GATE DA 2025: Eligibility, Important Dates, Syllabus and More

Yana Khare Last Updated : 21 Nov, 2024
6 min read

GATE has been a pivotal exam for advanced studies in engineering and technology. Last year, the GATE DA paper was introduced, establishing Data Science and AI as distinct fields, separate from Computer Science. GATE DA 2025 builds on this initiative, offering specialized opportunities in Data Science, AI, and Big Data. Let’s explore everything about GATE DA 2025, including important dates, previous year cutoffs, and more.

Overview of GATE DA

The Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) is a pivotal examination in India, serving as a gateway for postgraduate studies and recruitment in technical fields. In 2024, recognizing the distinct and growing importance of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (AI), GATE introduced a dedicated paper for these disciplines, separating them from the traditional Computer Science (CS) paper.

Understanding GATE DA and CS

  • Computer Science (CS): This paper encompasses a broad spectrum of topics, including algorithms, programming languages, computer architecture, and operating systems. It provides a comprehensive foundation in computing principles.
  • Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (DA): Introduced to address the specialized nature of data analysis and intelligent system development, this paper focuses on areas such as machine learning, statistical methods, data handling, and AI techniques.

Key Differences

  • Scope: While CS covers a wide range of computing topics, DA zeroes in on data-centric and AI-driven methodologies.
  • Skill Set: CS emphasizes programming, system design, and theoretical computer science. In contrast, DA requires proficiency in data analysis, statistical modeling, and machine learning algorithms.

Important Dates

The dates to remember if you are interested in GATE 2025 are:

EventDate
Beginning of the online application processAugust 28, 2024
Closure of online registration and application process (no late fees will be levied)October 3, 2024
Closure of extended online registration and application process (with late fees)October 11, 2024
Window open for modifications in GATE 2024 applicationsOctober 31, 2024 to November 20, 2024
GATE Admit card downloadJanuary 2, 2025
GATE 2024 Examination dateFebruary 1, 2, 15 & 16, 2025
Check responses in the exam at the Application portal February 2025
Availability of answer keys on the GATE portalFebruary 2025
Challenge the answer keys on the GATE portalFebruary 2025
Results announcement for GATE 2024March 19, 2025
Download GATE scorecards March 28 to May 31, 2025

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for the GATE (Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering) Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (DA) exam, candidates must meet specific criteria:

  1. Educational Qualification: Candidates should have a Bachelor’s degree in Science (Post-Diploma/4 years after 10+2) or B.Sc. (Research) / B.S. in a relevant field. This includes degrees in Science and Engineering.
  2. Currently Enrolled: Candidates should be currently in the 3rd year or higher of their qualifying Bachelor’s degree program in the specified fields.
  3. Post-Diploma Candidates: Candidates with a Bachelor’s degree in Science (Post-Diploma) are also eligible.
  4. Age Limit: No age limit is defined for applying for the GATE exam.
  5. Nationality: Indian citizens can take the GATE exam, and international students meeting the necessary educational qualifications can also apply. Candidates must note that there are no international exam centres for foreign nationals. 
  6. GATE International Students: Candidates from Nepal, Bangladesh, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Ethiopia, and the United Arab Emirates can apply for GATE 2025.

GATE Data Science and Artificial Intelligence Exam Pattern

As mentioned, the examiners will divide 100 marks into two sections to test their abilities. They will categorize the questions into two types based on the answering method and the knowledge.

Exam Mode

GATE DA 2025 is a Computer-Based Test (CBT) where students must go to their respective examination centres.

Duration

The exam is 3 hours (180 minutes).

Sections

There are 2 sections: General Aptitude (GA) and Candidate’s Selected Subject.

Question Type Based on Answering Method

  • Multiple Choice Questions or MCQs: You must select one correct option among the present options. 
  • Multiple Select Questions or MSQs: You must select all the appropriate answers from the available options. 
  • Numerical Answer Type or NAT: You will not have any option. You will have to enter the numerical digits as the answer. 

