GATE Metallurgical Engineering Syllabus 2023: Important Topics and Exam Pattern

GATE Metallurgical Engineering (MT) Syllabus 2023, Important Topics, Exam Pattern, Books, Question Paper

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Written BySonam Rana updated Content Curator updatedon, Sep 18, 2024

GATE Metallurgical Engineering (MT) Syllabus 2023 is based on the topics studied at the graduation level and has been divided into 7 sections: Engineering Mathematics, Metallurgical Thermodynamics, Transport Phenomenon and Rate Process, Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy, Physical Metallurgy, Mechanical Metallurgy and Manufacturing Process. An additional section on General Aptitude is also part of GATE Metallurgical Engineering Syllabus 2023 with about 15% weightage in the question paper. Check GATE 2023 Exam Pattern

GATE 2023 will be conducted on February 4, 5, 11 & 12 by IIT Kanpur. GATE Metallurgical Engineering question paper will consist of 65 questions worth 100 marks. Candidates choosing Metallurgical Engineering (MT) as their first paper have a choice for selecting either Physics (PH) or Engineering Sciences (XE) as their second paper. Candidates are advised to go through the complete GATE Metallurgical Engineering Syllabus 2023 provided below. 

Metallurgical Engineering refers to the the study of metals. It is the combination of theory and practical programs that covers topics like mining, extraction, design, and processing of metals, as well as how metals react to environmental changes or stress.

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GATE MT Syllabus

GATE Metallurgical Engineering (MT) Syllabus 2023

GATE Metallurgical Engineering (MT) Syllabus 2023 is divided into seven sections as mentioned below:

Section 1: Engineering Mathematics Syllabus

Topics Sub Topics
Linear Algebra Matrices and Determinants, Systems of linear equations, Eigenvalues and eigenvectors.
Vector Calculus Gradient; Divergence and Curl; Line; surface and volume integrals; Stokes, Gauss and Green’s theorems.
Calculus Limit, continuity and differentiability; Partial Derivatives; Maxima and minima; Sequences and series; Test for convergence; Fourier series.
Differential Equations Linear and non-linear first order ODEs; Higher order linear ODEs with constant coefficients; Cauchy’s and Euler’s equations; Laplace transforms; PDEs –Laplace, heat and wave equations.
Probability and Statistics Mean, median, mode and standard deviation; Random variables; Poisson, normal and binomial distributions; Correlation and regression analysis.
Numerical Methods Solutions of linear and nonlinear algebraic equations; integration of trapezoidal and Simpson’s rule; single and multi-step methods for differential equations.

Section 2: Metallurgical Thermodynamics

  • Laws of thermodynamics: First law – energy conservation, Second law - entropy; Enthalpy, Gibbs and Helmholtz free energy; Maxwell’s relations; Chemical potential; Applications to metallurgical systems, solutions, ideal and regular solutions; Gibbs phase rule, phase equilibria, binary phase diagram and lever rule, free-energy vs. composition diagrams; Equilibrium constant, Activity, Ellingham and phase stability diagrams; Thermodynamics of point defects, surfaces and interfaces, adsorption and segregation phenomena.
  • Electrochemistry: Single electrode potential, Electrochemical cells, Nernst equation, Potential-pH diagrams

Section 3: Transport Phenomena and Rate Processes

  • Momentum transfer: Concept of viscosity, shell balances, Bernoulli’s equation, mechanical energy balance equation, flow past plane surfaces and through pipes.
  • Heat transfer: Conduction, Fourier’s Law, 1-D steady state conduction
  • Convection: Heat transfer coefficient relations for forced convection
  • Radiation: Black body radiation, Stefan-Boltzman Law, Kirchhoff’s Law
  • Mass transfer: Diffusion and Fick’s laws, Mass transfer coefficients
  • Dimensional analysis: Buckingham Pi theorem, Significance of dimensionless numbers
  • Basic laws of chemical kinetics: First order reactions, reaction rate constant, Arrhenius relation, heterogeneous reactions, oxidation kinetics
  • Electrochemical kinetics: Polarization

