Syllabus overview
GATE AE syllabus 2027 with the official PDF, 100-mark exam pattern and complete section-wise topic tables for Aerospace Engineering.
Highlights
AE is the official GATE code for Aerospace Engineering.
The official syllabus contains 5 sections: Engineering Mathematics; Flight Mechanics & Space Dynamics; Aerodynamics; Structures; Propulsion.
The paper is a 3-hour Computer-Based Test for 100 marks, including 15 marks of General Aptitude.
Allowed second-paper codes when AE is primary: CE, ME, XE.
The official IIT Madras PDF is available in the download section.
Quick facts
- Exam
- GATE
- Paper / stage
- AE · Aerospace Engineering
- Current cycle
- 2027
- Page type
- Syllabus
- Conducting body
- GATE
- Language
- English
Detailed syllabus
GATE AE Syllabus 2027 Overview
The official GATE AE syllabus 2027 for Aerospace Engineering is organized into 5 sections, covering Engineering Mathematics, Flight Mechanics & Space Dynamics, Aerodynamics, Structures and the remaining paper-specific areas listed below. This page follows the IIT Madras syllabus order, provides the correct 100-mark exam pattern, and links the official PDF so aspirants can prepare from a complete, verified checklist.
How to Prepare from the GATE AE Syllabus
- Create one checklist for every official section and retain the same sequence used in the PDF.
- Start with a diagnostic test, then allocate more study time to weak high-coverage sections instead of dividing time equally.
- Solve previous-year GATE questions immediately after completing each topic and record errors by concept, calculation and time pressure.
- Revise formulas, definitions and frequently confused conditions in short weekly cycles, followed by mixed-section tests.
- Use the official PDF as the final scope document; coaching notes should expand a listed topic, not introduce an unrelated syllabus.
GATE AE Official Source and Internal Links
The syllabus tables were checked against the IIT Madras GATE 2027 AE PDF. Use the download section for the database-hosted copy, the GATE syllabus hub to switch papers, and the notification page for registration dates and policy updates.
Exam pattern
GATE AE Exam Pattern 2027
| Section | Marks | How it applies |
|---|---|---|
| General Aptitude | 15 | Common to all GATE papers |
| Engineering Mathematics | 13 | Paper-specific engineering mathematics |
| Core subject questions | 72 | Selected test-paper syllabus |
| Total | 100 | 3-hour CBT |
Section: General Aptitude
- Marks
- 15
- How it applies
- Common to all GATE papers
Section: Engineering Mathematics
- Marks
- 13
- How it applies
- Paper-specific engineering mathematics
Section: Core subject questions
- Marks
- 72
- How it applies
- Selected test-paper syllabus
Section: Total
- Marks
- 100
- How it applies
- 3-hour CBT
GATE AE Question and Marking Rules
| Question type | Possible marks | Negative marking |
|---|---|---|
| MCQ | 1 or 2 | Yes: 1/3 for a wrong 1-mark MCQ; 2/3 for a wrong 2-mark MCQ |
| MSQ | 1 or 2 | No negative marking and no partial marking |
| NAT | 1 or 2 | No negative marking |
Question type: MCQ
- Possible marks
- 1 or 2
- Negative marking
- Yes: 1/3 for a wrong 1-mark MCQ; 2/3 for a wrong 2-mark MCQ
Question type: MSQ
- Possible marks
- 1 or 2
- Negative marking
- No negative marking and no partial marking
Question type: NAT
- Possible marks
- 1 or 2
- Negative marking
- No negative marking
Subject-wise syllabus
GATE AE Syllabus 2027 - Official Section-wise Topics
The tables below preserve the section order and complete topic coverage published by IIT Madras for the GATE 2027 AE paper. Use each table as a study and revision checklist, and verify any later corrigendum against the official PDF.
Section 1: Engineering Mathematics
| Topic area | Official syllabus coverage |
|---|---|
| Core Topics | Linear Algebra: Vector algebra, matrix algebra, systems of linear equations, rank of a matrix; Eigenvalues and eigenvectors. |
| Calculus | Functions of single variable, limits, continuity and differentiability, chain rule, maxima and minima, Integration; Functions of several variables, partial derivatives, gradient, divergence and curl, directional derivatives; Line, surface and volume integrals. Theorems of Stokes, Gauss and Green. |
| Differential Equations | First order linear ordinary differential equations; Higher order linear ODEs with constant coefficients; Classification of partial differential equations ; solution to: wave equation, Laplace equation, heat equation using separation of variables methods. |
| Numerical Methods | Numerical solutions for linear and nonlinear algebraic equations by bisection, Newton - Raphson method; basic numerical differentiation; numerical integration by trapezoidal and Simpson’s rules; linear regression and least squares method; linear interpolation. |
| Special Topics | Fourier series; complex numbers, analytic functions and Cauchy-Riemann equations. |
| Basics of probability and statistics | Bayes theorem, mean, median, & mode; variance; binomial, normal and Poisson distribution. |
Topic area: Core Topics
- Official syllabus coverage
- Linear Algebra: Vector algebra, matrix algebra, systems of linear equations, rank of a matrix; Eigenvalues and eigenvectors.
