GATE DA Preparation Guide
IIT Madras (organising institute for GATE 2027)
Your Complete Preparation Guide for GATE DA 2027 — strategy, study plan, tips & more.
Exam Overview
Mode
Online (CBT)
Frequency
Annual (February)
Next Exam Date
6, 7, 13, 14, 20 & 21 Feb 2027
EEligibility Criteria
BTech/BE/BCA/MCA/MSc in any discipline — no restriction on undergraduate background
ANumber of Attempts
No limit
Study Plan by Subject
Probability & Statistics
Week 1-4: Foundation
Core concepts & basics
Week 5-8: Deep Practice
Advanced problems & revision
Week 9-12: Mock Tests + Revision
Full-length tests & weak-area focus
Refer to official syllabus for complete topic list
Discrete Mathematics
Week 1-4: Foundation
Core concepts & basics
Week 5-8: Deep Practice
Advanced problems & revision
Week 9-12: Mock Tests + Revision
Full-length tests & weak-area focus
Refer to official syllabus for complete topic list
Linear Algebra
Week 1-4: Foundation
Core concepts & basics
Week 5-8: Deep Practice
Advanced problems & revision
Week 9-12: Mock Tests + Revision
Full-length tests & weak-area focus
Refer to official syllabus for complete topic list
Calculus & Optimisation
Week 1-4: Foundation
Core concepts & basics
Week 5-8: Deep Practice
Advanced problems & revision
Week 9-12: Mock Tests + Revision
Full-length tests & weak-area focus
Refer to official syllabus for complete topic list
Programming, Data Structures & Algorithms
Week 1-4: Foundation
Core concepts & basics
Week 5-8: Deep Practice
Advanced problems & revision
Week 9-12: Mock Tests + Revision
Full-length tests & weak-area focus
Refer to official syllabus for complete topic list
Database Management & Warehousing
Week 1-4: Foundation
Core concepts & basics
Week 5-8: Deep Practice
Advanced problems & revision
Week 9-12: Mock Tests + Revision
Full-length tests & weak-area focus
Refer to official syllabus for complete topic list
Machine Learning
Week 1-4: Foundation
Core concepts & basics
Week 5-8: Deep Practice
Advanced problems & revision
Week 9-12: Mock Tests + Revision
Full-length tests & weak-area focus
Refer to official syllabus for complete topic list
Artificial Intelligence
Week 1-4: Foundation
Core concepts & basics
Week 5-8: Deep Practice
Advanced problems & revision
Week 9-12: Mock Tests + Revision
Full-length tests & weak-area focus
Refer to official syllabus for complete topic list
Expert Preparation Tips
Probability and Statistics carry the single highest weightage — master distributions, estimation and hypothesis testing first
Practise ML theory with derivations: linear regression closed forms, SVM margins, backpropagation chain rule
Solve 20 DSA questions weekly — GATE DA tests analysis of code output and complexity, not writing full programs
Linear Algebra (SVD, eigen-decomposition, projections) is the mathematical backbone of ML — do not skip it
Solve all previous GATE DA papers (2024-2026) — as a new paper, its question style is still stabilising and repeats patterns
Exam Pattern at a Glance
| Section | Questions | Marks | Duration (est.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Probability & Statistics | 8 | 13 | 23 min |
| Discrete Mathematics | 8 | 13 | 23 min |
| Linear Algebra | 8 | 13 | 23 min |
| Calculus & Optimisation | 8 | 13 | 23 min |
| Programming, Data Structures & Algorithms | 8 | 13 | 23 min |
| Database Management & Warehousing | 8 | 13 | 23 min |
| Machine Learning | 8 | 13 | 23 min |
| Artificial Intelligence | 8 | 13 | 23 min |
| Total | 65 | 100 | 180 min |
Important Dates
Registration Opens
2 Sep - 5 Oct 2026 (late fee until 12 Oct 2026)
Next Exam Date
6, 7, 13, 14, 20 & 21 Feb 2027
Conducted By
IIT Madras (organising institute for GATE 2027)
Frequently Asked Questions
Ready to Ace GATE DA 2027?
Turn your preparation into results. Practise with free mock tests, review the full syllabus, and simulate the real exam experience on HenceProve.
Start Practising on HenceProve →