GATE Electronics & Communication Engineering (EC) PYQs: previous year papers, answer keys and the 2027 syllabus
All 7 official EC papers from 2020 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 EC previous year papers with answer keys
Topic-wise weightage
GATE EC marks by topic, 2020–2026
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, Networks, Signals and Systems carried the most marks (16.7 per paper); Communications varied the most, from 6 to 15 marks.
Year by year
| Topic | Average | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Networks, Signals and Systems | 16.7 | 15 | 18 | 15 | 20 | 16 | 13 | 20 |
| Analog Circuits | 10.9 | 13 | 9 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 13 | 10 |
| Communications | 10.3 | 9 | 15 | 12 | 9 | 10 | 6 | 11 |
| Digital Circuits | 9.1 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 11 | 9 | 13 |
| Electronic Devices | 8.9 | 10 | 6 | 11 | 7 | 12 | 7 | 9 |
| Control Systems | 8 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 10 | 7 |
| Electromagnetics | 7.9 | 8 | 10 | 6 | 11 | 6 | 8 | 6 |
| Calculus | 4.6 | 4 | 2 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 5 |
| Probability and Statistics | 3.4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 2 |
| Linear Algebra | 2.9 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
| Complex Variables | 1.3 | – | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | – |
| Differential Equations | 1.1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | – | 1 | 1 | 1 |
GATE 2027 syllabus
What changed in the GATE 2027 EC syllabus
Topics were added across mathematics, signals, devices, analog circuits, control and communications; very little was removed.
Added or expanded
- Correlation and regression analysis
- Nyquist sampling theorem, sampling and reconstruction; FIR and IIR filter design
- Formation of energy bands in solids; scaling in MOSFETs
- Op-amp dominant-pole (Miller) compensation and phase margin
- Compensators and the PID controller (replacing lag, lead and lag-lead compensation)
- Source coding (information theory)
Removed
- First-order nonlinear differential equations (the syllabus now lists linear and Euler-Cauchy equations)
- Discrete-time processing of continuous-time signals
1 past EC question is 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.
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 EC syllabus (PDF)Questions about GATE EC
Which topics carry the most marks in GATE EC?
Across the official GATE Electronics & Communication Engineering papers from 2020–2026, the topics with the most marks per paper on average were Networks, Signals and Systems (16.7 marks), Analog Circuits (10.9 marks), Communications (10.3 marks). General Aptitude adds a fixed 15 marks.
Has the GATE 2027 EC syllabus changed?
Yes. Topics were added across mathematics, signals, devices, analog circuits, control and communications; very little was removed.
Are GATE EC 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 (First-order nonlinear differential equations (the syllabus now lists linear and Euler-Cauchy equations); Discrete-time processing of continuous-time signals) 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 EC papers can I practise on Lemyte?
7 official papers from 2020–2026. Each one runs as a full 3-hour test on an exam-style screen and is marked with the official answer key.