GATE 2021 Exam: Result (OUT), Answer Key, Cutoff, Dates, Syllabus, Pattern

Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering 2026 ( GATE )

DeskCalelnderResult - 27 Mar '26 - 31 May '26

Updated on Mar 19, 2021 21:41 IST
Click here to know all the details related to GATE 2021 such as dates, eligibility, syllabus, exam pattern, and preparation tips. GATE 2021 result has been announced by IIT Bombay. Candidates can download there sorecard to know the marks secured in the exam and All India Rank of GATE 2021.

The GATE 2021 result has been released by the IIT Bombay on March 19, 2021. Read the article below to know other important details related to GATE 2021.

GATE 2021

GATE 2021 result has been released by the IIT Bombay today i.e. March 19. Candidates who appeared in the exam can click on the link below or visit the official site i.e. gate.iitb.ac.in to check their result. Students will need to log in with their enrollment ID and scorecard to download the GATE 2021 result.

Click here to check the GATE 2021 result

IIT Bombay conducted the first session of GATE 2021 on February 6. GATE 2021 was held on February 6-7 and February 13-14. According to the candidates who attempted the entrance examination of Civil Engineering, the examination was moderate to tough in terms of difficulty level. The official GATE 2021 answer key (Final) was released on March 17.

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Top M.Tech Colleges in India

GATE is conducted every year by either of the IITs (Bombay, Delhi, Guwahati, Kanpur, Kharagpur, Madras, Roorkee) or Indian Institute for Science, Bangalore (IISC Bangalore) for admission to postgraduate engineering and science courses. GATE, the online national level examination, is a gateway to get admission to Master of Engineering (ME), Master in Technology (MTech), and direct PhD admissions to IITs, NITs, and IIITs. Candidates can read the article below to know details like exam dates, syllabus, pattern for GATE 2021.

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Table of contents
  • GATE 2021: What's New
  • GATE 2021 Important Dates
  • GATE 2021 Subject-wise Schedule
  • GATE 2021 Eligibility Criteria
  • Professional Societies/ Institutions
  • GATE 2021 Application Form
  • GATE 2021 Exam Pattern
  • GATE 2021 Syllabus
  • GATE 2021 Exam Day Guidelines
  • GATE 2021 Answer Key
  • GATE 2021 Result
  • FAQs regarding GATE 2021
View More

GATE 2021: What's New

  • (IIT) Bombay announced the GATE 2021 dates. The exam was conducted on February 6-7 and February 13-14.
  • IIT Bombay has also introduced two new subjects – Environmental Science and Engineering (ES) and Humanities and Social Science (XS). The total number of subjects in GATE 2021 has increased to 27.
  • IIT Bombay has also relaxed the eligibility criteria for students. According to the institute's statement, GATE-2021 Eligibility criteria have been relaxed from the minimum 10 2 4 (ongoing) to minimum 10 2 3 (ongoing). It will enable even those in the third year of their undergraduate studies to appear for the examination.
  • In another newly introduced change, students applying for GATE 2021 can also opt for two subject papers from the prescribed set of combinations.

GATE 2021 Important Dates

Candidates aspiring for GATE 2021 can check the complete schedule below:

GATE 2021 Events GATE 2021 Dates Salient Features
Admit card download 8-Jan-2021 Download the admit card from GATE official website. It is an essential document and will be required until the admission process
Miscellaneous Activities

5-Feb-2021

12-Feb-2021

Optional visit by Candidates to check the exam centre
Exam day

6-Feb-2021 to

7-Feb-2021

and

13-Feb-2021 to

14-Feb-2021

The exam will be conducted in the morning and afternoon slots. See the detailed exam schedule.
Result announcement 19-Mar-2021  Download GATE scorecard from its official website
Past Events for GATE 2021 Application Form
Official website live 16-Jul-2020 IIT Bombay to conduct GATE 2021 Exam
Application form availability

11-Sep-2020

Registration to be done online only.

No change in the Registration fee.

Rs 500 additional fees to be paid by candidates who missed the deadline.

Last date to fill the application form 7-Oct-2020 Candidates must complete their registrations before the last date as, without it, they will not be allowed to appear in the exam
Last date to register with late fee 12-Oct-2020 Candidates could register for the GATE 2021 by paying Rs 500 in addition to the application fee.
Application form correction window

28-Oct-2020 to 13-Nov-2020

17-Nov-2020 to 23-Nov-2020

Candidates can correct their details and change their image/signature. An additional fee will be applicable.

