GATE Paper Analysis 2025 Feb 16, Difficulty Level, Branch-wise Question Paper Analysis, Weightage of Topics

IIT Roorkee conducted the exam on February 1, 2, 15, and 16 across multiple sessions for 32 disciplines. Early analysis suggests that Civil Engineering (CE) and Chemical Engineering (CH) were among the toughest papers, with many students struggling with numerical-heavy and conceptually tricky questions. However, Computer Science (CS) and Electrical Engineering (EE) had a moderate level of difficulty, aligning with previous years' trends. A large number of students reported the General Aptitude section more difficult than expected, with tricky reasoning and language-based questions.

Based on initial feedback, around 65% of candidates rated the exam as moderate to difficult, while 35% found it manageable.

The anticipated cutoff for GATE 2025 differs across streams, based on historical trends as well as on the initial analysis of difficulty level; however, the official cutoff will be out with the declaration of result by IIT Roorkee on 19^th March, 2025.

• For Civil Engineering (CE), it is likely to be 28-32 for General, 25-28 for OBC-NCL/EWS, and 18-22 for SC/ST/PwD.
• Computer Science (CS) could have a cutoff of 25-28 (General), 22-25 (OBC-NCL/EWS), and 16-19 (SC/ST/PwD).
• For Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (DA) is expected to have the cutoff of 35-40 (General Category).
• Electrical Engineering (EE) can be expected to be 28-31 for General, 25-28 for OBC-NCL/EWS, and 18-21 for SC/ST/PwD.
• Mechanical Engineering (ME) is likely to witness a cutoff ranging from 32-35 (General), 29-32 (OBC-NCL/EWS), and 21-24 (SC/ST/PwD).

Other disciplines such as Electronics & Communication (ECE), Chemical Engineering (CH), and Physics (PH) are also anticipated to witness the cutoff in the range of 27-30.

The in-depth exam analysis of the GATE 2025 exam for 32 discipline, alsong with the question papers, and solutions are available in this article.

GATE Paper Analysis 2025 Latest Trends

• GATE Cutoff 2025 Expected, Brach-wise Cutoff for IITs, NITs, IIITs, GIFTs & PSUs, Marks vs Rank
• GATE Question Paper 2025 (Available)
• GATE Question Paper (Available): Check Previous Year Question Paper with Solution PDF

GATE 2025 Paper Analysis

GATE 2025 Exam Analysis

The GATE 2025 is being conducted by the Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee. This examination is administered jointly by IISc Bengaluru and seven IITs, namely, IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi, IIT Guwahati, IIT Kanpur, IIT Kharagpur, IIT Madras, and IIT Roorkee—on behalf of the National Coordination Board (NCB), Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education (MoE), Government of India.

GATE 2025 Feb 16 Shifts 1 and 2 Exam Analysis

• Civil Engineering (CE1): The paper was of moderate difficulty level and contained an even mix of numerical and theoretical questions. The important topics were Structural Engineering, Geotechnical Engineering, and Environmental Engineering.
• Chemical Engineering (CH): The exam was of moderate difficulty level, and the focus was on the core subjects such as Chemical Reaction Engineering, Process Calculations, and Thermodynamics.
• Physics (PH): Aspirants found the paper moderately tough, with serious focus on Quantum Mechanics, Electromagnetic Theory, and Classical Mechanics.
• Biotechnology (BT): The test was fairly challenging, with topics including Molecular Biology, Bioprocess Engineering, and Genetics.
• Civil Engineering (CE2): The general level of difficulty was found to be moderate in nature. The General Aptitude section was comparatively easier in comparison to the technical part. The technical part had an equal proportion of theoretical and numerical questions. Major topics were Structural Engineering, Geotechnical Engineering, and Environmental Engineering. Solution discussion and detailed analysis for the CE2 paper is provided here for more information.
• Statistics (ST): The test followed the revised pattern, having 10 questions from the General Aptitude portion and 55 questions from Statistics topics. The level of difficulty was likely to be moderate and cover topics like probability theory, statistical inference, and linear models. The question paper and the detailed solutions are available for the candidates to check their performance.
• Engineering Sciences (XE) and Life Sciences (XL): These question papers provided a variety of sections for candidates to opt from according to their specialization. Detailed solutions and analyses for these question papers are likely to be published soon.
• Mining Engineering (MN): The question paper provided questions related to mining techniques, mine ventilation, and rock mechanics. Detailed analyses and solutions for this question paper are also likely to be published soon.