Topic area: Calculus
- Official syllabus coverage
- Functions of single variable, limits, continuity and differentiability, chain rule, maxima and minima, Integration; Functions of several variables, partial derivatives, gradient, divergence and curl, directional derivatives; Line, surface and volume integrals. Theorems of Stokes, Gauss and Green.
Topic area: Differential Equations
- Official syllabus coverage
- First order linear ordinary differential equations; Higher order linear ODEs with constant coefficients; Classification of partial differential equations ; solution to: wave equation, Laplace equation, heat equation using separation of variables methods.
Topic area: Numerical Methods
- Official syllabus coverage
- Numerical solutions for linear and nonlinear algebraic equations by bisection, Newton - Raphson method; basic numerical differentiation; numerical integration by trapezoidal and Simpson’s rules; linear regression and least squares method; linear interpolation.
Topic area: Special Topics
- Official syllabus coverage
- Fourier series; complex numbers, analytic functions and Cauchy-Riemann equations.
Topic area: Basics of probability and statistics
- Official syllabus coverage
- Bayes theorem, mean, median, & mode; variance; binomial, normal and Poisson distribution.
Section 2: Flight Mechanics & Space Dynamics
| Topic area | Official syllabus coverage |
|---|---|
| Core Topics | Atmosphere: Properties of standard atmosphere. |
| Official coverage | Classification of aircraft. Airplane (fixed wing aircraft) configuration and various parts; Pressure altitude; equivalent, calibrated, indicated air speeds; |
| Primary flight instruments | Altimeter, air speed indicator, vertical speed indicator, turn-bank indicator. |
| Official coverage | Aerodynamic forces and moments; angle of attack; sideslip; |
| Official coverage | High-lift devices; roll, pitch & yaw controls. |
| Airplane performance | CL-alpha curve, drag polar; take -off and landing; steady climb and descent; absolute and service ceiling; range and endurance, load factor, turning flight, V-n diagram. Winds: head, tail and cross winds. |
| Static stability | stability and control derivatives; longitudinal stick fixed and free stability; horizontal tail position and size; directional stability, vertical tail position and size; lateral stability; wing dihedral, sweep & position; hinge moments, stick forces. |
| Official coverage | Linear momentum and angular momentum balance for rigid bodies. |
| Space Dynamics | central force motion, Keplerian orbits, Kepler’s laws; escape velocity. |
| Special Topics | Equations of motion; Euler angles; decoupling of longitudinal and lateral -directional dynamics; longitudinal modes; lateral-directional modes, Hohmann orbital transfers. |
Topic area: Core Topics
- Official syllabus coverage
- Atmosphere: Properties of standard atmosphere.
Topic area: Official coverage
- Official syllabus coverage
- Classification of aircraft. Airplane (fixed wing aircraft) configuration and various parts; Pressure altitude; equivalent, calibrated, indicated air speeds;
Topic area: Primary flight instruments
- Official syllabus coverage
- Altimeter, air speed indicator, vertical speed indicator, turn-bank indicator.
Topic area: Official coverage
- Official syllabus coverage
- Aerodynamic forces and moments; angle of attack; sideslip;
Topic area: Official coverage
- Official syllabus coverage
- High-lift devices; roll, pitch & yaw controls.
Topic area: Airplane performance
- Official syllabus coverage
- CL-alpha curve, drag polar; take -off and landing; steady climb and descent; absolute and service ceiling; range and endurance, load factor, turning flight, V-n diagram. Winds: head, tail and cross winds.
Topic area: Static stability
- Official syllabus coverage
- stability and control derivatives; longitudinal stick fixed and free stability; horizontal tail position and size; directional stability, vertical tail position and size; lateral stability; wing dihedral, sweep & position; hinge moments, stick forces.
Topic area: Official coverage
- Official syllabus coverage
- Linear momentum and angular momentum balance for rigid bodies.
Topic area: Space Dynamics
- Official syllabus coverage
- central force motion, Keplerian orbits, Kepler’s laws; escape velocity.
Topic area: Special Topics
- Official syllabus coverage
- Equations of motion; Euler angles; decoupling of longitudinal and lateral -directional dynamics; longitudinal modes; lateral-directional modes, Hohmann orbital transfers.
