GATE 2012 - Prepare Yourself
Pattern of Question Papers

General Aptitude (GA) Section:

In all papers, GA questions are of multiple choice type, and carry a total of 15 marks. The GA section includes 5 questions carrying 1 mark each (sub-total 5 marks) and 5 questions carrying 2-marks each (sub-total 10 marks)

Question papers other than GG, XE and XL:

These papers would contain 25 multiple choice questions carrying one mark each (sub-total 25 marks) and 30 multiple choice questions carrying two marks each (sub-total 60 marks). Out of these, two pairs of questions would be common data questions, and two pairs of questions would be linked-answer questions. In the ONLINE papers, the question paper will consist of questions of multiple choice type and numerical answer type. For multiple choice type questions, each question will have four choices for the answer. For numerical answer type questions, each question will have a number as the answer and choices will not be given.

Marking

For 1 mark multiple choice questions, 1/3 mark will be deducted for a wrong answer. Likewise, for 2 marks multiple choice questions, 2/3 mark will be deducted for a wrong answer. However, for the linked answer question pair, where each question carries 2 marks, 2/3 mark will be deducted for a wrong answer to the first question only. There is no negative marking for wrong answer to the second question of the linked answer question pair. If the first question in the linked pair is wrongly answered or is unattempted, then the answer to the second question in the pair will not be evaluated. There is no negative marking for numerical answer type questions.