Quick answer: GATE EY 2027 has 65 questions for 100 marks in 3 hours: General Aptitude carries 15 marks and the Ecology and Evolution syllabus carries 85 marks. There is no separate Engineering Mathematics section. 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 EY 2027 syllabus with the section-wise structure, GATE 2026 cutoffs and a preparation plan.
📋 Table of Contents
- GATE EY 2027 overview
- Exam pattern and marks distribution
- Question types and marking scheme
- GATE EY 2027 syllabus (official)
- General Aptitude syllabus
- GATE 2026 cutoff and statistics
- Allowed second papers
- Important dates and eligibility
- Preparation strategy
- What a GATE EY score gets you
- GATE EY course, notes and test series
- FAQs
GATE Ecology and Evolution (EY) 2027: Overview
GATE Ecology and Evolution (EY) is a specialised paper for students aiming at research careers in ecology, evolutionary biology, behaviour and conservation. It is accepted for PhD and integrated programmes at IISc, IISERs and research institutes, and covers ecology, evolution, quantitative ecology, behavioural ecology and applied ecology.
Who usually takes this paper: B.Sc./M.Sc. students in life sciences, zoology, botany, environmental science and related fields.
| Particular | Details |
|---|---|
| Exam name | GATE 2027: Ecology and Evolution |
| Paper code | EY |
| 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 EY 2027 Exam Pattern and Marks Distribution
GATE EY 2027 has 65 questions for 100 marks in 3 hours: General Aptitude carries 15 marks and the Ecology and Evolution syllabus carries 85 marks. There is no separate Engineering Mathematics section.
| Section | Questions | Marks | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Aptitude (GA) | 10 | 15 | 5 × 1 mark + 5 × 2 marks |
| Ecology and Evolution (subject) | 55 | 85 | No separate Engineering Mathematics section |
| 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 EY 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 EY 2027 syllabus, followed by the complete official topic list as published in Appendix D of the GATE 2027 Information Brochure.
| # | Section |
|---|---|
| 1 | Ecology |
| 2 | Evolution |
| 3 | Mathematics and Quantitative Ecology |
| 4 | Behavioural Ecology |
| 5 | Applied Ecology & Evolution |
Complete GATE EY 2027 syllabus: topic-wise
Section 1: Ecology
Fundamental Concepts: Abiotic and biotic components of ecosystems; Levels of biological organization (individuals, population, species, community, ecosystems, biomes); Niches; Habitats; Functional traits; Ecophysiology (e.g. physiological adaptations, homeostasis, acclimation).
Population Ecology: Population dynamics and growth (density dependent/independent); Meta-population ecology; Age-structured populations.
Interactions: Types of interactions (mutualism, symbiosis, commensalism, competition, parasitism, predation, etc.); Two species population models (Lotka-Voltera equations); Trophic levels and their direct and indirect interactions.
Community Ecology: Community assembly, structure and succession; Role of dispersal and habitat/environmental filtering; levels of diversity (alpha, beta, gamma); Species richness, Evenness and diversity indices; Relative abundance; Species-area relationships; Diversity gradients (e.g. latitudinal and altitudinal gradients); Theory of island biogeography.
Ecosystem Structure and Function: Primary and secondary productivity; Food web, energy flow, and biogeochemical cycles (e.g. carbon and nitrogen); Ecosystem properties (e.g. stability, resilience); Global biomes and biogeographic zones; Flora and fauna of India; Biogeography of India.
Section 2: Evolution
Fundamentals: Lamarckism; Darwinism; Modern Synthesis; Variation; Heritability; Natural selection; Fitness and adaptation; Types of selection (e.g. stabilizing, directional, disruptive).
Diversity of Life: Origin and history of life on earth; Paleobiological evidence; Diversity and classification of life; Classical taxonomy vs systematics (cladistics).
Life History Theory: Allocation of resources; Tradeoffs; r/K selection; Strategies (e.g. semelparity and iteroparity).
Interactions: Co-evolution (e.g. mutualism, arms race, co-speciation); Prey-predator interactions (e.g. mimicry, crypsis); Host-parasite interactions
Population and Quantitative Genetics: Origins of genetic variation; Mendelian genetics; Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium; Drift; Selection (one-locus two-alleles model); Population genetic structure (panmixia, gene flow, FST); Polygenic traits; Gene-environment interactions (phenotypic plasticity); Heritability; Epistasis and epigenetic inheritance.
Molecular Evolution and Phylogenetics: Mutation rates; Molecular clocks; Neutral processes; Rates of evolution; Chromosomal and genome evolution (e.g. hybridization, ploidy, introgression); Phylogenetic methods (parsimony; maximum likelihood, Bayesian, etc); Phylogeography
Macroevolution: Species concepts; Speciation and extinction; Adaptive radiation; Convergence; Biogeographic processes; Continental drift.
Section 3: Mathematics and Quantitative Ecology
Mathematics and Statistics in Ecology: Simple functions (linear, quadratic, exponential, logarithmic, etc); Concept of derivatives and slope of a function; Permutations and combinations; Basic probability (probability of random events; Sequences of events, conditional probability, etc); Probability distributions (e.g. binomial, normal, Poisson); Descriptive statistics (mean, variance, coefficient of variation, confidence intervals, etc.).
Study design and Statistical methods: Statistical hypothesis testing; Concept of p-value; Type I and Type II error, Statistical tests (e.g. t- test, Chi-square test); Correlation, linear regression and ANOVA.