GATE 2021 Subject-wise Schedule 

Candidates can check the subject-wise GATE exam dates in the table below:

Week & Day

Date (Day)

Time

Activities/Paper

Week 1 & Day 1

5-Feb-2021 (Friday)

12:00 pm – 05:00 pm

Miscellaneous Activities

Week 1 & Day 2

6-Feb-2021 (Saturday)

9:30 am – 12:30 pm

(Forenoon Session)

CE-1, IN, CY

6-Feb-2021 (Saturday)

03:00 pm – 06:00 pm

(Afternoon Session)

CE-2, PH, AR, BM, AE, MN

Week 1 & Day 3

7-Feb-2021 (Saturday)

9:30 am – 12:30 pm

(Forenoon Session)

EE, GG, AG, EY

7-Feb-2021 (Saturday)

03:00 pm – 06:00 pm

(Afternoon Session)

EC, PE, ES, ST, PI

Week 2 & Day 4

12-Feb-2021 (Friday)

12:00 pm – 05:00 pm

Miscellaneous Activities

Week 2 & Day 5

13-Feb-2021 (Saturday)

9:30 am – 12:30 pm

(Forenoon Session)

CS-1, MA, BT, CH, TF

13-Feb-2021 (Saturday)

03:00 pm – 06:00 pm

(Afternoon Session)

CS-2, XE, XL

Week 2 & Day 6

14-Feb-2021 (Saturday)

9:30 am – 12:30 pm

(Forenoon Session)

ME-1, XH

14-Feb-2021 (Saturday)

03:00 pm – 06:00 pm

(Afternoon Session)

ME-2, MT

GATE 2021 Eligibility Criteria

Aspirants can check the eligibility criteria for GATE 2021 below:

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Qualifying Degree Qualifying Degree/Examination Description of eligible candidates
BE/ BTech/ BPharm Bachelor’s degree holders in Engineering/Technology (4 years after 10 2 or 3 years after B.Sc./Diploma in Engineering /Technology) Currently in the third year or higher grade or already completed. Year of qualification not later than 2022
BArch Bachelor’s degree of Architecture (5- year course) / Naval Architecture (4- year course) / Planning (4- year course) Currently in the third year or higher grade or already completed. Year of qualification not later than 2022
BSc (Research)/BS Bachelor’s degree in Science (Post-Diploma/4 years after 10 2) Currently in the third year or higher grade or already completed. Year of qualification not later than 2022
Pharm D (after 10 2) 6-year degree programme, consisting of internship or residency training, during third year onwards Currently in the third/fourth/fifth/sixth year or already completed. Year of qualification not later than 2024
MBBS Degree holders of M.B.B.S. and those who are in the fifth/sixth/seventh semester or higher semester of such programme. Currently in the fifth/sixth/seventh semester or higher semester or already completed. Year of qualification not later than 2022.
MSc/MA/MCA or equivalent Master’s degree in any branch of Science/Mathematics/Statistics/Computer Applications or equivalent Currently in the first year or higher or already Completed. Year of qualification not later than 2022.
Int ME/ MTech (Post-BSc) Post-BSc Integrated Master’s degree programmes in Engineering/Technology (4-year programme) Currently in the first/second/third/fourth year or already completed. Year of qualification not later than 2023.
Int ME/ MTech or Dual Degree (after Diploma or 10 2) Integrated Master’s degree programme or Dual Degree program in Engineering/Technology (5-year program) Currently in the third/fourth/fifth year or already completed. Year of qualification not later than 2020.
BSc/BA/ BCom Bachelor degree in any branch of Science/Arts/Commerce (3-year programme) Currently in the third year or already completed. Year of qualification not later than 2021.
Int MSc/ Int BS-MS Integrated MSc or 5-year integrated BS-MS programme Currently in the third year or higher or already completed. Year of qualification not later than 2022.
Professional Society Examinations* 
(equivalent to BE/BTech/BArch)
B.E./B.Tech./B.Arch. equivalent examinations of Professional Societies, recognised by MHRD/UPSC/AICTE (e.g., AMIE by Institution of Engineers-India, AMICE by the Institute of Civil Engineers-India and so on) Completed Section A or equivalent of such professional courses.

NOTE:

  • Candidates must upload the required eligibility document while filling GATE application form.
  • If a candidate is pursuing any higher degree or has already obtained a degree higher than that mentioned in the table above, the candidate will be allowed to appear in GATE 2021 examination.