Section 4: Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy

  • Comminution techniques, Size classification, Flotation, Gravity and other methods of mineral beneficiation; Agglomeration: sintering, pelletizing and briquetting
  • Material and Energy balances in metallurgical processes; Principles and processes for the extraction of non- ferrous metals – aluminum, copper and titanium
  • Iron and steel making: Material and heat balance in blast furnace; Structure and properties of slags and molten salts – basicity of slags - sulphide and phosphate capacity of slags; Production of metallurgical coke
  • Other methods of iron making (COREX, MIDRE)
  • Primary steel making: Basic oxygen furnace, process dynamics, oxidation reactions, electric arc furnace
  • Secondary steel making: Ladle process – deoxidation, argon stirring, desulphurization, inclusion shape control, principles of degassing methods; Basics of stainless steel manufacturing
  • Continuous Casting: Fluid flow in the tundish and mould, heat transfer in the mould, segregation, inclusion control

Section 5: Physical Metallurgy

  • Chemical Bonding: Ionic, covalent, metallic, and secondary bonding in materials, Crystal structure of solids – metals and alloys, ionic and covalent solids, and polymers
  • X-ray Diffraction – Bragg’s law, optical metallography, principles of SEM imaging
  • Crystal Imperfections: Point, line and surface defects; Coherent, semi-coherent and incoherent interfaces
  • Diffusion in solids: Diffusion equation, steady state and error function solutions; Examples- homogenization and carburization; Kirkendall effect; Uphill diffusion; Atomic models for interstitial and substitutional diffusion; Pipe diffusion and grain boundary diffusion
  • Phase transformation: Driving force, Homogeneous and heterogeneous nucleation, growth kinetics
  • Solidification in isomorphous, eutectic and peritectic systems, cast structures and macrosegregation, dendritic solidification and constitutional supercooling, coring and microsegregation
  • Solid state transformations: Precipitation, spinodal decomposition, ordering, massive transformation, discontinuous precipitation, eutectoid transformation, diffusionless transformations; Precipitate coarsening, Gibbs-Thomson effect
  • Principles of heat treatment of steels, TTT and CCT diagrams; Surface hardening treatments; Recovery, recrystallization and grain growth; Heat treatment of cast iron and aluminium alloys
  • Electronic, magnetic and optical properties of materials
  • Basic forms of corrosion and its prevention

Also Check: GATE 2023 Participating Colleges 

Section 6: Mechanical Metallurgy

  • Strain tensor and stress tensor, Representation by Mohr’s circle, elasticity, stiffness and compliance tensor, Yield criteria, Plastic deformation by slip and twinning
  • Dislocation theory: Edge, screw and mixed dislocations, source and multiplication of dislocations, stress fields around dislocations; Partial dislocations, dislocation interactions and reactions
  • Strengthening mechanisms: Work/strain hardening, strengthening due to grain boundaries, solid solution, precipitation and dispersion
  • Fracture behaviour, Griffith theory, linear elastic fracture mechanics, fracture toughness, fractography, ductile to brittle transition
  • Fatigue: Cyclic stress strain behaviour - low and high cycle fatigue, crack growth
  • Mechanisms of high temperature deformation and failure; creep and stress rupture, stress exponent and activation energy

Section 7: Manufacturing Processes

  • Metal casting: Mould design involving feeding, gating and risering, casting practices, casting defects
  • Hot, warm and cold working of metals: Metal forming – fundamentals of metal forming processes of rolling, forging, extrusion, wire drawing and sheet metal forming, defects in forming
  • Metal joining: Principles of soldering, brazing and welding, welding metallurgy, defects in welded joints in steels and aluminum alloys
  • Powder metallurgy: production of powders, compaction and sintering
  • Non-destructive Testing (NDT): Dye-penetrant, ultrasonic, radiography, eddy current, acoustic emission and magnetic particle inspection methods

GATE General Aptitude Syllabus

Verbal Ability Numerical Ability
  • English grammar
  • Sentence completion, Instructions
  • Verbal analogies, Word groups
  • Critical reasoning, Verbal deduction. 
  • Numerical computation
  • Numerical reasoning
  • Numerical estimation
  • Data interpretation. 
GATE MT Weightage of Important Topics

GATE Metallurgical Engineering Syllabus 2023 - Weightage of Important Topics

As per the analysis of the previous year GATE Question papers, the general trend in the Metallurgical Engineering Exam in terms of the weightage attached to different sections is given below. Check Detailed GATE Paper Analysis

Topics Weightage (Marks)
Casting 10
Heat Transfer 5
Iron and Steel Making 3-5
Physical metallurgy 4-5
Material testing 10
Mechanical behavior 8
GATE MT Exam Pattern

