The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras has officially announced the schedule for the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) 2027. The exam will be held across six days in February next year, while the online application process is expected to begin in mid-August.GATE 2027 brings a revised syllabus after five years, a brand-new Robotics and Automation paper, and tighter verification measures through DigiLocker integration and facial authentication, changes that reflect the shifting demands of higher education and industry.
GATE 2027 to be held across six days
According to IIT Madras, GATE 2027 will be conducted on February 6, 7, 13, 14, 20 and 21, 2027, with examinations scheduled in both the forenoon and afternoon sessions.IIT Madras is organising the examination on behalf of the National Coordination Board-GATE under the Ministry of Education. GATE is jointly conducted by the IITs and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc). Introduced in 1983, the examination enters its 45th edition this year.Nearly 10 lakh candidates take the exam every year, making it one of the country’s largest computer-based entrance tests for postgraduate studies and technical careers.
Registration expected to begin in mid-August
The online registration window is expected to open in the middle of August 2026. Candidates will be able to apply through the official GATE 2027 portal once the application process begins.This year, IIT Madras has also made another crucial decision in its application process. The applications will be linked to DigiLocker and Facial Recognition. This decision has been made in order to ensure that identity verification is foolproof, without any delay in entering the examination centre.
Syllabus revised for the first time in five years
The most significant change in GATE 2027 is the syllabus revision in all the test papers. This was stated by IIT Madras.It will affect the aspirants in a way such that the candidates have to change their strategy of preparation for those subjects that will have a different syllabus due to the introduction of new topics and omission of old topics from the previous syllabus.
Robotics gets its own GATE paper
Recognising the growing importance of automation and intelligent systems, GATE 2027 will introduce a dedicated Robotics and Automation (RA) paper.The addition reflects the increasing demand for professionals in robotics, manufacturing automation, artificial intelligence, and smart technologies. It also signals how engineering education is adapting to emerging sectors that are expected to drive future innovation.Another notable change is that the Textile Engineering and Fibre Science (TF) paper has now been converted into a sectional paper under Engineering Sciences (XE).Despite these revisions, the examination will continue to offer 30 test papers, and candidates can opt for one or two papers from the approved combinations.
Who is eligible to apply?
The eligibility criteria remain unchanged. Candidates who have completed, or are in the final year of, a bachelor’s degree in engineering, technology, architecture, science, commerce or arts can apply for GATE 2027.There is no upper or lower age limit for the examination. As per the revised eligibility rules introduced earlier, third-year BTech students are also eligible to appear, giving students an opportunity to secure a GATE score before graduating.
Exam pattern remains unchanged
The examination will be conducted in Computer-Based Test (CBT) mode and will last three hours.Each paper will contain 65 questions carrying a total of 100 marks.The marking scheme remains the same:
- General Aptitude: 15 marks (compulsory for all candidates)
- Engineering Mathematics: 13 marks in most engineering papers
- Negative marking applies only to Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)
- Multiple Select Questions (MSQs) and Numerical Answer Type (NAT) questions will not carry negative marking
The examination will continue to be conducted only in English.
