Aerospace Engineering is the primary field of engineering concerned with the development of aircraft and spacecraft. GATE Aerospace Engineering Syllabus is divided into 6 sections. Those candidates who appear GATE Aerospace Engineering exam must go through the complete syllabus for better preparation.
- 85% of the questions are asked from the core subject and the remaining 15% questions are asked from the general aptitude section.
- Applicants appearing for Aerospace engineering paper have to attempt 60 questions in the duration of three hours. Check GATE Exam Pattern
GATE qualifying candidates will become eligible to take admission in M.Tech courses offered at IITs, NITs, etc. To prepare for the exam candidates must go through the article to know more about syllabus, exam pattern and books.
Must Read: IIT Bombay Admission Process
GATE Syllabus of AE
GATE Aerospace Engineering Syllabus
Aerospace Engineering Syllabus consists of 6 sections. In each of the following subjects, the topics have been divided into two categories – Core Topics and Special Topics. The corresponding sections of the question paper will contain 90% of their questions on Core Topics and the remaining 10% on Special Topics.
Section 1: Engineering Mathematics
Engineering mathematics is a branch of applied mathematics concerning mathematical methods and techniques that are typically used in engineering and industry. It is one of the difficult sections of the paper. This section carries fifteen percentage weightage of the questions.
| Core Topics | Special Topics |
|---|---|
| Linear Algebra | Fourier Series, Laplace Transforms |
| Calculus | Numerical methods for linear and nonlinear algebraic equations |
| Differential Equations | Numerical integration and differentiation. |
Section 2: Flight Mechanics
Flight mechanics are relevant to fixed-wing (gliders, airplanes) and rotary wing (helicopters) aircraft. An Aeroplane (Airplane in US usage), is defined in ICAO Document 9110.
| Core Topics | Special Topics |
|---|---|
| Basics | Dynamic stability, Euler angles, Equations of motion, Aerodynamic forces and moments |
| Airplane performance | Stability & control derivatives |
| Static stability | Decoupling of longitudinal and lateral-directional dynamics, longitudinal modes, lateral-directional modes. |
Section 3: Aerodynamics
Aerodynamics is the study of the motion of air, particularly its interaction with a solid object, such as an airplane wing. Aerodynamics is a sub-field of fluid dynamics and gas dynamics, and many aspects of aerodynamics theory are common to these fields.
| Core Topics | Special Topics |
|---|---|
| Basic Fluid Mechanics |
Elementary ideas of viscous flows including boundary layers |
| Airfoils and wings | Wind Tunnel Testing |
| Compressible Flows | Measurement and visualization techniques |
Section 4: Structures
Structure is an arrangement and organization of interrelated elements in a material object or system, or the object or system so organized. Material structures include man-made objects such as buildings and machines and natural objects such as biological organisms, minerals, and chemicals. Abstract structures include data structures in computer science and musical form.
| Core Topics | Special Topics |
|---|---|
| Strength of Materials |
Vibration of beams |
| Flight vehicle structures | Theory of elasticity |
| Structural Dynamics | Equilibrium and compatibility equations, Airy’s stress function. |
Section 5: Propulsion
Propulsion is a means of creating force leading to movement. A propulsion system consists of a source of mechanical power, and a propulsor (means of converting this power into propulsive force).
| Core Topics | Special Topics |
|---|---|
| Basics |
No Special Topics in this Section |
| Thermodynamics of aircraft engines | |
| Axial compressors: | |
| Axial turbines | |
| Centrifugal compressor | |
| Rocket propulsion: |
Section 6: Space Dynamics
| Core Topics | Special Topics |
|---|---|
| Central force motion, determination of trajectory and orbital period in simple cases. |
Orbit transfer, in-plane and out-of-plane. |
Direct link to download GATE Aerospace Engineering (AE) syllabus PDF
Sample Questions of GATE Aerospace Engineering
Sample Question 1: While flying at Mach 2.0, 11 km altitude and producing the same thrust, what is the correct order from the lowest thrust specific fuel consumption (tsfc) to the highest tsfc?
Sample Question 2: A thin plate with Young’s modulus 210 GPa and Poisson’s ratio 0.3 is loaded as shown in the figure. The change in length along the y-direction is __________ mm (round off to 1 decimal place).

Sample Question 3: For a symmetric airfoil at an angle of attack of 10 degrees, assuming thin airfoil theory, the magnitude of the pitching moment coefficient about the leading edge is__________ (round off to 2 decimal places).