Section 3: Aerodynamics
| Topic area | Official syllabus coverage |
|---|---|
| Core Topics | Basic fluid mechanics: fluid kinematics, streamline, streakline, pathline; conservation laws : mass, linear momentum and energy (integral and differential form); dimensional analysis and dynamic similarity; incompressibility conditions; Newtonian fluids. |
| Elementary ideas of viscous flows | Hagen-Poiseulle flow, Couette flow, basic concepts in boundary layers , boundary layer thickness. |
| Two-dimensional potential flow theory | sources, sinks, doublets, point vortex and their superposition, Bernoulli’s equation. |
| Airfoils and wings | airfoil nomenclature; aerodynamic coefficients : lift, drag and moment; Kutta -Joukoswki theorem; thin airfoil theory, Kutta condition, starting vortex; finite wing theory: induced drag, Prandtl lifting line theory; critical and drag divergence Mach numbers. |
| Compressible flows | basic concepts of compressibility, one -dimensional compressible flows, isentropic flows, normal and oblique shocks, Prandtl-Meyer flow; flow through nozzles and diffusers. |
| Special Topics | Fanno flow; Rayleigh flow; pressure measurements using U-tube manometers and Pitot probe. |
Topic area: Core Topics
- Official syllabus coverage
- Basic fluid mechanics: fluid kinematics, streamline, streakline, pathline; conservation laws : mass, linear momentum and energy (integral and differential form); dimensional analysis and dynamic similarity; incompressibility conditions; Newtonian fluids.
Topic area: Elementary ideas of viscous flows
- Official syllabus coverage
- Hagen-Poiseulle flow, Couette flow, basic concepts in boundary layers , boundary layer thickness.
Topic area: Two-dimensional potential flow theory
- Official syllabus coverage
- sources, sinks, doublets, point vortex and their superposition, Bernoulli’s equation.
Topic area: Airfoils and wings
- Official syllabus coverage
- airfoil nomenclature; aerodynamic coefficients : lift, drag and moment; Kutta -Joukoswki theorem; thin airfoil theory, Kutta condition, starting vortex; finite wing theory: induced drag, Prandtl lifting line theory; critical and drag divergence Mach numbers.
Topic area: Compressible flows
- Official syllabus coverage
- basic concepts of compressibility, one -dimensional compressible flows, isentropic flows, normal and oblique shocks, Prandtl-Meyer flow; flow through nozzles and diffusers.
Topic area: Special Topics
- Official syllabus coverage
- Fanno flow; Rayleigh flow; pressure measurements using U-tube manometers and Pitot probe.
Section 4: Structures
| Topic area | Official syllabus coverage |
|---|---|
| Core Topics | Strength of materials: Stress and strain, stress-strain curves of steel and Aluminium; stresses and deflections in statically determinate and indeterminate linear elastic trusses, bars, beams, and shafts; two-dimensional transformations of stresses and strains, Mohr’s circle, principal stresses and strains; combined loading, failure criteria: maximum stress, Tresca, von Mises; strain energy; Castigliano’s principles; three-dimensional Hooke's law; plane stress and strain; Euler buckling of columns. |
| Flight vehicle structures | torsion, bending and shear of open and closed thin -walled sections: symmetric and unsymmetric cross-sections; loads on aircraft. |
| Structural Dynamics | free and forced vibrations of undamped and damped SDOF systems; free vibrations of undamped 2-DOF systems. |
| Special Topics | Equilibrium and compatibility equations in two-dimensional elasticity. |
Topic area: Core Topics
- Official syllabus coverage
- Strength of materials: Stress and strain, stress-strain curves of steel and Aluminium; stresses and deflections in statically determinate and indeterminate linear elastic trusses, bars, beams, and shafts; two-dimensional transformations of stresses and strains, Mohr’s circle, principal stresses and strains; combined loading, failure criteria: maximum stress, Tresca, von Mises; strain energy; Castigliano’s principles; three-dimensional Hooke's law; plane stress and strain; Euler buckling of columns.
Topic area: Flight vehicle structures
- Official syllabus coverage
- torsion, bending and shear of open and closed thin -walled sections: symmetric and unsymmetric cross-sections; loads on aircraft.
Topic area: Structural Dynamics
- Official syllabus coverage
- free and forced vibrations of undamped and damped SDOF systems; free vibrations of undamped 2-DOF systems.
Topic area: Special Topics
- Official syllabus coverage
- Equilibrium and compatibility equations in two-dimensional elasticity.
