GATE 2013 FAQ-Admit card

Admit card

1.  When will I receive my admit card?  Admit card can only be downloaded from the zonal GATE websites from 5th December 2012. Sending Admit cards by post has been discontinued.
2. Is the Admit card alone sufficient to gain entry to the exam? No. Bring the admit card at the test center along with at least one original (not photocopied / scanned copy) and valid (not expired) photo identification. ONLY one of the following photo identifications is permitted: Driving license, Passport, PAN Card, Voter ID, College ID, Employee identification card, or a notarized Affidavit with Photo, Signature, Date of Birth and Residential Address. Photocopies of the original identification document are not acceptable. Candidates will not be permitted to take the test if original and valid photo identification is not presented.

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GATE 2013 FAQ-Application process

Application Process

1. How do I apply ONLINE? Go to the link How to apply?, read the instructions and apply from the link provided in the main page.
2. Can I use one email address to fill multiple application forms? NO, one email address can be used for only one application form.
3. Why should I choose two examination cities? Generally, you will be allotted a centre in the examination city of your first choice. Only in cases where it becomes difficult to accommodate you in the examination city of your first choice, your second choice will be considered.
4. My power/internet connection failed during application process, what do I do? If you have clicked on “Save” during application process, the data you entered up to that time has been stored online.  Simply login back to the GATE application website and continue the application process.
5. You are asking only the SC/ST/PD candidates to enclose the category certificate. What about the OBC (non-creamy layer) candidates? Do they have to enclose the category certificate too? NO. OBC (non-creamy layer) candidates do not have to enclose the category certificate since their application fee is same as that of the general category candidates. However, in the application, you can indicate the category to which you belong to. You need to produce the category certificate only to the admitting institute at the time of admission.
6. How do I make the fee payment for GATE 2013 examination? You can make the payment during the ONLINE application process by choosing one of the following options:
   1. Online Payment: Netbanking through the payment gateway.
   2. Challan Payment: Payment by cash at any branch of Canara Bank or State Bank of India.
7. If I want the Online Payment (Netbanking) option, how should I complete the application process? After filling all the fields in the ONLINE application form, choose Online Payment  option and proceed for payment by following the instructions.
   1. Your browser screen will re-directed to the bank you choose.  Login with your internet banking credentials and confirm the payment.
   2. After confirming the payment, you will be re-directed back to GATE application website.
   3. At the end of this process, a PDF file will be generated with the following pages:
      1. Page 1: Instructions and Address slip (of where you need to send the hard copy) to be pasted on an A4 sized envelope
      2. Page 2-3: Two copies (one for you one to be sent to GATE office) of application form with bottom part showing certificate to be signed by principal.  One copy for the candidate and another to be sent to GATE office.
   4. Take a print out of the entire file and follow instructions in link How to apply? to complete the application process.
8. I want to pay online by my credit/debit card, but I don’t see that option! You can only use internet banking (netbanking) facilities for online payment. Credit /debit cards will not be accepted.
9. My power/internet connection failed during online payment. What do I do ?    When you can get back online, first check the status of your payment on the GATE application website.  
   1. If the payment was received by GATE, you can continue the process of printing the application form.
   2. If the payment was not received by GATE, you have to start with the payment step again (choice of Online or Chalan), to complete payment.
10. My netbanking account has been debited (money taken out) more than once. How do I get the money back ? This can happen if your bank account was used more than once or you pressed refresh or back/forward button of your internet browser.  Please check your bank account after 48 hours.  Any unaccounted or excess money that was received on behalf of GATE 2013 from this account will automatically be returned back (credited) to the same bank account.
11. My bank account has been debited (money taken out), but GATE Application website says that the payment has not been received. What do I do? This happened because of some failure in internet transactions (including failure of internet connection at your end).  As soon as possible, you MUST initiate a fresh payment process on the GATE application website, and make the payment again. The money that was debited (taken out) from your account the first time, will be credited (put back) to your bank account within 48 hours.  You will be charged only once. Any excess/unaccounted debits will be returned to you.
12. If I want the Bank Challan option, how should I complete the application process? After filling in all the fields in the ONLINE application form, choose Bank Challan option and proceed for payment by following the instructions.
    1. At the end of this process, a PDF file will be generated with the following pages:
       1. Page 1: Instructions and Address slip where you need to send hard copy.
       2. Page 2-3: Two copies (one for you one to be sent to GATE office) of application form with bottom part showing certificate to be signed by principal.
       3. Page 4: page for candidates who select “bank challan” way of payment (as against the net banking). This page will contain 3 copies of challan.
    2. Take a print out of the entire file and follow instructions in link How to apply? to complete the application process.
13. Do I have to send the printout of the application form? YES. At the end of the Application process a PDF file of the application is generated. You have to affix your photograph, signature and enclose other documents along with this print out and send to the concerned GATE office. This is REQUIRED in addition to the uploading of the image files.
14. I have attached the documents online, do I have to send the hard copy as well ? No, you need not submit the hard copy of supporting documents to GATE office.
15. Should I attest the photograph for application form? NO.  Photographs must not be attested application form or uploading.  You must bring a valid photo ID card to the examination center.
16. When and how will I know the status of my application? You can check the status of your application by logging in at the GATE Online Applicant website.
17. After completing the ONLINE application process and generating a PDF file, will I be able to change my application data? NO. After completing all the steps upto PDF application form generation in 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 may also save a partially filled application and login in again at a later point in time to complete and submit the application.
18. I have missed to take a print of my ONLINE application at the end of my application process. How will I get access to it? You can login using Login id (email) and password you had set up and take a printout.

