Quick answer: GATE AG 2027 has 65 questions for 100 marks in 3 hours: General Aptitude carries 15 marks, Engineering Mathematics 13 marks and core Agricultural Engineering subjects 72 marks. The exam is a Computer Based Test conducted by IIT Madras on 6 to 21 February 2027. MCQs carry negative marking (1/3 or 2/3); MSQ and NAT questions do not. Below is the complete, official GATE AG 2027 syllabus with the section-wise structure, GATE 2026 cutoffs and a preparation plan.
📋 Table of Contents
- GATE AG 2027 overview
- Exam pattern and marks distribution
- Question types and marking scheme
- GATE AG 2027 syllabus (official)
- General Aptitude syllabus
- GATE 2026 cutoff and statistics
- Allowed second papers
- Important dates and eligibility
- Preparation strategy
- What a GATE AG score gets you
- GATE AG course, notes and test series
- FAQs
GATE Agricultural Engineering (AG) 2027: Overview
GATE Agricultural Engineering (AG) is a compact, high-value paper for students of agricultural engineering who want M.Tech seats at IITs, IISc and agricultural universities, or research careers in farm machinery, irrigation and food processing. Its subject part covers seven sections, from farm machinery and farm power to dairy and food engineering.
Who usually takes this paper: B.Tech. Agricultural Engineering students and graduates, and related programmes in food and process engineering.
| Particular | Details |
|---|---|
| Exam name | GATE 2027: Agricultural Engineering |
| Paper code | AG |
| Organising institute | IIT Madras |
| Mode | Computer Based Test (CBT), English only |
| Exam dates | 6, 7, 13, 14, 20 and 21 February 2027 (two sessions a day) |
| Duration | 3 hours (4 hours with compensatory time for eligible PwD candidates) |
| Questions / marks | 65 questions / 100 marks |
| Question types | MCQ, MSQ, NAT |
| Calculator | On-screen virtual scientific calculator only |
| Result date | 19 March 2027 |
| Score validity | 3 years |
| Official website | gate2027.iitm.ac.in |
GATE AG 2027 Exam Pattern and Marks Distribution
GATE AG 2027 has 65 questions for 100 marks in 3 hours: General Aptitude carries 15 marks, Engineering Mathematics 13 marks and core Agricultural Engineering subjects 72 marks.
| Section | Questions | Marks | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Aptitude (GA) | 10 | 15 | 5 × 1 mark + 5 × 2 marks |
| Engineering Mathematics | Part of 55 | 13 | Paper-specific maths questions |
| Agricultural Engineering (core subject) | Part of 55 | 72 | Mix of 1-mark and 2-mark questions |
| Total | 65 | 100 | 3 hours, CBT |
Question Types and Marking Scheme
| Question type | What it is | Marks | Negative marking |
|---|---|---|---|
| MCQ | Four options, exactly one correct | 1 or 2 | −1/3 for a 1-mark MCQ, −2/3 for a 2-mark MCQ |
| MSQ | Four options, one or more correct; full marks only for the exact correct combination | 1 or 2 | None (and no partial marks) |
| NAT | Numerical answer typed on a virtual keypad (integer or decimal) | 1 or 2 | None (and no partial marks) |
GATE questions test four abilities: Recall, Comprehension, Application, and Analysis and Synthesis. For NAT answers, round off only at the final step, to the number of decimal places asked in the question.
GATE AG 2027 Syllabus (Official, IIT Madras)
The GATE 2027 syllabus has been revised for most papers, so use this version rather than older lists. Here is the section-wise summary of the GATE AG 2027 syllabus, followed by the complete official topic list as published in Appendix D of the GATE 2027 Information Brochure.
| # | Section |
|---|---|
| 1 | Engineering Mathematics |
| 2 | Farm Machinery |
| 3 | Farm Power |
| 4 | Soil and Water Conservation Engineering |
| 5 | Irrigation and Drainage Engineering |
| 6 | Agricultural Process Engineering |
| 7 | Dairy and Food Engineering |
Complete GATE AG 2027 syllabus: topic-wise
Section 1: Engineering Mathematics
Linear Algebra: Matrices and determinants, linear and orthogonal transformations, Caley Hamilton theorem; Eigen values and Eigen vectors, solutions of linear equations.
