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ShareThe Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) - Life Sciences is a national-level examination conducted by the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) on a rotational basis. It evaluates candidates' understanding of core concepts in Life Sciences and allied disciplines, enabling them to pursue postgraduate programs (M.Tech, M.E., M.Sc., or Ph.D.) in reputed institutions or explore career opportunities in academia, research, and industry.
| Number of tests | Once in a year |
| Fellowship/ Assistantship | Subject to fulfilling the admission criteria of the admitting institutes. |
| Administering institutes | IISc Bangalore and 7 IITs |
| Organizing Institute of Exam | One of the administering institutes |
| Medium of examination | English |
| Mode of examination | Computer based test (CBT) |
| Subject papers allowed | Maximum TWO Paper combinations |
| Combination of TWO Papers Allowed | BM (Biomedical Engineering), BT (Biotechnology), CY (Chemistry), EY (Ecology and Evolution): Allowed as the Second Paper, if primary paper is Life Sciences |
| Time duration | 3 hours |
| Maximum marks | 100 |
| Paper Sections |
General Aptitude (GA) + Chemistry (Compulsory) Any TWO optional Sections: Biochemistry, Botany, Microbiology, Zoology, Food Technology |
| Type of questions |
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ) Multiple Select Questions (MSQ) Numerical Answer Type (NAT) Questions |
| Number of questions | 10 (GA) + 55 (subject) = 65 Questions |
| Pattern of questions |
GA : 5 x 1 + 5 x 2 =15 : 5 questions carrying 1-mark each and 5 questions carrying 2-marks each. Subject: Chemistry (Compulsory): 9 x 1 + 8 x 2 =25 marks : 9 questions carrying 1-mark each and 8 questions carrying 2-marks each. Only TWO optional sections can be answered at a time. Each of the optional sections of the XL paper (Biochemistry, Botany, Microbiology, Zoology, Food Technology) contains 19 questions carrying a total of 30 marks: 8 questions carrying 1-mark each (sub-total 8 marks) and 11 questions carrying 2-marks each (sub-total 22 marks). |
| Distribution of Marks | General Aptitude: 15 Marks + Chemistry: 25 Marks + Optional TWO Subjects: 60 Marks , Total: 100 Marks |
| Marking Scheme | Questions carry 1 mark and 2 marks |
| Negative Marking | For a wrong answer chosen in a MCQ, there will be negative marking. For 1-mark MCQ, 1/3 mark will be deducted for a wrong answer. Likewise, for 2-mark MCQ, 2/3 mark will be deducted for a wrong answer. |
| Eligibility | 3rd Year or higher years of any undergraduate degree program OR Currently in the first year or higher or already completed Master’s degree in any relevant science subject |
| Age limit | NO age limit |
| Syllabus | Click here |
| Validity of Score Card | Three years |
| Relevant website | https://gate2025.iitr.ac.in/ |