GATE Metallurgical Engineering Exam Pattern 2023

GATE Exam Pattern will be defined paper wise depending upon candidates’ discipline. The salient features of the GATE Metallurgical ENgineering Paper are given below. Read More about GATE Exam Pattern

  • GATE Paper consists of 3 parts namely General Aptitude, Engineering Mathematics and specific core subjects of the paper
  • The question paper comprises a total of 65 questions.
  • There are two types of questions in GATE : Multiple Choice type (MCQ) and Numerical Answer Type (NAT).
  • Questions will be asked in random order and one has to select one answer (for MCQ type) or enter the answer ( for NAT questions) using a mouse and a virtual keyboard.
  • Students have to attempt all the questions in a duration of three hours. 
  • The maximum number of questions in GATE 2023 would be from the core subjects.

GATE Metallurgical Engineering Marking Scheme

Subject Total No. Of Questions Questions Division Marks Negative Marking
General Aptitude 10 Questions Question No: 1-5 05 Marks (1 Mark for Each Question)
  • 1/3 for 1 mark question
  • 2/3 for 2 mark question
  • No Negative Marking for NAT
Question No: 6-10 10 Marks (2 Marks for Each Question)
MT + Engineering Mathematics 55 Questions Question No: 1-25 25 Marks (1 Mark for Each Question)
Question No: 26- 55 60 Marks (2 Marks for Each Question)
Total 65 Questions - 100 Marks

Must Read: How to calculate GATE Score?

GATE MT Preparation

GATE Metallurgical Engineering Preparation 2023

First of all, candidates are advised to go through the syllabus, exam pattern, marking scheme, books, etc because they all are very important while preparing for the exam. After that you can follow the preparation tips provided below:

1. Target Based Study Plan

  • Daily Target: Set a target to complete 1-2 topics in a day. This will help you in completing your syllabus early. 
  • Weekly Target: Your weekly target should include completion of 6-7 topics, revisions of all these topics, attempting the mock tests or solving previous years papers related to these topics. Observe the level of your performance. 
  • Monthly Target: If you are following a daily or weekly plan then you can skip monthly plans. However, if you want to set a monthly goal then you must divide your whole syllabus into months. For example, if your syllabus has 16 major topics and you have 5 months left for preparation then you can complete 4 topics in 1 month i. e. 4 topics X 4 months = 16 topics. 

2. Management of Time

Time plays an important role during preparation. By managing the time you can easily complete your syllabus with revisions. You can take help from the time table provided below:

Division of Time Plan
5:00 AM to 8:00 AM Revision 
8:00 AM to 10:00 AM Take a Break
10:00 AM to 1:00 PM Study Major Topic
1:00 PM to 5:00 PM Take a Break
6:00 PM to 9:00 PM Complete your Topic/ Go for Next Topic
10:00 PM Revision/ Sleep Early

3. Practice Papers

  • Download previous years practice papers.
  • Try to solve one paper every 2 or 3 days.
  • Do not panic if you are not able to solve all the questions. This could be because you need to put more effort into that section or topic.
  • You will come to know about the exam pattern and type of questions. It will help you in molding your preparation strategy as per the difficulty level of the paper.

Download GATE Practice Papers.

4. Revision from Notes

  • During the time of preparation of each topic prepare notes of the same.
  • First, understand the topic then prepare the notes.
  • Notes should include all the important facts, formulas, etc. 
  • Daily revise these notes. This way you can remember all the important points.
  • You can also have a quick look at these notes before the exam.

5. Appearing for Mock Tests

  • Mock Tests give the feel of a real exam as they are also conducted online with a 3 hour time limit.
  • Candidates will also get scores based on the test. You can use these score to predict your rank and college using GATE College Predictor
  • With the help of a mock test, you can check the level of your preparations.

Check GATE Preparation Tips

Best Books for GATE 2023 Metallurgical Engineering

Candidates are suggested to prepare from the best books and not to be overly dependent on online videos and coaching lectures. Referring to good study material from renowned authors or publications is always more beneficial than watching online videos. Some of the best books for Metallurgical Engineering are:

Title of the book Name of the Author/ Publication
GATE 2023 – Metallurgical Engineering – Guide  GKP
Metallurgical Engineering Solved Papers GATE 2023  Amritansh Frank
GATE 2023 – Solved Papers – Metallurgical Engineering GKP
Mechanical Metallurgy  George E. Dieter
Mineral Processing  SK Jain
Manufacturing Processes RK Rajput
Physical Metallurgy  V Raghvan 

Check Out:

Previous Year GATE Metallurgical Engineering Question Paper

GATE conducting authorities release the question paper for the year and the respective GATE Answer Key for all 27 papers after all the exams for the year have been concluded.Going through previous years GATE question paper gives an insight into the important topics from GATE Syllabus. Given below are the links to download the previous year GATE Metallurgical Engineering Question Paper from 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018.

