100+ Free GATE PI Practice Questions
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A solid steel shaft of diameter 50 mm and length 1 m carries a torque of 1 kN·m. The maximum shear stress, using τ = 16T/(πd³), is approximately:
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Key Facts: GATE PI Exam
65 questions / 100 marks
GATE PI paper size (15 GA + 85 technical)
gate2026.iitg.ac.in
3 hours
Total exam time (single session, CBT)
GATE 2026 Information Brochure
INR 1000
GATE 2026 application fee (General/OBC)
GATE 2026 IIT Guwahati
MCQ -1/3 or -2/3; MSQ & NAT 0
Negative marking by question type
GATE 2026 Information Brochure
100
Free practice questions here
OpenExamPrep
GATE PI is a 3-hour, 100-mark computer-based test with 65 questions (15-mark General Aptitude + 85-mark technical) covering Engineering Mathematics, manufacturing, quality, IE, and operations research. MCQs carry negative marking (-1/3 for 1-mark, -2/3 for 2-mark); MSQ and NAT have none. Qualifying cutoff is 25 marks or μ+σ, whichever is higher.
Sample GATE PI Practice Questions
Try these sample questions to test your GATE PI exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.
1In the GATE 2026 PI paper, what is the typical mark distribution between 1-mark and 2-mark questions across General Aptitude and the technical sections?
2A sentence reads: 'Neither the manager nor the workers ___ aware of the new safety protocol.' Which word correctly fills the blank?
3If 2x + 3y = 12 and 4x − y = 10, what is the value of x + y?
4A train travels 60 km at 30 km/h and the next 60 km at 60 km/h. What is the average speed for the entire 120 km journey?
5Choose the option that best completes the analogy: Hammer : Nail :: Screwdriver : ___
6A bar chart shows quarterly revenue (in INR crore) for a factory: Q1 = 80, Q2 = 100, Q3 = 60, Q4 = 160. By what percentage did Q4 revenue exceed Q1 revenue?
7If all artists are creative and some creative people are wealthy, which of the following can be reliably concluded?
8The price of a product rises by 20% and then falls by 20%. What is the net change relative to the original price?
9Select the word most nearly opposite in meaning to 'meticulous'.
10A 6-faced fair die is rolled twice. What is the probability that the sum of the two outcomes equals 9?
About the GATE PI Exam
GATE (Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering) Production and Industrial Engineering (PI) is one of the 30 GATE papers and the standard national-level entrance for M.Tech / M.E. / direct-PhD admissions in production, industrial, and manufacturing engineering at IITs, IISc, NITs, IIITs, and centrally funded technical institutes. GATE PI scores are also used by major PSUs (BHEL, IOCL, NTPC, GAIL, ONGC, PGCIL and others) for engineer recruitment, and by CSIR/DRDO/ISRO for research fellowships. GATE 2026 is being conducted by IIT Guwahati and will be held over the first two weekends of February 2026 as a 3-hour Computer-Based Test (CBT). The PI paper has 65 questions for a total of 100 marks: 10 General Aptitude questions (15 marks) and 55 technical questions (85 marks) covering Engineering Mathematics and the PI subject syllabus — General Engineering, Manufacturing Processes I and II, Quality and Reliability, Industrial Engineering, and Operations Research / Operations Management. The paper mixes Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ), Multiple Select Questions (MSQ), and Numerical Answer Type (NAT) items.
Questions
100 scored questions
Time Limit
180 minutes (3 hours)
Passing Score
Qualifying cutoff is the higher of 25 marks or μ + σ of qualifying candidates' scores
Exam Fee
INR 1000 (General/OBC); INR 500 (SC/ST/PwD/female) for GATE 2026 (IISc Bangalore and seven IITs jointly; IIT Guwahati is the organising institute for GATE 2026)
GATE PI Exam Content Outline
General Aptitude (GA)
Compulsory section across every GATE paper. 5 questions of 1 mark and 5 questions of 2 marks covering verbal, quantitative, analytical, and spatial aptitude.
Engineering Mathematics
Linear algebra (matrices, eigenvalues, systems of linear equations), calculus (single and multivariable), differential equations (ODE/PDE basics), complex variables, probability and statistics, numerical methods (root-finding, integration, ODE solution).
General Engineering
Engineering Mechanics (statics, dynamics, friction). Strength of Materials (stress-strain, beams, torsion, columns). Theory of Machines (kinematics, mechanisms, balancing). Engineering Materials (microstructures, phase diagrams, heat treatment). Thermal and Fluids Engineering (laws of thermodynamics, heat transfer, fluid statics and dynamics).