Section 5: Propulsion
| Topic area | Official syllabus coverage |
|---|---|
| Core Topics | Basics of thermodynamics. Aerothermodynamics of aircraft engines: thrust, efficiency, range. Brayton cycle. Engine performance: ramjet, turbojet, turbofan, turboprop and turboshaft engines; after-burners. Aerothermodynamics of non-rotating propulsion components such as intakes, nozzles. |
| Gas turbine combustor | types and configurations; combustion, stoichiometric fuel-to-air ratio. |
| Turbomachinery | Axial compressors: angular momentum, work and compression, characteristic performance of a single axial compressor stage, efficiency of the compressor and degree of reaction, multi -staging; Centrifugal compressor: stage dynamics, inducer, impeller and diffuser; Axial turbines: stage performance. |
| Rockets | thrust equation and specific impulse, rocket performance; multi-staging; chemical rockets; performance of solid and liquid propellant rockets. |
| Special Topics | Turbine blade cooling, compressor-turbine matching. |
Topic area: Core Topics
- Official syllabus coverage
- Basics of thermodynamics. Aerothermodynamics of aircraft engines: thrust, efficiency, range. Brayton cycle. Engine performance: ramjet, turbojet, turbofan, turboprop and turboshaft engines; after-burners. Aerothermodynamics of non-rotating propulsion components such as intakes, nozzles.
Topic area: Gas turbine combustor
- Official syllabus coverage
- types and configurations; combustion, stoichiometric fuel-to-air ratio.
Topic area: Turbomachinery
- Official syllabus coverage
- Axial compressors: angular momentum, work and compression, characteristic performance of a single axial compressor stage, efficiency of the compressor and degree of reaction, multi -staging; Centrifugal compressor: stage dynamics, inducer, impeller and diffuser; Axial turbines: stage performance.
Topic area: Rockets
- Official syllabus coverage
- thrust equation and specific impulse, rocket performance; multi-staging; chemical rockets; performance of solid and liquid propellant rockets.
Topic area: Special Topics
- Official syllabus coverage
- Turbine blade cooling, compressor-turbine matching.
GATE AE Syllabus 2027: exam pattern and key details
| Detail | Current information |
|---|---|
| Exam | GATE |
| Paper / stage | AE · Aerospace Engineering |
| Current cycle | 2027 |
| Page type | Syllabus |
| Conducting body | GATE |
| Language | English |
Detail: Exam
- Current information
- GATE
Detail: Paper / stage
- Current information
- AE · Aerospace Engineering
Detail: Current cycle
- Current information
- 2027
Detail: Page type
- Current information
- Syllabus
Detail: Conducting body
- Current information
- GATE
Detail: Language
- Current information
- English
Common mistakes to avoid
Do not prepare from an old syllabus without comparing it with the latest official notice and the requirements for your exact exam stage.
Candidates also ask
The official AE syllabus contains 5 sections: Engineering Mathematics; Flight Mechanics & Space Dynamics; Aerodynamics; Structures; Propulsion. The complete topic coverage is arranged in section-wise tables on this page.
GATE AE is a 100-mark, 3-hour Computer-Based Test. General Aptitude carries 15 marks and the remaining marks follow the paper-specific distribution shown above.
The initial GATE 2027 combination table permits these secondary codes when AE is primary: CE, ME, XE. Check the official portal for later changes.
Frequently asked questions
Use the featured PDF button on this page. It opens the database-hosted copy of the official IIT Madras AE syllabus.
Yes. General Aptitude is compulsory in every GATE 2027 test paper and carries 15 marks.
The paper uses Multiple Choice Questions, Multiple Select Questions and Numerical Answer Type questions carrying one or two marks.
Negative marking applies only to incorrect MCQs. MSQ and NAT questions have no negative marking, and MSQs have no partial marking.
Follow the official section order, complete topic-level concepts and examples, solve previous-year questions after each unit, and use full-length mock tests only after completing the major sections.
Downloads
Official GATE AE Syllabus 2027 PDF
- Download GATE AE Aerospace Engineering Syllabus 2027 PDFNEWFEATUREDDownload
Official resources
GATE 2027 Syllabus HubOpen the referenced exam resource.
View resource GATE 2027 NotificationOpen the referenced exam resource.
View resource Official GATE AE Syllabus PDFOpen the referenced exam resource.
View resource GATE 2027 Information Brochure PDFOpen the referenced exam resource.
View resource IIT Madras Test Papers and SyllabusOpen the referenced exam resource.
View resource GATE CE SyllabusOpen the referenced exam resource.
View resource GATE ME SyllabusOpen the referenced exam resource.
View resource GATE official websiteVisit the conducting body’s official website.
View resource GATE Organising Institute official websiteVerify the latest rules and notices at the official source.
View resource
Topics covered
- GATE AE syllabus 2027
- Aerospace Engineering
- GATE 2027 PDF
- IIT Madras
Research methodology and editorial review
Research methodology
GovtJobsNet editors compare the latest official GATE notice, conducting-body resources and published amendments before updating this page. Where an official 2027 document is pending, the page is marked and reviewed again after release.
- Last updated
- 4 August 2026
- Content cycle
- GATE 2027
Candidate questions and discussion
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