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GATE Syllabus for Architecture & Planning (AR) 2023: Important Topics, Exam Pattern, Samples Questions and Books

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Content Curator updated | Updated On - Dec 27, 2022

 GATE Syllabus for Architecture & Planning (AR) 2023 consists of topics from General Aptitude and Core Discipline inclusing architecture and planning. The question paper comprises 65 questions of 100 marks. The majority of questions i.e. 55 will be from the core subject syllabus and the remaining 10 questions from General Aptitude Sections. GATE AR exam pattern had been revised last year. As per the revised paper pattern there will be three sections in the paper- General Aptitude, Part A and Part B (further divided into Part B1 and B2). General Aptitude and Part A are mandatory for all the candidates while candidates are required to select any one from Part B1 and Part B2. Check GATE 2023 Exam Pattern

Important topics include Architecture & Design, Building and Structures, Urban Planning and Housing and Planning Techniques and Management. If you have opted for GATE Architecture & Planning (AR) as your first paper then you can only appear for GATE Civil Engineering as your second paper. 

Must Read:

GATE AR Syllabus

GATE Syllabus for Architecture & Planning (AR) 2023

GATE Syllabus for Architecture & Planning (AR) will consist of 8 sections. Architecture & Design is the most important section of Architecture and Planning. Candidates can check the Architecture and Planning syllabus as given below:

GATE Syllabus for Architecture & Planning (AR): Part A Common

  • Section 1: Architecture, Planning and Design Architectural – Graphics; Visual composition in 2D and 3D; Computer application in Architecture and Planning; Anthropometrics; Organization of space; Circulation- horizontal and vertical; Space Standards; Universal design; Building bye laws; Codes and standards;
  • Section 2: Construction and Management – Project management techniques e.g. PERT, CPM etc. ; Estimation and Specification; Professional practice and ethics; Form and Structure; Principles and design of disaster resistant structures; Temporary structures for rehabilitation;
  • Section 3: Environmental Planning and Design – Natural and man-made ecosystem; Ecological principles; Environmental considerations in planning and design; Environmental pollution- types, causes, controls and abatement strategies; Sustainable development, goals and strategies; Climate change and built environment; Climate responsive design;
  • Section 4: Urban Design, landscape and Conservation – Historical and modern examples of urban design; Elements of urban built environment – urban form, spaces, structure, pattern, fabric, texture, grain etc.; Concepts and theories of urban design; Principles, tools and techniques of urban design; Public spaces, character, spatial qualities and Sense of Place; Urban design interventions for sustainable development and transportation; Development controls – FAR, densities and building byelaws. ; Urban renewal and conservation; heritage conservation; historical public spaces and gardens; Landscape design; Site planning.
  • Section 5: Planning process – Salient concepts, theories and principles of urban planning; concepts of cities - Eco-City, Smart City; Concepts and theories by trendsetting planners and designers; Ekistics; Urban sociology; Social, Economic and environmental cost benefit analysis; Methods of non-spatial and spatial data analysis; Development guidelines such as URDPFI;
  • Section 6: Housing – Housing typologies; Concepts, principles and examples of neighbourhood; Residential densities; Affordable Housing; Real estate valuation;
  • Section 7: Services and Infrastructure – Firefighting Systems; Building Safety and Security systems; Building Management Systems; Water treatment; Water supply and distribution system; Water harvesting systems; Principles, Planning and Design of storm water drainage system; Sewage disposal methods; Methods of solid waste management - collection, transportation and disposal; Recycling and Reuse of solid waste; Land-use – transportation - urban form inter- relationships; Design of roads, intersections, grade separators and parking areas; Hierarchy of roads and level of service; Para-transits and other modes of transportation, Pedestrian and slow moving traffic planning;

