# GATE IN Syllabus & Exam Pattern: Subject Areas and Question Types
> GATE IN exam pattern, syllabus areas and the question-type mix of every official IN paper hosted here, 2016–2026.
Source: https://previousyearquestions.app/gate/in/syllabus-pattern/
GATE IN is conducted by IISc Bangalore or one of the IITs, in rotation, and covers General Aptitude, Engineering Mathematics and IN core. This page summarises the GATE IN 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 IN hub · GATE IN 2026 · GATE syllabus & pattern
GATE IN (Instrumentation Engineering) has General Aptitude plus Instrumentation Engineering subject areas. This page gives the exam pattern, the subject areas of the syllabus, and the mix of question types in every official IN paper hosted on this site.
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 IN syllabus PDF on [gate2027.iitm.ac.in](https://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 IN exam pattern
| | |
|---|---|
| Questions | 65 (10 General Aptitude + 55 Instrumentation Engineering) |
| Marks | 100 (15 General Aptitude + 85 Instrumentation Engineering) |
| Duration | 3 hours, one sitting, online |
| Question types | MCQ (one correct option), NAT (type a number), and from 2021 MSQ (one or more correct) |
| Negative marking | MCQ only: −1/3 for a 1-mark question, −2/3 for a 2-mark question. None for NAT or MSQ |
| Calculator | On-screen virtual scientific calculator; your own is not allowed |
The 65-question, 100-mark format is the same in every IN paper hosted here. General Aptitude is always 10 questions: five worth 1 mark and five worth 2 marks.
## 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, differential equations, vector calculus, complex analysis, probability and numerical methods. |
| Electrical Circuits | Network theorems, transient and steady-state analysis, two-port networks, resonance, three-phase circuits. |
| Signals and Systems | Fourier and Laplace transforms, sampling, z-transform, LTI systems, filters. |
| Control Systems | Transfer functions, root locus, Bode and Nyquist plots, stability, controller design, state-space basics. |
| Analog Electronics | Diodes, BJT and MOSFET circuits, op-amp applications, oscillators, power supplies. |
| Digital Electronics | Combinational and sequential logic, ADC and DAC, microprocessor basics, memory. |
| Measurements | Bridges, error analysis, standards, voltmeters, oscilloscopes, signal conditioning. |
| Sensors and Industrial Instrumentation | Transducers for displacement, force, temperature, pressure, flow and level; industrial measurement and control elements. |
| Communication and Optical Instrumentation | Modulation, noise, optical sources and detectors, fibres, spectroscopy and analytical instruments. |
## Question types by paper
Counts come from the official answer keys hosted on this site, one row per year with a key we could tabulate.
### 2016–2020 (MCQ and NAT)
| Year | MCQ | NAT |
|---|---:|---:|
| 2016 | 26 | 39 |
| 2017 | 36 | 29 |
| 2018 | 37 | 28 |
| 2019 | 42 | 23 |
| 2020 | 30 | 35 |
### 2021 onward (MCQ, MSQ and NAT)
| Year | MCQ | MSQ | NAT |
|---|---:|---:|---:|
| 2022 | 34 | 5 | 26 |
| 2024 | 33 | 1 | 31 |
| 2025 | 43 | 4 | 18 |
| 2026 | 45 | 6 | 14 |
From the papers hosted here, NATs ranged from 14 (2026) to 39 (2016) out of 65, and MCQs from 26 (2016) to 45 (2026). Among the 4 hosted papers from 2021 on that list MSQs, the most in one paper was 6 (2026). Since only MCQs carry negative marking, a paper with more MCQs punishes guessing more.
## How to use this page
1. Study the subject areas in the order of your own paper tally, not the order of the syllabus.
2. Do not drop a low-weight subject completely. Small subjects are usually 1-mark questions that take a minute once you know the basics.
3. Sit full papers from the [GATE IN hub](/gate/in/) under the 3-hour limit and count the marks each subject gave you.
4. 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, because questions have not been tagged by subject for IN. Tally it yourself from each paper you attempt.
## FAQ
### What is the GATE IN exam pattern?
65 questions for 100 marks in 3 hours: 10 General Aptitude questions for 15 marks and 55 Instrumentation Engineering questions for 85 marks. Only wrong MCQ answers lose marks (1/3 or 2/3).
### Has the GATE IN syllabus changed for GATE 2027?
IIT Madras, which runs GATE 2027, has revised the syllabus for the papers. Check the official IN 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 IN usually have?
From the papers hosted here, NATs ranged from 14 (2026) to 39 (2016) out of 65, and MCQs from 26 (2016) to 45 (2026)
## Related
- [GATE IN hub](/gate/in/)
- [GATE syllabus & pattern](/gate/syllabus-pattern/)
- [GATE PYQ strategy](/guides/gate-pyq-strategy/)