What are common examiner traps in General Aptitude?

Assuming standard deviation increases when a constant is added to every data point (standard deviation is shift-invariant). Averaging speeds directly rather than weighting by time (i.e. computing arithmetic mean instead of total distance divided by total time). Confusing perimeter/edge assignments when rolling a 2D sheet into a 3D cylinder (joining longer edges makes the longer edge the height, not the circumference). Forgetting to subtract the overlap term in two-set inclusion-exclusion problems. Assuming equal selling price with +x\% and -x\% results in zero net profit/loss instead of a net loss. Treating single-elimination tournament match counting as 2k instead of simply N-1 matches. Off-by-one errors when establishing sample size for discrete intervals (e.g., counting 2-digit numbers between 1 and 100 as 99 instead of 99 - 10 + 1 = 90). Omitting reflexive pairs in divisibility/multiple conditions (e.g., forgetting that a number is a multiple of itself, such as (k, k)).

GATE CSE General Aptitude (GA) PYQs

The 15-mark rank multiplier. General Aptitude carries 15% of your total GATE score with zero technical ambiguity. Master all 129 verified previous year questions across Quantitative, Verbal, Analytical, and Spatial Aptitude to secure a guaranteed 13+ marks. Read the guide

Start mock · 30 Qs

Topics: 7
Questions: 129
Marks / paper: 14.8
Asked: since 2011

These are the 129 GATE CSE General Aptitude PYQs (since 2011), grouped topic-wise with solutions. See all GATE CSE PYQs or GATE CSE question papers by year.

Topics

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By year

Jump to the first question from each year’s paper.

What GATE tests in General Aptitude

Concepts, patterns, formulas and traps distilled from past papers.

Quantitative Aptitude in GATE CS evaluates foundational mathematical reasoning, arithmetic, algebra, combinatorics, elementary probability, and geometry through concise word problems and functional/graphical models. Verbal Aptitude in GATE CS evaluates functional English grammar, vocabulary relationships, coherent text sequencing, and formal/informal logical reasoning. Spatial Aptitude in GATE assesses a candidate's ability to manipulate, transform, and reason about 2D and 3D geometric objects, patterns, and maps.

Core concepts

Logarithmic laws and exponential equations
Single-variable differentiation for profit maximization and cost minimization
Conditional probability, Law of Total Probability, and Bayes' Theorem
Permutations, combinations with repetition, and Inclusion-Exclusion Principle
Geometric mensuration (volume of cylinders, surface area of cubes, similar triangles)
Ratios, proportions, and percentage profit/loss calculations
Elementary number theory (prime factorizations, perfect cubes, prime properties)
Summary statistics (mean, median, effects of shift/scale transformations on standard deviation)
Piecewise linear functions and ramp functions max(S-K, 0)
Linear systems of equations derived from word problems
Equally likely outcomes in discrete sample spaces
Systematic enumeration of two-dice outcome tables (6 × 6 = 36)

How questions show up

Logarithmic and Algebraic Identities
CommonMCQ1 marks2025, 2024, 2022, 2011
Simplifying logarithmic relations, exponential identities, or polynomial expressions using standard laws (e.g., product rule, power rule, AM-GM relations, or root substitution).
Optimization via Calculus or Quadratic Vertex
CommonMCQ2 marks2012, 2011
Finding the production quantity, dimension, or coordinate that maximizes profit/height or minimizes cost by taking the first derivative $\frac{d}{dq}=0$ or finding the vertex of a parabola.
Probability and Conditional Reasoning
CommonMCQ2 marks2026, 2022, 2017, 2012
Calculating joint, conditional, total probability, or binomial distribution probabilities involving draws with/without replacement, independent weather days, or binary classification tests (Bayes' Theorem).
Combinatorics and Inclusion-Exclusion
CommonMCQ1 marks2026, 2025, 2024, 2017
Counting arrangements, permutations with restrictions, multiset combinations (stars and bars), tournament eliminations, or 2-set Venn diagram overlaps.
Percentages, Profit-Loss, and Ratios
CommonMCQ1 marks2026, 2024, 2013
Computing overall profit/loss percentage on multiple items, coin denomination values, proportional distribution, or wage/workload changes.
Geometry and Mensuration
OccasionalMCQ2 marks2025, 2024
Relating areas and volumes of shapes (cylinders formed by rolling rectangles, cubes, similar triangles, or rotated rectangles within squares).

