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100+ Free GATE CH Practice Questions

Pass your Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering — Chemical Engineering (CH) exam on the first try — instant access, no signup required.

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In a sequence of letters: M, J, M, A, M, J, J, A, S, O, N, D — these initials represent the months of a year. Which letter comes next in the cyclic continuation if the pattern restarts after December?

A
B
C
D
to track
2026 Statistics

Key Facts: GATE CH Exam

65 questions / 100 marks

Total paper size (10 GA + 55 subject)

GATE 2026 Information Brochure, gate2026.iitg.ac.in

180 minutes

Test duration (CBT)

GATE 2026 Information Brochure

INR 1800

Standard application fee per paper

GATE 2026 Information Brochure

IIT Guwahati

Organising institute for GATE 2026

gate2026.iitg.ac.in

100

Free practice questions here

OpenExamPrep

GATE CH 2026 (IIT Guwahati) is a 3-hour, 65-question, 100-mark CBT — 15 marks GA + 13 marks Engineering Math + 72 marks core Chemical Engineering across 8 subject sections, with MCQ (negative marking) + MSQ + NAT. Used for IIT/NIT M.Tech admission and PSU recruitment.

Sample GATE CH Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to test your GATE CH exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1In a sequence of letters: M, J, M, A, M, J, J, A, S, O, N, D — these initials represent the months of a year. Which letter comes next in the cyclic continuation if the pattern restarts after December?
A.J (for January)
B.F (for February)
C.M (for March)
D.A (for April)
Explanation: The letters spell out the initials of months M(arch), J(une) ... D(ecember). After December the calendar cycle restarts with January, so the next letter is J.
2If the price of an item increases by 20% and then decreases by 20%, the net percentage change in the price is:
A.0% (no change)
B.+4% (increase)
C.-4% (decrease)
D.-2% (decrease)
Explanation: Successive percentage changes combine as (1+a)(1+b)-1. Here (1.20)(0.80)-1 = 0.96-1 = -0.04 = -4%. Successive equal-magnitude up-then-down changes always produce a net loss of (x²/100)%.
3A train 200 m long crosses a platform 300 m long in 25 seconds. The speed of the train in km/h is:
A.60 km/h
B.72 km/h
C.80 km/h
D.90 km/h
Explanation: Total distance = 200 + 300 = 500 m, time = 25 s. Speed = 500/25 = 20 m/s. Converting: 20 × 18/5 = 72 km/h.
4Choose the option that best completes the sentence: 'Despite the engineer's careful design, the reactor _______ unexpectedly during start-up.'
A.behaved
B.misbehaved
C.performed
D.operated
Explanation: The clue word 'unexpectedly' combined with 'Despite ... careful design' signals an undesired outcome. 'Misbehaved' fits the contrast — the prefix 'mis-' marks the unwanted behaviour.
5A bag contains 4 red, 3 blue and 5 green balls. One ball is drawn at random. The probability that it is NOT red is:
A.1/3
B.1/4
C.2/3
D.1/2
Explanation: Total balls = 4 + 3 + 5 = 12. Non-red balls = 3 + 5 = 8. Probability(not red) = 8/12 = 2/3.
6In a certain code, 'TIGER' is written as 'UJHFS'. How is 'LION' written in the same code?
A.MJPO
B.MJON
C.KHNM
D.MPJO
Explanation: Each letter advances by one position: T→U, I→J, G→H, E→F, R→S. Applying the same shift to LION gives L→M, I→J, O→P, N→O, hence MJPO.
7A pie chart shows that 25% of an engineering college's intake is in Chemical Engineering. If the total intake is 800 students, how many students are admitted to Chemical Engineering?
A.150
B.180
C.200
D.250
Explanation: 25% of 800 = (25/100) × 800 = 200 students. The pie-chart slice represents one quarter of the whole.
8Select the most appropriate antonym of 'ABUNDANT':
A.Plentiful
B.Scarce
C.Copious
D.Lavish
Explanation: 'Abundant' means existing in large quantities. Its direct antonym is 'scarce' — meaning insufficient or hard to find.
9If 8 men can complete a job in 12 days, how many days will 6 men take to complete the same job (assuming equal productivity)?
A.14 days
B.15 days
C.16 days
D.18 days
Explanation: Total man-days = 8 × 12 = 96. With 6 men, days required = 96/6 = 16. Man-days is conserved when productivity is constant.
10Find the missing number in the series: 2, 6, 12, 20, 30, ____ ?
A.36
B.40
C.42
D.44
Explanation: The differences are 4, 6, 8, 10, ... increasing by 2. The next difference is 12, so the missing term = 30 + 12 = 42. Equivalently, terms follow n(n+1) for n = 1, 2, 3, ...