Number of Questions

The test will include 10 questions from GA and 55 questions specific to the candidate’s chosen subject. Thus, the total number of questions is 15 + 85 = 100.

Marking Scheme

The questions can carry either 1 or 2 marks. Furthermore, there is a negative marking for incorrect answer choices. But no marks will be deducted if you leave the answer blank.

The negative marking goes like this:

  • A ‘1-mark MCQ’ will be deducted with ⅓ mark for a wrong answer. 
  • A ‘2-mark MCQ’ will be deducted with a ⅔ mark for the wrong answer. 
  • Candidates must note no negative marking for Numerical Answer Type or NAT questions. 

Also, partial marks will not be awarded in MSQ or Multiple Select Questions. 

Skills Tested in GATE DA 2025

  • Recall: The examiners will test candidates’ memory-based knowledge, including principles, formulas, laws, and facts.
  • Comprehension: The examiners will assess candidates’ inference and concluding abilities based on the provided information. It can be a scenario or experiment or similar other comprehensive questions. 
  • Application: These questions will test the candidate’s ability to utilize the application skills of the obtained knowledge. It simply tests practical abilities. 
  • Analysis and Synthesis: The candidates must analyze the question thoroughly and use their imagination and drawing skills to conclude. Rough flow charts or images will be helpful here. 

GATE 2025 Exam Dates

The exam date according to the papers.

GATE 2025 Exam Day and DateTimingsGATE 2025 Test Papers
February 1, 2025 (Saturday)9:30 AM to 12:30 PM CS1, AG, MA
2:30 PM to 5:30 pm CS2, NM, MT, TF, IN
February 2, 2025 (Sunday)9:30 AM to 12:30 PM ME, PE, AR
2:30 PM to 5:30 PM EE
February 15, 2025 (Saturday)9:30 AM to 12:30 PM CY, AE, DA, ES, PI
2:30 PM to 5:30 PMEC, GE, XH, BM, EY
February 16, 2025 (Sunday)9:30 AM to 12:30 PM CE1, GG, CH, PH, BT
2:30 PM to 5:30 PM CE2, ST, XE, XL, MN

GATE DA 2025 Syllabus

The GATE 2025 DA syllabus encompasses diverse subjects; these topics encapsulate the fundamental knowledge required to excel in data science and AI. Lets have a look at the prescribed syllabus:

SubjectsSubtopics
Probability and StatisticsCounting (Permutations and Combinations)
Probability Axioms
Sample Space
Events
Independent Events
Mutually Exclusive Events
Marginal, Conditional, and Joint Probability
Bayes’ Theorem
Conditional Expectation and Variance
Mean, Median, Mode, and Standard Deviation
Correlation and Covariance
Random Variables
Discrete Random Variables and Probability Mass Functions (Uniform, Bernoulli, and Binomial Distribution)
Continuous Random Variables and Probability Distribution Functions (Uniform, Exponential, Poisson, Normal, Standard Normal, t-Distribution, Chi-Squared Distributions)
Cumulative Distribution Function
Conditional Probability Density Function
Central Limit Theorem
Confidence Interval
z-Test
t-Test
Chi-Squared Test
Linear AlgebraVector Space
Subspaces
Linear Dependence and Independence of Vectors
Matrices
Projection Matrix
Orthogonal Matrix
Idempotent Matrix
Partition Matrix and Their Properties
Quadratic Forms
Systems of Linear Equations and Solutions
Gaussian Elimination
Eigenvalues and Eigenvectors
Determinant
Rank
Nullity
Projections
LU Decomposition
Singular Value Decomposition
Calculus and OptimizationFunctions of a Single Variable
Limit
Continuity and Differentiability
Taylor Series
Maxima and Minima
Optimization Involving a Single Variable
Programming, Data Structures, and AlgorithmsProgramming in Python
Basic Data Structures: Stacks, Queues, Linked Lists, Trees, and Hash Tables
Search Algorithms: Linear Search and Binary Search
Basic Sorting Algorithms: Selection Sort, Bubble Sort, Insertion Sort
Divide and Conquer Techniques: Mergesort, Quicksort
Introduction to Graph Theory
Basic Graph Algorithms: Traversals and the Shortest Path
Database Management and WarehousingER-Model (Entity-Relationship Model)
Relational Model: Relational Algebra, Tuple Calculus
SQL (Structured Query Language)
Integrity Constraints
Normal Form
File Organization
Indexing
Data Types
Data Transformation: Normalization, Discretization, Sampling, and Compression
Data Warehouse Modeling: Schema for Multidimensional Data Models
Concept Hierarchies
Measures: Categorization and Computations
Machine LearningSupervised and Unsupervised Learning
Regression and Classification Problems
Simple Linear Regression
Multiple Linear Regression
Ridge Regression
Logistic Regression
k-Nearest Neighbors
Naive Bayes Classifier
Linear Discriminant Analysis
Support Vector Machine
Decision Trees
Bias-Variance Trade-off
Cross-validation Methods: Leave-One-Out (LOO) Cross-validation, k-Folds Cross-validation
Multi-layer Perceptron
Feed-forward Neural Network
Clustering Algorithms
k-Means and k-Medoid Clustering
Hierarchical Clustering
Dimensionality Reduction
Principal Component Analysis (PCA)
Artificial Intelligence (AI)Search: Informed Search, Uninformed Search, Adversarial Search
Logic: Propositional Logic, Predicate Logic
Reasoning under Uncertainty Topics
Conditional Independence Representation
Exact Inference through Variable Elimination
Approximate Inference through Sampling

