GATE Humanities and Social Sciences (XH) — Syllabus, PYQs & Preparati…
Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering, paper XH (Humanities and Social Sciences). GATE 2027 is organised by IIT Madras. A GATE score is used for admission to postgraduate programmes and by public sector companies for recruitment. Paper structure: General Aptitude 15 marks, XH0 Reasoning and Comprehension 25 marks (compulsory), and any one of the other sections at 60 marks, chosen at the time of application. XH0 Reasoning and Comprehension: This part is to test the candidate’s ability to comprehend and interpret written information – skills that are critical in research in the Humanities and Social Sciences. The section will not directly test language competence in terms of grammar, vocabulary etc. The focus is instead on critical reasoning (similar to what is often found in exams like LSAT, GRE, GMAT etc.) and analysis of the text and its stylistic and rhetorical structure.
Important dates
- Registration Opens: 2 Sept 2026
- Regular Registration Closes: 5 Oct 2026
- Extended Registration Closes (with late fee): 12 Oct 2026
- Application Correction Window Opens: 14 Oct 2026
- Application Correction Window Closes: 21 Oct 2026
- Exam City Allotment: 4 Jan 2027
- GATE 2027 Exam Window Begins: 6 Feb 2027
- GATE 2027 Exam Window Ends: 21 Feb 2027
- Results: 19 Mar 2027
Eligibility
- Qualification: Candidates currently in the 3rd or higher year of any undergraduate degree programme, or who have completed any government approved degree programme in Engineering, Technology, Architecture, Science, Commerce, Arts or Humanities.
Candidates with a degree from outside India must be in the 3rd or higher year of, or have completed, a Bachelor's degree of at least three years. See the eligibility table on the GATE 2027 website for each degree type.
Selection process
- GATE Examination: Computer based test of 65 questions for 100 marks in 3 hours. Qualifying in GATE does not guarantee admission, scholarship, or employment; admission to any institute is solely subject to that institute's own eligibility and selection criteria
Exam pattern
- GATE XH, 65 questions, 100 marks, 180 minutes, Online CBT, negative marking: 1/3 mark deducted for a wrong 1-mark MCQ and 2/3 mark for a wrong 2-mark MCQ; no negative marking for MSQ or NAT; no partial marking in MSQ
How to apply
Apply online through the GATE Online Application Processing System (GOAPS) linked from the GATE 2027 website.
- Application fee (Female/SC/ST/PwD - one paper (regular period)): Rs 1000
- Application fee (All other candidates - one paper (regular period)): Rs 2000
- Application fee (Female/SC/ST/PwD - two papers (regular period)): Rs 2000
- Application fee (All other candidates - two papers (regular period)): Rs 4000
- Application fee (Female/SC/ST/PwD - one paper (extended period)): Rs 1500
- Application fee (All other candidates - one paper (extended period)): Rs 2500
- Application fee (Female/SC/ST/PwD - two papers (extended period)): Rs 2500
- Application fee (All other candidates - two papers (extended period)): Rs 4500
GATE Humanities and Social Sciences (XH) syllabus
General Aptitude (10Q/15M)
- Basic English Grammar (GATE)
- Basic Vocabulary (GATE)
- Reading and Comprehension (GATE)
- Narrative Sequencing (GATE)
- Data Interpretation (GATE)
- Numerical Computation and Estimation (GATE)
- Mensuration and Geometry (GATE)
- Elementary Statistics and Probability (GATE)
- Logic: Deduction and Induction (GATE)
- Analogy (GATE)
- Numerical Relations and Reasoning (GATE)
- Transformation of Shapes (GATE)
XH0 Reasoning and Comprehension (25M, compulsory)
- Reading Comprehension (GATE XH)
- Expression (GATE XH)
- Analytical Reasoning (GATE XH)
- Logical Reasoning (GATE XH)
XH1 Economics (60M, choose any one)
- Microeconomics (GATE XH)
- Macroeconomics (GATE XH)
- Statistics, Econometrics and Mathematical Economics (GATE XH)
- International Economics (GATE XH)
- Public Economics (GATE XH)
- Development Economics (GATE XH)
- Indian Economy (GATE XH)
