GATE

GATE (Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering) is a national examination conducted jointly by IISc Bangalore and the seven IITs for admission to postgraduate programmes (M.Tech, M.E., M.S., direct PhD) in engineering, technology, architecture, and science at IITs, NITs, IIITs, and other centrally funded institutions. Beyond academic admissions, GATE scores are also used for recruitment by major PSUs (Public Sector Undertakings) including ONGC, BHEL, IOCL, NTPC, GAIL, Power Grid, BARC, DRDO, and many others — often for direct officer-grade positions with salaries ranging from ₹50,000 to ₹80,000 per month.

GATE is offered in 30 subject papers covering all major engineering and science disciplines. The exam is a 3-hour computer-based test with 65 questions (100 marks) comprising Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs), Multiple Select Questions (MSQs), and Numerical Answer Type (NAT) questions. The General Aptitude section (15 marks) is common to all papers. GATE scores are valid for 3 years.

For engineering graduates who want government sector careers without appearing for SSC or UPSC exams, GATE is the most direct route. PSU recruitment through GATE requires the candidate to apply separately to each PSU after the GATE result — the PSU then issues a call for Group Discussion/Interview based on the GATE score. Our editorial team reviews GATE notifications and PSU recruitment patterns annually from gate.iitkgp.ac.in and individual PSU portals, last updated July 2026.