How the paper is built
Psychology is not a separate GATE paper. It is section XH5 of the XH paper (coded XH-C5 until 2026), so you answer three parts in one three-hour, computer-based sitting.
| Part | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| General Aptitude | 10 | 15 |
| Reasoning and Comprehension (XH0) | 16 | 25 |
| Psychology (XH5) | 39 | 60 |
| Total | 65 | 100 |
Explain
GATE 2027 keeps the split of 60, 25 and 15 marks. The number of questions in a part has moved by one between years, so check the counts in the current information brochure.
Marks outside Psychology
Forty marks are not Psychology. Leaving them to the last month is the most common planning mistake.
The Psychology syllabus (XH5)
The 2027 syllabus has eleven sections, from research methods and statistics to applications of psychology. GATE publishes no weightage, so treat the list as coverage, not as a priority order. The full topic list is in the official GATE 2027 Psychology syllabus.
- XH5.1Research Methods and StatisticsResearch designs, sampling, qualitative and mixed methods, ethics, descriptive statistics, effect size and power, correlation and regression, factor analysis, ANOVA
- XH5.2PsychometricsMeasurement, item analysis, test construction and standardisation, reliability, validity, norms
- XH5.3Biological and Evolutionary Basis of BehaviourHeredity and evolution, the brain, neurons and synapses, endocrine system, biological basis of motivation, emotion and memory, physiological methods, genetics
- XH5.4Perception, Learning, Memory and ForgettingThresholds, the senses, attention, perceptual organisation, learning theories, memory models, forgetting
- XH5.5CognitionThinking, problem solving, metacognition, decision making, intelligence theories and tests, emotional intelligence, aptitude and creativity
- XH5.6PersonalityPsychoanalytic, behaviourist, social-cognitive, humanistic, trait and type theories, biology of personality, assessment
- XH5.7Motivation, Emotion, Stress and CopingApproaches to motivation, achievement and intrinsic motivation, theories of emotion, stressors, general adaptation syndrome, coping
- XH5.8Social PsychologyAttribution, social influence, attitudes and persuasion, cognitive dissonance, prejudice, aggression, group dynamics, intergroup relations
- XH5.9Development Across the Life SpanNature and nurture, prenatal development, infancy to adulthood, moral development, theories of ageing
- XH5.10Clinical Psychology and Organisational BehaviourDisorders and their diagnosis, psychotherapies including REBT and meditation, organisational culture, power and politics, leadership, positive organisational behaviour
- XH5.11Applications of PsychologyLearning and achievement in school, counselling and guidance, groups and organisations, personal space and crowding, mental health interventions
What changed from 2026
- CodesPsychology moved from XH-C5 to XH5, and Reasoning and Comprehension from XH-B1 to XH0.
- New sectionClinical psychology and organisational behaviour now have their own section, XH5.10.
- MovedLeadership moved there from Social Psychology, and REBT and meditation from Stress and Coping.
Past papers follow the older list, so they show little of the new organisational behaviour topics.
Marking and question formats
The paper uses three question formats, each marked differently.
- MCQOne correct option out of four. A wrong answer costs 1/3 mark on a 1-mark question and 2/3 mark on a 2-mark question.
- MSQOne or more correct options. No negative marking, and no partial credit.
- NATYou type a number. No negative marking.
Guess on an MCQ only after you rule out two options. Never leave an MSQ or a NAT blank.
What GATE questions actually ask
GATE asks you to use what you know: spot a relation, read a described research set-up, or judge every option of a multiple-select question. Try three real ones.
If Skinner : Behaviourism, then Howard Gardner :
Not quite. The answer is B.
Why: Find the relation first: a theorist and his school of thought. Gardner's work on multiple intelligences belongs to the cognitive tradition.
An experimental set-up where neither the experimenter nor the participants know who are in the experimental or control groups is known as?
Not quite. The answer is D.
Why: The groups are hidden from both sides. A single blind study hides them from the participants only.
Which of the following is/are characteristic(s) of Type A personality:
Not quite. The answer is A, B, C.
Why: Ambitious, competitive and time conscious all describe Type A; laid back describes Type B. With no partial credit, you score only if you mark all three.
Prepare the three parts differently
Each part needs its own kind of practice.
- PsychologyGo section by section, research methods and statistics first. Attempt questions after each portion, and fix the exact idea you got wrong.
- ReasoningPractise passages and arguments every week from the start. Separate what a passage states from what it only suggests.
- AptitudeKeep a small, steady stream of verbal and quantitative practice. These 15 marks are easy to protect.
From topic practice to mixed practice
Topic-wise questions tell you the area in advance. The exam does not.
- 1While learningTopic-wise questions after each portion
- 2Once several sections are doneMixed questions, so you first work out what a question is about
- 3Final monthsFull papers under time, with Reasoning and General Aptitude
Keep two kinds of error apart: an idea you never knew, and one you knew but could not apply.
The general preparation guide sets out how to review both.
What a GATE Psychology score is used for
A GATE score is valid for three years from the announcement of the result.
- AdmissionPostgraduate and doctoral programmes in psychology and allied areas at IITs, IISc and many other institutes
- FellowshipsThe fellowships attached to those programmes
Each institute sets its own cut-off and admission process. Check the department you are aiming for.
Frequently asked questions
The Psychology section is now coded XH5 instead of XH-C5, and its syllabus has eleven sections instead of ten. Clinical psychology and organisational behaviour now form their own section, XH5.10, which covers disorders and diagnosis, the main psychotherapies, organisational culture, power and politics, and leadership. Applications of Psychology moves to XH5.11.
Only in multiple-choice questions. A wrong answer costs one-third of a mark on a 1-mark MCQ and two-thirds of a mark on a 2-mark MCQ. Multiple-select questions and numerical answer questions carry no negative marking, and multiple-select questions carry no partial credit either.
The Psychology section has carried 39 to 40 questions for 60 marks in recent papers. GATE 2027 keeps the mark split across the three parts at 60, 25 and 15, while the exact question count has moved by one between years.
Yes. Every candidate taking the XH paper answers General Aptitude and XH0 Reasoning and Comprehension (coded XH-B1 until 2026), then the one optional section chosen when applying. Psychology is the XH5 option.
GATE eligibility is broad. Candidates in the third year or later of any undergraduate programme, and candidates who have already completed a recognised degree, may apply. Choosing XH5 means you are assessed on the Psychology syllabus, so a psychology background is what matters in practice.
A GATE score is valid for three years from the date of announcement of the result.
A multiple-choice question has exactly one correct option and carries negative marking. A multiple-select question can have more than one correct option, carries no negative marking, and gives no partial credit, so every option has to be judged on its own.