GATE Physics Exam Guide 2026
GATE Physics 2026 notification updates and complete exam guide. Check exam dates, vacancies, eligibility criteria, selection process, syllabus, and application details.
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📊 Exam Pattern & Marking Scheme
- Exam Date
- 03, 04 and 10, 11 February 2024
- Full-Form
- Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering
- Mode of Exam
- Computer Based Test (CBT)
- Question Type
- MCQ, NAT, MSQ
- Marking Scheme
- Questions carry 1 mark and 2 marks
- Language of Exam
- English
- Negative Marking
- For a wrong answer chosen in an MCQ, there will be negative marking. For 1-mark MCQ, 1/3 mark will be deducted for a wrong answer. For 2-mark MCQ, a 2/3 mark will be deducted for a wrong answer. There is no negative marking for wrong answer(s) to MSQ and NAT questions.
- Official Website
- GATE Official Website
- Number of Questions
- 10 (General Aptitude) + 55 (Subject)= 65
- Result announcement
- 16th March 2024
- Admit Card release date
- 3rd January 2024
- Deadline for online applications
- 12th October 2023
- Starting for online applications
- 30th August 2023
📊 Exam Information 2
| Document | Size | Max. Pixels | Min. Pixels |
|---|---|---|---|
| Passport size photograph | 20 kb -200 kb | 480×640 | 240x320 |
| Signature in running handwriting | 5 kb-150 kb | 160×560 | 80×280 |
| Category Certificate (if applicable) | 10 kb -300 kb | - | - |
| PwD Certificate (if applicable) | 10 kb – 300 kb | - | - |
📊 Application Fee
| For Examination Centres in India | Fees to be Paid (Rs.) | During the Extended Period (Rs.) |
|---|---|---|
| Female candidates | 850 | 1350 |
| SC/ST/PwD* category candidates | 850 | 1350 |
| All other candidates | 1700 | 2200 |
📊 Application Fee
| For Examination Centres outside India (All Candidates) | Fees to be Paid | During the Extended Period |
|---|---|---|
| Colombo, Dhaka, and Kathmandu | US$ 100 | US$ 150 |
| Dubai and Singapore | US$ 200 | US$ 250 |
📊 Exam Information 5
| Program | Qualifying Degree |
|---|---|
| B.E / B.Tech /BPharm | Bachelor’s degree in Engineering / Technology (4 years after 10+2 or 3 years after B.Sc. / Diploma in Engineering / Technology) |
| B.Arch | Bachelor’s degree of Architecture (5- year course) / Naval Architecture (4- year course) / Planning (4- year course) |
| B.Sc (Research) / BS | Bachelor’s degree in Science (Post-Diploma/4 years after 10+2) |
| DPharma (after 10+2) | 6 years degree program, consisting of internship or residency training, during third year onwards |
| MBBS | Degree holders of MBBS and those who are in the 5th/6th/7th semester or higher semester of such programme. |
| MSc/ MA / MCA or equivalent | Master’s degree in any branch of Arts/ Science/Mathematics/ Statistics/ Computer Applications or equivalent |
| Integrated ME/MTech (Post BSc) | Post-BSc Integrated Master’s degree programs in Engineering/ Technology (4-year program) |
| Integrated ME/MTech or Dual Degree (after Diploma or 10+2) | Integrated Master’s degree program or Dual Degree program in Engineering/Technology (5-year program) |
| BSc/BA/BCom | Bachelor degree in any branch of Science / Arts / Commerce (3-year program) |
| Int. MSc / Int. BS/ MS | Integrated M.Sc. or 5-year integrated BS-MS program |
| Professional Society Examinations (equivalent to BE/ BTech/ BArch) | BE/BTech/BArch equivalent examinations of Professional Societies, recognized by MoE/UPSC/AICTE (e.g. AMIE by Institution of Engineers-India, AMICE by the Institute of Civil Engineers-India and so on) |
📊 Important Dates & Schedule
- Section
- Topics covered
- Electronics
- Semiconductors in equilibrium : electron and hole statistics in intrinsic and extrinsic semiconductors; metal-semiconductor junctions; Ohmic and rectifying contacts; PN diodes, bipolar junction transistors, field effect transistors; negative and positive feedback circuits; oscillators, operational amplifiers, active filters; basics of digital logic circuits, combinational and sequential circuits, flip-flops, timers, counters, registers, A/D and D/A conversion.
