GATE Mathematics Previous Year Papers: 2023–2026 Marks by Section

Download each year's Mathematics (MA) paper and answer key from the GATE site of the institute that organised that year. The GATE 2026 archive, run by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati, carries the 2026 MA paper and key. The 2025 paper and 2025 key, from IIT Roorkee, sit on the same server. For 2024, use the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bengaluru question papers page.

Use the final answer key. For 2026 the challenge window ran from 25 to 28 February 2026. "MTA" in a key means marks to all.

Every MA paper in the four years has 65 questions for 100 marks in 180 minutes, per the official 2026 pattern page. The GATE 2027 pattern is unchanged: 65 questions, 100 marks, 180 minutes. As of October 2026 the exam is on 6, 7, 13, 14, 20 and 21 February 2027, per the IIT Madras announcement. Ten General Aptitude (GA) questions carry 15 marks, and 55 subject questions carry 85. Questions are MCQ (one correct option), MSQ (one or more correct options) or NAT (you type a number).

For worked solutions and a timed-paper routine, see our guide to GATE Maths previous papers with solutions. The rest of this page covers what to do with the papers once you hold them.

All 11 syllabus sections carried at least 3 marks in each GATE Mathematics paper from 2023 to 2026, but their size changed a lot. Real Analysis ranged from 6 to 14 marks of 85, Linear Algebra from 8 to 13, and Partial Differential Equations only from 7 to 8.

A section is one of the 11 headings of the official 2026 MA syllabus. Subject marks are the 85 marks outside General Aptitude.

What the table shows:

• The leader changes. Real Analysis led in 2023 (12). Calculus and Linear Algebra tied in 2024 (11). Real Analysis led in 2025 (14) and Linear Algebra in 2026 (13).
• Three sections are steady. PDE stayed at 7 to 8, ODE at 7 to 9 and Algebra at 8 to 10.
• The small sections add up. Topology and Linear Programming averaged 5.75 and 4.75, or 10.5 marks together. Numerical Analysis went 8, 8, 5, 3.

How we counted. We read the MA paper of each year: 2023 (IIT Kanpur), 2024 (IISc Bengaluru), 2025 (IIT Roorkee) and 2026 (IIT Guwahati). We tagged each subject question (Q11 to Q65) to one section. Q11 to Q35 carry 1 mark and Q36 to Q65 carry 2 marks. Each year sums to 85.

Our tagging rules:

• Metric spaces, compactness and connectedness in ℝⁿ, and Lebesgue integration go to Real Analysis.
• General topological spaces go to Topology.
• Eigenvalues, quadratic forms and finite-dimensional inner products go to Linear Algebra.

We counted in October 2026 from the official files. The 2025 and 2026 files and the 2024 archive are linked above. A boundary question can move a section by a few marks, so read the figures as ranges.

Plan from each section's four-year range, because one paper is one draw from a swinging pattern. A candidate who skipped Real Analysis would have put 14 of the 85 subject marks out of reach in 2025 and 6 in 2026. Skipping Numerical Analysis would have cost 8 marks in 2023 and 3 in 2026.

Our recommendation: use the four-year mean to decide how much time a section deserves, and the highest year as the load you must be ready to face. Do not drop a small section. Even the lowest single-year total, 3 marks, is worth chasing when the same section carried 8 two years earlier.

Attempt every MSQ and NAT question, and guess on an MCQ only after removing options. The official pattern deducts ⅓ mark for a wrong 1-mark MCQ and ⅔ for a wrong 2-mark MCQ. It deducts nothing for MSQ or NAT.

These are subject marks only. We counted them from the answer keys (2025 and 2026 linked; the 2024 key is on the IISc Bengaluru page linked above; the 2023 key is not linked here). All 15 GA marks are MCQ. So marks exposed to negative marking were 41 (2023), 54 (2024), 51 (2025) and 49 (2026) out of 100.

Our calculation, assuming four options and correct eliminations:

• A blind guess has an expected value of 0.25 × 2 − 0.75 × ⅔ = 0 on a 2-mark MCQ.
• With one option removed it is ⅓ × 2 − ⅔ × ⅔, about +0.22.
• With two removed it is ½ × 2 − ½ × ⅔, about +0.67.

On a 1-mark MCQ, halve those gains. Because the mix moves every year, practise on papers from different years, not one paper repeated.

The GATE 2027 MA syllabus keeps every item in the 2026 syllabus and adds 16 items across seven of the 11 sections. Linear Algebra, Complex Analysis, Numerical Analysis and Linear Programming are unchanged. This is as of October 2026.

We compared the 2026 syllabus with the 2027 syllabus line by line and counted each added or expanded item.

Functional Analysis and Topology averaged about 14 marks together (8.25 + 5.75) and take 8 of the 16 additions. Our recommendation: keep the additions as a separate checklist. Papers set before the revision may not drill them, so study each one, then test yourself on fresh questions.

Use the PYQ Section Planner (PYQ means previous year questions): measure your marks per section on a timed paper, then rank sections by marks at stake. Marks at stake is the section's four-year mean times the share of that section you missed. This is our model, not an official figure.

Example with invented marks on the 2026 paper.

• Real Analysis had 6 marks available. Suppose you earned 2: share 0.33, marks at stake 9.5 × 0.67 = 6.3.
• Linear Algebra had 13 available. Suppose you earned 9: share 0.69, marks at stake 10.25 × 0.31 = 3.2.
• Real Analysis comes first, although Linear Algebra was the bigger section that year.

Guess card. On NAT and MSQ, always write your best answer. On an MCQ with all four options alive, skip. With one option removed, attempt a 2-mark MCQ (about +0.22 expected marks) and treat a 1-mark MCQ as marginal (about +0.11). With two options removed, attempt.

We give GATE Mathematics aspirants free topic-wise previous-year questions in our PDF Drive, and we explain previous-year questions inside our GATE courses. Prices are as of October 2026.

• Recorded: GATE 2027 (Recorded) is ₹9,999 with access till the GATE 2027 exam. It has recorded classes in Hindi and English, explained previous-year questions, paper analysis, class tests, assignments, SB Sir's handwritten notes, a test series and doubt sessions.
• Live: The GATE & CSIR-NET June 27 live batch is ₹15,999 one-time, or four instalments of ₹3,999.75, with access till 30 June 2027. It has live classes with recordings, previous-year question discussions, chapter-wise assignments, full-length mock tests with performance analysis, and weekly doubt sessions or personal mentoring. Our page for this batch lists Linear Algebra, Abstract Algebra, Real Analysis, Complex Analysis, ODE, PDE, Numerical Analysis, Linear Programming and General Aptitude.
• Try first: The course has a ₹999 Demo Plan with 10 days of access, and we offer free demo classes and notes. Our digital courses carry a no-refund policy, so try the demo before you pay.
• Who teaches: SB Sir teaches Pure Mathematics, Eshita Mam Applied Mathematics, and Vivek Sir Abstract Algebra and Real Analysis. SB Sir designs all our test series and conceptual tests.

Before paying for any course, ours included, ask which of the 11 sections it teaches. See what full-syllabus GATE Mathematics coaching covers. The list above does not name Calculus, Functional Analysis or Topology, so ask us whether and how we cover them before you pay. We answer on sbtechmath@gmail.com and +91 81265 45455, 9am to 7pm, Monday to Saturday, or through our contact form. Contact-form enquiries receive a reply within 24 hours.