GATE Syllabus for Architecture & Planning (AR): Part B1 Architecture

  • Section B1.1: History and Contemporary Architecture – Principles of Art and Architecture; World History of Architecture: Egyptian, Greco-Roman classical period, Byzantine, Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque-Rococo, etc.; Recent trends in Contemporary Architecture: Art nouveau, Art Deco, Eclecticism, International styles, Postmodernism, Deconstruction in architecture, etc.; Influence of Modern art and Design in Architecture; Indian vernacular and traditional Architecture, Oriental Architecture ; Works of renowned national and international architects
  • Section B1.2: Building Construction and Structural systems – Building construction techniques, methods and details; Building systems and prefabrication of building elements; Principles of Modular Coordination; Construction planning and equipment; Building material characteristics and applications; Principles of strength of materials; Alternative building materials; Foundations; Design of structural elements with different materials; Elastic and Limit State design; Structural systems; Principles of Prestressing; High Rise and Long Span structures, gravity and lateral load resisting systems
  • Section B1.3: Building Services and Sustainability – Solar architecture; Thermal, visual and acoustic comfort in built environments; Natural and Mechanical ventilation in buildings; Air-Conditioning systems; Sustainable building strategies; Building Performance Simulation and Evaluation; Intelligent Buildings; Water supply; Sewerage and drainage systems; Sanitary fittings and fixtures; Plumbing systems; Principles of internal and external drainage system; Principles of electrification of buildings; Elevators and Escalators - standards and uses

GATE Syllabus for Architecture & Planning (AR): Part B2 Planning

  • Section B2.1: Regional and Settlement Planning – Regional delineation; settlement hierarchy; Types and hierarchy of plans; Various schemes and programs of central government; Transit Oriented Development (TOD), SEZ, SRZ etc.; Public Perception and user behaviour; National Housing Policies, Programs and Schemes. ; Slums, Squatters and informal housing; Standards for housing and community facilities; Housing for special areas and needs.
  • Section B2.2: Planning Techniques and Management – Application of G.I.S and Remote Sensing techniques in urban and regional planning; Tools and techniques of Surveys – Physical, Topographical, Land use and Socio-economic Surveys; Urban Economics, Law of demand and supply of land and its use in planning; Graphic presentation of spatial data; Local self-governance, Panchayatiraj institutions; Planning Legislation and implementation – Land Acquisition Act, PPP etc.; Decision support system and Land Information System; Urban geography and econometrics; Management of Infrastructure Projects; Demography and equity in planning
  • Section B2.3: Infrastructure Planning – Process and Principles of Transportation Planning and Traffic Engineering; Road capacity and Travel demand forecasting; Traffic survey methods, Traffic flow Analysis; Traffic analysis and design considerations; Traffic and transport management and control in urban areas; Mass transportation planning; Intelligent Transportation Systems; Urban and Rural Infrastructure System Network

GATE Syllabus for Architecture & Planning (AR) General Aptitude 

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 AR Topic-wise Weightage

GATE Syllabus for Architecture & Planning (AR) 2023 - Topic-wise Weightage

Topic Weightage (Marks)
Architecture & Design 20-30
Building and Structures 25-30
Urban Planning and Housing 15-20
Planning Techniques and Management 10-15
GATE AR Exam Pattern

GATE Exam Pattern for Architecture & Planning (AR) 2023

GATE Exam Pattern for Architecture & Planning (AR) 2023 has been revised this year. According to the revised exam pattern, there will be three sections of the paper-

  • GA (General Aptitude),
  • Part A- mandatory section for all candidates
  • Part B is further divided into Section B1 (Architecture) and B2 (Planning). Students need to choose one of the sections during the exam.
Sections Number of questions Marks per Question Total Marks
GA 10 (5 x 1) + (5 x 2) 15
Part A (mandatory) 39 (18 x 1) + (21 x 2) 60
Part B: Part B1 (Architecture) or Part B2 (Planning) 16 (7 x 1) + (9 x 2) 25
Total 55 - 100

Read More: GATE 2023 Exam Pattern

GATE Architecture & Planning (AR) Marking Scheme 2023

Section Distribution of Marks Total Marks Types of questions
GA 5 questions of 1 mark each 5 questions of 2 marks each
15 marks 

