Exam season is coming and soon every engineering student will be busy with one serious preparation. Two big exams are on the way for engineers: GATE exam 2027 and ESE exam 2027. The syllabus for both the exams are quite similar. However, the exam pattern and the type of questions asked are different.
Many students get confused when it comes to ESE or GATE preparation. This confusion often gets worse when they take advice from people who do not have real experience with these exams. In this blog, we will explain how you can prepare for GATE along with ESE exams.
Table of Contents
GATE vs ESE
It is important to understand these exams first. So, before we proceed let us see the table given below:
| S. No. | POINTER | IES | GATE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Basics | IES exam is conducted by Union Public Service Commission(UPSC) | GATE 2027 is expected to be conducted by IIT Madras, as the conducting institute rotates among IISc Bangalore and the seven IITs. |
| 2. | Syllabus | IES exam syllabus covers the entire engineering syllabus along with general studies and it aims to test your conceptual capability. |
GATE exam syllabus covers specific topics which are going to be of use in higher studies and it tests your problem-solving capability along with English and Reasoning Ability |
| 3. | Branches eligible | Only 4 branches are eligible:
1. Civil Engineering (CE) 2. Mechanical Engineering (ME) 3. Electrical Engineering (EE) 4. Electronics & Telecommunication Engineering (E&T) |
GATE 2027 is expected to offer around 30 papers for candidates to choose from. |
| 4. | Exam Pattern | ESE has both Objective and Conventional type questions, across 4 papers, conducted in 2 stages (Prelims and Mains).
A calculator is allowed only in conventional papers, not in objective papers. |
GATE 2027 will have only Objective type questions, in a single paper of 100 marks, conducted as a Computer-Based Test (CBT) in a single session of 3 hours. A virtual calculator is provided on screen. |
| 5. | Competition | The competition ratio, going by vacancies versus candidates appearing, is roughly 1:300. |
The competition ratio, going by candidates qualified versus candidates appearing, is roughly 1:10.
|
| 6. | Exam Preparation | Speed matters a lot in ESE, with more questions in less time (for example, 120 GS questions in 120 minutes).
Conceptual clarity and writing practice are both required. |
The faster thought process is a key factor in the GATE exam. There are Less questions in more time. 65 questions in 180 minutes. More than 2.5 minutes per question. Concept application along with concept clarity is required. There is no conventional/written paper. |
| 7. | Main purpose | Main purpose of IES exam is:
(1) Central government jobs in various Engineering Departments under Govt. of India. |
The main purpose of the GATE exam is: (1) Higher education (i.e., M Tech, Ph.D., etc.) (2) Jobs in PSUs or Govt. Organizations. (3) Other opportunities in research & development. |
The comparison helps in understanding how we prepare for both exams together. The ESE Prelims exam is expected to be held on 31st January 2027. Moreover, the GATE 2027 is expected to be held in the first two weeks of February 2027. Since both exams fall so close to each other, you need to prepare for ESE Prelims and GATE together.
Why prepare for both GATE and ESE examinations?
Every year, Lakhs of candidates complete their engineering/technology courses in various branches of engineering. Most of these students start preparing for the GATE and IES exams in order to secure admission into an M.Tech or Ph.D. program and obtain Group A/B jobs in government departments, respectively.
While some students choose their particular exam, GATE or ESE, depending on their priority, but many candidates want to prepare for both exams simultaneously. There are many reasons why candidates like to prepare for both of these exams simultaneously. Here we have listed a few of them:
- It opens up more future career opportunities for the candidate.
- It saves a whole year for those who want to prepare for ESE right after clearing GATE.
- GATE preparation already covers almost 70% of the syllabus required for ESE, leaving only a few extra technical topics and the General Studies portion.
- Preparing for two high-level exams that share a similar syllabus helps you prepare for both, directly or indirectly.
With so many benefits, most students prepare for both exams and work hard to crack them. To make this preparation journey simpler, MADE EASY offers a dedicated GATE + ESE Classroom Course for 2027, helping aspirants prepare for both exams without any confusion.
