GATE Textile Engineering General Aptitude Syllabus

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

It means something that happens very rarely or extremely infrequently.

What is the difference between the homophones 'their', 'there', and 'they're'?

'Their' is a possessive (their house); 'there' indicates a place or existence (over there); 'they're' is the contraction of 'they are'.

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

'Affect' is usually a verb meaning to influence (it affects me); 'effect' is usually a noun meaning a result (the effect was clear).

What is the difference between a phrase and a clause?

A phrase is a group of related words lacking a subject-verb pair and cannot stand alone; a clause contains a subject and a verb and may be independent (a complete sentence) or dependent.

What does the prefix 'un-' generally mean, and how does it change a word?

The prefix 'un-' means 'not' or 'opposite of', negating the root word (e.g., happy → unhappy, do → undo).

What is a synonym and an antonym? Give a synonym and antonym for 'abundant'.

A synonym is a word with a similar meaning; an antonym has the opposite meaning. For 'abundant': synonym = plentiful; antonym = scarce.

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

The main idea is the central point the author makes about the topic; supporting details are facts, examples, or reasons that explain or back up the main idea.

What does it mean to infer the meaning of a word from context in a reading passage?

It means deducing an unknown word's meaning using surrounding clues — definitions, examples, contrast words, or the overall sense of the sentence — rather than a dictionary.

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

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

What is data interpretation in the context of aptitude tests?

It is the skill of reading, analyzing, and drawing conclusions from data presented in tables, charts, and graphs to answer quantitative questions.

What is a bar graph, and when is it most appropriate to use one?

A bar graph uses rectangular bars of lengths proportional to values to compare quantities across distinct categories. It is best for comparing discrete groups or categories.

In a pie chart, what is the formula relating a category's value to its sector (central) angle?

$$\text{Angle} = \frac{\text{Category value}}{\text{Total value}} \times 360^{\circ}$$

In a pie chart, how do you convert a sector's central angle into a percentage of the whole?

$$\text{Percentage} = \frac{\text{Sector angle}}{360^{\circ}} \times 100\%$$

What does a line graph best represent in data interpretation?

A line graph best shows trends and changes in a continuous variable over time, with the slope indicating the rate of increase or decrease.

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

$$\text{Percentage change} = \frac{\text{New} - \text{Old}}{\text{Old}} \times 100\%$$ A positive result is an increase; negative is a decrease.

How is the arithmetic mean (average) of a data set calculated?

$$\bar{x} = \frac{\sum_{i=1}^{n} x_i}{n}$$ where the numerator is the sum of all observations and $n$ is the number of observations.

What is the difference between the median and the mode of a data set?

The median is the middle value when data are arranged in order; the mode is the value that occurs most frequently.

In a histogram, what does the area of each bar represent, and how does it differ from a bar graph?

In a histogram bars represent continuous data ranges (class intervals) with no gaps, and the area is proportional to frequency; a bar graph shows discrete categories with gaps between bars.

What is a scatter plot, and what does it reveal about two variables?

A scatter plot displays paired data as points on a 2D plane to show the relationship (correlation) between two variables — positive, negative, or none — and possible clustering or outliers.

What distinguishes a 2-dimensional plot from a 3-dimensional plot in data representation?

A 2D plot shows the relationship between two variables on x- and y-axes; a 3D plot adds a third axis (z) to display a relationship among three variables, often as a surface or scatter in space.

On a map, what is a scale and what does a scale of 1:50,000 mean?

A scale relates map distance to 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).

How do you read a value from a two-way data table?

Locate the intersection of the relevant row (one category) and column (another category); the cell at that intersection gives the value combining both categories.

If a quantity grows from 200 to 250, what is the percentage increase?

$$\frac{250 - 200}{200} \times 100\% = \frac{50}{200} \times 100\% = 25\%$$

What is the formula to find a number when a given percentage of it is known (e.g., 20% of x = 40)?

Divide the known part by the percentage as a fraction: $x = \frac{40}{0.20} = 200$. Generally $x = \frac{\text{part}}{\text{percentage}/100}$.

In data interpretation, what is the ratio of two quantities and how is it simplified?

A ratio compares two quantities by division, written $a:b$ or $\frac{a}{b}$. It is simplified by dividing both terms by their greatest common divisor (e.g., $20:30 = 2:3$).

What does a stacked bar graph show that a simple bar graph does not?

A stacked bar graph divides each bar into sub-segments, showing both the total for each category and the contribution of each component part within that total.

In a frequency distribution, what is the cumulative frequency?

The cumulative frequency of a class is the running total of frequencies up to and including that class — the sum of that class's frequency and all preceding ones.

What does the idiom 'cost an arm and a leg' mean?

It means something is very expensive.

What is the difference between active voice and passive voice in a sentence?

In active voice the subject performs the action ('The student wrote the essay'); in passive voice the subject receives the action ('The essay was written by the student').

What is the correct rule for using 'fewer' versus 'less'?

Use 'fewer' with countable nouns (fewer books, fewer people) and 'less' with uncountable/mass nouns (less water, less time).