GATE 2021 Day 3 analysis: Number of MSQs increased, students claim ‘difficulty level high’

GATE 2021: Of the 1,21,664 candidates registered for the the first shift of the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) 2021, about 77.1 per cent had appeared for the exam, as per the IIT-Bombay – GATE 2021 organising institute. Those who clear GATE are eligible for admission to MTech at IITs, IISc as well as jobs at PSUs.

The exam is to be conducted in two sessions today. In this first session, the number of multiple select questions – a new introduction in GATE – was increased. While last week the number of such questions remained five or less. In today’s exam, there were about 12 MSTs, as per students.

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Kajal Vats, associate, community-GATE, Gradeup the exam had about 15 per cent theoretical questions and almost half of the exam had direct and concept-based numericals. However, she has ranked the math and general aptitude section of the exam to be easy. The exam had 14-15 numerical answer type questions. The highest weightage was given to the algorithm and discrete mathematics section, she informed.

Vats expect the qualifying cut-off to be about 28. She said, with a lesser number of PSU jobs expected this year, students need to have a look at the options beyond the regular course of action after cracking GATE.

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Murali Karthikeyan from TIME has ranked the exam to be of moderate to hard level of difficulty. He, however, said that the qualifying cut-off is unlikely to be impacted and should remain at par with last year as then too the exam was comparatively tough.

This year, 8,82,684 candidates have applied for the GATE 2021 for 27 papers.  A total of 2,88,379 female students have registered this year. This is an increase of about 10,000 from last year.