GATE CE is conducted by IISc Bangalore or one of the IITs, in rotation, and covers General Aptitude, Engineering Mathematics and CE core. This page summarises the GATE CE exam pattern, marking scheme and syllabus as a study snapshot for previous year question practice. Confirm eligibility, dates and marking in the latest official notification on gate2027.iitm.ac.in.
Explore: GATE CE hub · GATE CE 2026 · GATE syllabus & pattern
GATE CE (Civil Engineering) has General Aptitude plus Civil Engineering subject areas, which include Engineering Mathematics. This page gives the exam pattern, the subject areas of the syllabus, and the mix of question types in every official CE paper hosted on this site.
GATE 2027: syllabus revised
IIT Madras, which runs GATE 2027, has revised the syllabus for the papers. The exam is scheduled for 6, 7, 13, 14, 20 and 21 February 2027. Check the official CE syllabus PDF on gate2027.iitm.ac.in for the exact topic list. The subject areas below are from the pre-revision syllabus used in the papers on this site.
GATE CE exam pattern
| Questions | 65 (10 General Aptitude + 55 Civil Engineering) |
| Marks | 100 (15 General Aptitude + 85 Civil Engineering) |
| Duration | 3 hours, one sitting, online |
| Question types | MCQ (one correct option), MSQ (one or more correct), NAT (type a number) |
| Negative marking | MCQ only: −1/3 for a 1-mark question, −2/3 for a 2-mark question. None for MSQ or NAT |
| Calculator | On-screen virtual scientific calculator; your own is not allowed |
The 65-question, 100-mark format is the same in every CE paper from 2016–2026. General Aptitude is always 10 questions: five worth 1 mark and five worth 2 marks, so the core carries 25 one-mark and 30 two-mark questions.
Civil Engineering is held in two sets every year, CE1 and CE2. They have the same pattern but different questions, so each year gives you two full papers.
Subject areas in the syllabus
| Subject area | What it covers |
|---|---|
| General Aptitude | Verbal ability (grammar, sentence completion, reasoning) and numerical ability (arithmetic, data interpretation, spatial reasoning). 10 questions, 15 marks. |
| Engineering Mathematics | Linear algebra, calculus, ordinary and partial differential equations, probability and statistics, numerical methods. |
| Structural Engineering | Engineering mechanics, solid mechanics, structural analysis, construction materials and management, concrete structures, steel structures. |
| Geotechnical Engineering | Soil mechanics and foundation engineering. |
| Water Resources Engineering | Fluid mechanics and hydraulics, hydrology, irrigation. |
| Environmental Engineering | Water and waste water, air pollution, municipal solid waste, noise pollution. |
| Transportation Engineering | Transportation infrastructure, highway pavements, traffic engineering. |
| Geomatics Engineering | Surveying, photogrammetry and remote sensing. |
CE is the one GATE paper with a Geomatics block (surveying and remote sensing) next to the usual Structural, Geotechnical, Water Resources, Environmental and Transportation blocks.
Question types by paper
MCQ, MSQ and NAT counts from the official answer keys, one row per set. The 2021 papers are scans, so their counts are not tabulated.
| Year | Paper | MCQ | MSQ | NAT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | CE1 | 46 | 0 | 19 |
| 2016 | CE2 | 46 | 0 | 19 |
| 2017 | CE1 | 40 | 0 | 25 |
| 2017 | CE2 | 39 | 0 | 26 |
| 2018 | CE1 | 38 | 0 | 27 |
| 2018 | CE2 | 39 | 0 | 26 |
| 2019 | CE1 | 38 | 0 | 27 |
| 2019 | CE2 | 39 | 0 | 26 |
| 2020 | CE1 | 40 | 0 | 25 |
| 2020 | CE2 | 40 | 0 | 25 |
| 2021 | CE | scan, not tabulated | ||
| 2022 | CE1 | 33 | 7 | 25 |
| 2022 | CE2 | 33 | 7 | 25 |
| 2023 | CE1 | 34 | 10 | 21 |
| 2023 | CE2 | 35 | 11 | 19 |
| 2024 | CE1 | 37 | 5 | 23 |
| 2024 | CE2 | 40 | 3 | 22 |
| 2025 | CE1 | 32 | 11 | 22 |
| 2025 | CE2 | 28 | 15 | 22 |
| 2026 | CE1 | 31 | 6 | 28 |
| 2026 | CE2 | 36 | 4 | 25 |
The first key in this table with an MSQ is 2022, although 2021 is a scan and could not be counted. The most NATs in one paper was 28 (2026) and the fewest 19 (2016). The most MCQs was 46 (2016), and the most MSQs 15 (2025). Since only MCQs carry negative marking, a paper with more MCQs punishes guessing more.
How to use this page
- Study the subject areas in the order of your own paper tally, not the order of the syllabus.
- Do not drop a low-weight subject completely. Small subjects are usually 1-mark questions that take a minute once you know the basics.
- Sit full papers from the GATE CE hub under the 3-hour limit and count the marks each subject gave you.
- Check the revised GATE 2027 syllabus PDF before you finish a subject, in case a topic was added.
Subject-wise mark weightage is not tabulated here yet, because questions have not been tagged by subject for CE. Tally it yourself from each paper you attempt.
FAQ
What is the GATE CE exam pattern?
65 questions for 100 marks in 3 hours: 10 General Aptitude questions for 15 marks and 55 Civil Engineering questions for 85 marks. Questions are MCQ, MSQ or NAT, and only wrong MCQ answers lose marks (1/3 or 2/3).
Has the GATE CE syllabus changed for GATE 2027?
IIT Madras, which runs GATE 2027, has revised the syllabus for the papers. Check the official CE syllabus PDF on gate2027.iitm.ac.in before you plan; the subject list on this page is from the pre-revision syllabus.
How many NAT questions does GATE CE usually have?
From the papers hosted here, NATs ranged from 19 (2016) to 28 (2026) out of 65.