit Card and that in the valid photo identity document should match with the appearance of the candidate on the day of examination.

NO. Hard copy (preferably printed in colour) of the Admit Card must be brought to the examination centre along with the original (not photocopied/scanned copy) and valid (not expired) photo Identity Document (ID), which was specified during the filling up of the online application.

NO. Each candidate will be assigned to ONLY ONE of the multiple sessions of a particular paper which is being held in multiple sessions. Under any circumstances, candidates will NOT be allowed to appear in a session in which their candidature is not assigned.

YES. ONLY after the last date for application submission, a request for the change of GATE Examination Paper will be entertained against additional payment till 13th November, 2020. Any request after this date will NOT be considered.

YES. ONLY after the last date for application submission, a request for the change of examination city will be entertained against additional payment till 13th November, 2020. Any request after this date will NOT be considered.

YES. ONLY after the last date for application submission, category change request will be entertained against additional payment till 13th November, 2020. Any request after this date will NOT be considered.

Only one scribble pad at any point of time will be provided to the candidate that can be used to do the rough work. To obtain a second scribble pad, the candidate MUST return the first scribble pad. The candidates have to return any scribble pad in their possession at the end of the examination. The virtual scientific calculator will be available on the computer screen.

NO. Candidates MUST enter before the starting time of the examination. Delayed entry is permitted such that candidates login NOT later than 30 minutes from the starting time of the examination. NO relaxation is given under any circumstances.

NO. The candidate with permitted delayed entry will NOT get any extra time.

NO. Candidates will NOT be allowed to leave the examination hall for any reason during the examination. Candidates are allowed to leave the examination hall only after the scheduled end of examination.

Only Admit Card, original valid photo Identification Card and a pen are permitted to be taken inside the examination hall. Mobile phones, physical calculators, wallets, watches of any type, any electronic/communicating devices, books, papers, loose sheets, pen/pencil box/pouch and any other material are NOT permitted inside the examination hall. If a candidate brings any of these items, they have to be kept outside the examination hall at the candidate’s own risk. If the candidate is found to be in possession of these items (even if not using them), he/she will be disqualified and the result will not be declared for the candidate.

NO. During the online GATE 2021 examination, all candidates will be provided with a virtual scientific calculator which has to be used to answer the questions.

NO. Such arrangements will NOT be made at the examination centre. If a candidate brings personal belongings including mobile phones, they have to be kept outside the examination hall at the candidate’s own risk. The GATE officials are not responsible for safe keeping of your personal items.

Such cases will naturally constitute violation of GATE 2021 code of conduct (as given in Appendix B) and will lead to disqualification of the candidature.

Separate scores and ranks will be provided to Geology and Geophysics candidates based on the Part B section in GG paper (keeping the GG paper pattern as it is).

• For Geology (GL) candidates: GA Section + Part A: Common Section + Part B (Section -1): Geology
• For Geophysics (GP) candidates: GA Section + Part A: Common Section + Part B (Section-2): Geophysics

Separate scores and ranks will be provided to Humanities and Social Sciences candidates based on the choice of C1 to C6 section in XH paper.

For this, separate cut-off marks will be obtained as per the common procedure but by considering the following sections of XH paper:

• For Economics (XH-C1) candidates: GA Section + Part B1: Reasoning and Comprehension (Common section) + Part C1: Economics
• For English (XH-C2) candidates: GA Section + Part B1: Reasoning and Comprehension (Common section) + Part C2: English
• For Linguistics (XH-C3) candidates: GA Section + Part B1: Reasoning and Comprehension (Common section) + Part C3: Linguistics
• For Philosophy (XH-C4) candidates: GA Section + Part B1: Reasoning and Comprehension (Common section) + Part C4: Philosophy
• For Psychology (XH-C5) candidates: GA Section + Part B1: Reasoning and Comprehension (Common section) + Part C5: Psychology
• For Sociology (XH-C6) candidates: GA Section + Part B1: Reasoning and Comprehension (Common section) + Part C6: Sociology

The facility of scribe is meant for only those PwD candidates who are persons with benchmark disability (i.e. not less than 40% disability) and who have physical limitation to write including that of speed. However, provision of scribe shall be allowed on production of a certificate to the effect that the person concerned has physical limitation to write, as given in APPENDIX-I of Guidelines for Conducting Exam for PwD (which is given in Appendix A of this information brochure).

In case of person with benchmark disability (i.e. not less than 40% disability) in the category of blindness, locomotor disability (both arms affected-BA) and cerebral palsy, the facility of scribe shall be allowed on advance request only.
(Ref. Para No. IV of OM No. F. No. 34-02/2015-DD-III Dated 29th August, 2018)

YES. Once you reach the examination hall, please contact the GATE Institute Representative through the invigilator in your examination hall and he/she will do the needful.

Yes, dyslexic candidates can avail the services of scribe, provided such candidates submit a proper dyslexic certificate issued by the competent authorities (Appendix A). The scribe will be provided by the GATE authorities or candidates may bring their own scribe. The compensatory (extra) time would be applicable to such dyslexic candidates availing the scribe facility.

A person with benchmark disability (i.e. not less than 40% disability), who is allowed to avail the facility of scribe (see FAQ 48 above) will automatically get additional one hour compensatory (extra) time for an examination of three hours duration.

PwD/dyslexic candidates, with certain benchmark disabilities (that limits the speed of writing) who do not want to avail the scribe assistance, but at the same time request for compensatory time during the time of application, may be considered for an extra time of one hour only if fulfilling the criteria of scribe as per the question No.48.

On-the-spot request for any compensatory time at the examination hall will NOT be entertained.

Yes, subject to fulfilling criteria of scribe as per FAQ 48 above, persons with benchmark disability (i.e. not less than 40% disability) will be allowed to opt for their own scribe, provided the qualification of the scribe is one step below the qualification of the candidate taking the examination. The candidate with benchmark disabilities (i.e. not less than 40% disability) opting for their own scribe should submit details of their own scribe as per proforma at APPENDIX-II of Guidelines for Conducting Exam for PwD, (which is available in Appendix A of this information brochure). Scribe details must include latest qualification and identity documents.
(Ref. Para No. VI of OM No. F. No. 34-02/2015-DD-III Dated 29th August, 2018)

On-the-spot request for arranging scribe at the examination hall will NOT be entertained.