Economics carries 60 marks in GATE. The other 40 marks come from two compulsory sections.
The 2027 brochure uses XH1 for Economics and XH0 for Reasoning and Comprehension. In papers up to 2026, these were called XH-C1 and XH-B1. The main paper code remains XH.
On this page
Download all three official syllabi
Use the 2027 files when organising your notes. Older question papers remain useful even though their section labels differ.
Questions, marks and duration
The GATE 2027 brochure, section 7.3.7, gives this structure.
Scroll sideways to see all columns →
| Section | Number of questions | One-mark questions | Two-mark questions | Total marks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Aptitude, GA | 10 | 5 | 5 | 15 |
| Reasoning and Comprehension, XH0 | 16 | 7 | 9 | 25 |
| Economics, XH1 | 39 | 18 | 21 | 60 |
| Full paper | 65 | 30 | 35 | 100 |
The examination is in English and lasts three hours. The full-paper time is shared across these sections. There is no separate Engineering Mathematics section in XH Economics; mathematical economics is part of the Economics syllabus.
Economics subjects and topics
| Unit | Main areas to prepare |
|---|---|
| Microeconomics | Consumer and producer theory, market structures, general equilibrium, welfare, uncertainty, information and game theory |
| Macroeconomics | National income, consumption and investment, money and inflation, business cycles, policy and open-economy models |
| Statistics, econometrics and mathematical economics | Probability and inference, regression, econometric problems, simultaneous equations, time series, calculus, optimisation, matrices and dynamics |
| International economics | Trade theories, trade policy, balance of payments, exchange rates and international institutions |
| Public economics | Public goods, externalities, taxation, government expenditure, debt and cost-benefit analysis |
| Development economics | Growth and development theories, poverty, inequality, population and development indicators |
| Indian economy | Reforms, sectoral changes, labour, poverty, public finances, monetary policy and external-sector developments |
Within the quantitative unit, prepare ARMA models, VAR, cointegration and error correction alongside regression. Game theory includes Bayesian and sequential concepts. These topics are listed in the Economics syllabus.
MCQ, MSQ and numerical answers
An MCQ has one correct option. A wrong answer loses 1/3 mark on a one-mark question or 2/3 mark on a two-mark question.
An MSQ can have more than one correct option. You receive marks only for the complete correct selection; there are no partial marks and no negative marks.
For a NAT, enter a numerical answer using the on-screen keypad. There is no negative marking. Use the accepted range in the final answer key when checking a past paper. The number of questions of each type can vary. Official paper pattern
General Aptitude and Reasoning topics
GA includes verbal, quantitative, analytical and spatial aptitude. XH0 focuses on understanding passages, arguments and relationships.
Our aptitude and reasoning guide gives a weekly practice routine. Practise all three sections together using the previous papers and answer keys.