GATE Exam Pattern of AE
GATE Exam Pattern of Aerospace Engineering
- Mode of Examination: Online
- Duration of Exam: 3 hours
- Types of Questions: MCQs and NAT
- Sections: 3 sections – General Aptitude, Mathematics and Subject-based
- Total Questions: 65 questions
| Section | Distribution of Marks | Total Marks | Types of questions |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Aptitude | 5 questions of 1 mark each 5 questions of 2 marks each |
15 marks |
MCQs |
|
Engineering Mathematics Subject Syllabus (AE) |
25 questions of 1 mark each 30 questions of 2 marks each |
85 marks | MCQs and NATs |
Marking scheme:
- Total Marks: 100 marks
- Negative Marking: For MCQs only
| Type of question | Negative marking for wrong answer |
|---|---|
| MCQs | ⅓ for 1 mark questions ⅔ for 2 marks questions |
| NATs | No negative marking |
Check Detailed GATE Exam Pattern
Section Wise Books for AE
GATE Aerospace Engineering Section Wise Books
One of the topmost tool to prepare for any of the exams are reference books. They offer mostly all the insights related to the subject one is about to start. Candidates can check the section-wise important book as given below:
Engineering Mathematics Important Books
| Books | Author/Publisher |
|---|---|
| GATE Engineering Mathematics for All Streams | Abhinav Goel and Suraj Singh, Arihant Publication |
| GATE Engineering Mathematics | Abhinav Goel, Arihant Publications |
| GATE 2020: Engineering Mathematics | ME Team, Made Easy Publications |
| Higher Engineering Mathematics | B.S.Grewal, Khanna Publishers |
Flight Mechanics Important Books
| Books | Author/Publisher |
|---|---|
| Introduction to Flight | John D Anderson, Tata McGraw - Hill Education |
| Flight Mechanics Modeling and Analysis | Jitendra R. Raol, Jatinder Singh, Crc Press |
| Mechanics of Flight | R. H. Barnard, Pearson |
| Mechanics of Flight | C. Kermode, R. H. Barnard, Pearson Higher Education |
Aerodynamics Important Books
| Books | Author/Publisher |
|---|---|
| Fundamentals of Aerodynamics | John D Anderson, Tata McGraw - Hill Education |
| Aerodynamics for Engineering Students | E. L. Houghton, P. W. Carpenter, Butterworth Heinemann |
| Fundamentals of Aerodynamics | John D. Anderson, Tata McGraw - Hill Education(2010) |
| Aerodynamics for Engineers | John J. Bertin, Pearson |
Structure Important Books
| Books | Author/Publisher |
|---|---|
| Theory of Structures | Ramamrutham, Dhanpat Rai Publishing Company |
| Structural Analysis | S.S. Bhavikatti, Vikas Publishing House |
| Matrix Methods of Structural Analysis | S.S. Bhavikatti, I K International Publishing House Pvt. Ltd |
| Theory of Structures SMTS | B.C. Punmia, Ashok Kumar Jain, Laxmi Publications |
Propulsion Important Books
| Books | Author/Publisher |
|---|---|
| Rocket Propulsion Elements | George P. Sutton, Wiley India Pvt Ltd |
| Aircraft Propulsion | Mayur R. Anvekar, Prentice-Hall of India Pvt.Ltd |
| Marine Propellers and Propulsion | Carlton |
| Submarine Propulsion: Muscle Power to Nuclear | Sekhar Basu, Kamlesh N Vyas, Frontier India |
Preparation Tips for GATE Aerospace Engineering
1. Solving Practice Papers
- Solve practice papers daily to get a better and clear idea of exam pattern, type of questions, difficulty level, etc.
- Judge your weak areas.
- Do not panic if you are not able to solve the questions.
2. Try to Complete whole Syllabus
- Do not leave any topic for the end. Try to complete your syllabus 1-2 weeks before the exam.
- After completion of your syllabus, you must start with your revisions.
- Go through your syllabus again and again so that you won’t miss any topic.
3. Regular Practice
- Daily practice of questions will help you in aging speed.
- Candidates have to keep one more thing in mind that with speed you have to improve the level of accuracy also.
- Try to solve more and more mock tests.
Read Preparation Tips from GATE Topper
Syllabus Of Other Papers
With the help of links provided in the table, candidates can go through the syllabus of their respective subjects. With the help of syllabus you can plan a better preparation plan for the exam.







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