Quick answer
GATE CS CS paper has 65 questions for 100 marks in 180 minutes. Sections: General Aptitude (10 questions), Computer Science & IT (incl. 13 marks of Engineering Mathematics) (55 questions). Questions carry 1 or 2 marks. A wrong 1-mark MCQ costs 1/3 and a wrong 2-mark MCQ costs 2/3. MSQ and NAT have no negative marking, and no question gives partial marks.
Section-wise pattern
| Section | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| General Aptitude | 10 | 15 |
| Computer Science & IT (incl. 13 marks of Engineering Mathematics) | 55 | 85 |
| Total | 65 | 100 |
Marking scheme
Questions carry 1 or 2 marks. A wrong 1-mark MCQ costs 1/3 and a wrong 2-mark MCQ costs 2/3. MSQ and NAT have no negative marking, and no question gives partial marks.
On exam day
One 3-hour timer; move freely between General Aptitude and CS. MSQs use checkboxes and NAT answers are typed. This mock has a basic on-screen calculator; the real GATE gives a virtual scientific calculator. English only, as in GATE.
Practise on the real GATE CS pattern
2 full mocks with the same sections, timer and marking. The first two are free.
Questions students ask
How many questions are there in GATE CS CS paper?
65 questions for 100 marks, in 180 minutes.
Is there negative marking in GATE CS?
Questions carry 1 or 2 marks. A wrong 1-mark MCQ costs 1/3 and a wrong 2-mark MCQ costs 2/3. MSQ and NAT have no negative marking, and no question gives partial marks.
What is the GATE CS exam interface like?
One 3-hour timer; move freely between General Aptitude and CS. MSQs use checkboxes and NAT answers are typed. This mock has a basic on-screen calculator; the real GATE gives a virtual scientific calculator. English only, as in GATE.
What is the GATE CS 2027 exam pattern?
65 questions for 100 marks in 3 hours: General Aptitude has 10 questions (5 of 1 mark, 5 of 2 marks, 15 marks) and the CS subject part has 55 questions for 85 marks, of which Engineering Mathematics is 13 marks, as per the GATE 2027 information brochure.
Is there negative marking in GATE?
Only for MCQs: 1/3 mark is deducted for a wrong 1-mark MCQ and 2/3 for a wrong 2-mark MCQ. There is no negative marking for MSQ and NAT questions, and no partial marks for any question.
What are MSQ and NAT questions?
An MSQ has four options of which one or more are correct; you get the marks only if you select exactly the correct set. A NAT answer is a number typed on a virtual keypad, to the decimal places the question asks for.