High-yield formulas

Successive Dilution Formula

\text{Remaining Liquid} = V \left(1 - \frac{x}{V}\right)^n

Used when a volume $x$ is repeatedly drawn from a total volume $V$ of liquid and replaced with an equal amount of diluent $n$ times.

Overall Loss on Identical Selling Prices

\text{Loss \%} = \left(\frac{x}{10}\right)^2 = \frac{x^2}{100}\%

Used when two items are sold at the same selling price, one at a profit of $x\%$ and the other at a loss of $x\%$ .

Multiset Combinations (Stars and Bars)

\binom{n + r - 1}{r}

Used to count the number of ways to choose $r$ items from $n$ distinct types with replacement where order does not matter.

Principle of Inclusion-Exclusion (2 Sets)

|A \cup B| = |A| + |B| - |A \cap B|

Used to find the size of sets or union of events with mutual overlap.

Single Elimination Tournament Match Count

\text{Total Games} = N - 1

Used to find total matches played in a pure knockout tournament of $N$ players to declare one champion.

Bayes' Rule for Binary Partitions

P(B \mid A) = \frac{P(B)P(A \mid B)}{P(B)P(A \mid B) + P(B^{\prime})P(A \mid B^{\prime})}

Used to determine posterior probability of a specific source given a successful test outcome.

Average Speed

\text{Average Speed} = \frac{\text{Total Distance}}{\text{Total Time}} = \frac{D}{\sum \frac{d_i}{v_i}}

Used when a journey is split into segments with varying speeds over specified fractional distances.

Min/Max Algebraic Form

\min(x, y) = \frac{(x+y) - |x-y|}{2}, \quad \max(x, y) = \frac{(x+y) + |x-y|}{2}

Used to represent minimum or maximum of real variables in closed algebraic form without piecewise branches.

Examiner traps in General Aptitude

Assuming standard deviation increases when a constant is added to every data point (standard deviation is shift-invariant).
Averaging speeds directly rather than weighting by time (i.e. computing arithmetic mean instead of total distance divided by total time).
Confusing perimeter/edge assignments when rolling a 2D sheet into a 3D cylinder (joining longer edges makes the longer edge the height, not the circumference).
Forgetting to subtract the overlap term in two-set inclusion-exclusion problems.
Assuming equal selling price with +x\% and -x\% results in zero net profit/loss instead of a net loss.
Treating single-elimination tournament match counting as 2k instead of simply N-1 matches.
Off-by-one errors when establishing sample size for discrete intervals (e.g., counting 2-digit numbers between 1 and 100 as 99 instead of 99 - 10 + 1 = 90).
Omitting reflexive pairs in divisibility/multiple conditions (e.g., forgetting that a number is a multiple of itself, such as (k, k)).

Paper trends

Shift from standard single-variable calculus optimization toward discrete structures, functional properties, and number theory parity/prime properties.
2025, 2023, 2012, 2011
Introduction of graphical interpretation items requiring translation between diagrams (trapezoids, ramps, histograms/tables) and algebraic formulas.
2026, 2025
Increased presence of clean elementary algebra and logarithm simplifications requiring minimal arithmetic but solid conceptual symmetry.
2025, 2024
Dice-based multi-stage experiments have become a primary recurring theme in recent General Aptitude sections, with both sets of 2026 focusing on successive 2-roll outcomes.
2026, 2025