XH2 English (60M, choose any one)
- Literary Forms, Genres, and Modes of Expression (GATE XH)
- English Literary Traditions across Time (GATE XH)
- Global Perspectives on Literary Studies (GATE XH)
- Comparative and World Literatures in English Translation (GATE XH)
- Theoretical Paradigms, Socio-Cultural Movements shaping Literary Studies (GATE XH)
- Interdisciplinary fields (GATE XH)
- Indian Literary and Aesthetic Traditions (GATE XH)
- Contemporary Literary Cultures and Research Methodologies (GATE XH)
XH3 Linguistics (60M, choose any one)
- Language and Linguistics (Fundamental Concepts) (GATE XH)
- Language and Culture (GATE XH)
- The Science of Language (GATE XH)
- Knowledge vs. Use (GATE XH)
- History of Linguistics (GATE XH)
- Levels of Grammatical Analysis (The primary components of grammar) (GATE XH)
- Sound Changes over time (GATE XH)
- Grammar and Meaning Change (GATE XH)
- Historical Linguistics (Language Change): Reconstruction (GATE XH)
- Language Variation (GATE XH)
- Bi- and Multilingualism (GATE XH)
- Language and Policy (GATE XH)
- Classifying Languages (GATE XH)
- Language Universals (GATE XH)
- South Asian Languages (GATE XH)
- Methods of Analysis (How to Do Linguistics): Data Collection (GATE XH)
- Methods of Analysis (How to Do Linguistics): Data Analysis (GATE XH)
- Methods of Analysis (How to Do Linguistics): Ethics (GATE XH)
- Methods of Analysis (How to Do Linguistics): Corpora (GATE XH)
- Psycholinguistics (GATE XH)
- Computational Linguistics (GATE XH)
- Second Language Acquisition (SLA) and Language Teaching (GATE XH)
- Clinical Linguistics (GATE XH)
XH4 Philosophy (60M, choose any one)
- Orthodox Systems (GATE XH)
- Heterodox Systems (GATE XH)
- Upaniṣads, Bhagavadgītā, and Dharmaśāstras (GATE XH)
- Kāṣmira Śaivism, Śaivasiddhānta, Vīra Śaivism, Śāktism and Vaiṣṇavism (GATE XH)
- Contemporary Indian Philosophy (GATE XH)
- Classical and Modern Western Philosophy: Metaphysics (GATE XH)
- Metaphysics in Modern Philosophy (GATE XH)
- Classical and Modern Western Philosophy: Epistemology (GATE XH)
- Classical and Modern Western Philosophy: Ethics (GATE XH)
- Social and Political Philosophy (GATE XH)
- Classical and Modern Western Philosophy: Logic (GATE XH)
- Contemporary Western Philosophy (GATE XH)
XH5 Psychology (60M, choose any one)
- Approaches to Research (GATE XH)
- Designing Research (GATE XH)
- Nature of Quantitative & Qualitative Research (GATE XH)
- Statistics in Psychology (GATE XH)
- Correlational Analysis (GATE XH)
- Special Correlation Methods (GATE XH)
- Experimental Designs (GATE XH)
- Psychometrics (GATE XH)
- Biological and Evolutionary Basis of Behaviour (GATE XH)
- Perception, Learning, Memory and Forgetting (GATE XH)
- Cognition (GATE XH)
- Personality (GATE XH)
- Motivation, Emotion and Stress and Coping (GATE XH)
- Social Psychology (GATE XH)
- Development Across the Life Span (GATE XH)
- Clinical Psychology and Organizational Behavior (GATE XH)
- Applications of Psychology (GATE XH)
XH6 Sociology (60M, choose any one)
- Classical Sociological Traditions (GATE XH)
- Structural-Functionalism and Structuralism (GATE XH)
- Hermeneutic and Interpretative Traditions (GATE XH)
- Recent theoretical developments, Post-Modernism and Post-Structuralism (GATE XH)
- Conflict Theory (GATE XH)
- Indian Thinkers (GATE XH)
- Conceptualizing Social Reality (GATE XH)
- Research Design (GATE XH)
- Quantitative and Qualitative Methods (GATE XH)
- Research Techniques (GATE XH)
- Sociological Concepts (GATE XH)
- Social Institutions (GATE XH)
- Social Stratification (GATE XH)
- Social Change (GATE XH)
- Agrarian Sociology and Rural Transformation (GATE XH)
- Family, Marriage and Kinship; Theoretical Approaches (GATE XH)
- Indian Society/Sociology of India (GATE XH)
- Introduction to Social Movements (GATE XH)
- Theories of Social Movements (GATE XH)
- Social Movements, Civil Society and Globalization (GATE XH)
- Perspectives on the Study of Development (GATE XH)
- The Micro-Politics of Development (GATE XH)
- Development and its critique (GATE XH)