Explore: All GATE ME topics · GATE ME Applied Mechanics and Design PYQs · GATE ME hub · Syllabus & pattern · GATE ME 2026
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Theory of Machines PYQs (previous year questions) for GATE ME: Theory of Machines (Applied Mechanics and Design) had 33 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: Gear Trains, Gyroscope, Gears.
Year-wise question count
Asked in 11 of 11 years.
| Year | Questions |
|---|---|
| GATE ME 2026 | 4 |
| GATE ME 2025 | 3 |
| GATE ME 2024 | 3 |
| GATE ME 2023 | 2 |
| GATE ME 2022 | 3 |
| GATE ME 2021 | 3 |
| GATE ME 2020 | 3 |
| GATE ME 2019 | 3 |
| GATE ME 2018 | 4 |
| GATE ME 2017 | 2 |
| GATE ME 2016 | 3 |
Most-asked concepts
Sorted by the number of papers a concept appeared in.
| Concept | Questions | Papers | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gear Trains | 7 | 7 | 2026, 2024, 2022, 2020, 2018, 2017, 2016 |
| Gyroscope | 4 | 4 | 2026, 2021, 2019, 2016 |
| Gears | 3 | 3 | 2026, 2025, 2023 |
| Slider Crank | 3 | 3 | 2018, 2017, 2016 |
| Balancing | 2 | 2 | 2025, 2021 |
| Flywheel | 2 | 2 | 2024, 2020 |
| Four-Bar Mechanism | 2 | 2 | 2019, 2018 |
| Velocity Analysis | 2 | 2 | 2024, 2023 |
| Cams | 1 | 1 | 2019 |
| Coriolis Acceleration | 1 | 1 | 2026 |
| Couplings | 1 | 1 | 2018 |
| Governors | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Grashof Criterion | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Kinematic Inversions | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Quick Return Mechanism | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Slider-Crank Mechanism | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
How to practise Theory of Machines PYQs
- Start with the concepts at the top of the table. They have come back the most.
- Solve one year’s Theory of Machines 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.16 · MCQ · Coriolis Acceleration: Coriolis acceleration of a block sliding in a rotating slot (official answer: A) PDF
- Q.17 · MCQ · Gear Trains: Identify the idler gear in a five-gear train (official answer: A) PDF
- Q.20 · MCQ · Gyroscope: Gyroscopic moment of an aircraft rotor during a turn (official answer: A) PDF
- Q.22 · MCQ · Gears: Shaft arrangement served by worm gears (official answer: A) PDF
GATE ME2025
GATE ME2024
- Q.23 · MCQ · Flywheel: Flywheel inertia for a given coefficient of fluctuation (official answer: B) PDF
- Q.52 · NAT · Gear Trains: Arm speed of a Levai epicyclic train (official answer: 15.00–16.00) PDF
- Q.54 · NAT · Velocity Analysis: Angular velocity of a slotted link driven by a pin (official answer: 11.30–12.70) PDF
GATE ME2023
GATE ME2022
- Q.17 · MCQ · Governors: Watt governor height after spindle speed is doubled (official answer: B) PDF
- Q.38 · MCQ · Grashof Criterion: Classify a four-bar linkage with a prismatic pair (official answer: A) PDF
- Q.53 · NAT · Gear Trains: Arm speed of an epicyclic train with fixed sun gear (official answer: 600) PDF
GATE ME2021
- Q.16 · MCQ · Balancing: Virtual crank for secondary unbalanced force (official answer: C) PDF
- Q.24 · NAT · Gyroscope: Gyroscopic moment on a ship propeller shaft in rolling (official answer: 0) PDF
- Q.52 · NAT · Quick Return Mechanism: Quick return ratio of a Whitworth mechanism (official answer: 1.9–2.1) PDF
GATE ME2020
- Q.8 · MCQ · Kinematic Inversions: Distinct inversions of a Grashof four-bar chain (official answer: C) PDF
- Q.29 · MCQ · Gear Trains: Arm speed of an epicyclic train with sun and ring driven (official answer: A) PDF
- Q.39 · NAT · Flywheel: Flywheel inertia from a turning moment diagram (official answer: 3.55–3.65) PDF
GATE ME2019
- Q.5 · MCQ · Cams: Follower displacement for a circular eccentric cam (official answer: C) PDF
- Q.30 · MCQ · Four-Bar Mechanism: Angular velocity of the output link of a four-bar (official answer: D) PDF
- Q.31 · MCQ · Gyroscope: Gyroscopic moment and nose motion of a turning aircraft (official answer: B) PDF
GATE ME2018
- Q.8 · MCQ · Couplings: Correct statements about an Oldham coupling (official answer: B) PDF
- Q.20 · NAT · Four-Bar Mechanism: Number of links that can fully rotate (Grashof) (official answer: 1) PDF
- Q.30 · MCQ · Gear Trains: Speed of an output gear in an epicyclic train with fixed arm (official answer: C) PDF
- Q.41 · NAT · Slider Crank: Crank torque to balance a slider force at 45 degrees (official answer: 1.00–1.20) PDF
GATE ME2017
GATE ME2016
- Q.10 · NAT · Gyroscope: Gyroscopic moment on a car turning a curve (official answer: 199–201) PDF
- Q.35 · NAT · Slider Crank: Turning moment on crank with slider force at 90 degrees (official answer: 0.9–1.1) PDF
- Q.36 · MCQ · Gear Trains: Arm speed of an epicyclic train with sun gear fixed (official answer: C) PDF
Other Applied Mechanics and Design topics
FAQ
How many Theory of Machines questions come in GATE ME?
In the official papers we tagged: 4 in 2026, 3 in 2025, 3 in 2024, 2 in 2023, 3 in 2022, 3 in 2021, 3 in 2020, 3 in 2019, 4 in 2018, 2 in 2017 and 3 in 2016. That is 33 questions in all, about 19% of Applied Mechanics and Design.
Which Theory of Machines topics repeat in GATE ME?
Asked in the most papers: Gear Trains, Gyroscope, Gears. 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.