Manufacturing Processes I
Casting (patterns, moulds, gating, risering, defects). Metal Forming (rolling, forging, extrusion, drawing, sheet-metal operations including bending, deep drawing, shearing). Joining of materials (arc and resistance welding, brazing, soldering, adhesive bonding).
Manufacturing Processes II
Machining and Machine Tool Operations (turning, milling, drilling, shaping, grinding, abrasive machining, tool geometry, Merchant's analysis, Taylor's tool life). Metrology and Inspection. Tool Engineering. Modern Manufacturing (EDM, ECM, LBM, USM, WJM/AWJM, additive manufacturing — SLA, SLS, FDM, binder jetting).
Quality and Reliability
Metrology and inspection methods. Quality Management — Statistical Process Control (X-bar, R, p, c, u charts), process capability (Cp, Cpk), sampling plans, OC curves, six sigma DMAIC. Reliability — failure distributions, MTBF, redundancy, FMEA, maintenance strategies.
Industrial Engineering
Product Design and Development. Work System Design — work study, time study, motion study (therbligs), work sampling, ergonomics, anthropometry. Facility Design — plant location (centre-of-gravity), layout (process, product, cellular, fixed-position), assembly-line balancing. Materials Handling Systems.
Operations Research and Operations Management
Operations Research — Linear Programming, transportation and assignment, queuing (M/M/1, M/M/c), decision theory under uncertainty and risk, PERT/CPM, sequencing. Production Planning and Inventory Control — forecasting, MRP, JIT/lean, EOQ models, ABC analysis. Project Management. Supply Chain Management — bullwhip effect, sourcing, distribution.
How to Pass the GATE PI Exam
What You Need to Know
- Passing score: Qualifying cutoff is the higher of 25 marks or μ + σ of qualifying candidates' scores
- Exam length: 100 questions
- Time limit: 180 minutes (3 hours)
- Exam fee: INR 1000 (General/OBC); INR 500 (SC/ST/PwD/female) 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 PI Study Tips from Top Performers
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the GATE PI exam pattern for 2026?
GATE PI 2026 is a 3-hour computer-based test with 65 questions totalling 100 marks. The breakdown is: General Aptitude (10 questions, 15 marks), Engineering Mathematics + Subject (55 questions, 85 marks). Question types include Multiple Choice (MCQ), Multiple Select (MSQ), and Numerical Answer Type (NAT). The paper is conducted by IIT Guwahati.
What is the marking scheme and negative marking in GATE PI?
MCQs have negative marking: -1/3 for a wrong 1-mark MCQ and -2/3 for a wrong 2-mark MCQ. MSQs (multiple select) and NAT (numerical answer type) have NO negative marking. Unanswered questions receive 0 marks. Hence MSQ and NAT should be attempted aggressively; MCQs require selective attempting.
Who organises GATE 2026 and where can I check official information?
GATE 2026 is organised by IIT Guwahati on behalf of the National Coordination Board comprising IISc Bangalore and IITs Bombay, Delhi, Guwahati, Kanpur, Kharagpur, Madras, and Roorkee. The official portal is gate2026.iitg.ac.in. Application typically opens in late August and closes mid-October; exam is held on the first two weekends of February 2026.
What is the qualifying score (cutoff) for GATE PI?
The qualifying cutoff for the General category is the higher of 25 marks (out of 100) or μ + σ, where μ is the mean and σ the standard deviation of the qualifying candidates' raw marks. For SC/ST/PwD, it is 2/3 of the General cutoff. Past PI cutoffs have hovered around 30 (General) and 20 (SC/ST/PwD). Qualifying merely makes you eligible; admissions and PSU calls require much higher GATE scores.
What jobs and admissions does a good GATE PI score open up?
GATE PI is the gateway to: (1) M.Tech / M.E. / direct PhD in production, industrial, manufacturing engineering at IITs, IISc, NITs and IIITs (often with MHRD scholarship of INR 12,400/month); (2) Recruitment in PSUs such as BHEL, IOCL, NTPC, GAIL, ONGC, PGCIL, NHPC, BEL, MDL, HPCL through GATE-score-based selection; (3) Research fellowships and scientist-trainee roles at DRDO, ISRO, CSIR, BARC, and (4) Admissions to MS programmes in some foreign universities (Singapore, Germany).
What books and resources are recommended for GATE PI preparation?
Standard references include: Kalpakjian & Schmid (Manufacturing Processes), Ghosh & Mallik (Manufacturing Science), Mikell Groover (Industrial Engineering), Hamdy Taha (Operations Research), Montgomery (SPC and Quality Control), Shigley (Machine Design), Rajput (Strength of Materials, Thermodynamics, Fluid Mechanics). For practice, GATE PI previous-year papers (2010 onwards), GATE Forum / Made Easy / Ace Engineering Academy test series, and topic-wise problem sets are widely used.