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GATE2013 Score- GATE 2013 Results -GATE Score Card

GATE Score

After the evaluation of the answers, the raw marks obtained by a candidate will be converted to a normalised GATE Score. From 2013 onwards, a new formula will be used to calculate the GATE Score.

GATE 2013 Results

GATE 2013 results will be announced on March 15, 2013 at 10:00 hrs and will be available on the GATE Online Applicant Website.
GATE 2013 score is valid for TWO YEARS from the date of announcement of the results.
GATE 2013 results may be made available on payment basis to interested organizations (educational institutions, R & D laboratories, industries, etc.) in India and abroad based on a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between IIT Bombay and the requesting organization. Details in this regard can be obtained from the Chairman, GATE, IIT Bombay.

GATE Score Card

Scorecard will be issued (mailed to the correspondence address given in the application) to all the candidates for a paper whose marks are equal to or above the qualifying marks of SC/ST/PD candidates in that paper. There is no provision for issue of additional GATE scorecards.
The GATE 2013 Committee with the NCB’s approval has the authority to decide the qualifying score for each GATE paper. In case any claim or dispute arises in respect of GATE 2013, it is hereby made absolutely clear that the Courts and Tribunals in Mumbai and Mumbai alone shall have the exclusive jurisdiction to entertain and settle any such dispute or claim.

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GATE 2013-Syllabi

GATE Syllabi

The syllabus for each of the papers can be found by clicking on the subject papers below. Read the section on structure of GATE to know what sections appear in each paper, especially in XE and XL.

General Aptitude (GA) component common in all papers
GATE Paper	Code		GATE Paper	Code
Aerospace Engineering	AE		Instrumentation Engineering	IN
Agricultural Engineering	AG		Mathematics	MA
Architecture and Planning	AR		Mechanical Engineering	ME
Biotechnology	BT		Mining Engineering	MN
Civil Engineering	CE		Metallurgical Engineering	MT
Chemical Engineering	CH		Physics	PH
Computer Science and Information Technology	CS		Production and Industrial Engineering	PI
Chemistry	CY		Textile Engineering and Fibre Science	TF
Electronics and Communication Engineering	EC		Engineering Sciences	XE
Electrical Engineering	EE		Life Sciences	XL
Geology and Geophysics	GG

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GATE 2013-Pattern of Question Papers and Marking Scheme