- Quantum Mechanics
- Postulates of quantum mechanics; uncertainty principle; Schrodinger equation; Dirac Bra-Ket notation, linear vectors and operators in Hilbert space; one dimensional potentials: step potential, finite rectangular well, tunneling from a potential barrier, particle in a box, harmonic oscillator; two and three dimensional systems: concept of degeneracy; hydrogen atom; angular momentum and spin; addition of angular momenta; variational method and WKB approximation, time independent perturbation theory; elementary scattering theory, Born approximation; symmetries in quantum mechanical systems.
- Classical Mechanics
- Lagrangian formulation : D'Alembert's principle, Euler-Lagrange equation, Hamilton's principle, calculus of variations; symmetry and conservation laws; central force motion: Kepler problem and Rutherford scattering; small oscillations: coupled oscillations and normal modes; rigid body dynamics: interia tensor, orthogonal transformations, Euler angles, Torque free motion of a symmetric top; Hamiltonian and Hamilton's equations of motion; Liouville's theorem; canonical transformations: action-angle variables, Poisson brackets, Hamilton-Jacobi equation. Special theory of relativity : Lorentz transformations, relativistic kinematics, mass-energy equivalence.
- Solid State Physics
- Elements of crystallography; diffraction methods for structure determination; bonding in solids; lattice vibrations and thermal properties of solids; free electron theory; band theory of solids: nearly free electron and tight binding models; metals, semiconductors and insulators; conductivity, mobility and effective mass; Optical properties of solids; Kramer's-Kronig relation, intra- and interband transitions; dielectric properties of solid; dielectric function, polarizability, ferroelectricity; magnetic properties of solids; dia, para, ferro, antiferro and ferri-magnetism, domains and magnetic anisotropy; superconductivity: Type-I and Type II superconductors, Meissner effect, London equation, BCS Theory, flux quantization.
- Mathematical Physics
- Vector calculus : linear vector space: basis, orthogonality and completeness; matrices; similarity transformations, diagonalization, eigen values and eigen vectors; linear differential equations: second order linear differential equations and solutions involving special functions; complex analysis: Cauchy-Riemann conditions, Cauchy's theorem, singularities, residue theorem and applications; Laplace transform, Fourier analysis; elementary ideas about tensors: covariant and contravariant tensors.
- Electromagnetic Theory
- Solutions of electrostatic and magnetostatic problems including boundary value problems; method of images; separation of variables; dielectrics and conductors; magnetic materials; multipole expansion; Maxwell's equations; scalar and vector potentials; Coulomb and Lorentz gauges; electromagnetic waves in free space, non-conducting and conducting media; reflection and transmission at normal and oblique incidences; polarization of electromagnetic waves; Poynting vector, Poynting theorem, energy and momentum of electromagnetic waves; radiation from a moving charge.
- Atomic and Molecular Physics
- Spectra of one-and many-electron atoms; spin-orbit interaction: LS and jj couplings; fine and hyperfine structures; Zeeman and Stark effects; electric dipole transitions and selection rules; rotational and vibrational spectra of diatomic molecules; electronic transitions in diatomic molecules, Franck-Condon principle; Raman effect; EPR, NMR, ESR, X-ray spectra; lasers: Einstein coefficients, population inversion, two and three level systems.
- Nuclear and Particle Physics
- Nuclear radii and charge distributions, nuclear binding energy, electric and magnetic moments; semi-empirical mass formula; nuclear models; liquid drop model, nuclear shell model; nuclear force and two nucleon problem; alpha decay, beta-decay, electromagnetic transitions in nuclei; Rutherford scattering, nuclear reactions, conservation laws; fission and fusion; particle accelerators and detectors; elementary particles; photons, baryons, mesons and leptons; quark model; conservation laws, isospin symmetry, charge conjugation, parity and time-reversal invariance.
- Thermodynamics and Statistical Physics
- Laws of thermodynamics; macrostates and microstates; phase space; ensembles; partition function, free energy, calculation of thermodynamic quantities; classical and quantum statistics; degenerate Fermi gas; black body radiation and Planck's distribution law; Bose-Einstein condensation; first and second order phase transitions, phase equilibria, critical point.