GATE 2025 Feb 15 Shifts 1 and 2 Exam Analysis

GATE 2025 February 15 Shift 1 and 2 Exam Analysis:

• Chemistry (CY): The question paper was of moderate level, with an even distribution of easy to tough questions. Inorganic Chemistry was challenging, while Organic and Physical Chemistry were moderate. The General Aptitude section was easy.
• Aerospace Engineering (AE): The difficulty level of the paper was moderate. The General Aptitude section was long and challenging. Core subjects such as Aerodynamics, Propulsion, and Flight Mechanics had tough questions, which needed theoretical as well as practical knowledge.
• Data Science & AI (DA): The paper was moderate, but the General Aptitude section was long and challenging. Data Structures and Algorithms were important, and the paper consisted of easy to tough questions.
• Environmental Science & Engineering (ES): The test was of moderate level, with a proper combination of easy, moderate, and difficult questions. The General Aptitude section was easy, and main topics such as Environmental Chemistry and Ecology were important.
• Production & Industrial Engineering (PI): The test was of moderate level. The General Aptitude section was easy, and main topics such as Manufacturing Processes and Operations Research were moderately difficult, needing a clear understanding of concepts.
• EC (Electronics and Communication): Expected to be moderate to hard, with a decent blend of theory and practice questions.
• GE (Geology and Geophysics): Expected to be moderate, with few application-based questions.
• XH (Humanities and Social Sciences): Most likely to be moderate, with emphasis on General Aptitude and subject-related questions from fields.
• BM (Biomedical Engineering): Most likely to be moderate, with an equal distribution of questions from Biomedical Engineering fundamentals, Medical Instrumentation, and Signal Processing.
• EY (Environmental Science and Engineering): Most likely to be moderate, with topics such as Environmental Chemistry, Ecology, and Waste Management, with a couple of tough questions from interdisciplinary topics.

The GATE 2025 Data Science and Artificial Intelligence was tough, students faced lengthy and difficult questions from core subjects.The students experienced the difficult and lengthy questions in the General Aptitude section.

GATE 2025 Feb 1 and 2 Shifts (1 and 2) Exam Analysis

The GATE 2025 first two sessions have concluded on February 1 and 2. On Feb 1, the Computer Science (CS) paper was held in two shifts: CS1 and CS2, and on Feb 2, the Mechanical Engineering (ME) and Electrical Engineering (EE) exams were conducted in two separate shifts.

• CS1 was moderate, whereas CS2 was comparatively difficult.
• Though AG was almost average, it focused more on Fluid Mechanics and Soil Mechanics.
• Other test papers such as NM, MT, TF, and IN had mixed questions; IN and MT were moderately difficult.
• The ME, PE, and AR papers are found to be moderately difficult.
• The EE test paper was moderately tough, but the core subjects of EE and Engineering Mathematics sections were a little tougher, whereas GA remained easier.

“The students experienced a mix of 1 and 2-mark questions in all disciplines. Overall The GATE 2025 exams have been considered moderately difficult.”

Does IIT Roorkee make hard paper for GATE?

As of February 1 and 2, 2025, IIT Roorkee has conducted four sessions of the GATE 2025. Preliminary analysis shows the difficulty level, as compared with the previous standardized levels, was moderate from the papers answered so far.

GATE 2025 CS Shift 1 Exam Analysis

The exam was rated as Easy to Moderate by most candidates. While the General Aptitude section was straightforward, some questions in the core subjects were time-consuming.

Question Distribution:

The GATE CS 2025 question paper comprised a total of 65 questions divided into three types:

• Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs): 33
• Multiple Select Questions (MSQs): 18
• Numerical Answer Type (NAT): 14

Section-Wise Analysis:

“Based on the feedback, attempting 48-53 questions with reasonable accuracy was considered a good performance in this shift.”