Pattern of Question Papers and Marking Scheme

Pattern of Question Papers

The examination for the papers with codes AE, AG, AR, BT, CE, CH, CY, GG, MA, MN, MT, PH, TF, XE and XL will be conducted ONLINE using computers where the candidates will be required to select the answer for each question using a mouse. For all other papers (CS, EC, EE, IN, ME & PI), the exam will be conducted OFFLINE in whicih candidates will have to mark the correct choice on an Optical Response Sheet (ORS) by darkening the appropriate bubble against each question.
In all the papers, there will be a total of 65 questions carrying 100 marks, out of which 10 questions carrying total of 15 marks are in General Aptitude (GA). The remaining of 85% of the total marks is devoted to the syllabus of the paper (as indicated in the syllabus section)
GATE 2013 would contain questions of four different types in various papers:
(i) Multiple choice questions carrying 1 or 2 marks each; Each of  the multiple choice objective questions in all papers and sections will contain four answers,  of which one correct answer is to be marked.
(ii) Common data questions (which are also multiple choice questions), where two successive questions use the same set of input data;
Example
Statement for Common Data Questions, for instance, for Questions 48 and 49 in Main Paper: 
Let X and Y be jointly distributed random variables such that the conditional distribution of Y, given X=x, is uniform on the interval (x-1,x+1). Suppose E(X)=1 and Var(X)=5/3.
First question using common data:
Q.48 The mean of the random variable Y is
(A) 1/2  (B) 1  (C) 3/2  (D) 2
Second question using common data:
Q.49 The variance of the random variable Y is
(A) 1/2  (B) 2/3  (C) 1  (D) 2
(iii) Linked answer questions (which are also multiple choice questions), where the answer to the first question in the pair is required to answer its successor;
Example: Statement for Linked Answer Questions, for instance, for Questions 52 and 53 in Main Paper: 
An E. coli cell of volume 10-12 cm3 contains 60 molecules of lac-repressor. The repressor has a binding affinity (Kd) of 10-8 M and 10-9 M with and without lactose respectively, in the medium.
First question of the pair:
Q.52 The molar concentration of the repressor in the cell is
(A) 0.1 nM (B) 1 nM (C) 10 nM (D) 100 nM
Second question of the pair:
Q.53 Therefore the lac-operon is
(A) repressed and can only be induced with lactose.
(B) repressed and cannot be induced with lactose.
(C) not repressed.
(D) expressed only when glucose and lactose are present.
(iv) Numerical answer questions, where the answer is a number, to be entered by the candidate using the mouse and a virtual keypad that will be provided on the screen.
Design of Questions
The questions in a paper may be designed to test the following abilities:
(i) Recall: These are based on facts, principles, formulae or laws of the discipline of the paper. The candidate is expected to be able to obtain the answer either from his/her memory of the subject or at most from a one-line computation.
Example
Q. During machining maximum heat is produced
(A)  in flank face
(B)  in rake face
(C)  in shear zone
(D)  due to friction between chip and tool
(ii) Comprehension: These questions will test the candidate’s understanding of the basics of his/her field, by requiring him/her to draw simple conclusions from fundamental ideas.
Example
Q. A DC motor requires a starter in order to
(A)  develop a starting torque
(B)  compensate for auxiliary field ampere turns
(C)  limit armature current at starting
(D) provide regenerative braking
(iii) Application: In these questions, the candidate is expected to apply his/her knowledge either through computation or by logical reasoning.
Example
Q. The sequent depth ratio of a hydraulic jump in a rectangular channel is 16.48. The Froude number at the beginning of the jump is:
(A)  5.0  (B) 8.0    (C)  10.0  (D) 12.0
(iv) Analysis and Synthesis:  These can be linked answer questions, where the answer to the first question of the pair is required in order to answer its successor. Or these can be common data questions, in which two questions share the same data but can be solved independently of each other.
Common data based questions: Two questions are linked to a common data problem, passage and the like. Each question is independent and its solution is obtainable from the above problem data or passage directly. (Answer of the previous question is not required to solve the next question). Each question under this group will carry two marks.
Linked answer questions: These questions are of problem solving type. A problem statement is followed by two questions based on the problem statement. The two questions are designed such that the solution to the second question depends upon the answer to the first one. In other words, the first answer is an intermediate step in working out the second answer. Each question in such ‘linked answer questions’ will carry two marks.
Examples of each of this design is given in the types of questions above.
The questions based on the above four logics may be a mix of single stand alone statement/phrase /data type questions, combination of option codes type questions or match items type questions. 

