Syllabus overview
GATE EY syllabus 2027 with the official PDF, 100-mark exam pattern and complete section-wise topic tables for Ecology and Evolution.
Highlights
EY is the official GATE code for Ecology and Evolution.
The official syllabus contains 5 sections: Ecology; Evolution; Mathematics and Quantitative Ecology; Behavioural Ecology; Applied Ecology & Evolution.
The paper is a 3-hour Computer-Based Test for 100 marks, including 15 marks of General Aptitude.
Allowed second-paper codes when EY is primary: XL.
The official IIT Madras PDF is available in the download section.
Quick facts
- Exam
- GATE
- Paper / stage
- EY · Ecology and Evolution
- Current cycle
- 2027
- Page type
- Syllabus
- Conducting body
- GATE
- Language
- English
Detailed syllabus
GATE EY Syllabus 2027 Overview
The official GATE EY syllabus 2027 for Ecology and Evolution is organized into 5 sections, covering Ecology, Evolution, Mathematics and Quantitative Ecology, Behavioural Ecology 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 EY 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 EY Official Source and Internal Links
The syllabus tables were checked against the IIT Madras GATE 2027 EY 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 EY Exam Pattern 2027
| Section | Marks | How it applies |
|---|---|---|
| General Aptitude | 15 | Common to all GATE papers |
| Core subject questions | 85 | Selected test-paper syllabus |
| Total | 100 | 3-hour CBT |
Section: General Aptitude
- Marks
- 15
- How it applies
- Common to all GATE papers
Section: Core subject questions
- Marks
- 85
- How it applies
- Selected test-paper syllabus
Section: Total
- Marks
- 100
- How it applies
- 3-hour CBT
GATE EY 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 EY 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 EY paper. Use each table as a study and revision checklist, and verify any later corrigendum against the official PDF.
Section 1: Ecology
| Topic area | Official syllabus coverage |
|---|---|
| Fundamental Concepts | Abiotic and biotic components of ecosystems; Levels of biological organization (individuals, population, species, community, ecosystems, biomes); Niches; Habitats; Functional traits; Ecophysiology (e.g. physiological adaptations, homeostasis, acclimation). |
| Population Ecology | Population dynamics and growth (density dependent/independent); Meta-population ecology; Age-structured populations. |
| Interactions | Types of interactions (mutualism, symbiosis, commensalism, competition, parasitism, predation, etc.); Two species population models (Lotka -Voltera equations); Trophic levels and their direct and indirect interactions. |
| Community Ecolog y | Community assembly, structure and succession; Role of dispersal and habitat/environmental filtering; levels of diversity (alpha, beta, gamma); Species richness, Evenness and diversity indices; Relative abundance; Species-area relationships; Diversity gradients (e.g. latitudinal and altitudinal gradients); Theory of island biogeography. |
| Ecosystem Structure and Function | Primary and secondary productivity; Food web, energy flow, and biogeochemical cycles (e.g. carbon and nitrogen); Ecosystem properties (e.g. stability, resilience); Global biomes and biogeographic zones; Flora and fauna of India; Biogeography of India. |
Topic area: Fundamental Concepts
- Official syllabus coverage
- Abiotic and biotic components of ecosystems; Levels of biological organization (individuals, population, species, community, ecosystems, biomes); Niches; Habitats; Functional traits; Ecophysiology (e.g. physiological adaptations, homeostasis, acclimation).
Topic area: Population Ecology
- Official syllabus coverage
- Population dynamics and growth (density dependent/independent); Meta-population ecology; Age-structured populations.
Topic area: Interactions
- Official syllabus coverage
- Types of interactions (mutualism, symbiosis, commensalism, competition, parasitism, predation, etc.); Two species population models (Lotka -Voltera equations); Trophic levels and their direct and indirect interactions.
Topic area: Community Ecolog y
- Official syllabus coverage
- Community assembly, structure and succession; Role of dispersal and habitat/environmental filtering; levels of diversity (alpha, beta, gamma); Species richness, Evenness and diversity indices; Relative abundance; Species-area relationships; Diversity gradients (e.g. latitudinal and altitudinal gradients); Theory of island biogeography.
