Question 1MCQ: one answer
How many integers from 1 to 600, inclusive, are divisible by 4 or by 6?
GATE CS exam pattern and marking
GATE CS is one 3-hour computer-based paper of 65 questions for 100 marks: 10 General Aptitude questions and 55 computer science questions.
| Part | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| General Aptitude | 10 | 15 |
| Engineering Mathematics | Part of the 55 subject questions | 13 |
| Computer Science and Information Technology | Part of the 55 subject questions | 72 |
| Total | 65 | 100 |
| Time | 3 hours, computer-based, in English |
|---|---|
| Question types | MCQ, MSQ and NAT |
| Marks a question | 1 or 2 |
| Negative marking | MCQs only: 1/3 mark for a wrong 1-mark answer, 2/3 mark for a wrong 2-mark answer |
The three question types
- MCQ: four options, one correct. A wrong answer loses a third of the question's marks.
- MSQ: one or more options correct. No negative marking and no partial marks: you score only when you pick exactly the right set.
- NAT: you type a number. No options and no negative marking.
What negative marking means for guessing
On an MCQ with four options, a blind guess is right one time in four and wrong three times in four. On a 2-mark MCQ that is 1/4 × 2 = 1/2 mark gained against 3/4 × 2/3 = 1/2 mark lost, so a pure guess gains nothing on average. Rule out one option and a guess between the other three averages 1/3 × 2 − 2/3 × 2/3 = 2/9 mark, a small gain.
MSQ and NAT answers cost nothing when wrong, so never leave one blank.
How our practice papers follow it
Each full practice paper has 65 original questions for 100 marks in 180 minutes, in the same mix of 1-mark and 2-mark questions and the same three types, marked the same way. The result is your marks out of 100 by area, never a GATE score or rank.
Try 2 questions
Question 2MSQ: one or more answers
Next step
Questions people ask
Is there negative marking for MSQ or NAT questions?
No. Only a wrong MCQ answer loses marks: 1/3 mark on a 1-mark question and 2/3 mark on a 2-mark question.
Does an MSQ give partial marks?
No. There is no partial marking in MSQ: you score only when your selection is exactly right.
How much of the CS paper is General Aptitude?
15 of the 100 marks, from 10 questions.