GATE Chemistry 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 Chemistry, 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 Chemistry

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

1. In English grammar, what are the eight traditional parts of speech?

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

2. What is the basic function of a verb in a sentence?

   A verb expresses an action (run, write), an occurrence (happen), or a state of being (is, seem); every complete sentence needs at least one verb.

3. What are the three main tenses in English, and what does each express?

   Present (action happening now or habitually), past (action completed earlier), and future (action yet to happen).

4. Name the four aspects each tense can take in English.

   Simple, continuous (progressive), perfect, and perfect continuous.

5. How is the present perfect tense formed and when is it used?

   Formed with 'has/have' + past participle (e.g., 'has written'); it links a past action to the present, often for experiences or actions with present relevance.

6. What is the difference between simple past and present perfect?

   Simple past refers to a finished action at a definite past time ('I saw him yesterday'); present perfect refers to a past action connected to now, with no specific time ('I have seen him').

7. What are the definite and indefinite articles in English?

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

8. What rule governs the choice between 'a' and 'an'?

   Use 'a' before a consonant sound and 'an' before a vowel sound (judged by sound, not spelling): 'a university', 'an hour'.

9. What is an adjective, and what does it modify?

   An adjective is a word that describes or qualifies a noun or pronoun, indicating quality, quantity, or number (e.g., 'tall', 'three', 'beautiful').

10. What are the three degrees of comparison of adjectives? Give an example.

    Positive, comparative, and superlative; e.g., 'big', 'bigger', 'biggest'.

11. What is a preposition? Give three examples.

    A preposition shows the relationship (of place, time, direction, etc.) between a noun/pronoun and another word; examples: 'in', 'on', 'between'.

12. What is a conjunction, and what are the two main types?

    A conjunction joins words, phrases, or clauses; the main types are coordinating (and, but, or) and subordinating (because, although, while).

13. What does the subject-verb agreement rule require?

    A singular subject takes a singular verb and a plural subject takes a plural verb (e.g., 'He runs' vs 'They run').

14. In subject-verb agreement, what verb form follows two singular subjects joined by 'and'?

    A plural verb, because the compound subject is plural (e.g., 'Tom and Jerry are friends')—unless the two nouns denote a single idea.

15. With subjects joined by 'either...or' or 'neither...nor', which subject governs the verb?

    The verb agrees with the nearer (closer) subject (e.g., 'Neither the teacher nor the students were present').

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

    An adverb modifies a verb, an adjective, or another adverb, expressing manner, place, time, frequency, or degree (e.g., 'quickly', 'very', 'often').

17. What is a pronoun? Give two examples.

    A pronoun is a word used in place of a noun to avoid repetition; examples: 'he', 'they', 'it', 'which'.

18. What is an interjection?

    An interjection is a word or phrase expressing sudden emotion or exclamation, usually standalone (e.g., 'Oh!', 'Wow!', 'Alas!').

19. What is an idiom in English?

    An idiom is a fixed expression whose overall meaning cannot be deduced from the literal meanings of its individual words (e.g., 'kick the bucket' means 'to die').

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

    Something that seems bad or unfortunate at first but results in a good outcome.

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

    Something that happens very rarely.

22. What does the idiom 'beat around the bush' mean?

    To avoid talking about the main point or to speak indirectly instead of being straightforward.

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