GATE papers · Updated Oct 2026
GATE ES (Environmental Science and Engineering) syllabus, weightage and study plan
Every section and topic of the official GATE 2027 Environmental Science and Engineering (ES) syllabus with its share of the 100 marks and a first-pass study time. No reliable past-paper weightage exists for this paper, so marks are split evenly across the official sections and topics. Treat the numbers as a planning aid.
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Exam pattern at a glance
- Questions
- 65 (10 General Aptitude + 55 subject), 100 marks, 3 hours
- General Aptitude
- 15 marks, common to all papers
- Marking
- MCQ: −1/3 or −2/3 for a wrong answer; MSQ and NAT: no negative marking
- When
- February (2027)
- Second paper allowed
- GATE BT, GATE CE, GATE CH, GATE GE
Check the latest notification before the exam. Official syllabus ↗
Chapter-wise weightage and study hours
Weightage is the topic's share of the 100 marks; hours are a first pass without revision.
General Aptitude 15% of the paper · 84 h
| # | Chapter / topic | Weightage (% of paper) | Study hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Verbal Aptitude | 3.8% | 21 |
| 2 | Quantitative Aptitude | 3.8% | 21 |
| 3 | Analytical Aptitude | 3.8% | 21 |
| 4 | Spatial Aptitude | 3.8% | 21 |
| Total | 84 |
Mathematics Foundation 13% of the paper · 72 h
| # | Chapter / topic | Weightage (% of paper) | Study hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Linear Algebra | 3.2% | 18 |
| 2 | Calculus | 3.2% | 18 |
| 3 | Numerical Methods | 3.2% | 18 |
| 4 | Probability and Statistics | 3.2% | 18 |
| Total | 72 |
Environmental Chemistry 9% of the paper · 48 h
| # | Chapter / topic | Weightage (% of paper) | Study hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fundamentals of Environmental Chemistry | 2.2% | 12 |
| 2 | Principles of Water Chemistry | 2.2% | 12 |
| 3 | Soil Chemistry | 2.2% | 12 |
| 4 | Atmospheric Chemistry | 2.2% | 12 |
| Total | 48 |
Environmental Microbiology 9% of the paper · 50 h
| # | Chapter / topic | Weightage (% of paper) | Study hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Microorganisms | 1.8% | 10 |
| 2 | Cell Chemistry and Cell Biology | 1.8% | 10 |
| 3 | Microbial Metabolism | 1.8% | 10 |
| 4 | Growth and Control of Microorganisms | 1.8% | 10 |
| 5 | Microbiology and Health | 1.8% | 10 |
| Total | 50 |
Water Resources and Environmental Hydraulics 9% of the paper · 48 h
| # | Chapter / topic | Weightage (% of paper) | Study hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Global Water Resources | 2.2% | 12 |
| 2 | Surface Water Resources | 2.2% | 12 |
| 3 | Groundwater Resources | 2.2% | 12 |
| 4 | Environmental Hydraulics | 2.2% | 12 |
| Total | 48 |
Water & Wastewater Treatment and Management 9% of the paper · 50 h
| # | Chapter / topic | Weightage (% of paper) | Study hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Water and Wastewater Quality | 1.8% | 10 |
| 2 | Water Treatment and Distribution | 1.8% | 10 |
| 3 | Sewerage and Sewage Treatment | 1.8% | 10 |
| 4 | Industrial Effluents and Wastewater Recycling | 1.8% | 10 |
| 5 | Kinetics and Reactor Design | 1.8% | 10 |
| Total | 50 |
Air and Noise Pollution 9% of the paper · 50 h
| # | Chapter / topic | Weightage (% of paper) | Study hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Air Pollution: Sources, Effects and Standards | 1.8% | 10 |
| 2 | Particulate Pollutants | 1.8% | 10 |
| 3 | Gaseous Pollutants | 1.8% | 10 |
| 4 | Air Quality Management | 1.8% | 10 |
| 5 | Noise Pollution | 1.8% | 10 |
| Total | 50 |
Solid and Hazardous Waste Management 9% of the paper · 48 h
| # | Chapter / topic | Weightage (% of paper) | Study hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Integrated Solid Waste Management | 2.2% | 12 |
| 2 | Municipal Solid Waste Management | 2.2% | 12 |
| 3 | Hazardous Waste Management | 2.2% | 12 |
| 4 | Biomedical, Plastic, C&D and E-waste Management | 2.2% | 12 |
| Total | 48 |
Global and Regional Environmental Issues 9% of the paper · 50 h
| # | Chapter / topic | Weightage (% of paper) | Study hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Global Effects of Air Pollution | 4.5% | 25 |
| 2 | Ecology, Ecosystems and Biodiversity | 4.5% | 25 |
| Total | 50 |
Environmental Management and Sustainable Development 9% of the paper · 48 h
| # | Chapter / topic | Weightage (% of paper) | Study hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Environmental Management Systems and Auditing | 2.2% | 12 |
| 2 | Environmental Law and Policy | 2.2% | 12 |
| 3 | Energy and Environment | 2.2% | 12 |
| 4 | Sustainable Development | 2.2% | 12 |
| Total | 48 |
A sample first week
A first week at 6 hours a day, built from the weightage above: each subject gets sessions in proportion to its marks, starting with its heaviest chapters, mixed so no day is one subject only. Your real plan in the app fits your own hours and exam date.