Topic area: Ecosystem Structure and Function
- Official syllabus coverage
- Primary and secondary productivity; Food web, energy flow, and biogeochemical cycles (e.g. carbon and nitrogen); Ecosystem properties (e.g. stability, resilience); Global biomes and biogeographic zones; Flora and fauna of India; Biogeography of India.
Section 2: Evolution
| Topic area | Official syllabus coverage |
|---|---|
| Fundamentals | Lamarckism; Darwinism; Modern Synthesis; Variation; Heritability; Natural selection; Fitness and adaptation; Types of selection (e.g. stabilizing, directional, disruptive). |
| Diversity of Life | Origin and history of life on earth; Paleobiological evidence; Diversity and classification of life; Classical taxonomy vs systematics (cladistics). |
| Life History Theory | Allocation of resources; Tradeoffs; r/K selection; Strategies (e.g. semelparity and iteroparity). |
| Interactions | Co-evolution (e.g. mutualism, arms race, co-speciation); Prey-predator interactions (e.g. mimicry, crypsis); Host-parasite interactions |
| Population and Quantitative Genetics | Origins of genetic variation; Mendelian genetics; Hardy -Weinberg equilibrium; Drift; Selection (one-locus two-alleles model); Population genetic structure (panmixia, gene flow, FST); Polygenic traits; Gene-environment interactions (phenotypic plasticity); Heritability; Epistasis and epigenetic inheritance. |
| Molecular Evolution and Phylogenetics | Mutation rates; Molecular clocks; Neutral processes; Rates of evolution; Chromosomal and genome evolution (e.g. hybridization, ploidy, introgression); Phylogenetic methods (parsimony; maximum likelihood, Bayesian, etc); Phylogeography |
| Macroevolution | Species concepts; Speciation and extinction; Adaptive radiation; Convergence; Biogeographic processes; Continental drift. |
Topic area: Fundamentals
- Official syllabus coverage
- Lamarckism; Darwinism; Modern Synthesis; Variation; Heritability; Natural selection; Fitness and adaptation; Types of selection (e.g. stabilizing, directional, disruptive).
Topic area: Diversity of Life
- Official syllabus coverage
- Origin and history of life on earth; Paleobiological evidence; Diversity and classification of life; Classical taxonomy vs systematics (cladistics).
Topic area: Life History Theory
- Official syllabus coverage
- Allocation of resources; Tradeoffs; r/K selection; Strategies (e.g. semelparity and iteroparity).
Topic area: Interactions
- Official syllabus coverage
- Co-evolution (e.g. mutualism, arms race, co-speciation); Prey-predator interactions (e.g. mimicry, crypsis); Host-parasite interactions
Topic area: Population and Quantitative Genetics
- Official syllabus coverage
- Origins of genetic variation; Mendelian genetics; Hardy -Weinberg equilibrium; Drift; Selection (one-locus two-alleles model); Population genetic structure (panmixia, gene flow, FST); Polygenic traits; Gene-environment interactions (phenotypic plasticity); Heritability; Epistasis and epigenetic inheritance.
Topic area: Molecular Evolution and Phylogenetics
- Official syllabus coverage
- Mutation rates; Molecular clocks; Neutral processes; Rates of evolution; Chromosomal and genome evolution (e.g. hybridization, ploidy, introgression); Phylogenetic methods (parsimony; maximum likelihood, Bayesian, etc); Phylogeography
Topic area: Macroevolution
- Official syllabus coverage
- Species concepts; Speciation and extinction; Adaptive radiation; Convergence; Biogeographic processes; Continental drift.
Section 3: Mathematics and Quantitative Ecology
| Topic area | Official syllabus coverage |
|---|---|
| Mathematics and Statistics in Ecology | Simple functions (linear, quadratic, exponential, logarithmic, etc); Concept of derivatives and slope of a function; Permutations and combinations; Basic probability (probability of |
| Official coverage | random events; Sequences of events, conditional probability, etc); Probability distributions (e.g. binomial, normal, Poisson); Descriptive statistics (mean, variance, coefficient of variation, confidence intervals, etc.). |
| Study design and Statistical methods | Statistical hypothesis testing; Concept of p-value; Type I and Type II error, Statistical tests (e.g. t-test, Chi-square test); Correlation, linear regression and ANOVA. |
Topic area: Mathematics and Statistics in Ecology
- Official syllabus coverage
- Simple functions (linear, quadratic, exponential, logarithmic, etc); Concept of derivatives and slope of a function; Permutations and combinations; Basic probability (probability of
Topic area: Official coverage
- Official syllabus coverage
- random events; Sequences of events, conditional probability, etc); Probability distributions (e.g. binomial, normal, Poisson); Descriptive statistics (mean, variance, coefficient of variation, confidence intervals, etc.).
