GATE Computer Science & Information Technology (CS) PYQs: previous year papers, answer keys and the 2027 syllabus
All 23 official CS papers from 2014 to 2026 with their answer keys (each as a PDF), how the marks were spread across topics, and what changed for GATE 2027.
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GATE CS previous year papers with answer keys
Topic-wise weightage
GATE CS marks by topic, 2014–2026
Marks out of the 85 subject marks in each paper (General Aptitude adds 15), counted from the official papers and keys. Where a year had two sets, the sets are averaged first, so each year counts once. On average, Programming and Data Structures carried the most marks (10.8 per paper); Discrete Mathematics varied the most, from 4.5 to 15 marks.
Year by year
| Topic | Average | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Programming and Data Structures | 10.8 | 9 | 16 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 7 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 11.5 | 11 |
| Computer Organization and Architecture | 8.9 | 7 | 5.3 | 8.5 | 10 | 11 | 5 | 12 | 7.5 | 11 | 9 | 10 | 10.5 | 9.5 |
| Discrete Mathematics | 8.7 | 14 | 9.7 | 9 | 6.5 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 6.5 | 15 | 11 | 8 | 4.5 | 4.5 |
| Operating System | 8.2 | 7.3 | 7.7 | 9 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 6.5 | 8 | 10 | 8 | 7.5 | 8.5 |
| Computer Networks | 8 | 9 | 9 | 9.5 | 7.5 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 10 | 8 | 9 | 6 | 8.5 |
| Theory of Computation | 7.8 | 6 | 6 | 9 | 9.5 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 8.5 | 8 | 9 | 7 | 7.5 | 6 |
| Algorithms | 7.4 | 7.7 | 7 | 9 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 10 |
| Databases | 7.1 | 8 | 6 | 5.5 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 7 | 5 | 8 | 8 | 6 |
| Compiler Design | 5.6 | 3.7 | 4 | 6.5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 8 | 4 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 5.5 |
| Digital Logic | 5 | 4.3 | 5 | 3.5 | 4.5 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 6.5 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 6.5 | 7 |
| Probability and Statistics | 2.8 | 1.7 | 1.3 | 2 | 3.5 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 5 | – | 2 | 3.5 | 4.5 | 3 |
| Linear Algebra | 2.7 | 2 | 3 | 1.5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2.5 | 5 | 1 | 2.5 | 3.5 | 2.5 |
| Calculus | 1.9 | 5.3 | 5 | 1 | 1.5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
GATE 2027 syllabus
What changed in the GATE 2027 CS syllabus
Computer Networks is cut down to its core, and Digital Logic and Computer Organization now ask for design (ALU, control unit, memory interfacing) rather than just concepts.
Added or expanded
- Boolean minimization by algebraic technique, Karnaugh map and tabular method; design of combinational and sequential circuits
- Design of the ALU, and of the control unit (hardwired and microprogrammed)
- Memory interfacing; memory hierarchy performance and cache memory mapping
- Network performance metrics; socket API
Removed
- Secondary storage (memory hierarchy now covers cache and interfacing)
- OSI and TCP/IP protocol stacks by name (now 'principles of layering'); framing; Ethernet bridging
- Shortest-path and flooding routing (distance vector and link state remain)
- IP addressing as a separate item; ARP, DHCP and ICMP
- UDP (TCP flow and congestion control remain)
- SMTP, FTP and email (DNS and HTTP remain)
15 past CS questions are on removed topics
These topics are no longer listed in the 2027 syllabus, so you can give them less time. They stay in the papers (the papers are official), marked in each answer key.
- GATE 2026 CS (Set 1) Q51 · Secondary storage (magnetic disk)
- GATE 2026 CS (Set 2) Q29 · ARP, DHCP and ICMP
- GATE 2025 CS (Set 2) Q19 · ARP, DHCP and ICMP
- GATE 2024 CS (Set 1) Q53 · Secondary storage (magnetic disk)
- GATE 2024 CS (Set 2) Q56 · Secondary storage (magnetic disk)
- GATE 2021 CS (Set 1) Q13 · ARP, DHCP and ICMP
- GATE 2019 CS Q22 · SMTP, FTP and e-mail protocols
- GATE 2019 CS Q41 · ARP, DHCP and ICMP
- GATE 2018 CS Q25 · UDP
- GATE 2016 CS (Set 1) Q18 · SMTP, FTP and e-mail protocols
- GATE 2016 CS (Set 1) Q25 · ARP, DHCP and ICMP
- GATE 2015 CS (Set 1) Q35 · SMTP, FTP and e-mail protocols
- GATE 2015 CS (Set 1) Q52 · Secondary storage (magnetic disk)
- GATE 2015 CS (Set 2) Q38 · Secondary storage (magnetic disk)
- GATE 2014 CS (Set 3) Q18 · Framing (data link layer)
Compared line by line with the official 2026 syllabus. Source: GATE 2027 information brochure, IIT Madras (revised 27 September 2026).
Download the official GATE 2027 CS syllabus (PDF)Questions about GATE CS
Which topics carry the most marks in GATE CS?
Across the official GATE Computer Science & Information Technology papers from 2014–2026, the topics with the most marks per paper on average were Programming and Data Structures (10.8 marks), Computer Organization and Architecture (8.9 marks), Discrete Mathematics (8.7 marks). General Aptitude adds a fixed 15 marks.
Has the GATE 2027 CS syllabus changed?
Yes. Computer Networks is cut down to its core, and Digital Logic and Computer Organization now ask for design (ALU, control unit, memory interfacing) rather than just concepts.
Are GATE CS previous year papers still useful for 2027?
Yes, for most topics: the core of the syllabus is the same. Questions on topics removed in 2027 (Secondary storage (memory hierarchy now covers cache and interfacing); OSI and TCP/IP protocol stacks by name (now 'principles of layering'); framing; Ethernet bridging) are no longer listed in the 2027 syllabus, so give them less time.
When is the GATE 2027 exam?
GATE 2027 is organised by IIT Madras on 6, 7, 13, 14, 20 and 21 February 2027, in a forenoon (9:30 AM to 12:30 PM) and an afternoon (2:30 PM to 5:30 PM) session. Results are due on 19 March 2027. The date of each paper is announced by IIT Madras.
How many GATE CS papers can I practise on Lemyte?
23 official papers from 2014–2026. Each one runs as a full 3-hour test on an exam-style screen and is marked with the official answer key.