Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) is one of the toughest competitive exams for engineering graduates to kick-start their careers. This exam paves offers job options in Public Sector Organizations or PSUs and many research institutions across the country. This exam is an annual exam conducted at the beginning of the year.
The exam duration is 3 hours and is broadly based on undergraduate engineering subjects. It contains 65 questions, and the exam is conducted for a total of 100 marks. If the GATE examination is conducted in a single session, the evaluation is based on the actual marks obtained by the candidate. However, if the exam is conducted in multiple sessions, the marks are normalized and are evaluated in the form of a score.
When evaluated, shortlisting is mainly based on GATE score, rank, or marks. Candidates often get confused between these three terms. Even though they may sound similar to each other, they have different meanings and purposes. Candidates who give the GATE exam must be well aware of the difference between these three terms.
What is meant by GATE marks?
The marks you obtain in the GATE exam depend on the number of questions you answer correctly or incorrectly. The examination consists of 65 questions that account for a total of 100 marks. Hence, the maximum mark that a candidate can obtain is 100. This figure is based on the performance of the candidate in the examination. The qualifying mark for the examination for the general category candidates is usually 25 marks.
What is meant by the GATE score?
Likewise, you need to understand what is meant by GATE Score. GATE Score is also a very important element in the ranking of GATE examination candidates. This figure is evaluated depending on the normalization process. The score also varies with the difficulty level of the exam paper, i.e., the nature of the questions.
If the various papers for the GATE examination have a different level of complexity, the final GATE score is derived with the help of the normalization process. Using this method, the score is calculated out of 1000 as the maximum marks. Hence, we use the normalization process formula to calculate the GATE score of a candidate for all the papers.
What is meant by GATE rank?
GATE Rank is another popular term related to the GATE examination results. The GATE rank is determined using the marks obtained by the candidate in the examination. After analyzing the candidates’ marks, a particular rank is allotted to each of the qualifying candidates. This GATE rank is also called the AIR (All India Rank). Based on this All India Rank, the candidate may proceed with his/her Post Graduate (PG) admission in any college or institution.
You must also understand the difference between a GATE rank and a GATE score. Rank is supposed to be a smaller number for the better, while the score is a bigger figure. For example, a GATE rank of 400 is a good rank that will get you admitted into most of the ITTs. However, a GATE score of 400 out of 1000 is too mediocre and can only get you into low-grade institutions.
What GATE rank is considered meritorious?
As far as GATE results are concerned, one vital question always arises in the candidates’ minds. That question is, ‘What may be considered a good rank in the GATE exam?’ However, the ‘good’ rank completely depends on the discipline and the institutions where a candidate wants to get admitted.
Most of the reputed institutions such as IITs and NITs have the liberty to issue their preferred cut-off. If the candidates wish to get admission to any institutes, they must obtain the necessary cut-off marks demanded by the specific institution.
However, to understand the concept of GATE ranks, you must look at these approximate cut-offs required for admission. For example, for admission into the major IITs, the candidate must have a GATE rank below 200. Similarly, for admission into NITs, the candidate must have a GATE rank from 350 up to 800. However, if a candidate has a GATE rank in the range of 600 to 800, even then may get admitted into institutes such as IITs or IIITs.
What is the rank vs. marks comparison of the GATE 2021 exam results?
Given below is the side-by-side comparison of the GATE 2021 examination results for various engineering branches:
| Rank | Marks | ||||
| Mechanical | CSE | Civil | Electronics | Electrical | |
| 1-10 | 92+ | 80+ | 90+ | 73+ | 91+ |
| 10-50 | 87-92 | 75-80 | 85-90 | 67-73 | 87-91 |
| 50-100 | 85-87 | 72-75 | 78-85 | 63-67 | 84-87 |
| 100-200 | 82-85 | 68-72 | 74-78 | 60-63 | 81-84 |
| 200-500 | 79-82 | 62-68 | 70-74 | 56-60 | 77-81 |
| 500-1000 | 75-79 | 56-62 | 64-70 | 50-56 | 72-77 |
| 1000-2000 | 71-75 | 50-56 | 57-64 | 45-50 | 66-72 |
| 2000-5000 | 63-71 | 40-50 | 50-57 | 38-45 | 57-66 |
| 5000-10000 | 51-63 | 32-40 | 40-50 | 28-38 | 46-57 |
How do you find out your GATE rank?
After the announcement of the GATE results, candidates may download their results and rank cards through the official website of the organizing body. Candidates have to enter their GATE score in the required field to calculate their rank. The following steps will help you get the GATE rank card:
- Visit the official portal of GOAPS.
- Navigate to the link ‘download rank card’.
- Click on the given link.
- Then it opens a window.
- Fill in the required fields as below
- Your name
- Your GATE roll number
- Your GATE score
- Your category
- Click on the ‘submit button.
This will display your rank card on your screen. Now, you can download this rank card for future reference or predict the college/institution in the college predictor tool.
