The GATE ECE Previous Year Question Papers from 2021 to 2026 are the most reliable practice you can get for February 2027, because they are the real papers set by the IITs. This page gives you all 6 official EC papers with their official answer keys as direct PDF downloads, and then goes 1 step further: it tells you which paper to pick for which goal, which questions were dropped each year, and which questions the 2027 syllabus has made less important.
All PDFs are hosted on the official GATE 2026 website of IIT Guwahati and the GATE 2027 website of IIT Madras. Each file was downloaded and opened on 6 November 2026.
Download GATE ECE Previous Year Question Papers With Answer Keys
Electronics and Communication Engineering (paper code EC) is held as 1 paper each year, so the GATE ECE Previous Year Question Papers come as 1 question paper and 1 answer key per year.
| Year (organising IIT) | Question paper | Answer key |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (IIT Guwahati) | GATE EC 2026 PDF (58 pages) | EC 2026 key |
| 2025 (IIT Roorkee) | GATE EC 2025 PDF (52 pages) | EC 2025 key |
| 2024 (IISc Bangalore) | GATE EC 2024 PDF (46 pages) | EC 2024 final key |
| 2023 (IIT Kanpur) | GATE EC 2023 PDF (44 pages) | EC 2023 key |
| 2022 (IIT Kharagpur) | GATE EC 2022 PDF (54 pages) | EC 2022 key |
| 2021 (IIT Bombay) | GATE EC 2021 PDF (39 pages, scanned) | EC 2021 key (scanned) |
The 2021 files in these GATE ECE Previous Year Question Papers are scanned images, so they print well but cannot be searched. The GATE EC 2027 paper will be added here after the exam, once IIT Madras releases it.
Which of the GATE ECE Previous Year Question Papers Should You Solve for Your Goal?
The 6 GATE ECE Previous Year Question Papers are not identical in pattern. We counted every question type from the official keys of the 5 text-based papers (2022 to 2026), and each paper turns out to be best for a different kind of practice:
To practise controlling negative marks, solve 2023 and 2026. GATE EC 2023 had 45 MCQs worth 66 marks, and 2026 had 42 MCQs worth 65 marks. With that many MCQs, every careless guess shows up in your score.
To practise MSQs, solve 2022 and 2025. Both had 14 MSQs, worth 22 and 21 marks. By contrast, 2023 had only 4 MSQs, so it is a weak choice for MSQ practice.
To practise NATs and calculator speed, solve 2022. It had 18 NATs worth 31 marks, the most NAT marks in the set. 2024 also had 18 NATs, worth 27 marks.
For a final dress rehearsal, keep 2026 for last. It is the newest paper and the closest to what IIT Madras will set in 2027.
For printed practice away from a screen, use 2021. The scanned pages print cleanly, and the paper is from the first year that had MSQs.
| Year | MCQs (marks) | MSQs (marks) | NATs (marks) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 42 (65) | 10 (15) | 13 (20) |
| 2025 | 39 (59) | 14 (21) | 12 (20) |
| 2024 | 39 (60) | 8 (13) | 18 (27) |
| 2023 | 45 (66) | 4 (7) | 16 (27) |
| 2022 | 33 (47) | 14 (22) | 18 (31) |
Notice the trend across the GATE ECE Previous Year Question Papers: since 2023, MCQs have carried 59 to 66 marks in every EC paper. Read our GATE 2027 exam pattern and marking scheme guide to see exactly how wrong MCQs reduce your score.
Dropped Questions: Marks to All in Each GATE ECE Paper
When the IITs find a question faulty, the final answer key marks it MTA, which means Marks to All. Every candidate gets its marks. The GATE ECE Previous Year Question Papers have had more of these than most papers:
- 2026: none.
- 2025: 1 question, Q.8 in General Aptitude.
- 2024: 3 questions, Q.14, Q.44 and Q.48, all MCQs in the EC section.
- 2023: 2 questions, Q.22 and Q.46, both EC MCQs.
- 2022: 1 question, Q.52, an MSQ.
