GATE Economics (XH-C1)
Economics is one of six optional sections in GATE's XH paper, which is 100 marks over three hours.
Last checked 30 September 2026. Covers: GATE 2027.
Official read on the organiser's or institute's own page. Reported found on third-party sites and still to be checked. Expected not announced yet.
Key facts
| Organising institute | IIT Madras OfficialGATE 2027 website, IIT Madras |
|---|---|
| Mode | Computer-based test OfficialGATE 2027 website, IIT Madras |
| Duration | 3 hours OfficialGATE 2027 question paper pattern |
| Paper | XH (Humanities and Social Sciences). XH-C1 is the Economics section. |
| Total marks | 100 OfficialGATE 2027 question paper pattern |
| Structure of XH | General Aptitude 15 marks; Reasoning and Comprehension (common to all XH candidates) 25 marks; one optional section (Economics is XH-C1), 60 marks |
| Question types | MCQ, MSQ and numerical answer type; each question is worth 1 or 2 marks OfficialGATE 2027 question paper pattern |
| Negative marking | MCQs only: 1/3 mark off a wrong 1-mark question, 2/3 off a wrong 2-mark question. None for MSQ or NAT. OfficialGATE 2027 question paper pattern |
| Fee, one paper (regular / with late fee) | Women, SC, ST and PwD: ₹1,000 / ₹1,500. Everyone else: ₹2,000 / ₹2,500. OfficialGATE 2027 application fees |
Dates
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Registration opens | 2 September 2026 OfficialGATE 2027 website, IIT Madras |
| Last date to apply | 5 October 2026 OfficialGATE 2027 website, IIT Madras |
| Last date with late fee | 12 October 2026 OfficialGATE 2027 website, IIT Madras |
| City allotment | 4 January 2027 OfficialGATE 2027 website, IIT Madras |
| Exam days | 6, 7, 13, 14, 20 and 21 February 2027 GATE lists the dates as liable to change. The day and session for XH is on the admit card. OfficialGATE 2027 website, IIT Madras |
| Result | 19 March 2027 OfficialGATE 2027 website, IIT Madras |
All exams side by side: exam dates table.
Pattern and marking
The XH paper is 100 marks over three hours. Fifteen marks come from General Aptitude, 25 from the Reasoning and Comprehension section that every XH candidate writes, and 60 from the optional section you choose. Economics is XH-C1. GATE's own page lists English, Linguistics, Philosophy, Psychology and Sociology as the others.
So a quarter of the paper is reading and reasoning and is the same whichever subject you pick. Economics is the 60 marks that separate candidates, but the 40 marks above it are not a formality.
Penalties work as in JAM. A blind guess on a four-option MCQ has an expected value of zero. Multiple-select and numerical questions carry no penalty, so attempt every one.
Who accepts it
- Admission is through a valid GATE score in the XH paper, and the Economics stream takes XH-C1. 25 seats per stream for Indian students.OfficialIIT Madras M.A. programme
Full list with seats: colleges accepting GATE Economics (XH-C1).
What score to aim for
GATE publishes a qualifying mark for each paper and category after the results. The XH-C1 figures are on the organiser's cutoff page, and none are printed here. The general GATE rule is that OBC-NCL and EWS candidates qualify on a reduced percentage of the General mark and SC, ST and PwD candidates on a lower one still, but the exact figures for XH-C1 should come from the organiser's page.
A qualifying score is also only the entry ticket. What it is worth depends on who accepts it, and for economics the list we have confirmed is short: IIT Madras is the one master's programme we have found that names XH-C1.
Questions
What is the last date to register for GATE 2027?
5 October 2026 without a late fee. Applications are accepted until 12 October 2026 with a late fee.
Is Economics a separate GATE paper?
It is an optional section of the XH (Humanities and Social Sciences) paper, coded XH-C1. You also write the common XH Reasoning and Comprehension section and General Aptitude.
When is the GATE 2027 exam?
Six days between 6 and 21 February 2027: 6, 7, 13, 14, 20 and 21 February. Your admit card gives the day and session.
Does GATE XH-C1 get me into an MA or MSc Economics?
It does at IIT Madras, whose MA Economics stream admits on a valid XH-C1 score. No other master's programme in economics that names it is confirmed yet. The score is also used for research programmes at some institutes, so check each programme's own admission page.
Sources
Every GATE Economics (XH-C1) question from past papers has its own page with a worked solution: browse them by paper and topic.
Attempt a GATE Economics (XH-C1) paper
Sit a real previous-year paper under the exam's timing and negative marking, then see where the marks went.
Attempt a GATE Economics (XH-C1) paper