Architecture and Planning is a distinct GATE paper where the subject core carries almost all the marks, and that is where your rank is decided. Forty six questions, eight branches running from the history of architecture to transportation planning, and a marking scheme that rewards accuracy over guessing. On this page you get free GATE Architecture and Planning sample papers built to the latest IIT pattern, each with worked solutions, covering only the AR core so you can drill the technical part on its own.
Official website: gate2026.iitg.ac.in
GATE Architecture and Planning Sample Papers 2027
GATE Architecture and Planning Sample Paper 1
GATE Architecture and Planning Sample Paper 2
GATE Architecture and Planning Sample Paper 3
GATE Architecture and Planning Sample Paper 4
GATE Architecture and Planning Sample Paper 5
GATE Architecture and Planning Sample Paper 6
GATE Architecture and Planning Sample Paper 7
GATE Architecture and Planning Sample Paper 8
GATE Architecture and Planning Sample Paper 9
GATE Architecture and Planning Sample Paper 10
Download any of the GATE Architecture and Planning sample papers above and solve it in one timed sitting of about 128 minutes, which is the share the AR core earns at the paper's overall pace. Each paper carries 46 questions worth 72 marks, split as 20 questions of 1 mark and 26 questions of 2 marks, exactly the way the technical part of the real Architecture and Planning paper is built.
You can download these papers here on Collegedunia, and you should also check the official website gate2026.iitg.ac.in for the information brochure and the exam schedule before you plan your practice. Note that the organising IIT rotates each year, so the official domain changes with it, and the next GATE exam is expected around 14 February 2027.
- Core questions: 46 questions worth 72 marks, split as 20 questions of 1 mark and 26 questions of 2 marks. This is the Architecture and Planning core only, without General Aptitude or Engineering Mathematics.
- Time budget: The full paper allows 180 minutes for 65 questions, which is about 2.77 minutes per question, so the AR core earns roughly 128 minutes.
- Marking scheme: Negative marking applies only to MCQs, at one third of the marks allotted. A wrong 1 mark MCQ costs 0.33 and a wrong 2 mark MCQ costs 0.67. MSQ and NAT questions carry no negative marking.
- Paper format: 65 questions worth 100 marks in 180 minutes. General Aptitude is 15 marks and the Architecture and Planning subject is the other 85, of which about 72 marks are the technical core.
- Mode: Computer based test, with an on-screen calculator. Your own calculator is not allowed.
- Conducting body: The IITs and IISc by rotation. Architecture and Planning (AR) is one of 30 GATE papers.
- Syllabus base: History and design of architecture, building construction and materials, building structures and services, urban design, landscape, urban and regional planning, housing, planning techniques, surveying, GIS and transportation planning. No General Aptitude or Engineering Mathematics in these papers.
- GATE Architecture and Planning Sample Papers 2027
- GATE Architecture and Planning Exam Pattern and Marks Distribution 2027
- GATE Architecture and Planning Sample Papers - Why Recent Papers Matter Most
- GATE Architecture and Planning Chapter Wise Weightage - High Scoring Topics to Focus in Sample Papers
- GATE Architecture and Planning Sample Paper Video Solutions 2027 - Watch Before You Start Solving
- How to Use GATE Architecture and Planning Sample Papers to Clear in First Attempt
- GATE Architecture and Planning Negative Marking and Attempt Strategy
- GATE Architecture and Planning 4 Week Preparation Plan Using Sample Papers
- FAQs on GATE Architecture and Planning Sample Papers 2027
GATE Architecture and Planning Exam Pattern and Marks Distribution 2027
The GATE Architecture and Planning paper carries the same overall shape as every branch, but the technical core is what these sample papers train you for. The structure below has held steady for years, so you can plan around it.
- Total paper: 65 questions worth 100 marks in 180 minutes, computer based, in English.
- Section split: General Aptitude 10 questions and 15 marks, and the Architecture and Planning subject 55 questions and 85 marks, which includes Engineering Mathematics of about 13 marks and the AR technical core of about 72 marks.
- Core covered here: 46 questions and 72 marks, split as 20 questions of 1 mark and 26 questions of 2 marks. These sample papers deliberately leave out General Aptitude and Engineering Mathematics so you can focus on the Architecture and Planning core.
- Question types: MCQ with four options, MSQ where more than one option can be right, and NAT where you type a number.
- Marking: Only MCQs are penalised, at one third of the question's marks. MSQ and NAT carry no penalty at all, so an unsure NAT is always worth a guess.
- Conducting body: The IITs and IISc by rotation, announced each year on the official website gate2026.iitg.ac.in. Architecture and Planning is one of 30 papers.
Key advice: The Architecture and Planning core is 72 marks and it is unusually broad, running from the history of architecture to building services to transportation planning. A large part of it is recall based, so blind spots hurt more than in a purely numerical paper. A GATE Architecture and Planning sample paper forces you across all eight branches in one sitting, which is the only honest test of whether your revision is even.