Topic-Wise Question Breakdown:

GATE 2025 CS Shift 2 Exam Analysis

The exam was rated as Moderate, with a balanced mix of theoretical and numerical questions. Some sections were reported to be more challenging, requiring in-depth understanding and application of concepts.

Question Distribution:

The GATE CS 2025 question paper comprised a total of 65 questions carrying 100 marks, distributed as follows:

The types of questions included:

• Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs): 1-mark and 2-mark questions with negative markings for incorrect answers.
• Multiple Select Questions (MSQs): 1-mark and 2-mark questions without negative marking.
• Numerical Answer Type (NAT): 1-mark and 2-mark questions without negative marking.

Section-Wise Analysis:

“Based on the feedback, attempting 50-55 questions with reasonable accuracy was considered a good performance in this exam.”

Topic-Wise Weightage:

GATE 2025 ME Exam Analysis

The exam was rated as Easy to Moderate, with a balanced mix of theoretical and numerical questions.

Question Distribution:

The GATE ME 2025 question paper comprised a total of 65 questions carrying 100 marks, distributed as follows:

The types of questions included:

• Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs): 25 (1-mark questions), 13 (2-mark questions)
• Multiple Select Questions (MSQs): 1
• Numerical Answer Type (NAT): 5 (1-mark questions), 21 (2-mark questions)

Section-Wise Analysis:

“Based on the feedback, attempting 50-55 questions with reasonable accuracy was considered a good performance in this exam.”

Topic-Wise Weightage:

GATE 2025 EE Exam Analysis

The exam was rated as Moderate, with a balanced mix of theoretical and numerical questions.

Question Distribution:

The GATE EE 2025 question paper comprised a total of 65 questions carrying 100 marks, distributed as follows:

The types of questions included:

• Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs): 1-mark and 2-mark questions with negative markings for incorrect answers.
• Multiple Select Questions (MSQs): 1-mark and 2-mark questions without negative marking.
• Numerical Answer Type (NAT): 1-mark and 2-mark questions without negative marking.

Section-Wise Analysis:

“Based on the feedback, attempting 50-55 questions with reasonable accuracy was considered a good performance in this exam.”

Topic-Wise Weightage

GATE 2025 Feb 1 and 2 Exam Analysis

GATE 2025 examinations for different courses AG, MA, NM, MT, TF, IN, PE, and AR were conducted on February 1 and 2, 2025. Student feedback has been received based on preliminary appraisals along with professional reviews, compiled analysis of these exams is brought forth here.

GATE 2025 Agricultural Engineering (AG)

There were 65 questions in the GATE 2025 AG Exam, out of which 10 were from the General Aptitude section and 55 from Engineering Mathematics and core Agricultural Engineering subjects. The overall difficulty level was rated as moderate, with a balanced mix of theoretical and numerical questions that tested the conceptual understanding of the candidates.

Topic-Wise Weightage

GATE 2025 Mathematics (MA)

The GATE 2025 MA Exam consisted of 65 questions in total, out of which 10 were from General Aptitude and 55 from Core Mathematics. The exam was rated as moderate to difficult. Several questions were time-consuming and required a deep understanding of the concepts.

Topic-Wise Weightage

GATE 2025 Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering (NM)

The GATE 2025 NM exam consisted of 65 questions, including 10 questions from General Aptitude and 55 questions from core topics related to naval architecture and marine engineering. The overall difficulty level of the exam was rated as moderate to difficult, with a significant portion of the paper requiring a deep understanding of core concepts.

Topic-Wise Weightage

GATE 2025 Metallurgical Engineering (MT)

There were 65 questions in the GATE 2025 MT exam. These questions consisted of 10 from General Aptitude and 55 from core Metallurgical Engineering topics. The exam was rated moderate, with both theoretical and numerical questions being distributed fairly. Even though the paper was spread well over all topics, some carried a higher weightage than others.

Topic-Wise Weightage

GATE 2025 Textile Engineering and Fibre Science (TF)

The GATE 2025 TF exam had 65 questions in total, with 10 questions from General Aptitude and 55 questions from core Textile Engineering topics. The overall difficulty of the exam was rated as moderate. Questions were straightforward, but they needed clarity in fundamental concepts to solve them accurately.