Marking Scheme

For 1 mark multiple choice questions, 1/3 mark will be deducted for a wrong answer. Likewise, for 2 marks multiple choice questions, 2/3  mark will be deducted for a wrong answer. However, for the linked answer question pair, where each question carries 2 marks, 2/3  mark will be deducted for a wrong answer to the first question only. There is no negative marking for wrong answer to the second question of the linked answer question pair. If the first question in the linked pair is wrongly answered or is unattempted, then the answer to the second question in the pair will not be evaluated. There is no negative marking for numerical answer type questions (numerical answer type questions will appear only in the papers for which the exam is ONLINE only).
General Aptitude (GA) Questions 
In all papers, GA questions are of multiple choice type, and carry a total of 15 marks.  The GA section includes 5 questions carrying 1 mark each (sub-total 5 marks) and 5 questions carrying 2 marks each (sub-total 10 marks).
Question papers other than GG, XE and XL
These papers would contain 25  questions carrying one mark each (sub-total 25 marks) and 30  questions carrying two marks each (sub-total 60 marks).  Out of these, two pairs of questions would be common data questions, and two pairs of questions would be linked answer questions.  In the ONLINE papers, the question paper will consist of  questions of multiple choice type and numerical answer type. For multiple choice type questions, each question will have four choices for the answer. For numerical answer type questions, each question will have a number as the answer and choices will not be given. The answer is to be entered using the mouse and a virtual keypad that will appear on the screen.
GG (Geology and Geophysics) Paper
Apart from the General Aptitude (GA) section, the GG question paper consists of two parts: Part A and Part B. Part A is common for all candidates. Part B contains two sections: Section 1 (Geology) and Section 2 (Geo-physics). Candidates will have to attempt questions in Part A and either Section 1 or Section 2 in Part B.
Part A consists of 25 multiple choice questions carrying 1-mark each (sub-total 25 marks & some of these may be numerical questions). Each section  in Part B (Section 1 and Section 2) consists of 30 multiple choice questions carrying 2 marks each (sub-total 60 marks and some of these may be numerical questions). Out of these, two pairs of questions would be common data questions, and two pairs of questions would be linked answer questions.
XE Paper (Engineering Sciences)
In XE paper, Engineering Mathematics section (Section A) is compulsory. This section contains 11 multiple choice questions carrying a total of 15 marks: 7 questions carrying 1-mark each (sub-total 7 marks), and 4 questions carrying 2-marks each (sub-total 8 marks). Some of the multiple choice questions may be replaced by numerical questions.
Each of the other sections of the XE paper (Sections B through G) contains 22 questions carrying a total of 35 marks:  9 questions carrying 1 mark each (sub-total 9 marks) and 13 questions carrying 2 marks each (sub-total 26 marks).  Out of the 2 mark questions, 2 pairs are common data questions and 1 pair is linked answer questions. Some of the multiple choice questions may be replaced by numerical questions.
XL Paper (Life Sciences)
In XL paper,  Chemistry section (Section H) is compulsory. This section contains 15 multiple choice questions carrying a total of 25 marks: 5 questions carrying 1 mark each (sub-total 5 marks) and  10 questions carrying 2-marks each (sub-total 20 marks).  Out of the 2-mark questions, 1 pair is common data questions, and 1 pair is linked answer questions. Some of the multiple choice questions may be replaced by numerical questions.
Each of the other sections of the XL paper (Sections I through M) contains 20 multiple choice questions carrying a total of 30 marks: 10 questions carrying 1 mark each (sub-total 10 marks) and 10 questions carrying 2 marks each (sub-total 20 marks). Some of the multiple choice questions may be replaced by numerical questions.

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Structure of GATE 2013

A candidate can apply for only ONE of the 21 papers listed in Table given below. The syllabus for each of the papers is given separately. Making a choice of the appropriate paper during GATE application is the responsibility of the candidate. Some guidelines in this respect are suggested below.

The candidate is expected to appear in a paper appropriate to the discipline of his/her qualifying degree. The candidate is, however, free to choose any paper according to his/her admission plan, keeping in mind the eligibility criteria of the institutions in which he/she wishes to seek admission.

Table: List of GATE papers and corresponding codes

Sl.No	Paper	Code		Sl.No	Paper	Code
1	Aerospace Engineering	AE		12	Instrumentation Engineering	IN
2	Agricultural Engineering	AG		13	Mathematics	MA
3	Architecture and Planning	AR		14	Mechanical Engineering	ME
4	Biotechnology	BT		15	Mining Engineering	MN
5	Civil Engineering	CE		16	Metallurgical Engineering	MT
6	Chemical Engineering	CH		17	Physics	PH
7	Computer Science and Information Technology	CS		18	Production and Industrial Engineering	PI
8	Chemistry	CY		19	Textile Engineering and Fibre Science	TF
9	Electronics and Communication Engineering	EC		20	Engineering Sciences	XE*
10	Electrical Engineering	EE		21	Life Sciences	XL*
11	Geology and Geophysics	GG
	XE Paper Sections	Code			XL Paper Sections	Code
	Engineering Mathematics (Compulsory)	A			Chemistry (Compulsory)	H
	Fluid Mechanics	B			Biochemistry	I
	Materials Science	C			Botany	J
	Solid Mechanics	D			Microbiology	K
	Thermodynamics	E			Zoology	L
	Polymer Science and Engineering	F			Food Technology	M
	Food Technology	G

* XE (Engineering Sciences) and XL (Life Sciences) papers are of general nature and will comprise of the sections listed in the above table.  See further explanation below.

