GATE General Aptitude (GA) Syllabus

General Aptitude (GA) 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 (GA) in GATE, not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Verbal Aptitude

   5 topics

   • English Grammar
     • Parts of speech, tenses and articles
     • Subject-verb agreement and modifiers
     • Prepositions and conjunctions
   • Vocabulary and Word Usage
     • Synonyms and antonyms
     • Words and their meanings in context
     • Commonly confused word pairs
   • Sentence Completion and Correction
     • Filling in blanks logically
     • Identifying grammatical errors
   • Verbal Analogies and Word Groups
   • Reading Comprehension and Narrative Sequencing
2. 2

   Quantitative Aptitude

   5 topics

   • Numerical Computation and Estimation
     • Ratios, percentages and proportions
     • Powers, exponents and surds
   • Numerical Reasoning
     • Number series and sequences
     • Time, speed, distance and work
   • Mensuration and Geometry
     • Areas and volumes of standard shapes
     • Lines, angles and triangles
   • Elementary Statistics and Probability
     • Mean, median, mode and variance
     • Basic probability of events
   • Data Interpretation
     • Tables and bar/line charts
     • Pie charts and 2D/3D plots
3. 3

   Analytical and Logical Reasoning

   4 topics

   • Logical Deduction and Inference
     • Statements and conclusions
     • Assumptions and arguments
   • Analogy and Pattern Recognition
     • Numerical and verbal analogies
     • Figure and series patterns
   • Spatial and Map-based Reasoning
     • Direction sense
     • Maps and spatial transformation
   • Puzzles and Arrangements

General Aptitude (GA) flashcards for GATE

19 of 51 cards from the General Aptitude (GA) deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. What are the eight parts of speech in English grammar?

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

2. What is the rule for using the indefinite articles 'a' and 'an'?

   Use 'a' before words beginning with a consonant sound (a book, a university) and 'an' before words beginning with a vowel sound (an apple, an hour). The choice depends on sound, not spelling.

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

   Past (action already completed), present (action happening now or habitually), and future (action yet to occur). Each has simple, continuous, perfect, and perfect-continuous aspects.

4. State the basic rule of subject-verb agreement.

   A singular subject takes a singular verb and a plural subject takes a plural verb (e.g., 'He runs' vs. 'They run'). The verb must agree with its subject in number and person.

5. In subject-verb agreement, how is the verb treated when two subjects are joined by 'either...or' or 'neither...nor'?

   The verb agrees with the subject nearer to it (the proximity rule). Example: 'Neither the manager nor the workers are present' vs. 'Neither the workers nor the manager is present'.

6. What is a misplaced modifier, and how is it corrected?

   A misplaced modifier is a word or phrase positioned so that it appears to modify the wrong word, causing ambiguity. It is corrected by placing the modifier next to the word it is meant to describe. Example: 'She almost drove for six hours' should be 'She drove for almost six hours'.

7. What is a dangling modifier?

   A modifier (usually an introductory phrase) whose intended subject is missing from the sentence, so it appears to modify the wrong noun. Example: 'Walking to the store, the rain began' (the rain was not walking). Fix by supplying the correct subject: 'Walking to the store, I felt the rain begin'.

8. What is the difference between a preposition and a conjunction?

   A preposition (in, on, at, by, with) shows the relationship of a noun/pronoun to another word in the sentence; a conjunction (and, but, or, because, although) joins words, phrases, or clauses.

9. Distinguish coordinating conjunctions from subordinating conjunctions, with examples.

   Coordinating conjunctions (FANBOYS: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so) join elements of equal rank. Subordinating conjunctions (because, although, since, while, if, unless) connect a dependent clause to an independent clause.

10. Which prepositions are conventionally used with the following: 'good ___ math', 'married ___', 'different ___ (British/American)'?

    'Good at math', 'married to', and 'different from' (also 'different to' in British and 'different than' in American usage).

11. 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 (happy/joyful); an antonym is a word with the opposite meaning (happy/sad).

12. Give a synonym and an antonym for the word 'abundant'.

    Synonym: plentiful (or ample, copious). Antonym: scarce (or sparse, meager).

13. Give a synonym and an antonym for the word 'benevolent'.

    Synonym: kind (or generous, charitable). Antonym: malevolent (or cruel, hostile).

14. Distinguish the commonly confused pair 'affect' vs. 'effect'.

    'Affect' is usually a verb meaning to influence ('The weather affects my mood'); 'effect' is usually a noun meaning a result ('The effect was dramatic'). 'Effect' can also be a verb meaning to bring about ('to effect change').

15. Distinguish the commonly confused pair 'principal' vs. '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 truth. Mnemonic: a princiPAL is your PAL.

16. Distinguish 'stationary' vs. 'stationery'.

    'Stationary' (with an 'a') means not moving; 'stationery' (with an 'e') means writing materials such as paper and envelopes. Mnemonic: 'e' for envelope.

17. Distinguish 'complement' vs. 'compliment'.

    'Complement' means something that completes or goes well with another ('The wine complements the meal'); 'compliment' means an expression of praise ('She paid me a compliment').

18. In sentence correction, what error is present in 'He is one of those who is always late,' and how is it fixed?

    A subject-verb agreement error. The relative pronoun 'who' refers to the plural 'those', so the verb should be plural: 'He is one of those who are always late'.

19. What strategy helps in filling a logical blank in a sentence-completion question?

    Identify signpost words that signal the relationship: contrast words (but, however, although) require a word opposite in tone to the context, while support words (because, since, moreover) require a word consistent with the context. Then choose the option that fits both grammar and logic.

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