Topic area: Study design and Statistical methods
- Official syllabus coverage
- Statistical hypothesis testing; Concept of p-value; Type I and Type II error, Statistical tests (e.g. t-test, Chi-square test); Correlation, linear regression and ANOVA.
Section 4: Behavioural Ecology
| Topic area | Official syllabus coverage |
|---|---|
| Classical Ethology and Sensory Ecology | Proximate and ultimate explanations for behaviour; Innate and learnt behavior; Basic mechanisms (e.g., neuroethology, behavioural endocrinology); Modes of communication (chemical, visual, etc); Movement (e.g. navigation). |
| Foraging and Reproduction | Optimal foraging theory; Space use (e.g. territoriality); Mating systems; Sexual selection and sexual conflict (runaway selection, good-genes, handicap principle, etc); Parental care. |
| Social Behaviour | Costs and benefits of group-living; Intraspecific competition (e.g. scramble and contest); Kin selection; Altruism. |
Topic area: Classical Ethology and Sensory Ecology
- Official syllabus coverage
- Proximate and ultimate explanations for behaviour; Innate and learnt behavior; Basic mechanisms (e.g., neuroethology, behavioural endocrinology); Modes of communication (chemical, visual, etc); Movement (e.g. navigation).
Topic area: Foraging and Reproduction
- Official syllabus coverage
- Optimal foraging theory; Space use (e.g. territoriality); Mating systems; Sexual selection and sexual conflict (runaway selection, good-genes, handicap principle, etc); Parental care.
Topic area: Social Behaviour
- Official syllabus coverage
- Costs and benefits of group-living; Intraspecific competition (e.g. scramble and contest); Kin selection; Altruism.
Section 5: Applied Ecology & Evolution
| Topic area | Official syllabus coverage |
|---|---|
| Biodiversity and Conservation | Biodiversity-ecosystem function relationships; Ecosystem services; Conservation (endemism, biodiversity hotspots, protected areas); Global conservation initiatives (e.g. COP, IUCN, CBD, CITES); Conservation genetics and methods (genetic diversity, inbreeding depression, DNA fingerprinting and DNA barcoding). |
| Disease Ecology and Evolution | Epidemiology; Zoonotic diseases; Antibiotic resistance. |
| Global Change | Causes, consequences, adaptation and mitigation of climate change; Threats to biodiversity (e.g. pollution, habitat loss and change); Invasive species. |
Topic area: Biodiversity and Conservation
- Official syllabus coverage
- Biodiversity-ecosystem function relationships; Ecosystem services; Conservation (endemism, biodiversity hotspots, protected areas); Global conservation initiatives (e.g. COP, IUCN, CBD, CITES); Conservation genetics and methods (genetic diversity, inbreeding depression, DNA fingerprinting and DNA barcoding).
Topic area: Disease Ecology and Evolution
- Official syllabus coverage
- Epidemiology; Zoonotic diseases; Antibiotic resistance.
Topic area: Global Change
- Official syllabus coverage
- Causes, consequences, adaptation and mitigation of climate change; Threats to biodiversity (e.g. pollution, habitat loss and change); Invasive species.
GATE EY Syllabus 2027: exam pattern and key details
| Detail | Current information |
|---|---|
| Exam | GATE |
| Paper / stage | EY · Ecology and Evolution |
| Current cycle | 2027 |
| Page type | Syllabus |
| Conducting body | GATE |
| Language | English |
Detail: Exam
- Current information
- GATE
Detail: Paper / stage
- Current information
- EY · Ecology and Evolution
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 EY syllabus contains 5 sections: Ecology; Evolution; Mathematics and Quantitative Ecology; Behavioural Ecology; Applied Ecology & Evolution. The complete topic coverage is arranged in section-wise tables on this page.
GATE EY 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 EY is primary: XL. 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 EY 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 EY Syllabus 2027 PDF
- Download GATE EY Ecology and Evolution 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 EY 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 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 EY syllabus 2027
- Ecology and Evolution
- 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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