IISc · 180 min
GATE Economics (XH-C1) is one of the Humanities and Social Sciences (XH) papers of the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering, conducted by IISc and the IITs on a rotating basis. The Economics-specific portion of the paper runs the full 3-hour GATE session and mixes three question formats -- Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ, negative marking applies), Multiple Select Questions (MSQ, no negative marking), and Numerical Answer Type (NAT, no negative marking) -- typically around 39-40 questions at 1 and 2 marks each. A GATE score in Economics is used for admission to MS/PhD programmes in Economics at IITs and IISc, and for some fellowship and public-sector recruitment processes that accept GATE scores. It is the most conceptually demanding of the three live exams on this platform, with real analysis and advanced microeconomic theory both examined directly.
A bachelor's degree is the baseline requirement; there is no separate qualifying score to attempt GATE itself; admission and fellowship cut-offs are set independently by each accepting institute. Check the official GATE information brochure for the exact eligibility and category-specific criteria for the current cycle.
Based on GATE 2026 paper's marking scheme.
Weightage below is computed from real topic-tagged questions in this platform's GATE XH-C1 question bank (196 questions) — not an estimate.
Yes for MCQ-type questions; Multiple Select Questions (MSQ) and Numerical Answer Type (NAT) questions carry no negative marking. See the exam pattern table above for the exact split this platform's papers use.
It's generally considered the most conceptually demanding of the three, with real analysis and general-equilibrium questions that go beyond what CUET-PG and, to a lesser extent, IIT JAM require.
Primarily admission to MS/PhD programmes in Economics at IITs and IISc, and in some cases fellowships or public-sector recruitment processes that accept GATE scores — confirm current acceptance with each specific institute or scheme.
GATE XH-C1 for Economics is a relatively recent paper, so every available past year matters more here than for older, higher-volume GATE papers — sit every one you can find under real timed conditions.
Yes — multivariable calculus, constrained optimisation (Lagrange and Kuhn-Tucker) and some real analysis are directly examined, not just assumed background.