Explore: All GATE ME topics · GATE ME Materials, Manufacturing and Industrial Engineering PYQs · GATE ME hub · Syllabus & pattern · GATE ME 2026
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Machining and Machine Tools PYQs (previous year questions) for GATE ME: Machining and Machine Tools (Materials, Manufacturing and Industrial Engineering) had 36 questions across the 11 official GATE ME papers we tagged (2016–2026), and appeared in 11 of them. Asked in 11 of 11 years. The concepts asked in the most papers: Metal Cutting Mechanics, Tool Life, Non-Traditional Machining.
Year-wise question count
Asked in 11 of 11 years.
| Year | Questions |
|---|---|
| GATE ME 2026 | 3 |
| GATE ME 2025 | 2 |
| GATE ME 2024 | 3 |
| GATE ME 2023 | 2 |
| GATE ME 2022 | 3 |
| GATE ME 2021 | 4 |
| GATE ME 2020 | 4 |
| GATE ME 2019 | 4 |
| GATE ME 2018 | 4 |
| GATE ME 2017 | 4 |
| GATE ME 2016 | 3 |
Most-asked concepts
Sorted by the number of papers a concept appeared in.
| Concept | Questions | Papers | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metal Cutting Mechanics | 8 | 8 | 2026, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2016 |
| Tool Life | 7 | 7 | 2026, 2024, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016 |
| Non-Traditional Machining | 5 | 5 | 2025, 2020, 2018, 2017, 2016 |
| Grinding | 3 | 3 | 2024, 2021, 2018 |
| Milling | 3 | 3 | 2024, 2019, 2017 |
| Jigs and Fixtures | 2 | 2 | 2026, 2023 |
| Electrochemical Machining | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Generatrix and Directrix | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Hole Making | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Lathe Operations | 1 | 1 | 2017 |
| Machining Economics | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Shaping | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Specific Cutting Energy | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Surface Finish | 1 | 1 | 2019 |
How to practise Machining and Machine Tools PYQs
- Start with the concepts at the top of the table. They have come back the most.
- Solve one year’s Machining and Machine Tools questions from the official PDF against the clock, then check the answer listed below.
- Log every miss as a concept gap, a calculation slip or a misread. Each needs a different fix.
- Once a concept is clean in two papers, move to the next. Then sit a full paper from the year pages.
Questions by year
Each line gives the question number, type, concept, our one-line summary and the official answer, with a link to the official PDF.
GATE ME2026
- Q.32 · MCQ · Jigs and Fixtures: Suitable fixture height for slab milling (official answer: A) PDF
- Q.63 · NAT · Metal Cutting Mechanics: Shear force in orthogonal turning (official answer: 571.00–574.00) PDF
- Q.64 · NAT · Tool Life: Taylor exponent from hole counts at two drill speeds (official answer: 0.29–0.33) PDF
GATE ME2025
GATE ME2024
- Q.30 · MCQ · Grinding: Grinding wheel designation giving the best finish (official answer: D) PDF
- Q.60 · NAT · Tool Life: Tool life at a new speed using Taylor's equation (official answer: 21.00–22.50) PDF
- Q.64 · NAT · Milling: Machining time for slab milling a flat surface (official answer: 2.20–2.65) PDF
GATE ME2023
GATE ME2022
- Q.33 · NAT · Electrochemical Machining: ECM removal rate of aluminium given that of copper (official answer: 27.00–30.00) PDF
- Q.54 · NAT · Metal Cutting Mechanics: Cutting force in orthogonal turning from shear angle data (official answer: 2570.0–2576.0) PDF
- Q.55 · NAT · Specific Cutting Energy: Power to turn a thin tube wall in one pass (official answer: 30.0–32.0) PDF
