Type of Questions

Type of Questions

GATE 2025 Question Types
GATE 2025 may contain questions of THREE different types in all the papers:
(i) Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ) carry 1 or 2 marks each, in all the papers and sections. These questions are objective in nature, and each will have choice of four answers, out of which ONLY ONE choice is correct.

Example of MCQ:

Which Institute is organising GATE 2025 examination?

(A) IISc Bangalore (B) IIT Kharagpur (C) IIT Roorkee (D) IIT Madras

Here, correct answer is (C) only. Candidate will get full marks only if this answer is selected. The candidates will be given NEGATIVE marks for choosing any other option as their answer.
(ii) Multiple Select Questions (MSQ) carrying 1 or 2 marks each in all the papers and sections. These questions are objective in nature, and each will have choice of four answers, out of which ONE or MORE than ONE choice(s) is / are correct.

Example of MSQ:

Which of the following is / are state(s) in India?

(A) Maharashtra (B) Gujarat (C) Mumbai (D) Goa.

Here, the correct answer is the combination of (A), (B) and (D). Candidates will get full marks if and only if this combination is selected. There are NO partial marks in this type of question. The candidates will NOT get any marks for choosing any other option / combination as their answer.
(iii) Numerical Answer Type (NAT) Questions carry 1 or 2 marks each in most of the papers and sections. For these questions, the answer is a signed real number, which needs to be entered by the candidate using the virtual numeric keypad on the monitor (keyboard of the computer will be disabled). No choices will be shown for these types of questions. The answer can be a number such as10 or-10 (an integer only). The answer may be in decimals as well, for example,10.1 (one decimal) or 10.01 (two decimals) or -10.001 (three decimals). These questions will be mentioned with, up to which decimal places, the candidates need to present the answer. Also, for some NAT type problems an appropriate range will be considered while evaluating these questions so that the candidate is not unduly penalized due to the usual round-off errors. Candidates are advised to do the rounding off at the end of the calculation (not in between steps). Wherever required and possible, it is better to give NAT answer up to a maximum of three decimal places.

Example of NAT:

If the wire diameter of a compressive helical spring is increased by 2%, the change in spring stiffness (in %) is _____________(correct to two decimal places).

Note: There is NO negative marking for a wrong answer in NAT questions. Also, there is NO partial credit in NAT questions.
The questions in a paper may be designed to test the following abilities:

  • Recall: These are based on facts, principles, formulae or laws in 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.
  • 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.
  • Application: In these questions, the candidate is expected to apply his/her knowledge either through computation or by logical reasoning.
  • Analysis and Synthesis: In these questions, the candidate is presented with data, diagrams, images, etc. that require analysis before a question can be answered. A Synthesis question might require the candidate to compare two or more pieces of information. Questions in this category could, for example, involve candidates in recognizing unstated assumptions, or separating useful information from irrelevant information.