GATE Architecture & Planning General Aptitude Syllabus

General Aptitude syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for General Aptitude in GATE Architecture & Planning, not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Verbal Aptitude

   3 topics

   • Basic English grammar
     • Tenses
     • Articles
     • Adjectives
     • Prepositions
     • Conjunctions
     • Verb-noun agreement
     • Other parts of speech
   • Basic vocabulary
     • Words
     • Idioms
     • Phrases in context
   • Reading and comprehension
     • Narrative sequencing
2. 2

   Quantitative Aptitude

   3 topics

   • Data interpretation
     • Data graphs (bar graphs, pie charts, and other graphs representing the data)
     • 2- and 3-dimensional plots
     • Maps and tables
   • Numerical computation and estimation
     • Ratios
     • Percentages
     • Powers
     • Exponents and logarithms
     • Permutations and combinations
     • Series
   • Mensuration and geometry
     • Elementary statistics and probability
3. 3

   Analytical Aptitude

   1 topic

   • Logic
     • Deduction and induction
     • Analogy
     • Numerical relations and reasoning
4. 4

   Spatial Aptitude

   2 topics

   • Transformation of shapes
     • Translation
     • Rotation
     • Scaling
     • Mirroring
     • Assembling and grouping
   • Paper folding, cutting, and patterns in 2 and 3 dimensions

General Aptitude flashcards for GATE Architecture & Planning

22 of 50 cards from the General Aptitude deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. In English grammar, what are the four basic types of sentences classified by purpose?

   Declarative (states a fact), Interrogative (asks a question), Imperative (gives a command/request), and Exclamatory (expresses strong emotion).

2. Define the 'subject' and the 'predicate' of a sentence.

   The subject is the person or thing the sentence is about (who/what performs the action); the predicate is the part containing the verb that says something about the subject.

3. What is the difference between the simple present and present continuous tense, with an example?

   Simple present states habitual/general facts ('She writes letters'); present continuous describes an action happening now ('She is writing a letter'), formed with am/is/are + verb-ing.

4. How is the present perfect tense formed and what does it express?

   Formed with has/have + past participle (e.g., 'I have finished'). It links a past action to the present, expressing completed actions with present relevance or experience without a specific time.

5. Distinguish the simple past tense from the past perfect tense.

   Simple past denotes a completed action at a definite past time ('He arrived'). Past perfect (had + past participle, 'He had arrived') denotes an action completed before another past action.

6. What is the structure and use of the future perfect tense?

   Structure: will have + past participle (e.g., 'By June I will have finished'). It expresses an action that will be completed before a specified point in the future.

7. What are the three articles in English and how are they classified?

   'A' and 'an' are indefinite articles (refer to a non-specific singular noun); 'the' is the definite article (refers to a specific noun).

8. State the rule for choosing between the articles 'a' and 'an'.

   Use 'a' before a word beginning with a consonant sound ('a university', 'a one'); use 'an' before a word beginning with a vowel sound ('an hour', 'an apple'). It depends on sound, not spelling.

9. What is an adjective, and what are the three degrees of comparison?

   An adjective describes or qualifies a noun/pronoun. The three degrees are: positive (tall), comparative (taller), and superlative (tallest).

10. What is the correct order of multiple adjectives before a noun (OSASCOMP)?

    Opinion, Size, Age, Shape, Colour, Origin, Material, Purpose — e.g., 'a lovely small old round red Italian wooden serving bowl.'

11. What is a preposition, and what does it show?

    A preposition is a word placed before a noun/pronoun to show its relationship (of place, time, direction, or manner) to another word, e.g., 'in', 'on', 'at', 'under', 'between'.

12. Explain the preposition difference between 'in', 'on', and 'at' for time.

    'At' for precise times (at 5 pm), 'on' for days and dates (on Monday), 'in' for months, years, and longer periods (in July, in 2026).

13. What is a conjunction, and what are its three main types?

    A conjunction joins words, phrases, or clauses. The three types are: coordinating (and, but, or), subordinating (because, although, if), and correlative (either…or, neither…nor).

14. List the seven coordinating conjunctions remembered by the acronym FANBOYS.

    For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So.

15. State the basic rule of subject-verb (verb-noun) agreement.

    A singular subject takes a singular verb and a plural subject takes a plural verb (e.g., 'The boy runs' vs 'The boys run').

16. In subject-verb agreement, what verb form is used with two singular subjects joined by 'and' versus by 'or/nor'?

    Subjects joined by 'and' take a plural verb ('Tom and Jim are here'). With 'or/nor', the verb agrees with the nearer subject ('Neither the boys nor the girl is here').

17. What are the eight traditional parts of speech in English?

    Noun, Pronoun, Verb, Adjective, Adverb, Preposition, Conjunction, and Interjection.

18. What is an adverb and what four main questions can it answer?

    An adverb modifies a verb, adjective, or another adverb. It typically answers how (manner), when (time), where (place), and to what extent (degree).

19. Distinguish between a common noun, a proper noun, and an abstract noun.

    A common noun names a general thing ('city'); a proper noun names a specific entity and is capitalized ('Delhi'); an abstract noun names an idea, quality, or feeling ('honesty').

20. Differentiate the homophones 'affect' and 'effect' in standard usage.

    'Affect' is usually a verb meaning to influence ('Rain affects the crop'); 'effect' is usually a noun meaning the result ('The effect was severe').

21. What is the meaning of the idiom 'to bite the bullet'?

    To force oneself to do or endure something difficult or unpleasant that has been avoided.

22. What does the idiom 'once in a blue moon' mean?

    Very rarely; something that happens only on rare occasions.

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