📊 Exam Pattern & Marking Scheme
| Particulars | Details |
|---|---|
| Examination Mode | Computer Based Test (CBT) |
| Duration | 3 Hours |
| Number of Subjects (Papers) | 29 |
| Sections | General Aptitude (GA) + Candidate’s Selected Subject |
| Type of Questions | (a) Multiple-Choice Questions (MCQ) (b) Multiple-Select Questions (MSQ) and/or Numerical Answer Type (NAT) Questions |
| Questions for testing these abilities | Recall Comprehension Application Analysis & Synthesis |
| Number of Questions | 10 (GA) + 55 (subject) = 65 Questions |
| Distribution of Marks in all Papers EXCEPT papers AR, CY, EY, GG, MA, PH, XH and XL | General Aptitude: 15 Marks + Engineering Mathematics: 13 Marks + Subject Questions: 72 Marks = Total: 100 Marks |
| Distribution of Marks in papers AR, CY, EY, GG, MA, PH, XH and XL | General Aptitude: 15 Marks + Subject Questions: 85 Marks = Total: 100 Marks |
| Marking Scheme | Questions carry 1 mark and 2 marks |
| Negative Marking | For a wrong answer chosen in a MCQ, there will be negative marking. For a 1-mark MCQ, 1/3 mark will be deducted for a wrong answer. Likewise, for a 2-mark MCQ, 2/3 mark will be deducted for a wrong answer |
📊 Exam Pattern & Marking Scheme
| Paper Code | General Aptitude (GA) Marks | Subject Marks | Total Marks | Total Time (Minutes) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AE, AG, BM, BT, CE, CH, CS, CY, EC, EE, ES, EY, IN, MA, ME, MN, MT, NM, PE, PH, PI, TF, ST | 15 | 85 | 100 | 180 |
| AR [Part A + Part B1 or B2 (B1: Architecture or B2: Planning)] | 15 | 60 + 25 | 100 | 180 |
| GE [Part A + Part B (Section I or Section II)] | 15 | 55 + 30 | 100 | 180 |
| GG [Part A + Part B (Section 1: Geology or Section 2: Geophysics)] | 15 | 25 + 60 | 100 | 180 |
| XE (Section A + Any TWO Sections) | 15 | 15 + (2 x 35) | 100 | 180 |
| XH (Section B1 + Any ONE Section) | 15 | 25 + 60 | 100 | 180 |
| XL (Section P + Any TWO Sections) | 15 | 25 + (2 x 30) | 100 | 180 |
📊 Exam Information 9
| Zone No. | Zonal GATE Office | Tentative List of Examination Cities/Towns |
|---|---|---|
| Zone-1 | IISc Bangalore Bengaluru – 560 012 Website: http://gate.iisc.ac.in | Andhra Pradesh : Ananthapuramu, Kurnool Karnataka : Bagalkot, Ballari (Bellary), Belagavi (Belgaum), Bengaluru North, Bengaluru South, Bidar, Chikkamagaluru, Davanagere, Hassan, Hubballi (Hubli), Kalaburagi (Gulbarga), Kolar, Mangaluru, Manipal, Mysuru (Mysore), Shivamogga (Shimoga), Tumakuru Kerala : Kannur, Kozhikode, Malappuram, Palakkad, Thrissur Telangana : Hyderabad Andaman and Nicobar : Port Blair - (26 Cities). |
| Zone-2 | IIT Bombay, Powai, Mumbai – 400 076 Website: https://gate.iitb.ac.in/ | Gujarat: Ahmedabad, Anand, Bhavnagar, Gandhinagar, Mehsana, Rajkot, Surat, Vadodara Maharashtra : Ahmednagar, Akola, Amravati, Aurangabad, Baramati, Dhule, Jalgaon, Kolhapur, Latur, Mumbai, Navi Mumbai-Thane, Nagpur, Nanded, Panvel-Raigad, Pune, Ratnagiri, Sangamner-Loni-Shirdi, Sangli, Satara, Solapur, Vasai-Palghar Goa : Goa - (30 Cities) |
| Zone-3 | IIT Delhi, Hauz Khas, New Delhi – 110 016 Website: http://gate.iitd.ac.in | Haryana : Faridabad, Gurugram Jammu and Kashmir : Jammu-Samba, Srinagar Ladakh : Leh Madhya Pradesh : Indore, Ujjain New Delh i: New Delhi Rajasthan : Ajmer, Bikaner, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Kota, Sikar, Udaipur Uttar Pradesh : Greater NOIDA, Mathura - (17 Cities) |
| Zone-4 | IIT Guwahati, Guwahati – 781 039 Website: http://iitg.ac.in/gate-jam/ | Arunachal Pradesh : Itanagar Assam: Dibrugarh, Guwahati, Jorhat, Silchar, Tezpur Bihar : Muzaffarpur, Patna, Purnea Jharkhand : Dhanbad Meghalaya : Shillong Mizoram : Aizawl Nagaland : Dimapur-Kohima Tripura : Agartala West Bengal : Asansol-Durgapu, Burdwa, Kalyan, Siliguri - (18 Cities) |
