The Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering or GATE primarily enables engineering graduates to get admission to coveted post-graduate programmes in high-ranking institutes, apart from getting good job placements in the public sector. Contrary to popular perception, this premier entrance test is not restricted to engineering and science graduates alone. Those who have studied humanities and social science can also attempt the GATE. And, if they get a good GATE score, it opens a floodgate of opportunities for them in both the higher education and professional fields. The GATE score comes in handy when they apply for jobs which are linked to the subject which they have studied. However, while applying for overseas jobs, a brief explanation will have to be given in your resume on what is GATE.
The GATE score has a validity of three years.
It is estimated that over seven lakh students wrote the GATE this year. The GATE is conducted in 29 subjects and a majority of these subjects belong to the engineering stream. But many subjects coming under humanities, social science and life science too find a place in the list. This gives the students from the non-engineering stream a chance to exploit the benefits of a good GATE score. They can embellish their resume by highlighting their impressive GATE ranking.
Those who are eager to pursue higher studies in the above-said areas can give a good try in GATE. Tests are conducted in English Literature, Economics, Linguistics, Sociology, Psychology and Philosophy. Those who have a postgraduate degree and a good GATE score may get admission to Ph.D programmes offered by various Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) in humanities and social science.
The GATE is a conducted on a collaborative basis by the Bangalore-based Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and the IITs of Mumbai, Delhi, Kharagpur, Chennai, Kanpur, Roorkee and Guwahati.
The code 'XH' is given to respective subjects in humanities and social science for the exam. This system was first introduced in 2020.
Valid for Singapore, German institutes
The GATE score is taken into account by Singapore universities such as National University of Singapore and Nanyang Technological University during admissions to both Ph.D and PG programmes. This is applicable to science subjects too.
German Institutes such as TU Munich and RWTH Aachen are also giving weightage for GATE score during admissions to higher education programmes.
At the time of including humanities and social science subjects in GATE, IIT Mumbai Director Subhasis Chaudhury had said that the Central Government might start considering GATE score while going for appointments to Central Government posts related to humanities.
GATE score is considered in the admission to Humanities Fellow Programme in Indian Institute of Management (IIM) in Calicut.
Benefits for science students
There has been much demand for GATE among science students. The tests are held in Physics, Chemistry and Life Science in this stream. Those PG graduates who have a good score in the above said papers in the GATE can get admission to Ph.D in the IITs.
Those who score well in GATE in Physics, Chemistry and Geology will get admission to the Orientation Course for Engineering and Science (OCES) programmes run by the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC).
Organisations such as Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) and Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) recruited chemists on the basis of GATE score in Chemistry. The ONGC has also appointed many of those who have got high GATE scores in Geology.
But such appointments are less in the science stream compared to the engineering sector.
Those who perform well in Mathematics in the GATE may get into Maths-related M.Tech or Ph.D programmes in IITs and other premiere institutes.