Section 4: Behavioural Ecology
Classical Ethology and Sensory Ecology: Proximate and ultimate explanations for behaviour; Innate and learnt behavior; Basic mechanisms (e.g., neuroethology, behavioural endocrinology); Modes of communication (chemical, visual, etc); Movement (e.g. navigation).
Foraging and Reproduction: Optimal foraging theory; Space use (e.g. territoriality); Mating systems; Sexual selection and sexual conflict (runaway selection, good-genes, handicap principle, etc); Parental care.
Social Behaviour: Costs and benefits of group-living; Intraspecific competition (e.g. scramble and contest); Kin selection; Altruism.
Section 5: Applied Ecology & Evolution
Biodiversity and Conservation: Biodiversity-ecosystem function relationships; Ecosystem services; Conservation (endemism, biodiversity hotspots, protected areas); Global conservation initiatives (e.g. COP, IUCN, CBD, CITES); Conservation genetics and methods (genetic diversity, inbreeding depression, DNA fingerprinting and DNA barcoding).
Disease Ecology and Evolution: Epidemiology; Zoonotic diseases; Antibiotic resistance.
Global Change: Causes, consequences, adaptation and mitigation of climate change; Threats to biodiversity (e.g. pollution, habitat loss and change); Invasive species.
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 EY 2026 Cutoff, Qualifying Marks and Statistics
These are the official GATE 2026 figures for Ecology and Evolution from the GATE 2026 Statistical and Performance Report (IIT Guwahati). They are the best guide to what to expect in GATE EY 2027. Qualifying marks are out of 100; the qualifying GATE score for the general category is always 350.
| Paper | Registered | Appeared | Qualified | Qualified % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ecology and Evolution (EY) | 3,659 | 2,601 | 1,029 | 39.6% |
| Paper | GEN | OBC-NCL / EWS | SC / ST / PwD |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ecology and Evolution (EY) | 40 | 36 | 26.6 |
| Paper | Highest marks | Mean of top 0.1% (or top 10) | Average marks | Std. deviation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ecology and Evolution (EY) | 95.67 | 91.83 | 33.25 | 16.93 |
What this means for you: in GATE 2026 the average EY candidate scored 33.25 marks, while the top 0.1% averaged 91.83. Crossing the general qualifying mark of 40 puts you in the top 40% 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 EY 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 EY as the primary paper is: Biotechnology (BT), Life Sciences (XL). 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 EY 2027 Preparation Strategy
- Ecology and Evolution are the two largest sections. Population and community ecology, natural selection, speciation and phylogenetics should be thoroughly understood.
- Mathematics and Quantitative Ecology is where many biology students lose marks. Practise population growth models, basic statistics and simple probability.
- Behavioural Ecology rewards conceptual clarity: optimal foraging, sexual selection, kin selection and game theory.
- EY questions are often data and experiment based. Read research-style graphs and tables quickly and critically.
- EY is unusually high-scoring: the 2026 average was 33.25, the topper scored 95.67 and the general qualifying mark was 40. You need a strong score to stand out.
- 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 EY 2027 Score?
GATE EY scores are used for PhD and integrated PhD admissions in ecology and evolutionary biology and for research fellowships at institutes that accept GATE.
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 EY 2027 Course, Notes and Test Series
Get structured guidance for GATE Ecology and Evolution 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 EY. Topic-wise tests, full GA mocks in the real interface and solved PYQs from 2010 to 2026.
All GATE courses, notes and test series
Browse every GATE course, notes package and test series in the PiyushAI store.
GATE 2027 courses, notes and test series by Piyush Wairale (IIT Madras)
Free lessons on YouTube (@piyushwairaleiitm)
GATE EY 2027: Frequently Asked Questions
What is the GATE EY 2027 exam pattern?
GATE EY 2027 has 65 questions for 100 marks in 3 hours: General Aptitude carries 15 marks and the Ecology and Evolution syllabus carries 85 marks. There is no separate Engineering Mathematics section. Questions are MCQ, MSQ and NAT, and each carries 1 or 2 marks.
Is there negative marking in GATE EY 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 EY 2026 cutoff?
The GATE 2026 qualifying marks out of 100 were Ecology and Evolution (EY): 40 (GEN), 36 (OBC-NCL/EWS), 26.6 (SC/ST/PwD).
When is the GATE EY 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 papers can be taken with GATE EY 2027?
Ecology and Evolution (EY) can be combined with Biotechnology (BT) or Life Sciences (XL).
Why is the GATE EY qualifying mark so high?
The qualifying mark is max(25, min(40, mean + standard deviation)). EY had a high mean (33.25) in 2026, so the formula hit the 40-mark ceiling.
How long is the GATE EY 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.
More GATE 2027 guides: GATE 2027 syllabus and exam pattern for all 30 papers | GATE General Aptitude 2027 | GATE AE 2027 | GATE AG 2027 | GATE AR 2027 | GATE BM 2027 | GATE BT 2027 | GATE CE 2027 | GATE CH 2027 | GATE CS 2027 | GATE CY 2027 | GATE DA 2027 | GATE EC 2027 | GATE EE 2027 | GATE ES 2027 | GATE GE 2027 | GATE GG 2027 | GATE IN 2027 | GATE MA 2027 | GATE ME 2027 | GATE MN 2027 | GATE MT 2027 | GATE NM 2027 | GATE PE 2027 | GATE PH 2027 | GATE PI 2027 | GATE RA 2027 | GATE ST 2027 | GATE XE 2027 | GATE XH 2027 | GATE XL 2027
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