| Zone-5 | IIT Kanpur, Kanpur – 208 016 Website: http://gate.iitk.ac.in | Madhya Pradesh : Bhopal, Gwalior Uttar Pradesh : Agra, Aligarh, Allahabad, Bareilly, Gorakhpur, Jabalpur, Kanpur, Lucknow, Satna, Varanasi - (12 Cities) |
| Zone-6 | IIT Kharagpur, Kharagpur – 721 302 Website: http://gate.iitkgp.ac.in | Andhra Pradesh : Eluru, Kakinada, Rajamahendravaram (Rajahmundry), Srikakulam, Tadepalligudem, Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram Chhattisgarh: Bhilai, Bilaspur, Raipur Jharkhand : Hazaribag, Jamshedpur, Ranchi Odisha : Balasore, Berhampur, Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Rourkela, Sambalpur West Bengal : Baharampur-Murshidabad, Hooghly, Kharagpur, Kolkata - (24 Cities) |
| Zone-7 | IIT Madras, Chennai – 600 036 Website: http://gate.iitm.ac.in | Andhra Pradesh : Chirala, Chittoor, Gudur, Guntur, Nellore, Ongole, Tirupati Kerala : Alappuzha, Aluva-Ernakulam, Kollam, Kottayam, Thiruvananthapuram Pondicherry : Puducherry Tamilnadu : Chennai South, Chennai West, Coimbatore, Cuddalore, Dindigul, Kanyakumari-Nagercoil, Madurai, Namakkal, Salem, Thanjavur, Thoothukudi, Tiruchirapalli, Tirunelveli, Vellore, Virudhunagar Telangana : Karimnagar, Khammam, Kodad, Nizamabad, Suryapet, Warangal - (34 Cities) |
| Zone-8 | IIT Roorkee, Roorkee – 247 667 Website: https://gate.iitr.ac.in | Haryana : Ambala Himachal Pradesh: Hamirpur Punjab : Amritsar, Bathinda, Jalandhar, Mohali-Chandigarh, Patiala Uttar Pradesh : Ghaziabad, Meerut, Moradabad, Muzaffarnagar, NOIDA Uttarakhand : Dehradun, Haldwani, Roorkee - (15 Cities) |
📊 Exam Information 10
| Year | General | OBC (NCL) | SC/ ST/PwD |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 69.67 | 22.00 | 32.80 |
| 2020 | 37.2 | 33.4 | 24.8 |
| 2019 | 25.2 | 22.7 | 16.8 |
📊 Exam Pattern & Marking Scheme
| Subject | Book name | Author |
|---|---|---|
| Mathematical Physics | Mathematical Methods for Physics and Engineering | Riley |
| Student Solution Manual for Mathematical Methods for Physics and Engineering | K. F. Riley and M. P. Hobson | |
| Mathematical Physics | H. K. Dass | |
| Mathematical Physics | B.D. Gupta | |
| Introduction to Mathematical Physics | Michael T. Vaughan | |
| Introduction to Mathematical Physics | S Chandra and M K Sharma | |
| Classical Physics | Introduction to Classical Mechanics | Takwale, R and Puranik |
| An Introduction to Mechanics (SIE) | David Kleppner and Robert Kolenkow | |
| Classical Mechanics | Aruldhas | |
| Classical Mechanics | Herbert Goldstein | |
| Classical Mechanics | Narayan Rana and Pramod Joag | |
| Electromagnetic Theory | Engineering Electromagnetics (SIE) | William Hayt and John Buck |
| Principles of Electromagnetics | Mathew N.O. Sadiku | |
| Electromagnetics (Schaum’s Outline Series) | Joseph Edminister and Vishnu Priye | |
| Electromagnetic Waves and Radiating Systems | Jordan and Balmain | |
| Electromagnetic Field Theory | S Ghosh and Lipika Datta | |
| Quantum Mechanics | Introduction to Quantum Mechanics | David J. Griffiths |
| Quantum Mechanics: Concepts and Applications | Nourdine Zeitelli | |
| Quantum Mechanics | Aruldhas G | |
| Principles of Quantum Mechanics | R. Shankar | |
| Modern Quantum Mechanics: Pnie | J.J. Sakurai | |
| Thermodynamics and Statistical Physics | Statistical and Thermal Physics: An Introduction | Lokanathan |
| Statistical and Thermal Physics: An Introduction | Michael J.R. Hoch | |
| Fundamentals Of Statistical And Thermal Physics | REIF | |
| Statistical Mechanics | Kerson Huang | |