GATE ME2021
- Q.7 · MCQ · Generatrix and Directrix: Surface generated by given generatrix and directrix (official answer: B) PDF
- Q.8 · MCQ · Hole Making: Sequence of operations to finish a large hole (official answer: A) PDF
- Q.38 · NAT · Metal Cutting Mechanics: Shear force in orthogonal cutting (official answer: 625–750) PDF
- Q.39 · NAT · Grinding: Tangential grinding force from specific energy (official answer: 45.00–50.00) PDF
GATE ME2020
- Q.9 · MCQ · Non-Traditional Machining: Process using a tapered horn to machine glass (official answer: C) PDF
- Q.43 · NAT · Metal Cutting Mechanics: Percentage change in cutting force with tool geometry (official answer: -5.8–-5.5) PDF
- Q.44 · NAT · Shaping: Ratio of time per pass in two shaping machines (official answer: 0.7–0.9) PDF
- Q.45 · NAT · Tool Life: Optimum tool cost per piece for maximum production rate (official answer: 26.00–28.00) PDF
GATE ME2019
- Q.15 · MCQ · Milling: Approach distance and time in slab milling (official answer: D) PDF
- Q.35 · MCQ · Metal Cutting Mechanics: Shear strength from orthogonal turning forces (official answer: A) PDF
- Q.52 · NAT · Surface Finish: Ra in turning from cutting edge angles and feed (official answer: 3.5–3.9) PDF
- Q.53 · NAT · Tool Life: Cutting speed giving equal life for two tools (official answer: 38.0–42.0) PDF
GATE ME2018
- Q.13 · MCQ · Tool Life: Ratio of tool lives when speed is halved (official answer: A) PDF
- Q.14 · MCQ · Grinding: Meaning of a grinding ratio of 200 (official answer: B) PDF
- Q.49 · NAT · Metal Cutting Mechanics: Ratio of friction energy to total energy in cutting (official answer: 0.39–0.49) PDF
- Q.55 · NAT · Non-Traditional Machining: Current needed for ECM of a through hole (official answer: 968.80–969.20) PDF
GATE ME2017
- Q.22 · MCQ · Non-Traditional Machining: Match machining processes with their characteristics (official answer: A) PDF
- Q.24 · NAT · Lathe Operations: Lead screw speed for cutting a metric thread (official answer: 800) PDF
- Q.53 · NAT · Milling: Machining time per pass in slab milling (official answer: 11.95–12.05) PDF
- Q.55 · NAT · Tool Life: Breakeven cutting speed between two tool life equations (official answer: 105–107) PDF
GATE ME2016
- Q.23 · MCQ · Non-Traditional Machining: Non-traditional process that needs vacuum (official answer: A) PDF
- Q.24 · NAT · Metal Cutting Mechanics: Friction coefficient in orthogonal cutting with zero rake (official answer: 0.49–0.51) PDF
- Q.50 · MCQ · Tool Life: Tool life when speed, feed and depth each rise 25% (official answer: B) PDF
Other Materials, Manufacturing and Industrial Engineering topics
- Engineering Materials PYQs
- Casting, Forming and Joining PYQs
- Metrology and Inspection PYQs
- Computer Integrated Manufacturing PYQs
- Production Planning and Control PYQs
- Inventory Control PYQs
- Operations Research PYQs
FAQ
How many Machining and Machine Tools questions come in GATE ME?
In the official papers we tagged: 3 in 2026, 2 in 2025, 3 in 2024, 2 in 2023, 3 in 2022, 4 in 2021, 4 in 2020, 4 in 2019, 4 in 2018, 4 in 2017 and 3 in 2016. That is 36 questions in all, about 22% of Materials, Manufacturing and Industrial Engineering.
Which Machining and Machine Tools topics repeat in GATE ME?
Asked in the most papers: Metal Cutting Mechanics, Tool Life, Non-Traditional Machining. The concept table lists every one with its count.
Are these official GATE ME questions?
Yes. Every question is from an official GATE ME paper hosted on our year pages. The one-line summaries are ours; open the PDF linked beside each question for the full text.