GATE AR syllabus and paper pattern
The GATE AR syllabus is published as a PDF on the official GATE website each year. It lists topics under General Aptitude plus architecture-and-planning-specific sections. Use that PDF as the only authoritative list; this page maps how APJ’s course aligns with typical section groupings.
Paper structure (typical)
| Part | Focus | Prep on APJ |
|---|---|---|
| General Aptitude | Verbal ability, numerical ability, analytical reasoning | GA PYQ quiz + course GA lesson |
| Technical — Planning & housing | Settlement hierarchy, regional planning, housing policy, CRZ, PMAY, development controls, case studies | Course topic 1 — three lessons |
| Technical — Geospatial & governance | Remote sensing, GIS, land acquisition, governance, demography, national programmes | Course topic 2 — three lessons |
| Technical — Transport & settlement | Urban transport, rural-urban linkages, infrastructure, contemporary planning issues | Course topic 3 — three lessons |
Question mix (MCQ / MSQ / NAT), marks, and negative marking are defined in the annual brochure — not repeated here to avoid stale numbers.
Syllabus areas you should cover
Planning framework and development
- Regional and settlement planning concepts
- URDPFI / development plan instruments (FAR, ground coverage, uses)
- Coastal Regulation Zone and environmental overlays
- Housing standards, NBC references, and national housing missions
Geospatial and economic base
- Remote sensing and GIS workflows for planning applications
- Land economics, LARR, and project feasibility at plan level
- Governance structures (73rd/74th amendments, smart cities, AMRUT — as per syllabus year)
Transport and urban systems
- Urban transport planning, hierarchy of networks
- Rural-urban continuum, migration, and service delivery
- Infrastructure planning and contemporary policy debates
How to study the syllabus efficiently
- Download the official syllabus PDF and highlight every bullet once.
- Work through the GATE AR course lesson by lesson; each lesson maps to a syllabus area above.
- Maintain a one-page “weak topics” list from mock tests (when you add them in Phase 3).
- Cross-check eligibility and exam pattern before registering.