About the GATE CH Exam

GATE Chemical Engineering (paper code CH) is the national-level entrance examination for postgraduate (M.Tech/PhD) admission to IITs, NITs, IIITs and CFTIs and for direct recruitment to PSU technical positions (IOCL, BPCL, HPCL, GAIL, ONGC, PowerGrid and many others). The 3-hour computer-based test has 65 questions worth 100 marks: 10 General Aptitude questions (15 marks) and 55 subject + Engineering Mathematics questions (85 marks). The paper uses a mix of MCQ (with negative marking of -1/3 or -2/3), Multiple-Select Questions (no negative marking) and Numerical-Answer-Type questions (typed answer, no negative marking). The Chemical Engineering syllabus covers Process Calculations & Thermodynamics, Fluid Mechanics & Mechanical Operations, Heat Transfer, Mass Transfer, Chemical Reaction Engineering, Instrumentation & Process Control, Plant Design & Economics, and Chemical Technology. GATE 2026 is organised by IIT Guwahati and is held on weekends in early February.

Questions

100 scored questions

Time Limit

180 minutes (3 hours)

Passing Score

Subject-specific qualifying mark (~25-30 / 100) recomputed yearly; score normalised to 0-1000 GATE score

Exam Fee

INR 900 (SC/ST/PwD/female) or INR 1800 (others) for GATE 2026 (IIT Guwahati for GATE 2026 (National Coordination Board, GATE; Ministry of Education, Government of India))

GATE CH Exam Content Outline

15%

General Aptitude (GA)

10 questions / 15 marks. Verbal aptitude (grammar, vocabulary, reading comprehension), numerical aptitude (arithmetic, ratios, percentages), spatial and analytical reasoning, data interpretation. Common to every GATE paper.

13%

Engineering Mathematics

Linear algebra (matrices, eigenvalues), calculus (limits, partial derivatives, vector calculus), ordinary differential equations, complex variables, probability & statistics (mean, variance, common distributions), numerical methods (Newton-Raphson, trapezoidal/Simpson rules, Taylor series).

10%

Process Calculations and Thermodynamics

Mass and energy balances on steady-state systems, ideal-gas calculations, thermodynamic laws, phase equilibria, fugacity/activity, vapour-liquid equilibrium (Raoult's, Henry's, modified Raoult's), chemical-reaction equilibria, heats of reaction.

12%

Fluid Mechanics and Mechanical Operations

Fluid statics, Newtonian and non-Newtonian behaviour, continuity and Bernoulli, dimensional analysis, friction factor correlations, flow through pipes and fittings, pumps (centrifugal, reciprocating, NPSH), packed/fluidized beds (Ergun), particle technology (terminal velocity, classification), agitation/mixing, size reduction (jaw, ball, hammer mills).

10%

Heat Transfer

Conduction through composite walls and cylinders, fins, transient conduction (Biot, Fourier numbers, lumped capacitance), forced and natural convection correlations (Dittus-Boelter, Sieder-Tate), boiling and condensation, radiation (Stefan-Boltzmann, view factors), heat exchanger analysis (LMTD, NTU-effectiveness), evaporators (single & multi-effect).

12%

Mass Transfer

Fick's laws, molecular and convective mass transfer, Sherwood/Schmidt numbers, film/penetration/surface-renewal theories, stage-wise and continuous-contactor design, distillation (McCabe-Thiele, relative volatility, reflux ratio), absorption (NTU/HTU, Kremser), liquid-liquid extraction, leaching, humidification (wet-bulb), drying (constant- and falling-rate periods), crystallization.

10%

Chemical Reaction Engineering

Reaction kinetics (orders, Arrhenius), batch, CSTR, PFR design equations and comparison, multiple reactions and selectivity, non-ideal flow (RTD, dispersion, tanks-in-series), heterogeneous catalysis (LHHW kinetics, effectiveness factor, Thiele modulus).

8%

Instrumentation and Process Control

Measurement instruments (temperature, pressure, flow, level), first- and second-order process dynamics, transfer functions, controllers (P, PI, PID), tuning rules (Ziegler-Nichols), stability analysis (Routh-Hurwitz, Bode plots, root locus), cascade and feedforward control.

5%

Plant Design and Economics

Process design heuristics, equipment selection, capital cost estimation (six-tenths rule, Lang factors), operating-cost estimation, depreciation, profitability metrics (payback period, NPV, IRR, ROI).