Key Dates for GATE 2027 and ESE 2027
Before you start preparing, you must know the important GATE and ESE exam dates. See the table to know more.
|
Event |
ESE 2027 | GATE 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Notification | Expected 16 September 2026 |
Expected first week of August 2026 |
|
Application Window |
16 September- 6 October 2026 (expected) | August- September 2026 (expected) |
| Prelims/Exam Date | 31st January 2027 |
Expected 6,7,13 and 14 February 2027 |
|
Mains (ESE only) |
18th June 2027 | – |
| Conducting Body | Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) |
IIT Madras |
Note: Dates marked as expected are based on official trends. It may be updated once the conducting bodies release the formal notification. Always check the official websites for latest updates.
How can you prepare for both exams?
Before you start preparing, we will know the common exam topics. It will be easier to cover both exams. Also note the topics that are different in the two exams.
1. Preparation Strategy :
The table above gives you a clear idea of which questions are common to both exams:
| S No. | TOPIC | TYPE OF PAPER | IES | GATE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Current Affairs | Objective | YES | No |
| 2. | General English | Objective | NO | Yes |
| 3. | General Aptitude | Objective | YES | Yes |
| 4. | Engineering Aptitude | Objective. | YES | No |
| 5. | Mathematics | Objective | YES | Yes |
| 6. | Technical Subjects | Objective | YES | Yes |
| 7. | Technical Subjects | Conventional | YES | No |
The above table will give you an idea about the type of questions that are asked in both the exams and the ones that are specific to a particular examination.
- Common topics: For topics common to both exams, you should not face too much trouble, since they are already part of your plan. Practice the previous years’ papers of both exams and study as per the pattern and requirement of each.
- Different topics: Many topics are exclusive to either GATE or ESE. For these, set aside extra time so that you can master the subject and clear the exam confidently.
Use a proper strategy that includes: reading each subject thoroughly, practicing past year papers of both exams, and solving separate test series for both. Even though the syllabus overlaps, the exam pattern is different, so a separate test series for each exam is important.
Students whose subject is not common to both exams will need to put in extra effort. ESE allows only 4 branches, so students from other branches must choose their ESE subject carefully and plan well to cover everything.
2. Time Management:
While a good strategy matters, time management matters even more. Give every subject the time it deserves, and set clear deadlines for each one. Time management becomes even more important when you are preparing for two exams together.
- Read the newspaper: General Studies is a part of ESE, so staying aware of current events helps. This habit also helps with the General English paper of GATE.
- Practice aptitude: Aptitude is an important part of GATE, and regular practice will improve both your marks and your overall rank.
- Pick up a revision book: MADE EASY and other coaching institutes offer compact revision books with all formulas explained briefly. Use them during short breaks to revise quickly.
- Revise with friends: Group study is a great way to manage time well. Studying together with other GATE or ESE aspirants helps you learn new things and stay accountable.
3. Practice makes a man perfect:
You can read and learn all you want, but practice is what truly helps you master a subject. After studying any topic, solve the GATE questions from that topic, and then the ESE questions on the same topic. This way, you cover every angle of that topic for both exams.
To get really good at anything, you need to practice and repeat, again and again, until it becomes second nature. For practice, you can refer to the MADE EASY GATE Online Test Series or the MADE EASY ESE 2027 Online Test Series.
4. Guidance:
When you are aiming high, good guidance is necessary. The same applies to GATE and ESE preparation. The right guidance gives you a clear path forward. Coaching institutes with years of experience such as MADE EASY help students understand concepts clearly. The admission for MADE EASY GATE/ESE batches 2027 are open. Both online and offline classes options are available.
If joining a coaching institute is not possible for you, their study material can help you. Moreover, you do have to search dozens of books in the market.
5. Revise:
Revision strengthens your preparation. Revise the topics common to both the exams. After that move to ESE subjects. Use the gap between ESE Prelims and GATE to revise for GATE.
6. Stay Motivated:
Always remember, it does not matter what others are doing. Stay motivated every single day. Tell yourself every morning, “I will reach my goal and nothing will stop me”. This daily motivation will keep you going.
For a big challenge such as GATE and ESE 2027, only you can push yourself and no one else will do it for you.
Dear Aspirants, Your preparation for GATE, ESE, PSUs, and AE/JE is now smarter than ever — thanks to the MADE EASY YouTube channel. This is not just a channel, but a complete strategy for success, where you get toppers strategies, PYQ–GTQ discussions, current affairs updates, and important job-related information, all delivered by the country’s best teachers and industry experts. If you also want to stay one step ahead in the race to success, subscribe to MADE EASY on YouTube and stay connected with us on social media. MADE EASY — where preparation happens with confidence.