| Day | Session 1 (2 h) | Session 2 (2 h) | Session 3 (2 h) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | General AptitudeVerbal Aptitude | Mathematics FoundationLinear Algebra | Environmental ChemistryFundamentals of Environmental Chemistry |
| Tue | Environmental MicrobiologyProkaryotic and Eukaryotic Microorganisms | Water Resources and Environmental HydraulicsGlobal Water Resources | Water & Wastewater Treatment and ManagementWater and Wastewater Quality |
| Wed | Air and Noise PollutionAir Pollution: Sources, Effects and Standards | Solid and Hazardous Waste ManagementIntegrated Solid Waste Management | Global and Regional Environmental IssuesGlobal Effects of Air Pollution |
| Thu | Environmental Management and Sustainable DevelopmentEnvironmental Management Systems and Auditing | General AptitudeVerbal Aptitude (contd.) | Mathematics FoundationLinear Algebra (contd.) |
| Fri | Environmental ChemistryFundamentals of Environmental Chemistry (contd.) | Environmental MicrobiologyProkaryotic and Eukaryotic Microorganisms (contd.) | Water Resources and Environmental HydraulicsGlobal Water Resources (contd.) |
| Sat | Water & Wastewater Treatment and ManagementWater and Wastewater Quality (contd.) | Air and Noise PollutionAir Pollution: Sources, Effects and Standards (contd.) | General AptitudeVerbal Aptitude (contd.) |
| Sun | Revise this week's chapters, take one timed mock or sectional test, and log the score. | ||
How Daily Tayyari plans your day
Pick your exam and date
Choose the exam (and GATE paper or UPSC optional) and your exam date. The full official syllabus loads with every chapter listed above.
Tell it your daily hours
Say how many hours you can study on weekdays and weekends. The plan only ever fills that time.
Get today's tasks
Each morning you see a short list of tasks: new chapters weighted by marks, plus practice and revision, sized to fit your day.
Spaced revision, automatically
Finished chapters come back after 1, 3, 7, 15, 30 and 60 days, and sooner if a chapter felt hard.
Green, yellow, red status
See whether you are on track, slightly behind or behind, and when the syllabus will be finished at your real pace.
Mock test tracking
Log scores from any test series. Chapters that went badly are marked weak and revised sooner.
Frequently asked questions
Which chapters carry the most weight in GATE ES?
Going by our compiled weightage, the heaviest chapters are Verbal Aptitude, Quantitative Aptitude, Analytical Aptitude, Spatial Aptitude, Linear Algebra. They are worth starting early, but past papers vary from year to year, so plan to cover the whole syllabus.
Is this GATE ES weightage official?
No. The GATE organising institute publishes the syllabus, not chapter weightage. These numbers come from analyses of previous years' papers, so treat them as a guide to priority, not a promise of what will be asked.
How many hours does the GATE ES syllabus take?
Our first-pass estimate adds up to about 550 hours of study, before revision and mock tests. At 6 hours a day, 6 days a week, that is roughly 3.5 months. Daily Tayyari replaces these defaults with your actual pace after the first week or two.
Can GATE ES be combined with a second paper?
Yes. Under the GATE 2027 rules a ES candidate may also write BT, CE, CH, GE. A second paper adds its own syllabus, so the planner adds its chapters on top.
Is Daily Tayyari free, and does it work in Hindi?
Yes. It is free with no ads and no payment; you sign in with Google only so your plan is saved. You can switch between Hindi and English at any time, and chapter names are shown in both.