Introduction:

The Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) is a national level examination conducted for admission to postgraduate programs in various engineering disciplines. The Mechanical Engineering (ME) paper is one of the popular branches of GATE.

Difference in pattern:

Over the years, the pattern of GATE ME questions has witnessed some changes. Let's explore the differences between the previous years' GATE ME question pattern and the current pattern in detail:

1. Question types:
- Previous years: The earlier GATE ME question papers used to consist of multiple-choice questions (MCQs) and numerical answer type (NAT) questions.
- Current pattern: The recent GATE ME question papers have a mix of MCQs, NAT questions, and multiple select questions (MSQs). The addition of MSQs requires candidates to choose multiple correct options instead of a single answer.

2. Weightage of topics:
- Previous years: The weightage of topics in the previous years' question papers used to vary. Some topics carried more weightage, while others had relatively fewer questions.
- Current pattern: The current pattern of GATE ME questions aims to cover all the topics from the syllabus with equal weightage. This ensures that candidates have a comprehensive understanding of the subject.

3. Difficulty level:
- Previous years: The difficulty level of the questions in the previous years' GATE ME papers ranged from easy to difficult. Some years had more challenging questions compared to others.
- Current pattern: The current pattern of GATE ME questions maintains a similar difficulty level across the years. It is designed to test the candidates' conceptual knowledge, problem-solving skills, and analytical thinking.

4. Marking scheme:
- Previous years: In the earlier GATE ME question papers, there was negative marking for wrong answers in MCQs. For NAT questions, no negative marking was applicable.
- Current pattern: The current pattern of GATE ME questions follows a differential marking scheme. For MCQs, negative marking is applicable, and for NAT and MSQs, there is no negative marking. This encourages candidates to attempt all types of questions.

Conclusion:

The pattern of GATE ME questions has undergone some changes over the years. The current pattern includes a mix of MCQs, NAT questions, and MSQs, with equal weightage given to all topics from the syllabus. The difficulty level is maintained consistently, and the marking scheme has been modified to encourage candidates to attempt all types of questions. It is essential for GATE ME aspirants to be familiar with the current pattern and practice accordingly to improve their chances of success in the examination.