GATE Biotechnology 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 Biotechnology, 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 Biotechnology

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

1. What are the three basic verb tenses in English, and what time does each refer to?

   Present (action happening now or habitual), Past (action that already happened), and Future (action that will happen). Each can also take simple, continuous, perfect, and perfect-continuous aspects.

2. What is the present perfect tense used for, and how is it formed?

   It links a past action to the present (an action completed at an unspecified time or continuing up to now). Formed with 'has/have' + past participle, e.g., 'She has finished the report.'

3. Distinguish the past simple from the present perfect with an example.

   Past simple states a finished action at a definite past time ('I visited Delhi in 2019'); present perfect connects to now or uses indefinite time ('I have visited Delhi'). Definite time markers (yesterday, in 2019) require past simple, not present perfect.

4. What is the difference between the definite and indefinite articles?

   The definite article 'the' refers to a specific, known noun; the indefinite articles 'a/an' refer to a non-specific singular noun. 'A' precedes consonant sounds, 'an' precedes vowel sounds.

5. When should 'an' be used instead of 'a', and what governs the choice?

   'An' is used before a word beginning with a vowel SOUND, not just a vowel letter, e.g., 'an hour', 'an MBA'. 'A' is used before a consonant sound, e.g., 'a university', 'a one-rupee coin.'

6. What is the function of an adjective, and what are the degrees of comparison?

   An adjective modifies (describes) a noun or pronoun. Its three degrees of comparison are positive (tall), comparative (taller / more beautiful), and superlative (tallest / most beautiful).

7. State the rule for forming comparative and superlative degrees of one-syllable versus multi-syllable adjectives.

   One-syllable adjectives add '-er'/'-est' (fast, faster, fastest). Most adjectives of three or more syllables use 'more'/'most' (more difficult, most difficult). Two-syllable adjectives vary by ending.

8. What is a preposition, and what does it express?

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

9. Differentiate the prepositions 'between' and 'among'.

   'Between' is used for two persons or things (or for distinct individual items); 'among' is used for more than two regarded as a group, e.g., 'between you and me' vs. 'among the students.'

10. What is a conjunction, and what are its two main types?

    A conjunction joins words, phrases, or clauses. The two main types are coordinating conjunctions (and, but, or, nor, for, yet, so) joining equal elements, and subordinating conjunctions (because, although, if, when) joining a dependent clause to a main clause.

11. What are correlative conjunctions? Give two examples.

    Correlative conjunctions are paired words that work together to join elements, requiring parallel structure. Examples: 'either...or', 'neither...nor', 'not only...but also', 'both...and.'

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

    A verb must agree with its subject in number and person: a singular subject takes a singular verb, and a plural subject takes a plural verb, e.g., 'The dog runs' vs. 'The dogs run.'

13. In subject-verb agreement, what verb form do subjects joined by 'either...or' or 'neither...nor' take?

    The verb agrees with the nearer (closer) subject. In 'Neither the manager nor the workers were present', 'workers' (nearest) is plural, so 'were' is used.

14. What verb number do collective nouns and indefinite pronouns like 'each', 'everyone', 'nobody' take?

    Indefinite pronouns such as 'each', 'everyone', 'everybody', 'nobody', 'someone' are singular and take a singular verb, e.g., 'Everyone is ready.' Collective nouns usually take a singular verb when acting as one unit.

15. Name the eight parts of speech in English grammar.

    Noun, pronoun, verb, adjective, adverb, preposition, conjunction, and interjection.

16. What is an adverb, and what does it typically modify?

    An adverb modifies a verb, an adjective, or another adverb, expressing manner, place, time, frequency, or degree (e.g., 'quickly', 'here', 'often', 'very'). Many are formed by adding '-ly' to an adjective.

17. What is the difference between a gerund and a present participle, since both end in '-ing'?

    A gerund is an '-ing' verb form used as a noun ('Swimming is fun'); a present participle is an '-ing' form used as part of a continuous verb or as an adjective ('He is swimming'; 'the swimming pool').

18. What does the idiom 'to bite the bullet' mean?

    To bite the bullet means to force oneself to do or endure something difficult or unpleasant that has been put off, accepting it with courage.

19. What does the idiom 'a blessing in disguise' mean?

    It refers to something that seems bad or unfortunate at first but results in a good or beneficial outcome.

20. What does the idiom 'to let the cat out of the bag' mean?

    To reveal a secret carelessly or by mistake.

21. What does the phrase 'once in a blue moon' indicate?

    It indicates something that happens very rarely or almost never.

22. What does the idiom 'to cut corners' mean?

    To do something in the easiest, quickest, or cheapest way, often by sacrificing quality or skipping important steps.

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