Programming and Data Structures · Programming in C
Official IIT answer key · IIT Roorkee · Audited Aug 2026
GATE CSE 2026 Set 2 Q60 · NAT · 2 marks
#include <stdio.h>
int main(){
int *ptr, a, b, c;
a=5; b=11; c=20;
ptr=&a; *ptr=c; ptr=&c;
a=*(&b); c=*ptr-a;
printf("%d",c);
return(0);
}
The output of this program is ________. (answer in integer)
Note: Assume that the program compiles and runs successfully.Key concept
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Topic notes
In GATE CS, Programming in C is tested extensively through rigorous code tracing, pointer mechanics, and fundamental semantics rather than high-level syntax trivia. Questions emphasize pointer arithmetic and multidimensional array decay, storage classes (especially static local variables), evaluation order, side effects of increment/decrement operators, parameter passing mechanisms (pass-by-value vs pass-by-reference), and recursive program state tracking. The topic features a nearly balanced split between NAT and MCQ items across 1-mark and 2-mark categories, demanding precise, bug-free execution traces without a compiler.
Full Programming in C guide →Consider the following ANSI-C program. #include int main() int *ptr, a, b, c; a=5; b=11; c=20; ptr=&a; *ptr=c; ptr=&c; a=*(&b); c=*ptr-a; printf("%d",c); return(0); The output of this program is … (answer in integer) Note: Assume that the program compiles and runs successfully.
Topic-wise GATE CS PYQs with verified steps
Independent practice explanation verified by the GateAI team. GATE is conducted by the IITs; question text follows the official paper.