Calculus: Limit, continuity and differentiability; partial derivatives; homogeneous function – Euler’s theorem on homogeneous functions, total differentiation; maxima and minima of function with several independent variables; sequences and series – infinite series, tests for convergence; Fourier, Taylor and MacLaurin series.
Vector Calculus: Vector differentiation, scalar and vector point functions, vector differential operators – del, gradient; divergence and curl; physical interpretations-line, surface and volume integrals; Stokes, Gauss and Green’s theorems.
Differential Equations: Linear and non-linear first order Ordinary Differential Equations (ODE); homogeneous differential equations, higher order linear ODEs with constant coefficients; Laplace transforms and their inverse; Partial Differential Equations – Laplace, heat and wave equations.
Probability and Statistics: Mean, median, mode and standard deviation; random variables; Poisson, normal and binomial distributions; correlation and regression analysis.
Numerical Methods: Solutions of linear and non-linear algebraic equations; numerical integration – trapezoidal and Simpson’s rule; numerical solutions of ODEs.
Section 2: Farm Machinery
Machine Design: Design and selection of machine elements – gears, pulleys, chains and sprockets and belts; overload safety devices used in farm machinery; measurement of force, stress, torque, speed, displacement and acceleration on machine elements – shafts, couplings, keys, bearings and knuckle joints.
Farm Machinery: Soil tillage; forces acting on a tillage tool; hitch systems and hitching of tillage implements; functional requirements, principles of working, construction and operation of manual, animal, tractor and renewable energy operated equipment for tillage, sowing, planting, fertilizer application, inter-cultivation, spraying, mowing, chaff cutting, harvesting and threshing, calculation of performance parameters – field capacity, efficiency, performance index, application rate and losses; cost analysis of implements and tractors, equipment for precision agriculture.
Section 3: Farm Power
Sources of Power: Sources of power on the farm – human, animal, mechanical, electrical, wind, solar and biomass; bio-fuels and their use in farm mechanization.
Farm Power: Thermodynamic principles of I.C. engines; I.C. engine cycles; engine components; fuels and combustion; lubricants and their properties; I.C. engine systems – fuel, cooling, lubrication, ignition, electrical, intake and exhaust; selection, operation, maintenance and repair of I.C. engines; power efficiencies and measurement, engine performance curves; calculation of power, torque, fuel consumption, heat load and power losses;
Tractors and Power tillers: Type, selection, maintenance and repair of tractors and power tillers; tractor clutches and brakes; power transmission systems – gear trains, differential, final drives and power take-off;
mechanics of tractor chassis; traction theory; three point hitches – free link and restrained link operations; steering and hydraulic control systems used in tractors; tractor tests and performance; human engineering and safety considerations in design of tractor and agricultural implements.
Section 4: Soil and Water Conservation Engineering
Fluid Mechanics: Ideal and real fluids, properties of fluids; hydrostatic pressure and its measurement; continuity equation, kinematics and dynamics of flow; Bernoulli’s theorem; laminar and turbulent flow in pipes, Darcy- Weisbach and Hazen-Williams equations; flow through orifices, weirs and notches; flow in open channels, dimensional analysis – concepts of geometric dimensionless numbers.
Soil Mechanics: Engineering properties of soils; fundamental definitions and relationships; index properties of soils; permeability and seepage analysis; shear strength, Soil compaction and Proctor test, Mohr’s circle of stress, active and passive earth pressures; stability of slopes, Terzaghi’s one dimensional soil consolidation theory.
Hydrology: Hydrological cycle and measurement of its components; meteorological parameters and their measurement; analysis of precipitation data; runoff estimation; hydrograph analysis, unit hydrograph theory and application; stream flow measurement; flood routing, hydrological reservoir and channel routing, Infiltration – indices and equations, drought and its classification.
