GATE Syllabus for CSE

Graduate Aptitude Test Engineering (GATE) is a national-level entrance test conducted for those aspiring to get admission under a wide range of postgraduate and doctoral courses in Engineering available all across India. The aim of the exam is to test the conceptual understanding of the students willing to take admissions under. The exam is conducted by institutions under IIT and IIS on the behalf of the National Coordination Board (NCB) annually.  Previously the exam was only open to the native students of India but now the students from the countries like Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Ethiopia and UAE can also appear for it. This blog aims to provide you with the GATE syllabus for CSE or CS in a detailed manner.

Important Details about GATE

Under the GATE syllabus, there are 10 sections which are further inclusive of the sub-topics. There are a total of 65 questions in the exam and out of which 55 questions will be completely on the CS and mathematics whereas the remaining 10 will be based on the general aptitude. Before elaborating the GATE syllabus for CSE, let’s first take a look at some of the major features of this exam which are given in the table below: 

Particulars	Details
Exam Name	GATE (Graduate Aptitude Test Engineering)
Conducting Body	IIT Bombay (for the year 2021)
Duration	3 hours
Sections	Mathematics, General Aptitude and Subject-based
Exam Mode	Computer Based Test
Types of Questions	Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ) and Numerical Answer Type (NAT)
Total Marks	100 marks
Negative Marking	For MCQs only

Wondering which program you should apply for after clearing GATE? Check out our exclusive list of best engineering courses for future.

GATE Syllabus for CSE: Key Topics

For the year 2021, the syllabus for General Aptitude is the same as in previous years. The section comprises 10 questions containing 5 questions for 1 mark each and the other 5 questions for 2 marks each. On the other hand, the CSE section has 10 sections which would offer 55 questions in the exam. Here is a detailed description of the GATE syllabus for CSE. 

Sections	Topics
Engineering Mathematics	1. Linear Algebra (determinants, eigenvalues, system linear equation, Matrices and engine vectors) 2. Probability (uniform, exponential, mean, median, mode, conditional probability, Poisson and binomial distribution, random variables, standard deviation, and Bayes theorem) 3. Discrete Mathematics (sets, relation and function, propositional first-order logic, graphs, partial order and lattices, combinatorics)  4. Calculus (continuity, differentiability, limits, maxima and minima, mean value theorem and integration)
Computer Organization and Architecture	ALU; Data Path; Control Unit; Instruction Pipelining; Machine Instruction and Addressing Modes; Cache; I/O Interface (interrupt and DMA mode); Main Memory and Secondary Storage
Digital Logic	Combinational and Sequential Circuits; Boolean Algebra; Minimization; Number Representation and Computer Arithmetic (Fixed and Floating Point)
Algorithms	Asymptotic Worst-case Time and Space Complexity; Hashing; Searching; Sorting; Algorithm Design Techniques; Dynamic Programming and Divide-and-Conquer Graph Search; Shortest Paths and Minimum Spanning Trees
Programming and Data Structure	Arrays; Stacks; Linked List; Queued Trees; Binary Search Trees; Programming in C. Recursion; Graphs; and Binary Heaps
Compiler Design	Syntax Directed Translation; Runtime Environments; Lexical Analysis; Intermediate Code Generation; and Parsing
Theory of Computation	Context-free Grammars and Push-down Automata; Regular Expression and Finite Automation; Turning Machines and Undecidability; and Pumping Lemma
Operating System	Concurrency and Synchronization; Deadlock: Threads, Process Inter-process Communication; File Systems; CPU Scheduling; Memory Management and Virtual Memory
Computer Networks	LAN Technologies (Ethernet); the Concept of Layering; Application Layer Protocols (SMTP, DNS, POP, FTP, HTTP), Flow and Error Control Techniques; Basics of PrivateKey and Public-Key Cryptography; Firewalls; Digital Signatures and Certificates; Routers and Routing Algorithms (Link-state, Distant Vector); IPv4/IPv6; Network Security; Switching; Authentication; Congestion Control; Basics of WiFi and TCP/UDP and Sockets.
Database	File Organization, ER-model, Relation  Model, Relational Algebra, Tuple Calculus, Transactions and Concurrency Control Indexing (for instance, B and B+ trees), SQL
General Aptitude	1. Numeric Ability: Numerical Estimation, Data Interpretation, Numerical Computation, Numerical Reasoning) 2. Verbal Ability (Sentence Completion, Verbal Analogies, Sentence Completion, English Grammar, Critical Reasoning, Instructions, Word Groups)

Note: For the GATE exam 2021, there are certain changes in the syllabus of many subjects, hence student preparing for the exam are advised to check for it on the official website.

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Exam Pattern

As we have discussed the syllabus of GATE CSE in detail, here are some of the prominent details pertaining to the exam pattern-

Category	Details
Exam Duration	3 hours
Exam Mode	Online (Computer-Based Test)
Type of Question	MCQs and MSQs and/or Numerical Answer Type (NAT) questions
Total Number of Questions	65 Questions
Total Marks	100
Total Sections	-Aptitude -Engineering -Mathematics -Subject Specific Questions

Marking Scheme

Other than the GATE syllabus for CSE, you should also know about the marking scheme for each section which is listed down below. 

Types of Questions	Marks for Correct Answer	Negative Marking
MCQs	1 or 2 marks	⅓ for 1 mark questions and ⅔ for 2 marks questions
NATs	1 or 2 marks	No Negative Marking

Also Read: GATE vs GRE

GATE CSE Cut Off

Tabulated below are the cut off scores from the past few years- 

Year	General	OBC	SC/ ST/ PH
2020	28.5	25.6	19.0
2019	29.5	26.6	19.7
2018	25	22.5	16.6
2017	25	22.5	16.6
2016	25	22.5	16.6
2015	25	22.5	16.67
2014	25	22.25	16.67
2013	25	22.25	16.67

Books for Reference 

To prepare the entire GATE syllabus for CSE, you may refer to the below mentioned books- 

Books	Authors/ Publication Houses
An Introduction to Formal Languages and Automata	Peter Linz
Digital Design	Morris Mano
Software Engineering: A Practitioner’s Approach	Pressman
Compilers: Principles, Techniques and Tools	Aho & Ullman
Computer Networking: A Top-Down Approach	Kurose & Ross
Discrete Mathematics and Its Applications	Kenneth Rosen

Thus, we hope that this blog has helped you understand the major topics covered under GATE syllabus for CSE. If you are preparing for any such competitive exam and don’t know where to start, reach out to our experts at Leverage Edu experts and we’ll guide you throughout the preparation process to ensure that you clear the exam with flying colors.