Topic-Wise Weightage

GATE 2025 Instrumentation Engineering (IN)

The GATE 2025 IN exam consisted of 65 questions, 10 from General Aptitude and 55 from core Instrumentation Engineering topics. The overall difficulty of the test was rated to be moderate, with a very good mix of easy and tough questions.

Topic-Wise Weightage

GATE 2025 Petroleum Engineering (PE)

There were 65 questions in the GATE 2025 PE exam, of which 10 questions were from General Aptitude and 55 from core Petroleum Engineering subjects. The exam was rated as moderate, with a broad range of topics covered, having a notable emphasis on practical applications.

Topic-Wise Weightage

GATE 2025 Architecture and Planning (AR)

The GATE 2025 AR exam comprises 65 questions with 10 from General Aptitude and 55 from core Architecture and Planning subjects. Overall, the level of difficulty was rated to be moderately tough. The paper was diversified, with this aspect testing both theoretical knowledge and design aptitude.

Topic-Wise Weightage

GATE 2025 Good Score

A good GATE score is A "good" GATE score that will depend largely upon the candidate's category, IITs, NITs, and PSUs cutoff. Overall, a GATE score ranges from 0 to 1000; the greater the score, the better the candidate's chance of getting admission into top institutions or being recruited by PSUs.

• Category: Candidates from the reserved categories generally have lower cut-offs than that of the general category students.
• Branch: The cut off varies widely with different branches. Popular branches such as Computer Science (CS), Electronics (EC), and Mechanical (ME) require higher scores than branches like Agricultural Engineering (AG) or Textile Engineering (TF).
• Institute: Among institutes, IIT and NITs usually boast higher cutoffs than other institutes. PSUs also have a differentiated range of cutoffs as per demand.

GATE Score vs Rank Analysis

The GATE score is directly related to your rank and marks. A score is calculated from the raw marks, accounting for the exam's normalization process.

Good GATE Score for IITs, NITs, and PSUs

• Top IITs require a 750+ score for CS, EC, ME, and other core branches and around 700+ for less competitive branches.
• Mid/Lower IITs accept scores of 700+ for core branches and 650+ for less popular branches.
• NITs have slightly lower cutoffs, where 650+ can secure a seat in top NITs, while 600+ is sufficient for mid-tier NITs.
• PSU recruitment is highly competitive, with 700+ scores required for top Maharatna PSUs. However, 650+ scores may be enough for some Navratna or Miniratna PSUs.

Is 70 a Good Score in GATE 2025?

A score of 70 in GATE 2025 can be considered pretty good based on the discipline you are appearing for, your category, and your target institutions (IITs, NITs, PSUs).

• 70 will be good to get admission into NITs for less competitive branches or in lower-ranked NITs. However, for top-tier IITs, it may not be enough for jobs in Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs).
• In most branches, for instance, you will rank within the range of 1000 to 2000 rank.

GATE 2025: Expected Rank for a Score of 70

Based on trends from previous years, here’s an expected rank range associated with a score of 70 in different branches of engineering:

“For the core branches, such as ME, CE, and EE, a score of 70 will place you at a rank of 1000-2000, considering the difficulty level of the current year's exam and the performance of other candidates.”

Expected Cutoff for Different Institutions

Here’s an overview of what a GATE 2025 score of 70 might mean in terms of admission to IITs, NITs, and PSUs:

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GATE 2024 EE Paper Analysis

GATE 2025 EE Paper Analysis: Weightage of Topics

GATE 2024 Paper Analysis of ECE

GATE 2024 ECE Paper Analysis: Weightage of Topics

GATE 2024 Paper Analysis for Computer Science (CS)

GATE 2024 Computer Science Paper Analysis Shift 1: Weightage of Topics

GATE 2024 Computer Science Paper Analysis Shift 2: Weightage of Topics

GATE 2024 Paper Analysis for Biotechnology (BT)

GATE 2024 Paper Analysis for Civil Engineering (CE)

GATE 2024 Civil Engineering Paper Analysis: Weightage of Topics

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GATE 2024 Paper Analysis for Chemical Engineering (CH)

GATE 2024 Chemical Engineering Paper Analysis: Weightage of Topics

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GATE 2024 Paper Analysis for Chemistry (CY)

Students reported, GATE 2024 chemistry paper to be moderate in terms of overall difficulty. While Inorganic Chemistry has been rated easy, Physical Chemistry is rated moderate to tough. But for Organic Chemistry, there are mixed reactions. Questions were from Parallel Raction, 18 Electron Rules, Quantum, including reaction based questions. 

