GATE Electrical Engineering General Aptitude Syllabus

What is the difference between a synonym and an antonym?

A synonym is a word with the same or nearly the same meaning as another (big/large). An antonym is a word with the opposite meaning (big/small).

What are homophones, homonyms, and homographs?

Homophones sound alike but differ in meaning/spelling (their/there). Homonyms share spelling and sound but differ in meaning (bat the animal vs bat for cricket). Homographs share spelling but may differ in sound and meaning (lead the metal vs lead to guide).

What is the meaning of the prefix and root in 'circumnavigate'?

The prefix 'circum-' means around and the root 'navigare' means to sail; thus 'circumnavigate' means to travel all the way around (especially by sea).

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

A good thing that initially appeared to be bad or unfortunate.

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

To force oneself to endure or get through an unpleasant or difficult situation that is unavoidable.

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

Very rarely; something that happens only on rare occasions.

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

To reveal a secret, often accidentally or carelessly.

What does the idiom 'the ball is in your court' mean?

It is now your responsibility or turn to take action or make the next decision.

Distinguish between the commonly confused words 'affect' and 'effect'.

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

Distinguish between 'principal' and 'principle'.

'Principal' means main/most important, or the head of a school, or a sum of money. 'Principle' is a noun meaning a fundamental rule or belief.

What is the difference between a phrase used literally and idiomatically, e.g., 'break the ice'?

Literally it means to physically crack ice; idiomatically 'break the ice' means to initiate conversation or ease tension in a social setting. Context determines which meaning applies.

In reading comprehension, what is the difference between the main idea and a supporting detail?

The main idea is the central point or overall message the author conveys. Supporting details are specific facts, examples, or reasons that develop, explain, or back up the main idea.

In reading comprehension, what does it mean to make an inference?

To draw a logical conclusion that is not explicitly stated in the text, using given evidence combined with reasoning ('reading between the lines').

What is the difference between the tone and the purpose of a passage?

Tone is the author's attitude toward the subject (e.g., critical, optimistic, ironic). Purpose is the author's reason for writing — typically to inform, persuade, entertain, or describe.

What is narrative sequencing, and what signal words indicate order of events?

Narrative sequencing is arranging events in their correct chronological or logical order. Signal words include first, then, next, before, after, meanwhile, finally, and subsequently.

What is data interpretation in aptitude tests?

The process of reading, analyzing, and drawing conclusions from data presented in tables, charts, or graphs, often involving calculations of totals, averages, ratios, and percentages.

What does a bar graph represent and when is it best used?

A bar graph uses rectangular bars whose lengths are proportional to the values they represent. It is best for comparing discrete categories or showing changes over distinct intervals.

What does a pie chart represent, and how many degrees correspond to one full chart?

A pie chart shows parts of a whole as proportional sectors of a circle. The full circle represents 100% and spans $360^{\circ}$, so each 1% corresponds to $\frac{360^{\circ}}{100} = 3.6^{\circ}$.

In a pie chart, what central angle represents a category that is 25% of the total?

$0.25 \times 360^{\circ} = 90^{\circ}$.

What is a line graph best suited for displaying?

A line graph is best for showing trends and continuous changes in data over time, where points are connected to reveal the direction and rate of change.

What is the formula for percentage change between an old value and a new value?

$$\text{Percentage change} = \frac{\text{New value} - \text{Old value}}{\text{Old value}} \times 100\%$$

How do you compute the arithmetic mean (average) of a data set in data interpretation?

$$\bar{x} = \frac{\sum_{i=1}^{n} x_i}{n}$$ — the sum of all values divided by the number of values $n$.

In a frequency table, how is the mean calculated for grouped data with values $x_i$ and frequencies $f_i$?

$$\bar{x} = \frac{\sum f_i x_i}{\sum f_i}$$

What is the difference between a histogram and a bar graph?

A histogram displays the distribution of continuous numerical data with adjacent bars (no gaps) over intervals/bins. A bar graph compares discrete categories with separated bars.

What does a scatter plot show, and what does the pattern of points indicate?

A scatter plot displays paired values of two variables as points on a 2D plane. The pattern indicates correlation: an upward trend = positive correlation, downward = negative, no pattern = no correlation.

In a 3-dimensional plot, what do the three axes typically represent?

The three mutually perpendicular axes ($x$, $y$, $z$) represent three variables or dimensions, allowing visualization of a relationship or surface $z = f(x, y)$ in space.

On a map, what does the scale indicate, and how is a ratio scale like 1:50,000 interpreted?

The scale shows the ratio between distance on the map and actual ground distance. A scale of 1:50,000 means 1 unit on the map equals 50,000 of the same units on the ground (e.g., 1 cm = 50,000 cm = 0.5 km).

In reading a data table, what are rows and columns generally used to organize?

Rows typically list individual records or categories (read horizontally), while columns list the attributes/variables or time periods (read vertically); a cell holds the value for a given row-column intersection.

What is the formula to find what percentage one quantity $A$ is of a total $T$ in data interpretation?

$$\text{Percentage} = \frac{A}{T} \times 100\%$$

In a stacked bar graph, how is the value of an individual segment determined?

Each bar's total length represents the sum of its categories; the value of an individual segment equals the difference between its upper and lower boundary marks on the axis, i.e., the length of that segment alone, not its top endpoint.