Surveying and Leveling: Measurement of distance and area; instruments for surveying and levelling; chain surveying, methods of traversing; measurement of angles and bearings, plane table surveying; types of levelling; the Theodolite traversing; contouring; total station, introduction to GPS survey, computation of areas and volume.
Soil and Water Erosion: Mechanics of soil erosion – wind and water erosion: soil erosion types, factors affecting erosion; soil loss estimation; biological and engineering measures to control erosion; terraces and bunds; vegetative waterways; gully control structures, drop, drop inlet and chute spillways; earthen dams.
Watershed Management: Watershed characterization and land use capability classification; water budgeting in watershed, rainwater harvesting, check dams and farm ponds.
Section 5: Irrigation and Drainage Engineering
Soil-Water-Plant Relationship: Water requirement of crops; consumptive use and evapotranspiration; measurement of infiltration, soil moisture and irrigation water infiltration.
Irrigation Water Conveyance and Application Methods: Design of irrigation channels and underground pipelines; irrigation scheduling; surface, sprinkler and micro irrigation methods, design and evaluation of irrigation methods; irrigation efficiencies.
Agricultural Drainage: Drainage coefficient; planning, design and layout of surface and sub- surface drainage systems; leaching requirement and salinity control; irrigation and drainage water quality and reuse; non-conventional drainage system.
Groundwater Hydrology: Groundwater occurrence; ground water movement; Darcy’s Law, steady and unsteady flow in confined and unconfined aquifers, groundwater exploration techniques; overview of groundwater recharge estimation and artificial recharge techniques.
Wells and Pumps: Types of wells, steady flow through wells; design and construction of water wells; classification of pumps; pump characteristics; pump selection and installation.
Section 6: Agricultural Process Engineering
Engineering properties of agriculture produce: Physical, thermal, frictional, rheological and electrical properties.
Evaporation and Drying: Concentration and drying of liquid foods – evaporators, tray, drum and spray dryers; osmotic dehydration and freeze drying; hydrothermal treatments; drying and milling of cereals, pulses and oilseeds; drying kinetics; psychrometry – properties of air-water vapor mixture.
Size Reduction and Material Handling: Mechanics and energy requirement in size reduction of agriculture produce; particle size analysis for comminuted solids; size separation by screening; fluidization of granular solids-pneumatic, bucket, screw and belt conveying; cleaning and grading; effectiveness of separation; centrifugal separation of solids, liquids and gases; homogenization; filtration and membrane separation.
Processing of Agriculture Produce: Processing of seeds, spices, fruits and vegetables; value addition of agriculture produce.
Storage Systems: Controlled and modified atmosphere storage; perishable food storage, godowns, bins and grain silos, packaging material and machines.
Section 7: Dairy and Food Engineering
Heat and Mass Transfer: Steady state heat transfer in conduction, convection and radiation; transient heat transfer in simple geometry; working principles of heat exchangers; diffusive and convective mass transfer; simultaneous heat and mass transfer in agricultural processing operations; material and energy balances in food processing systems; water activity, sorption and desorption isotherms.
Unit operations in Dairy and Food engineering: Blanching, homogenization, pasteurization, sterilization.
Preservation of Food: Kinetics of microbial death – pasteurization and sterilization of milk and other liquid foods; preservation of food by cooling and freezing; refrigeration and cold storage basics and applications.