GATE Architecture and Planning Sample Papers - Why Recent Papers Matter Most
GATE does release its question papers, which puts you in a better position than most exams. But the Architecture and Planning paper has drifted in emphasis, and older sets do not reflect where the marks now sit.
- NAT questions carry the numerical load: A good share of the 2 mark questions are Numerical Answer Type, drawn from building structures, environmental services, surveying and transportation planning, where you solve fully and type a value. These carry no negative marking, so recent practice teaches you to attempt every one rather than skip.
- Planning and services weight has grown: Urban and regional planning, housing, and building services now carry steady marks every year. Older papers under-represent them, so you can revise the history of architecture for weeks and still be light on planning theory and infrastructure.
- The branches stay fixed, the emphasis rotates: History and design, building construction, structures, environmental services, urban design, planning, planning techniques and transportation are always present, but the split between them shifts year to year. Solving a spread of recent GATE Architecture and Planning sample papers is the only way to feel that balance.
GATE Architecture and Planning Chapter Wise Weightage - High Scoring Topics to Focus in Sample Papers
The official AR syllabus groups the subject into eight large branches. The 46 core questions spread across them with the history and design block and the construction and services blocks carrying the most. The table below shows how our sample papers distribute them.
| Branch | Questions | Difficulty | What to Watch For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Architecture, Design and History of Architecture | 8 | Moderate | Design principles, anthropometry and ergonomics, plus Indian and Western history from Indus Valley and temple architecture to Gothic, Renaissance and the modern movement. Works of Corbusier, Louis Kahn and other named architects repeat, so recall accuracy decides the score. |
| Building Construction, Materials and Management | 7 | Moderate | Brick, cement, concrete, timber, steel and glass properties, building components and finishes, plus project management with PERT and CPM, bar charts, estimation and specifications. The management numericals are quick marks if the network logic is clean. |
| Building Structures and Systems | 6 | Moderate to Hard | Structural systems, loads, stress and strain, beams, trusses, columns and foundations, with RCC and steel behaviour. The heaviest numerical block, so weak mechanics costs the most here. |
| Environmental Design and Building Services | 7 | Moderate | Climate and solar geometry, thermal comfort, ventilation, daylighting and acoustics, plus water supply, sanitation, drainage, electrical, HVAC, lifts and fire safety. Formula based but predictable, so easy marks if you know the standards and comfort ranges. |
| Urban Design and Landscape Architecture | 5 | Easy to Moderate | Urban design elements after Kevin Lynch, public space, streetscape and urban form, plus landscape design, site planning and planting. Largely theory and recognition, so a fast and reliable scoring branch. |
| Urban and Regional Planning and Housing | 6 | Moderate | Planning theory and concepts such as the Garden City and neighbourhood unit, master plans, land use, regional planning, housing typologies, standards and policy, and slum upgrading. Concept and definition heavy, so precise reading of terms matters. |
| Planning Techniques, Surveying and GIS | 4 | Easy to Moderate | Planning surveys and statistical techniques, census and population projection, development control, plus surveying, levelling, remote sensing and GIS basics. Small weight, but the surveying and projection numericals are direct and worth banking. |
| Infrastructure, Services and Transportation Planning | 3 | Moderate | Transportation planning with trip generation, modal split and the four stage model, plus water supply, sanitation and solid waste infrastructure at the urban scale. Small but numerical, so a short focused revision pays off per mark. |
Note: Do not let Planning Techniques and Infrastructure planning slide just because they are small. Together they are 7 questions and often more than 10 marks, the surveying, projection and trip generation numericals are short, and they need far less preparation time per mark than building structures. In a GATE Architecture and Planning sample paper these are the branches where careful candidates finish fast and bank certain marks.
GATE Architecture and Planning Sample Paper Video Solutions 2027 - Watch Before You Start Solving
Architecture and Planning questions look routine and still cost people marks, usually through a misremembered architect or period, a wrong comfort standard, or a formula applied to the wrong service load. Watching a set solved shows you where the time and the errors actually go.
The walkthrough below works through GATE Architecture and Planning previous year questions across the main branches. Watch it once, then start on Sample Paper 1 and see how many of the same patterns you recognise.
Watch:
Source: GATE Architecture and Planning previous year question paper solved across design, building services and planning (YouTube)
How to Use GATE Architecture and Planning Sample Papers to Clear in First Attempt
The Architecture and Planning core rewards two things, breadth of recall and clean numerical work. Your preparation should push you across all eight branches while cutting the small slips that cost you sure marks.
- Time every paper at 128 minutes. That is the pace the AR core earns inside the full 180. If you routinely take 160, you are borrowing the time General Aptitude and Engineering Maths will need on exam day.
- Attempt every NAT. A good part of the 2 mark load is Numerical Answer Type with no negative marking, from structures, services, surveying and transportation planning, so a solved value or even a careful estimate is always better than a blank.
- Log why you got it wrong, not just what. Misremembered fact, wrong service standard, or genuinely did not know the concept. Those three need three different fixes.