Duration and Exam Type

The GATE examination consists of a single paper of 3 hours duration which contains 65 questions carrying a maximum of 100 marks. The question paper will consist of only objective questions. The pattern of question papers is discussed separately in detail.
The examination for the papers with codes AE, AG, AR, BT, CE, CH, CY, GG, PH, MA, MN, MT, TF, XE, and XL will be carried out as ONLINE  computer based test where the candidates will be shown the questions in a random sequence on a computer screen. The candidates are required to enter the answer for each question using a mouse  (keyboards will be disabled).  Candidates will be provided with blank paper sheets for rough work. At the end of the three hour window, the computer will automatically close the screen from further actions.
For all other papers (CS, EC, EE, IN, ME, and PI), the candidates will be given the questions printed on a paper, and they have to mark the correct choice on an Optical Response Sheet (ORS) by darkening the appropriate bubble against each question using a black ink ball point pen.

General Aptitude Questions

All the papers will contain few questions that test the General Aptitude (Language and Analytical Skills), apart from the core subject of the paper.

XE Paper

A candidate appearing in the XE paper has to answer the following

1. Section A – Engineering Mathematics (compulsory)
2. GA – General Aptitude (compulsory)
3. Any two of XE sections B to G

The choice of two out of the sections B to G can be made at the time of appearing for the exam after viewing the questions.  Only two optional sections can be answered at a time. A candidate wishing to change from one optional section to another optional section during the exam must first choose to deselect one of the previously chosen optional sections (B to G).

XL Paper

A candidate appearing in the XL paper has to answer the following

1. Section H – Chemistry (compulsory)
2. GA – General Aptitude (compulsory)
3. Any two of XL sections I to M

The choice of two out of the sections I to M can be made at the time of appearing for the exam after viewing the questions. Only two optional sections can be answered at a time. A candidate wishing to change from one optional section to another optional section during the exam must first choose to deselect one of the previously chosen optional sections (I to M).

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Changes in GATE 2013 Exam

Changes in 2013 Exam

Several important changes have been introduced in GATE exam in the last few years.  Please read What’s New in 2013 to familiarise yourself with these changes.

What’s New in GATE 2013?

1. 15 subject papers will be conducted by an ONLINE computer based test: AE, AG, AR, BT, CE, CH, CY, GG, MA, MN, MT, PH, TF, XE, and XL.
2. Female candidates  are exempted from paying the application fee, as required by MHRD, Govt. of India.
3. All candidate related information and grievance redressal will be available in a single GATE Online Applicant Interface. (What is it?)
4. Soft copies of photograph and signature must be uploaded during online application (This is in addition to sending recent photograph of applicant with signed application).
5. A new formula will be used for calculating the GATE score.
6. Biometric information (Photograph and fingerprint) may be captured on the day of the examination for randomly selected candidates.

Important Points for GATE 2013.

1. Application Process: For GATE 2013,  candidates need to register and fill the application ONLINE only by accessing the zonal GATE websites of IISc and seven IITs. The application process is complete only when a print out of the filled ONLINE application with the candidate’s signature and a good quality photo affixed in the appropriate place is received by the respective GATE office along with necessary documents, if any, on or before 8 October 2012. Please note that application forms are NOT available for sale anywhere.
2. Downloadable Admit Card: Admit cards are NOT sent by mail anymore. Admit cards can only be downloaded from the zonal GATE websites from 5th December 2012 onwards. Bring the admit card to the test center along with at least one original (not photocopied / scanned copy) and valid (not expired) photo identification.
3. Use of black ink ball point pen for Offline exams:  Candidates should use only black ink ball point pen for darkening of the bubbles in the OMR sheet. Since bubbles darkened by the black ink ball point pen cannot be erased, candidates should darken the bubbles in the OMR sheet very carefully (be sure before darkening).
4. Numerical answer type questions in ONLINE papers: In the ONLINE papers, the question paper will consist of questions of multiple choice type and questions of numerical answer type. For multiple choice type questions, each question will have four choices for the answer. For numerical answer type questions, each question will have a number as the answer. Each online paper will have 15 or more marks worth of questions requiring numerical answers where possible.
5. Pre-final year students:  Pre-final year students are NOT eligible to write GATE 2013. For details, refer to eligibility for GATE examination.

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