Professional Societies/ Institutions

There are a total of seven professional societies/ institutions, which conduct exams in various fields of engineering. Candidates qualifying exams conducted by such societies are eligible for MTech admission through GATE:

  1. The Institution of Engineers (India) (IE)
  2. The Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE)
  3. The Institution of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineers (IETE)
  4. The Aeronautical Society of India (AeSI)
  5. The Indian Institute of Chemical Engineers, including Polymer and Environmental Group (IIChemE)
  6. The Indian Institute of Metals (IIM)
  7. The Indian Institute of Industrial Engineers (IIE)

GATE 2021 Eligibility Criteria for other than Indian candidates

In GATE 2021, not only Indian students but candidates from other countries will also participate.  Candidates who have obtained/are pursuing their qualifying degree from countries other than India will need to fulfil the following eligibility criteria:

  • Must have completed or in the final year or in the pre-final year of their bachelor’s degree in engineering and technology or;
  • Must have completed or in the final year or in the pre-final year of their Post Graduate degree in any relevant science subjects

GATE 2021 Application Form

Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay made available the GATE 2021 application form on September 11, 2020. The last date to fill the application form without late fee was October 7, 2020 (extended) and with late fee of Rs 500 was October 12, 2020. The candidates were also provided with the facility to correct mistakes in the GATE 2021 application form from October 28 to November 13.

Candidates could access the application form of GATE 2021 in online mode from the GATE Online Application Processing System (GOAPS) portal. The application form was not available in any other mode. It was essential for the candidates to fill the application form otherwise they will not be allowed to attempt the entrance examination.

Candidates must check GATE eligibility 2021 before filling the GATE 2021 application form. In case students failed to fulfill any of the eligibility conditions, their candidature may get cancelled. Candidates who have completed or are in the final year of graduation in the relevant subject from a recognized university can apply for GATE 2021.

GATE 2021 Exam Pattern

GATE 2021 exam pattern will help candidates to know the number of questions, types of questions, and marking scheme for all the 27 papers. It is important for all GATE aspirants to familiarise themselves with the exam pattern, syllabus and the marking scheme. The exam pattern of GATE 2021 will also help students to manage their time during the exam effectively.

Mode: IIT Bombay is conducting the exam in online (Computer-based) mode.

Papers: The exam is being conducted for 27 subjects (also referred to as “papers”).

Particulars

Details

Examination Mode

Computer Based Test (CBT)

Duration

3 Hours

Number of Subjects (Papers)

27

Sections

General Aptitude (GA) Candidate’s Selected Subject

Type of Questions

  1. Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ)
  2. Multiple Select Questions (MSQ)
  3. Numerical Answer Type (NAT) Questions

Questions test these abilities

  • Recall
  • Comprehension
  • Application
  • Analysis and Synthesis

Number of Questions

10 (GA) 55 (subject) = 65 Questions

Distribution of Marks in all Papers EXCEPT papers AR, CY, EY, GG, MA, PH, XH and XL

General Aptitude: 15 Marks Engineering Mathematics: 13 Marks Subject Questions: 72 Marks = Total: 100 Marks

Distribution of Marks in papers AR, CY, EY, GG, MA, PH, XH and XL

General Aptitude: 15 Marks Subject Questions: 85 Marks = Total: 100 Marks

Marking Scheme

All of the questions will be of 1 mark or 2 marks

Detailed Marking Scheme:

Candidates can check the detailed marking scheme for GATE 2021 below:

Paper Code

General Aptitude (GA) Marks

Subject Marks

Total Marks

Total Time (Minutes)

AE, AR, AG, BT, CE, CH, CS, CY, EC, EE, ES, EY, IN, MA, ME, MN, MT, PE, PH, PI, TF, ST and BM

15

85

100

180

GG [Part A Part B (Section 1 Geology OR Section 2 Geophysics)]

15

25 60

100

180

XE (Section A Any TWO Sections)

15

15 (2 x 35)

100

180

XH (Section B1 Any ONE Section)

15

25 (1 x 60)

100

180

XL (Section P Any TWO Sections)

15

25 (2 x 30)

100

180

Note: There will be NO negative marking for a wrong answer in NAT questions.

Click here to check GATE 2021 Exam Pattern and division of marks

GATE 2021 Syllabus

The syllabus for the GATE 2021 will be released by the exam conducting authority. Till then candidates can check and download the syllabus of last year from below:

Code: Paper

Code: Paper

AE: Aerospace Engineering

TF: Textile Engineering and Fibre Science

AG: Agricultural Engineering

XE-A: Engineering Mathematics

AR: Architecture and Planning

XE-B: Fluid Mechanics

BM: Biomedical Engineering

XE-C: Materials Science

BT: Biotechnology

XE-D: Solid Mechanics

CE: Civil Engineering

XE-E: Thermodynamics

CH: Chemical Engineering

XE-F: Polymer Science and Engineering

CS: Computer Sc. and Information Technology

XE-G: Food Technology

CY: Chemistry

XE-H: Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences

EC: Electronics and Communication Engineering

XH-B1: Reasoning and Comprehension

EE: Electrical Engineering

XH-C1: Economics

ES: Environmental Science and Engineering

XH-C2: English

EY: Ecology and Evolution

XH-C3: Linguistics

GG: Geology and Geophysics

XH-C4: Philosophy

IN: Instrumentation Engineering

XH-C5: Psychology

MA: Mathematics

XH-C6: Sociology

ME: Mechanical Engineering

XL-P: Chemistry

MN: Mining Engineering

XL-Q: Biochemistry

MT: Metallurgical Engineering

XL-R: Botany

PE: Petroleum Engineering

XL-S: Microbiology

PH: Physics

XL-T: Zoology

PI: Production and Industrial Engineering

XL-U: Food Technology

ST: Statistics

-

GATE 2021 Exam Day Guidelines

GATE 2021 exam day guidelines have been released by the IIT Bombay to ensure the safety of candidates and staffs at the exam venue. Candidates must follow the exam day guidelines to ensure smooth functioning at the exam centre. No specific dress code has been specified by IIT Bombay for GATE 2021. However, candidates are advised to wear simple and basic clothes on the exam day. The guidelines have been categorised into pre-exam, during the exam and post-exam measures. Check GATE Exam Day Guidelines.

What items can student carry inside GATE Exam Centres?

Permitted Items

Non-permitted Items

GATE 2021 Admit Card

Blank Papers

Personal ID

Clipboards

Blue/Black Ball Point Pen

Log-tables

Simple Wrist Watch

Mobile Phones

Mask and Gloves

Physical Calculators

Personal Hand Sanitizer

Digital Watch

Personal Transparent Water Bottle

Any electronic items

GATE 2021 Answer Key

IIT Bombay will release the GATE Answer Keys 2021 within a week after the commencement of exam on the official website. Candidates will be able to estimate their marks in the exam with the help of GATE 2021 answer key. Students must refer GATE 2021 marking scheme to calculate their probable score.

With the help of previous year answer keys and question papers, students can get an idea about the difficulty level of the paper, exam pattern, and type of questions. To check answer key for GATE 2020, Click Here.

GATE 2021 Result

GATE 2021 Result will be released on March 22 in online mode on the official website. Candidates appeared in the exam will be able to check their result by logging into the portal. Only the aspirants who qualify the GATE Exam will only be allowed to access score-card which will remain valid for three years from the date of declaration of result.

GATE 2021 Result: Steps to check

  • Visit the official website
  • Go to the results page and click on GATE Result
  • GOAPS portal will appear, fill in the login details
  • Click on the submit tab
  • GOAPS candidate dashboard for GATE will open
  • Click on the results section
  • The GATE result will be displayed on the screen

Q. Which IIT will conduct GATE 2021?

A. Indian Institute of Bombay will conduct the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) 2021.

Q. Is one year enough for GATE preparation?

A. Hard work and complete practice for a year with an aptitude and solving technical papers are more than enough for students to clear the GATE exam.

Q. How much time is sufficient for GATE preparation?

A. 7-8 months of dedicated preparation is sufficient to qualify the GATE 2021 exam

Q. What rank is good in GATE?

A. A rank within 200 is good for candidates’ admission to any IIT/NIT or for recruitment to any of the PSUs.

Q. Which paper a candidate should choose for GATE 2021?

A. All the core branches like Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electronics & Communication Engineering and Civil Engineering serve as the best branches to crack gate.

Q. Is GATE really tough?

A. GATE overall is considered to be one of the toughest exams due to its vast curriculum of four years of engineering is tested in three hours.

Q. Is GATE easy than JEE?

A. Aptitude-wise JEE is tougher. Pattern wise-JEE is simple than GATE.

Q. Can an average student crack GATE?

A. With hard work and dedicated studies, an average student can also crack the GATE examination with good marks.

Q. Can GATE be cracked by self-study?

A. Yes, GATE can be cracked with self-study

Q. Do questions repeat in GATE?

A. GATE questions are not repeated but studying the previous year question papers will help candidates find out the pattern of the questions.

FAQs regarding GATE 2021

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Aishwarya Uniyal

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Nishtha Shukla

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Neerja Rohatgi

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Contributor-Level 7

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Sumridhi Sinha

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The GATE 2026 final answer key will be released soon. The official announcement will be done by the authorities on official website - gate2026.iitg.ac.in. Candidates must note that final answer key cannot be challenged. 

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