Year GATE Metallurgical Engineering Question paper GATE Metallurgical Engineering Answer Key
2021 Download Download
2020 Download Download
2019 Download Download
2018 Download Download

GATE Metallurgical Engineering Sample Questions

  • Sample Question 1: In a tensile creep test of metal, Nabarro-Herring mechanism is favored over Coble mechanism for ____________?
  • Sample Question 2: A FCC crystal with a lattice parameter of 0.3615 nm is used to measure the wavelength of monochromatic X-rays. The Bragg angle for the reflection from (111) planes is 21.68. The wavelength of X-rays (in nm, rounded off to three decimal places) is ________?
  • Sample Question 3: A material, made up of alternating layers of metals A and B, is loaded as shown below. If the volume % of B is 25%, the elastic modulus (in GPa, rounded off to one decimal place) of the material is _______?

  • Sample Question 1: The fishermen, _______ the flood victims owed their lives, were rewarded by the government.
  • Sample Question 2: The radius as well as the height of a circular cone increases by 10%. The percentage increase in its volume is ______?
  • Sample Question 3: Until Iran came along, India had never been ________________ in kabaddi.

Quick Links: 

GATE MT Question Paper

GATE 2023 Syllabus of Other Papers

GATE is a national level exam conducted for admission to M.Tech programs. There are 25 papers in GATE. The exam pattern and syllabus of every paper is different. Candidates can check the complete syllabus of other papers from the links given below.

Frequently Asked Questions

GATE Metallurgical Engineering Syllabus 2023 FAQs

Ques. What are the topics included in the Transporter Phenomena and Rate Processes section of the GATE Metallurgical Engineering Syllabus 2023?

Ans. The important topic of the Transport Phenomena and Rate Processes section of the GATE Metallurgical Engineering Syllabus 2023 are:

  • Momentum transfer: Concept of viscosity, shell balances, Bernoulli’s equation, mechanical energy balance equation, flow past plane surfaces and through pipes.
  • Heat transfer: Conduction, Fourier’s Law, 1-D steady state conduction
  • Convection: Heat transfer coefficient relations for forced convection
  • Radiation: Black body radiation, Stefan-Boltzman Law, Kirchhoff’s Law
  • Mass transfer: Diffusion and Fick’s laws, Mass transfer coefficients
  • Dimensional analysis: Buckingham Pi theorem, Significance of dimensionless numbers
  • Basic laws of chemical kinetics: First order reactions, reaction rate constant, Arrhenius relation, heterogeneous reactions, oxidation kinetics
  • Electrochemical kinetics: Polarization

Ques. What are the topics included in the Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy section of the GATE Metallurgical Engineering Syllabus 2023?

Ans. The important topic of the Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy section are - 

  • Comminution techniques, Size classification, Flotation, Gravity and other methods of mineral beneficiation; Agglomeration: sintering, pelletizing and briquetting
  • Material and Energy balances in metallurgical processes; Principles and processes for the extraction of non- ferrous metals – aluminum, copper and titanium
  • Iron and steel making: Material and heat balance in blast furnace; Structure and properties of slags and molten salts – basicity of slags - sulphide and phosphate capacity of slags; Production of metallurgical coke
  • Other methods of iron making (COREX, MIDRE)
  • Primary steel making: Basic oxygen furnace, process dynamics, oxidation reactions, electric arc furnace
  • Secondary steel making: Ladle process – deoxidation, argon stirring, desulphurization, inclusion shape control, principles of degassing methods; Basics of stainless steel manufacturing
  • Continuous Casting: Fluid flow in the tundish and mould, heat transfer in the mould, segregation, inclusion control

Ques. What are the topics included in the Mechanical Metallurgy section of the GATE Metallurgical Engineering Syllabus 2023?