General Aptitude (GA) Syllabus: 15 Marks, Common to All Papers
| Area | Topics |
|---|---|
| Verbal Aptitude | Basic English grammar, vocabulary (words, idioms, phrases in context), reading comprehension, narrative sequencing |
| Quantitative Aptitude | Data interpretation (graphs, charts, maps, tables), ratios, percentages, powers, exponents, logarithms, permutations and combinations, series, mensuration and geometry, elementary statistics and probability |
| Analytical Aptitude | Deduction and induction, analogy, numerical relations and reasoning |
| Spatial Aptitude | Translation, rotation, scaling, mirroring, assembling and grouping, paper folding, cutting and patterns in 2D and 3D |
GATE AG 2026 Cutoff, Qualifying Marks and Statistics
These are the official GATE 2026 figures for Agricultural Engineering from the GATE 2026 Statistical and Performance Report (IIT Guwahati). They are the best guide to what to expect in GATE AG 2027. Qualifying marks are out of 100; the qualifying GATE score for the general category is always 350.
| Paper | Registered | Appeared | Qualified | Qualified % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agricultural Engineering (AG) | 2,985 | 2,545 | 325 | 12.8% |
| Paper | GEN | OBC-NCL / EWS | SC / ST / PwD |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agricultural Engineering (AG) | 25 | 22.5 | 16.6 |
| Paper | Highest marks | Mean of top 0.1% (or top 10) | Average marks | Std. deviation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agricultural Engineering (AG) | 76 | 55.77 | 11.19 | 9.69 |
What this means for you: in GATE 2026 the average AG candidate scored 11.19 marks, while the top 0.1% averaged 55.77. Crossing the general qualifying mark of 25 puts you in the top 13% of candidates, but admissions to top IITs and PSU interview calls usually need a score far above the qualifying line.
How the qualifying marks and GATE score are calculated
For each paper, the general-category qualifying mark is max(25, min(40, μ + σ)), where μ and σ are the mean and standard deviation of the marks of all candidates who appeared. OBC-NCL/EWS qualifying marks are 90% and SC/ST/PwD qualifying marks are about two-thirds of the general value.
Your GATE score (out of 1000) is computed as Score = 350 + 550 × (M − Mq) / (M̄t − Mq), where M is your marks (normalised marks for multi-session papers), Mq is the general qualifying mark and M̄t is the mean marks of the top 0.1% or top 10 candidates, whichever is larger. A score of 350 corresponds to the qualifying mark and 900 to the top-candidate average.
Which Papers Can Be Combined with GATE AG 2027?
You may appear in one or two GATE papers. As per the tentative list in the GATE 2027 brochure, the second paper allowed with AG as the primary paper is: Civil Engineering (CE). The fee for two papers is twice that of one paper.
GATE 2027 Important Dates, Fee and Eligibility
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Registration (regular period) | 2 to 27 September 2026 (closed) |
| Extended period with late fee | Up to 12 October 2026 (closed) |
| Special window (late fee) | 15 October 2026, 10:30 AM to 16 October 2026, 10:29 AM (closed) |
| Exam city notification | 4 January 2027 |
| Admit card | To be announced on GOAPS |
| GATE 2027 exam | 6, 7, 13, 14, 20 and 21 February 2027 |
| Result | 19 March 2027 |
Application fee per paper (regular period): ₹1,000 for female, SC, ST and PwD candidates and ₹2,000 for all others; ₹1,500 and ₹2,500 respectively in the extended period and special window.
Eligibility: candidates in the third or higher year of any undergraduate degree, or who have completed a government-approved degree in Engineering, Technology, Architecture, Science, Commerce, Arts or Humanities, are eligible. M.B.B.S./B.D.S./B.V.Sc. students from the fifth semester and M.Sc./M.A./MCA students from the first year are also eligible. There is no age limit. All dates are as per the brochure and subject to change, so always confirm on the official website.
GATE AG 2027 Preparation Strategy
- Soil and Water Conservation and Irrigation and Drainage together form the largest share of the syllabus. Master runoff estimation, infiltration, irrigation scheduling and drainage design first.
- Farm Machinery and Farm Power are formula-driven: tillage forces, field capacity, IC engine performance and tractor mechanics can be scored reliably with practice.
- Agricultural Process and Dairy and Food Engineering lean on unit operations: drying, size reduction, psychrometry and heat processing. Revise these with numericals, not just theory.
- Engineering Mathematics is worth 13 marks. It is the most predictable part of the paper and should be near-perfect.