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GATE 2024 Paper Analysis for Environmental Science (ES)

GATE 2024 paper analysis for environmental science and engineering was reported to be easy to moderate in difficulty. Although, the General Aptitude section was slightly difficult. The number of MCQs, NATs and MSQs has been mentioned in the section below.

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GATE 2024 Paper Analysis for Data Science (DA)

As per the analysis, 10 questions were from Probability and Statistics, 8 from Programming and Data Structure, 7 from Database Management and Warehouse. The following table mentions the topics and the number of questions asked from each topic.

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GATE 2024 Paper Analysis for Mechanical (ME)

The overall difficulty level of GATE ME was easy to moderate. As per students’ review, questions were based on Machine Design, Rankine Cycle, Thermodynamics, Productions, etc.

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GATE Previous Years’ Paper Analysis

GATE paper analysis from 2023 to 2016 of all the subjects are discussed below along weightage of each topic.

GATE 2023 Paper Analysis for CE Shift 1

• GATE 2023 CE Question Paper in shift 1 was reported as moderate toi difficult by the students.
• There were 34 MCQs, 9 MSQs, and 22 NATs.
• Topic-wise weightage is provided below:

GATE 2023 Paper Analysis for CE Shift 2

• GATE 2023 CE Question Paper in shift 2 was reported as moderate by the students.
• There were 35 MCQs, 11 MSQs, and 19 NATs.
• Topics with high weightage included
  • Engineering Mathematics (9-11 marks)
  • Geotech engineering (12-15 marks)
  • Environmental Engineering (10-12 marks)
  • Hydrology + Irrigation (4 marks)
  • SOM + Structures (11-14 marks)

GATE 2023 Paper Analysis for CH

• GATE 2023 CH Question Paper was reported as moderate by the students.
• There were 38 MCQs, 3 MSQs, and 24 NATs

GATE 2023 Paper Analysis for XE

• GATE 2023 XE Question Paper was reported as easy by the students.
• There were 39 MCQs, 4 MSQs, and 22 NATs

GATE 2023 Paper Analysis for IN

• GATE 2023 IN Question Paper was reported as moderate by the students.
• There were 31 MCQs, 1 MSQ, and 33 NATs

GATE 2023 Paper Analysis for ECE

• GATE 2023 ECE Question Paper was reported to be easy to moderate in overall difficulty. 
• There were 45 MCQs, 16 NATs, and 4 MSQs.
  • ​There were 1 and 3 MSQs carrying 1 mark and 2 marks respectively.
  • And 19 and 16 MCQs carrying 1 mark and 2 marks respectively.
• Engineering Mathematics carried the highest weightage with 15 marks. 

GATE 2023 Paper Analysis for EE

• GATE 2023 Electrical Engineering paper was reported to be moderately difficult. 
• There were 6 MSQs, 31 MCQs and 28 NATs. 

• A detailed GATE 2023 paper analysis for Electrical has been updated here with the highest weightage subjects shortly. 

GATE 2023 Paper Analysis for Mechanical

• GATE 2023 Mechanical Engineering Question Paper was reported to be moderately difficult.
• There were 30 MCQs, 8 MSQs and 27 NATs carrying a weightage of 47 marks, 10 marks and 43 marks respectively.
• A detailed GATE 2023 paper analysis for Mechanical Engineering is available here along with highest weightage topics.

GATE 2023 Paper Analysis for CSE

• The overall difficulty of GATE CSE 2023 question paper was reported to be easy to moderate.
• There were 34 MCQs, 15 MSQs and 16 NATs in the paper. All questions in General Aptitude were MCQ based. 
• 1 mark questions in GATE CSE 2023 paper were more time-consuming as compared to 2 marks questions. 
• Data Structure & Programming carried the highest weightage in GATE 2023 CSE paper. 

GATE 2023 CSE Paper Analysis: Highest Weightage Topics

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