Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras has officially announced the plan of Graduate Examination in Engineering (GATE) 2027. The exam will be held over six days in February next year, while the online application process is expected to begin in mid-August.GATE 2027 brings an updated syllabus after five years, a new paper on Robotics and Automation, and robust authentication methods through the integration of DigiLocker and face authentication, changes that reflect the movement of higher education and industry.
GATE 2027 will be held over six days
According to IIT Madras, GATE 2027 will be held on February 6, 7, 13, 14, 20 and 21, 2027, the exam is scheduled in both morning and afternoon sessions.IIT Madras is organizing the exam 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). Launched in 1983, the test enters its 45th edition this year.About 10 lakh people take this exam every year, making it one of the country’s largest online entrance exams for higher education and professional careers.
Registration is 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 it starts.This year, IIT Madras has made another important decision in its application process. These apps will be integrated with DigiLocker and Face Recognition. This decision is made to ensure that the verification of identity is void, without delay in entering the test area.
The syllabus was revised for the first time in five years
The major change in GATE 2027 is the revision of the syllabus for all the examination papers. This was reported by IIT Madras.It will affect the candidates in such a way that the students will change their way of preparing for the courses which will have a different syllabus due to the introduction of new topics and the removal of old topics from the previous syllabus.
Robot gets his GATE paper
Recognizing the growing need for automation and intelligent automation, GATE 2027 will introduce a dedicated paper on Robotics and Automation (RA).The combination highlights the need for professionals in the fields of robotics, automation, artificial intelligence, and smart technologies. It also shows how engineering education is adapting to emerging fields that are expected to drive future innovation.Another notable change is that the Textile Engineering and Fiber Science (TF) paper has now been converted into a sub-section paper under Engineering Sciences (XE).Despite this change, the exam will continue to offer 30 test papers, and candidates can choose one or two papers from the approved combination.
Who is eligible to apply?
What needs to be done doesn’t change. 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. According to the eligibility rules reviewed earlier, third year BTech students are also eligible to appear, giving students a chance to get GATE scores before graduation.
The test pattern has not changed
The examination will be conducted in Computer-Based Test (CBT) and will last for three hours.Each paper will have 65 questions carrying 100 marks.The writing scheme should be similar:
- General Aptitude: 15 marks (compulsory for all candidates)
- Engineering Mathematics: 13 marks in most engineering papers
- Wrong marking only applies to Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)
- Multiple Select Questions (MSQs) and Numerical Answer Type (NAT) will not contain wrong entries
The exam will continue to be conducted in English only.