- The 2026 average was only 11.19 marks with a topper at 76, so clearing the general qualifying mark of 25 already puts you well above the median.
- Solve previous GATE papers (2007 to 2026 are available on the official website) section by section, then as timed full-length papers.
- Practise every numerical with the GATE virtual calculator, since no physical calculator is allowed.
- From December, take one full mock a week in the real interface and analyse every mistake, especially negatively marked MCQs.
What Can You Do with a GATE AG 2027 Score?
GATE AG scores are used for M.Tech and PhD admissions at IITs (notably IIT Kharagpur), IISc and state agricultural universities, along with MoE scholarships. Government research bodies and some PSUs also consult GATE scores, so check each recruitment notification.
Under MoE guidelines, admitting institutes give at least 70% weightage to GATE performance for M.Tech admissions with scholarship. Qualifying GATE does not by itself guarantee admission, a scholarship or a job; each institute and employer applies its own criteria.
GATE AG 2027 Course, Notes and Test Series
Get structured guidance for GATE Agricultural Engineering from Piyush Wairale (IIT Madras) on www.piyushwairale.com. Start with the section that is common to every paper, then build your subject preparation:
Best GATE Aptitude Test Series 2027
General Aptitude is 15 of your 100 marks in GATE AG. Topic-wise tests, full GA mocks in the real interface and solved PYQs from 2010 to 2026.
GATE Engineering Mathematics courses
Linear Algebra, Calculus and Probability and Statistics taught for GATE, for the 13-mark Engineering Mathematics section.
All GATE courses, notes and test series
Browse every GATE course, notes package and test series in the PiyushAI store.
Engineering Mathematics courses: Linear Algebra · Calculus · Probability and Statistics
GATE 2027 courses, notes and test series by Piyush Wairale (IIT Madras)
Free lessons on YouTube (@piyushwairaleiitm)
GATE AG 2027: Frequently Asked Questions
What is the GATE AG 2027 exam pattern?
GATE AG 2027 has 65 questions for 100 marks in 3 hours: General Aptitude carries 15 marks, Engineering Mathematics 13 marks and core Agricultural Engineering subjects 72 marks. Questions are MCQ, MSQ and NAT, and each carries 1 or 2 marks.
Is there negative marking in GATE AG 2027?
Yes, but only for MCQs. A wrong 1-mark MCQ costs 1/3 mark and a wrong 2-mark MCQ costs 2/3 mark. MSQ and NAT questions have no negative marking, and there is no partial marking for any question.
What was the GATE AG 2026 cutoff?
The GATE 2026 qualifying marks out of 100 were Agricultural Engineering (AG): 25 (GEN), 22.5 (OBC-NCL/EWS), 16.6 (SC/ST/PwD).
When is the GATE AG 2027 exam?
GATE 2027 will be held on 6, 7, 13, 14, 20 and 21 February 2027 in forenoon (9:30 AM to 12:30 PM) and afternoon (2:30 PM to 5:30 PM) sessions. The paper-wise schedule will be published on the official website, and results are scheduled for 19 March 2027.
Which IIT is conducting GATE 2027?
IIT Madras is the organising institute for GATE 2027. The official website is gate2027.iitm.ac.in.
Which second paper can I combine with GATE AG?
As per the GATE 2027 tentative combination list, Agricultural Engineering (AG) can be combined only with Civil Engineering (CE).
Is GATE AG difficult to qualify?
In GATE 2026, 2,545 candidates appeared and 325 qualified. The general qualifying mark was 25 out of 100, the floor value, which shows the paper was tough. Focused preparation on the big sections makes qualifying very achievable.
How long is the GATE AG 2027 score valid?
The GATE 2027 score is valid for three years from the date the results are announced.
Sources: GATE 2027 Information Brochure, IIT Madras (gate2027.iitm.ac.in); GATE 2026 Statistical and Performance Report, IIT Guwahati. Last updated 27 October 2026.
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