Here is the link for the elaborate syllabus.

Gate DA Previous Year Cut-off

  • General: 37.1
  • OBC-NCL/EWS: 33.3
  • SC/ST/PwD: 24.7

Registration and Application Process

Candidates must first register on the website and fill in the application form. 

Step 1: Click on the link (https://gate2025.iisc.ac.in/), scroll down, and click on the ‘login’ button. 

Step 2: Once redirected, scroll down to ‘register here’ again. Alternatively, you can visit the link directly (https://goaps.iitr.ac.in/login). 

Step 3: Fill in your details and click on ‘confirm.’ You will get a confirmation message displayed. Cross-check the name spelling and go ahead. 

Step 4: Further blank columns will open to fill in the details like email address, phone number, password, and captcha code. Click on the ‘register’ option.

Step 5: You will get a confirmation message. Now, receive credentials on email and mobile number. Move ahead to log in and fill in the details. 

Step 6: Once you log in, check the declaration box. Tick the box after reviewing the information brochure and click ‘Start filling out the GATE 2025 application form’. 

Step 7: Fill in all the details for the exhibited sections, followed by paying the timely fees to be eligible for appearing for the exam. 

Colleges Accepting GATE DA

GATE DA has been recognized by several premier institutions in India for their postgraduate programs. Here’s an overview of some top colleges accepting GATE DA:

  • IIT Madras
  • IIT Delhi
  • IIT Bombay
  • IIT Kanpur
  • IIT Kharagpur
  • IIT Roorkee
  • IIT Guwahati
  • IIT Hyderabad
  • NIT Trichy
  • NIT Surathkal
  • NIT Warangal
  • NIT Calicut
  • IISc Bangalore
  • IIITs
  • Private Universities (e.g., BITS Pilani, VIT Vellore, SRM University)

Conclusion

As we move forward in this data-driven era, GATE DA 2025 stands as a beacon of opportunity for those who aspire to shape the future through Data Science and Artificial Intelligence. It offers a platform to embark on a rewarding academic and professional journey, unlocking doors to exciting careers in these rapidly evolving fields. Analytics Vidhya’s blog and Free Courses cover many topics in the GATE DA syllabus.

All the best!

A 23-year-old, pursuing her Master's in English, an avid reader, and a melophile. My all-time favorite quote is by Albus Dumbledore - "Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times if one remembers to turn on the light."

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