Where GATE EC's marks have come from
Based on IAE's count of past papers. What it cannot tell you is at the end.
Across the seven papers of 2018, 2020 and 2022–2026, GATE EC's 85-mark subject component has leaned towards some subjects: Engineering Mathematics averaged 12.7 marks a paper against Networks' 6.7. This post lines up every subject's marks year by year and orders them by average, for a candidate deciding what to study first. It is not a forecast for 2027.
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This shows what was asked, not what will be asked: how many marks GATE EC's seven papers of 2018, 2020 and 2022–2026 gave to each published study subject, for a GATE EC candidate working out the subject component of a study plan. The GATE 2027 Information Brochure fixes the paper at 65 questions and 100 marks, with General Aptitude a constant 15 marks that sit outside the subject syllabus; the remaining 85 marks — Engineering Mathematics plus the core subjects — are the subject component this post counts (GATE 2027 Information Brochure, printed page 4).
Where GATE EC's 85 subject marks have come from, paper by paper
Marks per GATE EC paper under each published study subject, seven papers: 2018, 2020, 2022–2026, with the average per paper
| Subject | 2018 | 2020 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | Average per paper |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engineering Mathematics | 13 | 13 | 16 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 9 | 12.7 |
| Analog Electronics | 11 | 11 | 9 | 8 | 10 | 13 | 12 | 10.6 |
| Digital Electronics | 11 | 11 | 10 | 8 | 11 | 9 | 13 | 10.4 |
| Signals and Systems | 8 | 8 | 7 | 14 | 10 | 7 | 13 | 9.6 |
| Control Systems | 9 | 10 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 10 | 7 | 8.7 |
| Electronic Devices | 8 | 10 | 10 | 7 | 12 | 7 | 7 | 8.7 |
| Electromagnetics | 8 | 8 | 5 | 11 | 6 | 8 | 7 | 7.6 |
| Networks (Electric Circuits) | 7 | 5 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 6.7 |
| Not in a library subject yet | 10 | 9 | 12 | 7 | 10 | 12 | 10 | 10.0 |
| Subject component (fixed by the brochure) | 85 | 85 | 85 | 85 | 85 | 85 | 85 | 85 |
Source: the official GATE EC papers and answer keys for 2018, 2020 and 2022–2026. 2019 and 2021 are left out: the copies IAE hosts are image scans without the answer key. We placed each question under a subject ourselves; the exam paper does not label subjects. These are counts of past papers, not a forecast. The 85-mark subject component is from the GATE 2027 Information Brochure (printed page 4). Data as of 27 Sep 2026.
The table lines up all seven papers side by side. Engineering Mathematics's row swings from 9 marks in 2026 to 16 in 2022, a 7-mark range it shares with Signals and Systems (7 to 14), because the marks we placed under it run 9 to 16 per paper, against the brochure's fixed 13 marks for the subject. We placed each question ourselves, so these are not the paper's own section boundaries. Analog Electronics and Digital Electronics track closely in most years (0–1 marks apart), though they diverged more in 2025 (13 marks against 9). The 'Not in a library subject yet' row runs 7 to 12 marks a paper. These are marks on questions that are not under any published subject. That includes the sections the study library has not covered yet, and can include any question from a covered section that we did not place. This post does not say what those marks were made of.
GATE EC subjects in order of average marks per paper
| Order | Subject | Average marks per paper | Lowest–highest in one paper | Papers it appeared in (of 7) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Engineering Mathematics | 12.7 | 9–16 | 7 |
| 2 | Analog Electronics | 10.6 | 8–13 | 7 |
| 3 | Digital Electronics | 10.4 | 8–13 | 7 |
| 4 | Signals and Systems | 9.6 | 7–14 | 7 |
| 5= | Control Systems | 8.7 | 7–10 | 7 |
| 5= | Electronic Devices | 8.7 | 7–12 | 7 |
| 7 | Electromagnetics | 7.6 | 5–11 | 7 |
| 8 | Networks (Electric Circuits) | 6.7 | 5–8 | 7 |
Source: Computed from the table above. General Aptitude is not in this list: it is a fixed 15 marks outside the 85-mark subject component, with its own common syllabus. Data as of 27 Sep 2026. Subjects with the same average (to one decimal place) share a place, marked =.
By average marks per paper, the order runs Engineering Mathematics at 12.7, then Analog Electronics at 10.6, Digital Electronics at 10.4, and Signals and Systems at 9.6. Control Systems and Electronic Devices tie at 8.7 each — the same average to one decimal place, so the counts put them level rather than one ahead of the other. Electromagnetics follows at 7.6, and Networks (Electric Circuits) is last at 6.7. A plan that follows the marks would take Engineering Mathematics, Analog Electronics and Digital Electronics first, Signals and Systems next, then treat Control Systems and Electronic Devices as equal in weight, followed by Electromagnetics, and leave Networks for last on this measure — every one of these subjects appeared in all seven papers, so this is about the marks each has carried on average, not about how often a subject showed up. General Aptitude sits outside this order: a fixed 15 marks, separate from the 85-mark subject component ranked here.
The GATE EC syllabus, section by section, against the study library
| Syllabus section | Title | Study library subject |
|---|---|---|
| Section 1 | Engineering Mathematics | Engineering Mathematics |
| Section 2 | Networks, Signals and Systems | Networks (Electric Circuits), Signals and Systems |
| Section 3 | Electronic Devices | Electronic Devices |
| Section 4 | Analog Circuits | Analog Electronics |
| Section 5 | Digital Circuits | Digital Electronics |
| Section 6 | Control Systems | Control Systems |
| Section 7 | Communications | Not in the library yet |
| Section 8 | Electromagnetics | Electromagnetics |
Source: official GATE 2027 EC syllabus PDF (IIT Madras), 27 Sep 2026. Subjects are those in IAE's study library.
Section 7 of the official syllabus, Communications, is not yet covered by a published study subject. These marks are part of the first table's 'Not in a library subject yet' row. That row also includes any question from a covered section that we did not place, so it is not made up of Communications marks alone. Every other syllabus section maps to a subject already in the library, including Section 2, Networks, Signals and Systems, which corresponds to two published subjects: Networks (Electric Circuits) and Signals and Systems.
WHAT THIS CANNOT TELL YOU
This counts the seven GATE EC papers of 2018, 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026. 2019 and 2021 are left out because the copies IAE hosts are image scans without the answer key. We placed each question under a subject ourselves; the exam paper does not label subjects. The 'Not in a library subject yet' marks are unsolved sections plus any question from a covered section that we did not place. Nothing more specific than that is claimed about them. All of it is a count of seven past papers, not a forecast for the GATE 2027 paper.
Data as of 27 Sep 2026.
From the Resource Centre
GATE EC previous-year papers 2018–2026
Nine years of GATE Electronics & Communication question papers (2018–2026), as the organising institutes published them. Learn the real pattern, spot the high-yield topics, and build exam-day speed. The 2018, 2020 and 2022 papers include the organising institute’s own answer key.
ANY GATE YEARGATE 2027 Official Syllabus — All Papers
The official GATE 2027 syllabus, all 30 papers. Know the exact topics, sections and weightage before you plan a single day of prep. The new Robotics and Automation (RA) paper is not in this set yet.
GATE 2027Common questions
Which GATE EC subject has carried the most marks on average?+
Why are 2019 and 2021 left out of this count?+
What do the 'Not in a library subject yet' marks mean?+
Does this order predict what the GATE 2027 paper will ask?+
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