5%

Chemical Technology

Inorganic chemicals manufacture (sulphuric acid by Contact process, ammonia by Haber-Bosch, soda ash by Solvay, alumina by Bayer, chlor-alkali, fertilizers), organic chemicals, petroleum refining (atmospheric and vacuum distillation, FCC, hydrotreating), polymerization (addition vs step-growth, common polymers).

How to Pass the GATE CH Exam

What You Need to Know

  • Passing score: Subject-specific qualifying mark (~25-30 / 100) recomputed yearly; score normalised to 0-1000 GATE score
  • Exam length: 100 questions
  • Time limit: 180 minutes (3 hours)
  • Exam fee: INR 900 (SC/ST/PwD/female) or INR 1800 (others) for GATE 2026

Keys to Passing

  • Complete 500+ practice questions
  • Score 80%+ consistently before scheduling
  • Focus on highest-weighted sections
  • Use our AI tutor for tough concepts

GATE CH Study Tips from Top Performers

1Build your foundation early by mastering the Engineering Mathematics topics — they directly contribute ~13 marks and indirectly support most numerical questions in the core sections
2Work through standard textbooks: McCabe-Smith-Harriott (Unit Operations), Smith-Van Ness-Abbott (Thermodynamics), Levenspiel/Fogler (Reaction Engineering), Coulson-Richardson Vol 1 (Fluid & Heat Transfer)
3Solve the previous 15 years of GATE CH papers (1500+ questions) — recurring concepts like LMTD, Damköhler number, Murphree efficiency, six-tenths rule and Arrhenius reappear regularly
4Take 8-12 full-length mock tests on the official mock interface in the last 6 weeks to learn paper-strategy: lock 15 GA marks early, then attempt high-confidence NATs before MCQs with negative marking
5Maintain a one-page formula sheet per subject — formulas for LMTD, NTU/effectiveness, Reynolds/Sherwood/Nusselt correlations, ideal-reactor design equations, and Bernoulli's must be at instant recall
6Practise unit conversions: GATE numerical answers must match within a specified tolerance, so familiarity with SI vs CGS units (e.g., kg/m³ vs g/cm³, Pa vs bar, kJ/kg vs cal/g) prevents trivial losses

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the exam pattern of GATE Chemical Engineering 2026?

GATE CH 2026 is a 3-hour computer-based test of 65 questions for 100 marks. It has 10 General Aptitude questions (15 marks) and 55 subject + Engineering Mathematics questions (85 marks). Question types are MCQ (negative marking of -1/3 for 1-mark and -2/3 for 2-mark items), Multiple-Select Questions (no negative marking), and Numerical-Answer-Type questions (typed answer, no negative marking).

Which institute is conducting GATE 2026?

GATE 2026 is being organised by the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati on behalf of the National Coordination Board, GATE, Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education, Government of India. The official portal is gate2026.iitg.ac.in. IISc Bangalore organised GATE 2025, and the host institute rotates each year among IITs and IISc.

What is the application fee for GATE 2026 and when does registration close?

The standard application fee is INR 1800 per paper (INR 900 for SC/ST/PwD and female candidates). Late-fee registration adds INR 500. Registration typically opens in late August and closes in early October; check gate2026.iitg.ac.in for the official notification and dates.

How is the GATE Chemical Engineering score normalised?

Raw marks (out of 100) are converted to the standard GATE score on a 0-1000 scale using the formula published by GATE that accounts for the qualifying mark, mean and standard deviation of qualified candidates. A normalised score plus paper-wise scorecard is issued; the scorecard is valid for three years for admission and 12 months for most PSU recruitments.

Which PSUs recruit through GATE Chemical Engineering?

Major PSUs that recruit chemical engineers through GATE include IOCL, BPCL, HPCL, GAIL, ONGC, OIL India, EIL, PowerGrid, NTPC, SAIL, MRPL, NLC, NFL, RCF and several smaller central/state-government PSUs. Each PSU publishes its own GATE-paper code and minimum normalised score requirement annually.

What is the syllabus weightage between General Aptitude, Engineering Mathematics, and core Chemical Engineering?

GA carries 15 marks, Engineering Mathematics around 13 marks, and the core Chemical Engineering subject around 72 marks (out of 100). Within the core, the heavily tested sections are Process Calculations & Thermodynamics, Fluid Mechanics & Mechanical Operations, Heat & Mass Transfer, and Chemical Reaction Engineering.

Can I use a physical calculator in the GATE exam?

No. Physical calculators are not permitted. GATE provides a virtual scientific calculator on the test screen with all standard functions. Practising with the on-screen calculator (downloadable mock interface on the official site) before the exam significantly improves speed.