GATE 2027: A 100-Day Study Plan From Today

Aman is in final-year B.Tech Mechanical at a college in Bhopal. He filled the GATE form in September, bought two thick books, and then got busy with college projects and a placement drive. Last week he opened the calendar and counted. About 100 days left.

If you are in the same spot, this is still enough time to do well, as long as you use it with a plan. GATE 2027 is being organised by IIT Madras, and the first exam day is Saturday, 6 February 2027. From today, 28 October 2026, that is about 100 days.

This guide gives you the official dates, the exam pattern you must plan around, and a week-by-week plan you can adapt to your paper.

GATE 2027: key dates

All dates below are from the official GATE 2027 important dates page. IIT Madras says all dates are liable to change, so check the site regularly.

Registration is now closed. The regular window ended on 5 October, the late-fee window on 12 October, and a special late-fee window ran on 15 and 16 October 2026.

Do this before 31 October

The GATE 2027 home page says application scrutiny is in progress. If you got an email about a defect in your form, such as a photo or ID problem, fix it in the rectification window, which closes on 31 October 2026. There is no extra fee for this.

The site also asks candidates not to delete their DigiLocker account after applying, because future communication will go only through that account.

What has changed for 2027

The official home page lists three changes worth knowing:

• Syllabi of GATE 2027 papers have been revised. Download the syllabus for your paper again from the papers and syllabus page. Don’t plan from an old book’s contents page.
• A new paper, Robotics and Automation (RA), has been added.
• Section codes for XE, XH and XL have changed. If you are taking one of these, check your codes carefully.

GATE 2027 has 30 test papers in total, and the score is valid for 3 years.

The exam pattern you are planning for

From the official question paper pattern page:

• Mode: computer-based test, in English
• Duration: 3 hours
• Questions: 65 in total, 10 in General Aptitude (GA) and 55 from your subject
• Total marks: 100, of which GA is worth 15 marks in every paper
• Question types: multiple choice (MCQ), multiple select (MSQ) and numerical answer type (NAT), each worth 1 or 2 marks

For most engineering papers, such as CE, EC and ME, the split is GA 15, Engineering Mathematics 13 and the core subject 72. Papers like CY, DA, MA, PH and ST have GA 15 and subject 85.

Negative marking

MSQ questions give no partial marks either. You must select all correct options and nothing else.

What this means for your plan: GA plus Engineering Mathematics is 28 marks in most engineering papers. These are the most predictable marks in the paper and they need the least time to prepare. Never leave them for the last week.

The 100-day plan

This plan assumes you have finished most of your syllabus once in college, and you have about 4 to 5 hours a day on weekdays and more on weekends. If you are starting from zero, stretch Phase 1 and cut a few full mocks.

Phase 1: Days 1 to 45 (28 October to 11 December) — finish and fix the core

• Make a subject list with weights. Look at your paper’s previous years’ question papers and note which subjects keep showing up. Spend the most time on these.
• One main subject at a time. Two to three days per smaller subject, a week for big ones. Read your notes, then solve previous years’ questions on that subject the same day.
• Engineering Mathematics on alternate days. Linear algebra, calculus, probability and differential equations come back every year in most engineering papers.
• GA for 30 minutes daily. Verbal ability, numerical ability and basic reasoning. Do it at the start of the day, when you are fresh.
• Make a one-page formula sheet for each subject as you finish it. This sheet is what you will revise in January.

At the end of Phase 1, you should have touched every topic in the revised syllabus at least once.

Phase 2: Days 46 to 80 (12 December to 15 January) — revise and test by subject

• Subject-wise tests, two or three a week. Time yourself.
• Keep a mistakes notebook. After every test, write down each wrong answer and why it went wrong: a concept gap, a calculation slip, or a misread question. Read this notebook every Sunday.
• Practise NAT questions on screen. There are no options to guess from, so your calculation must be clean.
• First full-length mock by mid-December. Don’t worry about the score. Learn how three hours feel.
• Check the exam city slip when it is out on 4 January 2027 and plan your travel early, especially if your city is far from home.

Phase 3: Days 81 to 101 (16 January to 5 February) — mocks and calm

• One full mock every two to three days, at the same time of day as your exam slot. Spend as long analysing a mock as you did writing it.
• Only formula sheets and the mistakes notebook. This is not the time to start a new book or a new topic.
• Fix your MCQ rule. For 2-mark MCQs, a wrong answer costs 2/3 mark. Decide in advance: if you can’t rule out at least two options, skip it. MSQ and NAT have no negative marking, so attempt every one you have worked through.
• Download the admit card as soon as it is released. Check your name, photo, paper and centre.
• Sleep at least seven hours in the last two weeks. Tired brains make silly calculation errors.

A sample weekday

If you are working or have college till evening, shift the 2-hour block to the night and keep weekends for longer tests.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Collecting material instead of solving questions. One good book, your notes and previous years’ papers are enough.
• Ignoring GA. Fifteen marks, the same in every paper, and often the easiest marks in the exam.
• Guessing on MCQs. Negative marking adds up quickly. Twelve wrong 2-mark MCQs cost you 8 marks.
• Only reading, never timing. GATE is as much a time test as a knowledge test.
• Burning out in December. A steady 5 hours a day beats a 12-hour day followed by three days off.

Exam pressure is real, and it hits harder when a placement or a job decision depends on the result. If stress is affecting your sleep or mood, talk to someone early. Nasha Mukt Navnirman has practical articles for students and families on handling pressure without turning to harmful habits. And if you are also thinking about an MBA instead of an M.Tech, compare it with the CAT exam guide on TopMBAColleges.

Frequently asked questions

When is GATE 2027?

GATE 2027 will be held on 6, 7, 13, 14, 20 and 21 February 2027. Your paper’s exact date and session will be on your admit card.

Which IIT is conducting GATE 2027?

IIT Madras is the organising institute for GATE 2027.

When will the GATE 2027 admit card come out?

The official dates page lists it as "to be announced". Exam city allotment will be notified on 4 January 2027, so the admit card is expected after that, in January 2027.

Is there negative marking in GATE 2027?

Only for MCQs. A wrong 1-mark MCQ costs 1/3 mark and a wrong 2-mark MCQ costs 2/3 mark. MSQ and NAT questions have no negative marking.

Is 100 days enough to prepare for GATE?

Yes, if you have studied the subjects in college and you practise previous years’ questions and mocks seriously. Focus on high-weight subjects, Engineering Mathematics and General Aptitude.

When is the GATE 2027 result?

The result is scheduled for 19 March 2027. The score is valid for 3 years.

Sources

• GATE 2027, IIT Madras: Official home page and announcements
• GATE 2027: Important dates
• GATE 2027: Question paper pattern
• GATE 2027: Test papers and syllabus