Ans. The important topic of the Mechanical Metallurgy section of the GATE Metallurgical Engineering Syllabus 2023 are - 

  • Strain tensor and stress tensor, Representation by Mohr’s circle, elasticity, stiffness and compliance tensor, Yield criteria, Plastic deformation by slip and twinning
  • Dislocation theory: Edge, screw and mixed dislocations, source and multiplication of dislocations, stress fields around dislocations; Partial dislocations, dislocation interactions and reactions
  • Strengthening mechanisms: Work/strain hardening, strengthening due to grain boundaries, solid solution, precipitation and dispersion
  • Fracture behaviour, Griffith theory, linear elastic fracture mechanics, fracture toughness, fractography, ductile to brittle transition
  • Fatigue: Cyclic stress strain behaviour - low and high cycle fatigue, crack growth
  • Mechanisms of high temperature deformation and failure; creep and stress rupture, stress exponent and activation energy

Ques. What are the topics included in the Manufacturing Processes section of the GATE Metallurgical Engineering Syllabus 2023?

Ans. The important topic of the Manufacturing Processes section are - 

  • Metal casting: Mould design involving feeding, gating and risering, casting practices, casting defects
  • Hot, warm and cold working of metals: Metal forming – fundamentals of metal forming processes of rolling, forging, extrusion, wire drawing and sheet metal forming, defects in forming
  • Metal joining: Principles of soldering, brazing and welding, welding metallurgy, defects in welded joints in steels and aluminum alloys
  • Powder metallurgy: production of powders, compaction and sintering
  • Non-destructive Testing (NDT): Dye-penetrant, ultrasonic, radiography, eddy current, acoustic emission and magnetic particle inspection methods

Ques: What will be the marking scheme of GATE 2023 Metallurgical Engineering Paper? Will it have negative marking?

Ans: Yes, there will be negative marking in the examination. Negative marking depends on the type and marks of questions. For NAT questions there will be no negative marking but for 1 or 2 marks ½ and 2/3 marks will be deducted respectively for wrong answers. 

Type of question Negative marking for the wrong answer
MCQs 1/3 for 1 mark questions 2/3 for 2 marks questions
NATs No negative marking 

Ques: How many questions will be asked from each section of GATE 2023 Metallurgical Engineering Paper?

Ans: Most marks are allotted to the GATE Metallurgical Engineering Syllabus 2023. The section weightage is as mentioned below:

Subject Total No. Of Questions Questions Division Marks
General Aptitude 10 Questions Question No: 1-5 05 Marks (1 Mark for Each Question)
Question No: 6-10 10 Marks (2 Marks for Each Question)
MT + Engineering Mathematics 55 Questions Question No: 1-25 25 Marks (1 Mark for Each Question)
Question No: 26- 55 60 Marks (2 Marks for Each Question)
Total 65 Questions - 100 Marks

Ques: Are there any good reference books to prepare GATE Metallurgical Engineering Syllabus 2023 from ?

Ans: Yes. Candidates can follow the below-mentioned books to prepare for the exam. Other than these books you are also advised to go through your graduation level books or notes to understand the basic concepts. 

  • GATE 2023 – Metallurgical Engineering – Guide - GKP
  • Metallurgical Engineering Solved Papers GATE 2023 - Amritansh Frank
  • GATE 2023 – Solved Papers – Metallurgical Engineering-GKP
  • Mechanical Metallurgy by George E. Dieter
  • Mineral Processing by SK Jain
  • Manufacturing Processes by RK Rajput
  • Physical Metallurgy by V Raghvan 

Ques: What are the major topics from GATE Metallurgical Engineering syllabus 2023?

Ans: The major topics of GATE Metallurgical Engineering syllabus 2023 are:

  • Engineering Mathematics:
  • Thermodynamics and Rate Processes
  • Extractive Metallurgy
  • Physical Metallurgy
  • Mechanical Metallurgy
  • Manufacturing Processes

Ques. Is it possible to complete the GATE Metallurgical Engineering syllabus 2023 in 60 days?

Ans. GATE Syllabus typically requires at least 6 months to complete, if the candidate studies for at least 3 hours a day. However, GATE Metallurgical Engineering Syllabus can be completed within 2 months if the candidate dedicates a lot of time and effort. 

Ques. What other subject can be chosen along with GATE Metallurgical Engineering?

Ans. Along with GATE Metallurgical Engineering, candidates can also opt for PH (Physics) or XE (Engineering Sciences) as their secondary paper. However, these papers are to be given along with the Metallurgical Engineering paper and cannot be given exclusively.

*The article might have information for the previous academic years, which will be updated soon subject to the notification issued by the University/College.

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