The official GATE BT 2023 question paper and answer key are on this page as PDFs from IIT Kanpur, with the original source linked beside each file. The GATE BT exam covers General Aptitude, Engineering Mathematics and BT core. Download them below, then sit the paper under exam timing with the attempt plan and error-log routine on this page.
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Download the paper
Download the official GATE BT 2023 paper and answer key (PDF), hosted on this site with the official source linked.
GATE BT 2023 at a glance
GATE BT 2023 was set by IIT Kanpur. The files are hosted below: the question paper and answer key.
| Organising institute | IIT Kanpur |
| Paper | Biotechnology (BT) |
| GATE 2023 exam window | 4, 5, 11 and 12 February 2023 |
| Paper hosted here | 1 (plus answer key) |
| Question types | 32 MCQ, 7 MSQ, 26 NAT |
| Questions | 65: 10 General Aptitude (15 marks) + 55 core (85 marks) |
| Total marks | 100 |
| Duration | 3 hours |
All counts come from the official answer key for GATE BT 2023.
Paper analysis
Snapshot of GATE BT 2023
GATE BT 2023 gave one full paper. The official key lists 32 MCQ, 7 MSQ, 26 NAT, so 40% of the paper is typed-answer (NAT) questions, which carry no negative marking.
Of the 55 Biotechnology questions, 25 are worth 1 mark and 30 worth 2 marks; 20 of the 2-mark questions are NAT.
Against GATE BT 2022, MCQs moved by -5 and NATs by +6, MSQs by -1.
7 questions are multi-select (MSQ): they score only when the full correct set is chosen and nothing wrong, with no negative marking.
GATE 2023 was organised by IIT Kanpur; the original files were published on the organising site and are linked below through the Internet Archive.
What this paper stresses
- BT is the one paper where a large share of the core is biology, so memorised facts and short reasoning questions sit next to bioprocess numericals.
- Bioprocess and enzyme-kinetics numericals are the usual NAT source; practise them with unit discipline.
- General Aptitude is 10 questions and 15 marks, easy to rush.
What to extract before you move on
- NAT vs MCQ miss counts. MSQ misses separately, since one wrong option loses the whole question.
- GA topics you guessed versus knew.
- A personal subject-weight table for Biotechnology from this sitting: Engineering Mathematics, Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Microbiology and Immunology and the rest.
- Every question where your answer was right but your time on it was not.
Analyst note: Mark by the numbering in the paper you downloaded.
How to sit GATE BT 2023
- Download the paper and its answer key from this page. Do not open the key yet.
- Sit the full paper in three hours, one sitting: 10 GA questions and 55 Biotechnology questions. Re-key NAT answers before you stop.
- Mark it with the official key: MCQ by option, NAT by the range in the key. Give an MSQ mark only when the whole option set matches. Apply negative marks on MCQs only.
- Fill the error log the same day: section, subject, and miss type (concept, silly, time or misread).
- Next session, repair only the logged items, then pick another year from the list below.
Other years on this hub
- GATE BT 2026
- GATE BT 2025
- GATE BT 2024
- GATE BT 2022
- GATE BT 2019
- GATE BT 2018
- GATE BT 2017
- GATE BT 2016
FAQ
Where can I download the official GATE BT 2023 question paper?
On this page: the official IIT Kanpur question paper and answer key, with a link to each original source.
How many questions were in GATE BT 2023?
65 questions for 100 marks in 3 hours: 10 General Aptitude questions for 15 marks and 55 Biotechnology questions for 85 marks. The key lists 32 MCQ, 7 MSQ, 26 NAT.
When was GATE BT 2023 held?
GATE BT 2023 was part of the GATE 2023 exam window, organised by IIT Kanpur, which ran on 4, 5, 11 and 12 February 2023.
How were MSQs marked in GATE BT 2023?
7 questions were multi-select (MSQ). A multi-select answer scores only when every correct option, and no wrong one, is chosen; there is no negative marking for MSQ or NAT.
Are memory-based GATE BT 2023 papers reliable?
There is no need for them where the official paper is public. Use the files from IIT Kanpur’s GATE site, not coaching reconstructions.
Where is the GATE BT syllabus and pattern?
See the GATE BT syllabus and pattern page on this hub, and check the current official brochure before your exam.