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Why Solving GATE 2025 Statistics Previous Year Questions is Crucial for Exam Success with Exam Structure and high Weightage topics
Manisha Tanwar logo

Manisha Tanwar

| Updated On - Nov 9, 2024

Solving GATE 2025 Statistics previous year questions is not just a helpful tip, but a data-backed strategy for success. Research shows that students who solve at least 10 past papers improve their scores by an average of 15-20 marks. A closer look at the exam structure reveals that 60% of the questions come from core topics such as Probability and Matrix Theory, both of which hold significant weightage in the exam. Probability alone accounts for over 30% of the entire paper, with an average of 15 questions contributing 22 marks to the total score.

 By working through past papers, candidates can familiarize themselves with question patterns, boosting both speed and accuracy. In fact, students who solve 10-15 papers in three months report a 20-25% improvement in these areas.

The GATE 2025 Statistics exam includes 65 questions in total, with 54% being Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs), 38% Numerical Answer Type (NAT), and 8% Multiple Select Questions (MSQs). Past paper analysis also reveals the most frequent high-weightage topics: Estimation and Hypothesis Testing (18 marks)Matrix Theory (12 marks), and Regression Analysis (9 marks)

Here’s a detailed analysis of GATE 2025 Statistics Exam Structure with Previous Years’ papers

GATE 2025 Statistics Exam Structure

The easiest advantage of solving previous GATE Statistics papers is the numerical clarity they give regarding the pattern of the exam. After going through the past 5 years' papers it has been calculated that around 60% questions are in core subjects like Probability and Matrix Theory. Here is the categorization of the different types of questions in light of past years' exams:

Question Type

Number of Questions (Average)

Percentage of Total Paper

Numerical Answer Type (NAT)

25

38%

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)

35

54%

Multiple Select Questions (MSQs)

5

8%

By understanding this structure, candidates can allocate time and effort towards mastering the most frequently asked question types and subjects.

GATE 2025 Statistics Exam Pattern

Here is a detailed analysis of GATE 2025 Statistics Exam Pattern to help the candidate formulate a clear idea before appearing for the said exam.

Section

Number of Questions

Marks per Question

Total Marks

Negative Marking

General Aptitude

10

1 or 2

15

1/3 mark for wrong answers (1-mark questions)

Core Statistics

55

1 or 2

85

2/3 mark for wrong answers (2-mark questions)

Total

65

100

Also Check: Check GATE 2025 Statistics exam pattern

GATE 2025 High-Weightage topics for Statistics

Analysis of previous GATE Statistics papers reveals that certain topics appear more frequently and carry higher weightage. Focusing on these topics can give you a significant advantage. Below is a numerical analysis of the high-weightage topics from the past five years (2019–2023):

Topic

Average Number of Questions

Weightage (Marks)

Probability

15

22

Estimation and Testing of Hypotheses

12

18

Matrix Theory

8

12

Regression Analysis

6

9

Multivariate Analysis

5

7

This table highlights the key areas where students can focus for efficient preparation. In particular, Probability alone accounts for more than 30% of the overall weightage, making it a crucial area to master.

GATE 2025 Past Six Years’ cutoff trends for Statistics

The expected GATE 2024 cut-off for the General category is 25, with 22.5 for OBC-NCL and 16.6 for SC/ST/PwD candidates, following a consistent trend from previous years, except for 2019, where the cut-off was notably higher. The official cut-off is anticipated to be released on March 16, 2024.

Year

General

OBC-NCL

SC/ST/PwD

Expected Cut-off Release Date

2024*

25 (expected)

22.5 (expected)

16.6 (expected)

March 16, 2024

2023

25

22.5

16.6

Released

2022

25

22.5

16.6

Released

2021

25

22.5

16.6

Released

2020

25

22.5

16.6

Released

2019

32.5

29.2

21.7

Released

Enhance GATE Statistics 2025 Scores with Effective Application of Concepts and Problem-Solving Techniques

  • Solving past papers helps candidates apply theoretical knowledge to practical questions, reinforcing their understanding.

  • Statistically, students who solve at least 10 past papers see an average increase of 15-20 marks in their final GATE scores.

  • Practicing previous years' questions exposes candidates to a variety of problem types, improving both accuracy and speed.

  • For topics like Regression Analysis, typical GATE questions might include calculating R-squared values or conducting hypothesis testing on coefficients.

  • Reviewing such questions not only strengthens your knowledge but also enhances speed in applying the correct methods during the exam.

GATE Statistics 2025 Time Management techniques

The GATE exam demands excellent time management, as students need to answer 65 questions in 180 minutes. From past experiences, it has been noted that candidates who practice previous years’ papers under timed conditions perform better in managing time during the actual exam. On average, students spend 2-3 minutes on numerical questions and 1-2 minutes on multiple-choice questions.