| Statistical Mechanics: International Series of Monographs | R K Pathria | |
| Atomic and Molecular Physics | Physics of Atoms and Molecules | B.H. Bransden |
| Atomic Physics (Modern Physics) | S.N. Ghoshal | |
| Introduction to Atomic Spectra | Harvey Elliott White | |
| Fundamentals for Molecular Spectroscopy | Colin Banwell and Elaine Mccash | |
| Atomic and Molecular Physics | Raj Kumar | |
| Problems in Atomic and Molecular Physics | D K Dhawan | |
| Solid State Physics | Introduction to Solid State Physics | Charles Kittel |
| Solid State Physics | N. David | |
| Elementary Solid State Physics | M. Ali Omar | |
| Solid State Physics | R.K. Puri | |
| Solid State Phy: Structure & Properties of Materials | M. A. Wahab | |
| Nuclear and Particle Physics | Introductory Nuclear Physics | Kenneth S. Krane |
| Introduction to Nuclear and Particle Physics | Verma V.K | |
| Nuclear And Particle Physics | Suresh Chandra & Mohit K. Sharma | |
| Nuclear and Particle Physics | S.L. Kakani | |
| Nuclear Physics | S.N. Ghoshal | |
| Electronics | Fundamentals of Electric Circuits | Charles K. Alexander |
| Network Analysis and Synthesis | S.K. Bhatta charya | |
| Semi-conductor Physics and Devices | Donald Neamen, Dhrubes Biswas | |
| Electronic Devices & Circuit Theory | L. Robert Boylestad | |
| Microelectronic Circuits | Sedra, Smith, Chandorkar | |
| Integrated Electronics: Analog And Digital Circuits | Jacob Millman, Christos Halkias, Chetan Parikh | |
| Op – Amps and Linear Integrated Circuits | Gayakwad | |
| Digital Logic and Computer Design | M. Morris Mano | |
| Fundamentals of Digital Circuits | A. Anand Kumar |
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📌 Our Topics Covered
- GATE Physics Eligibility Criteria & Age Limit 2026
- GATE Physics Exam Pattern & Selection Process
- GATE Physics Educational Qualification & Attempts
- GATE Physics Salary Structure & Pay Scale
- GATE Physics Syllabus & Preparation Guide
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Q1.What will be the total number of questions in the GATE PH 2024 exam?
The total number of questions in the GATE Physics exam will be 65.
Q2.How many topics are asked in the GATE PH exam?
For the GATE PH Exam, the candidates will have to appear for the General Awareness exam having a weightage of 15 marks and an exam relating to the candidate's core subject having a weightage of 55 marks.
Q3.What are the GATE Physics eligibility criteria?
The candidates need to be at least in the final year of their UG Degree to appear for the GATE Physics Exam. They can be either in the pursuing stage or passed their Undergraduate Course
Q4.What type of questions are there in the GATE Physics exam?
The GATE Physics Exam will consist of objective questions which are MCQ, MSQ and NAT based it and will be a Computer Based Test.
Q5.Is there any negative marking in GATE Physics Exam?
Yes, there is a system of negative marking of 1/3rd marks for 1 mark question and 2/3 marks for a 2 marks question in the GATE Physics Exam.
Q6.How many sections are there in the GATE PH exam?
There are a total of 2 sections in the GATE Physics Exam: General Awareness and Core subject in the GATE Physics Exam.
Q7.What are the total marks in GATE PH Exam 2024?
The total marks for the GATE Physics Engineering Exam are 100 marks.
Q8.What is the total duration of the GATE Physics 2024 Exam?
The total duration of the GATE Physics Exam is 3 hours.
Q9.Which is the best book for Quantum Physics in the GATE Physics exam 2024?
Principles of Quantum Mechanics by R Shankar is the best book to prepare for Quantum Mechanics in the GATE Physics 2024 Exam.
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