- 2021: the scanned key also marks 1 EC-section question as MTA.
When you score yourself on these GATE ECE Previous Year Question Papers, give yourself full marks for the MTA questions, just as GATE did. But still solve them: the topic is usually valid, and spotting why a question was faulty is good practice in reading questions carefully.
2027 Syllabus Filter for GATE ECE Previous Year Question Papers
IIT Madras revised the EC syllabus for 2027. Most of it is unchanged, so nearly every question in the GATE ECE Previous Year Question Papers is still valid. 2 lines were removed: discrete-time processing of continuous-time signals, and first order nonlinear differential equations. If an old question tests either one, solve it, but do not add it to your revision notes.
The bigger issue is the opposite one. 6 topics are new in 2027 and no old paper has questions on them: FIR and IIR filter design, the PID controller, scaling in MOSFETs, dominant-pole (Miller) compensation, source coding, and correlation and regression. Practise these from a textbook or question bank, because the GATE ECE Previous Year Question Papers cannot help with them. Our GATE ECE syllabus 2027 guide explains each change, and our best GATE books for ECE list names a book for each new topic.
How to Score Yourself on GATE ECE Previous Year Question Papers
The official keys show the correct option for MCQs, all correct options for MSQs (for example A;C), and an accepted range for NATs. They have no worked solutions. So after a timed attempt, follow these steps:
- Mark each answer right or wrong against the key, and give full marks for any MTA question.
- Add 1 or 2 marks for each right answer, as shown in the key.
- Subtract 1/3 for each wrong 1-mark MCQ and 2/3 for each wrong 2-mark MCQ. Wrong MSQs and NATs cost nothing.
- Compare the total with the General cutoff, which was 25 in 2024, 25 in 2025 and 26.4 in 2026, as covered in our GATE ECE previous year cutoff analysis.
A score near the cutoff means you would just qualify. For a rank that matters for M.Tech admissions or PSU interviews, aim for 45 or more in your later papers.
Where the GATE ECE Previous Year Question Papers Fit in Your Plan
Use the GATE ECE Previous Year Question Papers in 2 ways. While you study, solve each subject’s questions from all 6 years as soon as you finish that subject; revise weak topics from our free GATE ECE notes. In the last 6 weeks, take the full papers as 3-hour tests, using the paper picker above to decide the order.
These GATE ECE Previous Year Question Papers test what you know, but not how fast you work in the exam window. For that, combine them with our free GATE ECE mock test series, which runs in the real TCS iON interface, and follow the weekly order in our GATE ECE 2027 4 months preparation strategy.
FAQs on GATE ECE Previous Year Question Papers
Where can I download GATE ECE Previous Year Question Papers with answer keys?
This page links all 6 official GATE ECE Previous Year Question Papers from 2021 to 2026 with their official answer keys, hosted on the GATE websites of IIT Guwahati and IIT Madras.
Which GATE ECE previous year paper is best for MSQ practice?
GATE EC 2022 and 2025 had the most MSQs, 14 each. GATE EC 2023 had only 4, so it is better for MCQ and negative marking practice.
What does MTA mean in the GATE ECE answer key?
MTA means Marks to All. IIT dropped that question and gave its marks to every candidate. GATE EC 2024 had 3 such questions and 2023 had 2.
Are GATE ECE previous year papers enough for the 2027 syllabus?
They cover most of it, but not the 6 new 2027 topics: FIR and IIR filter design, PID controller, MOSFET scaling, Miller compensation, source coding, and correlation and regression. Practise these separately.
How many MCQs come in the GATE ECE paper?
Between 33 and 45 per paper from 2022 to 2026, as per the official keys. Since 2023, MCQs have carried 59 to 66 of the 100 marks.
Is the GATE ECE 2027 question paper available?
No. GATE 2027 is in February 2027, and IIT Madras will publish the papers and answer keys after the exam. We will add the EC paper to this page then.
Do GATE ECE answer keys have solutions?
No. The official keys only list the correct options, the accepted NAT ranges and the marks. Work out each answer on paper and then match it with the key.