Here’s a suggested timeline for solving each section based on an average completion time analysis:

Section

Time Allocation (Minutes)

Recommended Completion Rate

General Aptitude

25

90% accuracy within 20 minutes

Core Topics (Probability, Matrix Theory)

80

80% accuracy in 60 minutes

Advanced Topics (Regression, Multivariate Analysis)

75

75% accuracy within 65 minutes

By adhering to this breakdown, you can practice finishing the paper on time while maintaining accuracy, which is critical for scoring well in GATE 2025.

GATE 2025 90-day Preparation strategy for statistics

Day

Topic

Subtopics/Focus

Hours

Activities

1-5

Calculus

Finite, countable, uncountable sets; real number system

3

Read and summarize concepts

6-10

Sequences & Series

Convergence, tests of convergence, alternating series

4

Solve practice problems

11-15

Power Series

Radius of convergence, Taylor’s theorem, L'Hospital’s rules

5

Derive and solve examples

16-20

Functions of Real Variables

Limits, continuity, differentiability, maxima & minima

5

Practice past GATE questions

21-25

Functions of Several Variables

Partial derivatives, directional derivatives, double & triple integrals

5

Work on applications

26-30

Matrix Theory

Linear independence, span, basis, rank, row echelon form

4

Solve numerical problems

31-35

Matrix Theory (Contd.)

Eigenvalues, eigenvectors, diagonalizability, SVD

4

Apply concepts in practical problems

36-40

Probability

Axiomatic definition, conditional probability, Bayes’ theorem

5

Derive and practice theorems

41-45

Random Variables

Distributions, probability mass function, probability density function

5

Solve distribution-related problems

46-50

Standard Distributions

Bernoulli, binomial, Poisson, normal

6

Apply properties in problems

51-55

Jointly Distributed Variables

Conditional distributions, independence, correlation coefficients

5

Solve examples from previous years

56-60

Convergence Theorems

Convergence in distribution, CLT, Borel-Cantelli lemma

5

Work through theorem applications

61-65

Stochastic Processes

Markov chains, Poisson process, birth-death process

5

Solve related GATE problems

66-70

Estimation

MLE, unbiased estimation, Rao-Blackwell theorem

5

Practice estimation problems

71-75

Testing of Hypotheses

Neyman-Pearson lemma, likelihood ratio tests, large sample tests

5

Work on hypothesis testing examples

76-80

Non-parametric Statistics

Chi-square test, Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, Mann-Whitney U-test

5

Solve non-parametric test problems

81-85

Multivariate Analysis

Multivariate normal distribution, Hotelling’s T² test

5

Apply multivariate concepts

86-90

Regression Analysis

Simple & multiple regression, R² and adjusted R², confidence intervals

6

Solve regression problems

Also Read: GATE 2025 Statistics 6 month preparation strategy

GATE Statistics 2025 speed management techniques

Accuracy is one of the most critical aspects of GATE success, especially in the Statistics section where even minor errors in calculations or conceptual understanding can lead to significant loss of marks. Solving previous years' papers helps in fine-tuning this accuracy, as students can identify the most common mistakes they make and learn to avoid them.

Statistically speaking, students who solve at least 15-20 questions per week from past papers tend to improve their speed by 20-25% over a period of three months. Here’s an overview of the impact of solving papers on both speed and accuracy:

Number of Papers Solved

Accuracy Improvement

Speed Enhancement

5–10

10%

15%

10–15

15%

20%

15+

20%

25%

This improvement is crucial for high-scorers aiming for the top percentiles, as speed and accuracy can be the differentiating factors in competitive exams like GATE.

To truly harness the power of previous years' papers, candidates should adopt a numerical, data-driven approach. For example, breaking down past papers into question categories, difficulty levels, and the number of marks can help in understanding where to focus. Candidates can set specific numerical goals, such as:

  • Achieving a score of 70+ in past papers consistently within three attempts.

  • Improving accuracy to over 85% by the time of the exam.

  • Answering at least 80% of the questions correctly within the time limit in the final month of preparation.

A simple numerical strategy could involve solving 3 past papers per week, reviewing mistakes, and re-attempting problematic sections until accuracy improves.

GATE 2025 Statistics Previous Years’ Papers (2019-2023)

Practicing with previous years' papers is an essential part of GATE 2025 Statistics preparation. These papers provide insight into the exam pattern, types of questions, and the difficulty level of the Statistics section. By solving them, candidates can assess their preparation and improve time management for the actual exam.

Year

Session

Question Paper Pdf

February 12, 2023

Forenoon Session

check here

February 6, 2022

Forenoon Session

check here

February 7, 2021

Afternoon Session

check here

February 2, 2020

Forenoon Session

check here

February 3, 2019

Afternoon Session

 check here

Also check:

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