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NAT in GATE: numerical answer type questions
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NAT stands for Numerical Answer Type. A NAT question in GATE has no options. You work out the answer and enter it as a number using a virtual keypad on the screen. There is no negative marking for NAT, and a wrong or missing entry scores zero.
How it works in the exam
You enter the number using a virtual keypad on the screen. Questions carry 1 or 2 marks, like every GATE question, and the answer is checked against the key. Because no options are shown, you cannot work backwards from them or use elimination, so NAT tests whether you can solve the problem completely.
An example
The determinant of the matrix with rows (3, 1) and (2, 4) is ____.
Work: 3 × 4 − 1 × 2 = 12 − 2 = 10. You would key in 10 and move on. A wrong answer such as 12 earns nothing, and the zero mark is the only price.
How to attempt NAT questions
- Always enter something if you have a plausible answer. No negative marking means a try costs only time.
- Read the required precision. Questions usually state the decimal places or rounding to use. Follow it exactly.
- Keep working units straight. A correct calculation in the wrong unit is a wrong answer.
- Do the arithmetic on the virtual calculator. Practise with it before the exam so that entering values is quick.
- Re-check before you key in. There are no options to confirm your result, so a quick sanity check, such as the sign, the magnitude or the units, is your safety net.
NAT questions favour candidates who are accurate with calculation. They are easy to lose to small slips, so practise them under timed conditions. The previous year papers guide shows how to use official papers for this.
Where NAT sits among question types
GATE has three types: MCQ, MSQ and NAT. Only MCQs carry negative marking: 1/3 mark off a 1-mark question and 2/3 off a 2-mark question. See the exam pattern guide for how the 65 questions and 100 marks are split.
Frequently asked questions
Is there negative marking for NAT in GATE?
No. Only MCQs carry negative marking.
Can I use a physical calculator for NAT questions?
No. Only the on-screen virtual scientific calculator is permitted in the exam hall.
Official sources
- GATE 2027 website: question paper pattern and FAQs.
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- MSQAn MSQ in GATE has four options with one or more correct answers, no negative marking and no partial credit. See how it is scored and how to attempt it.
- Virtual calculatorThe GATE virtual calculator is the only calculator allowed in the exam. See what the rules say, what happens if you bring your own and how to practise.
- GATE scoreThe GATE score runs up to 1000 and is worked out from your marks, the qualifying mark and the top scorers' average. See the formula, an example, validity.
- GATE exam patternGATE 2027 pattern: 65 questions, 100 marks, 3 hours, MCQ, MSQ and NAT, negative marking, marks split by paper, 30 papers and two-paper combinations.
- GATE General AptitudeGATE General Aptitude: 10 questions for 15 marks in every paper, the verbal, quantitative, analytical and spatial topics, worked examples and a daily routine.
More in GATE
- Multi-session paperA multi-session GATE paper is held in more than one session, and you sit only one. See how sessions are assigned, why marks are normalised and the key facts.
- Normalised marksNormalised marks adjust raw marks so candidates in different sessions of one GATE paper can be compared fairly. See the formula with a worked example.
- M.Tech stipendGATE qualifiers admitted to M.Tech can get Rs.12,400 a month, generally for 22 months. See the rules, the direct-PhD fellowship and why it is not automatic.
- Organising instituteEach year one of IISc or seven IITs acts as the GATE organising institute. See who ran 2024 to 2027, what it handles, and what it does not decide.
- GOAPSGOAPS is the GATE Online Application Processing System. See what it is used for, the GATE 2027 dates and fees, DigiLocker and photo rules, and documents.
- PSU recruitment via GATEPSUs use GATE scores to shortlist engineers for trainee posts. See how the process works, why they set age limits and the POWERGRID 2027 advert details.
- GATE scorecardThe GATE scorecard goes only to qualified candidates. See the free window, the Rs.500 fee after it, the 31 December 2027 limit and the three-year validity.
- GATE qualifying marksGATE qualifying marks are the minimum marks for a scorecard: max(25, min(40, mean + SD)) for General. See the OBC and SC/ST/PwD rules and 2026 values.