- Balance your revision by branch. A steady 60 percent can hide the fact that every miss is planning theory or building services. Track score per branch, not just the total.
- Do not skip the 1 mark questions. Twenty of them carry 20 marks between them, many are direct recall from history and design, and they take the least time per mark in the paper.
- Rework each paper's structures and services sections. Building Structures and Environmental Services together are the heaviest numerical load, so a second pass there moves your score more than anywhere else.
GATE Architecture and Planning Negative Marking and Attempt Strategy
GATE's marking scheme is more forgiving than most students assume, but only if you know which question type you are looking at. Getting this wrong costs marks that nothing else will win back.
- Only MCQs are penalised. The deduction is one third of the marks allotted, so a wrong 1 mark MCQ costs 0.33 and a wrong 2 mark MCQ costs 0.67.
- Never leave a NAT blank. Numerical Answer Type questions carry no negative marking, and they make up a big share of the structures, services and planning numericals in the AR core. An unsure value is free, and a blank is a guaranteed zero.
- MSQ needs all or nothing. Multiple Select Questions carry no penalty either, but partial ticks earn nothing. Only mark the options you are sure of, and remember there may be just one.
- On MCQs, eliminate before you guess. A blind guess across four options is a losing trade at one third negative. Once two options are gone, on a 2 mark planning or history MCQ, it turns clearly in your favour.
GATE Architecture and Planning 4 Week Preparation Plan Using Sample Papers
- Week 1: Revise Architecture, Design and History of Architecture, covering design principles, anthropometry, and Indian and Western history up to the modern movement, then Building Construction, Materials and Management with PERT and CPM. Solve Sample Papers 1 and 2 at 128 minutes each and start your error log.
- Week 2: Work through Building Structures and Systems and Environmental Design and Building Services, especially loads and mechanics, climate and solar geometry, acoustics, water supply and HVAC. Solve Sample Papers 3, 4 and 5.
- Week 3: Cover Urban Design and Landscape Architecture, Urban and Regional Planning and Housing, Planning Techniques, Surveying and GIS, and Infrastructure and Transportation Planning, including planning theory, housing standards, census projection and trip generation. Solve Sample Papers 6, 7 and 8.
- Week 4: Solve Sample Papers 9 and 10 back to back to check your pace holds across all eight branches, then revise only your error log. Keep the last 2 days light, with no new topics.
FAQs on GATE Architecture and Planning Sample Papers 2027
Ques.How many questions and marks does the GATE Architecture and Planning core carry in these sample papers?
Ans.Each GATE Architecture and Planning sample paper carries 46 questions worth 72 marks, made up of 20 questions of 1 mark and 26 questions of 2 marks. This is the Architecture and Planning core only, so it leaves out General Aptitude and Engineering Mathematics, which are separate papers. In the real exam the full paper is 65 questions and 100 marks, with General Aptitude taking 15 marks.
Ques.Is there negative marking in the GATE Architecture and Planning paper?
Ans.Only on MCQs, and the deduction is one third of the marks allotted to that question. So a wrong 1 mark MCQ costs you 0.33 and a wrong 2 mark MCQ costs 0.67. Multiple Select Questions and Numerical Answer Type questions carry no negative marking at all, which matters in AR because the structures, services and planning numericals are largely NAT. Never leave a NAT question blank.
Ques.How much time should I spend on the Architecture and Planning core in the real exam?
Ans.Budget about 128 minutes for the 46 core questions. The paper gives 180 minutes for 65 questions, which is roughly 2.77 minutes per question, so 46 AR core questions earn about 128 minutes. That leaves the remaining time for General Aptitude and Engineering Mathematics. Practising a full GATE Architecture and Planning sample paper at this pace is the best way to keep that balance under real pressure.
Ques.Which branches carry the most weight in the GATE Architecture and Planning paper?
Ans.Architecture, Design and History of Architecture is the single largest block, followed closely by Building Construction, Materials and Management and Environmental Design and Building Services. Building Structures and Systems and Urban and Regional Planning and Housing come next, with Urban Design, Planning Techniques and Transportation Planning carrying smaller shares. Our sample papers spread the 46 questions across all eight so you are never blindsided by a branch you skipped.
Ques.Do these sample papers include General Aptitude and Engineering Mathematics?
Ans.No. These GATE Architecture and Planning sample papers cover only the AR technical core of 46 questions and 72 marks. General Aptitude and Engineering Mathematics are shared or common parts of the full paper and are provided separately, so you can drill the AR core on its own without diluting your practice.
Ques.Are these GATE Architecture and Planning sample papers the same as previous year papers?
Ans.No. GATE does publish its past papers, and you should solve those too. These are original questions written to the current pattern, with 46 core questions in 128 minutes and the 20 plus 26 mark split, so you get fresh practice once you have exhausted the official sets. They also weight NAT questions and the planning and services topics the way recent Architecture and Planning papers do, which older past papers under-represent.
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