MCQs
GATE Architecture & Planning (AR) Core Subjects 25 questions of 1 mark each 30 questions of 2 marks each  85 marks MCQs and NATs
GATE AR Books

Preparation Books for GATE 2023 Architecture and Planning

GATE is considered as one of the toughest exams. Hence, the preparation to qualify GATE should be good. The table is given below represents some important books for preparation of Architecture and Planning Paper:

GATE architecture Book

Book Name Author/ Publisher ISBN Number
How To Crack GATE 2020 Architecture and Planning Ar. Ashok Goel and Ar. Arjun Kamal B074565291
Architect's Guidebook For Competitive Exams Ar. Swapnil Vidhate 9352674847, 978-9352674848
Principles Of Town Planning And Architecture Biswas Hiranmay 938134857X, 978-9381348574
Contemporary Library Architecture: A Planning and Design Guide Ken Worpole -
GATE AR Sample Questions

GATE Sample Questions for Architecture & Planning (AR) 2023

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Ans. D

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Ans. B

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Ans. C

Frequently Asked Questions

GATE Syllabus for Architecture & Planning (AR) 2023 FAQs

Ques: What will be the major sections in GATE Syllabus for Architecture & Planning (AR) 2023?

Ans: The eight sections in the syllabus will be:

  • Section 1: Architecture and Design
  • Section 2: Building Materials, Construction, and Management
  • Section 3: Building and Structures
  • Section 4: Environmental Planning and Design
  • Section 5: Urban and Design
  • Section 6: Urban Planning and Housing
  • Section 7: Planning Techniques and Management
  • Section 8: Services, Infrastructure, and Transportation

Ques: What will be the weightage of sections and marking scheme for the GATE Syllabus for Architecture & Planning (AR) 2023?

Ans: The weightage and marking scheme is mentioned below in the table:

Section  Distribution of Marks Total Marks
GA 5 questions of 1 mark each 5 questions of 2 marks each 15 marks 
AR- Subject-Based 25 questions of 1 mark each 30 questions of 2 marks each  85 marks

Ques: What section is most important in GATE Syllabus for Architecture & Planning (AR) 2023?

Ans: Architecture & Design is the most important section in GATE Syllabus for Architecture & Planning (AR) 2023. Other sections are also very important but this section is considered one of the major or important sections. 

Ques: What are the best books to prepare for the GATE Syllabus for Architecture & Planning (AR) 2023?

Ans: Some of the best books for GATE Syllabus for Architecture & Planning (AR) 2023 are: 

Book Name Author/ Publisher ISBN Number
How To Crack GATE 2020 Architecture and Planning Ar. Ashok Goel and Ar. Arjun Kamal B074565291
Architect's Guidebook For Competitive Exams Ar. Swapnil Vidhate 9352674847, 978-9352674848

Ques. How to prepare for GATE Architecture & Planning (AR) 2023? 

Ans.Candidates can follow some of these tips for preparation of GATE petroleum engineering paper: 

  • Solve GATE Architecture & Planning (AR) 2023 Mock Tests
  • Start with the basic concepts or topics. 
  • Candidates must practice on virtual calculators so that you can develop a habit of using the same.
  • For more tips, check GATE Preparation Guidelines

Ques. How many sections are there in the GATE Syllabus for Architecture & Planning (AR) 2023?

Ans. GATE Syllabus for Architecture & Planning (AR) 2023 consists of 3 parts over all, Part A, B1, and B2. Part A is a common section whereas Part B1 has topics about Architecture and Part B2 has topics about Planning.

Ques. What topics are there in the GATE Syllabus for Architecture & Planning (AR): Part A Common?

Ans. The topics are there in the GATE Syllabus for Architecture & Planning (AR): Part A Common: 

  • Section 1: Architecture, Planning and Design Architectural
  • Section 2: Construction and Management 
  • Section 3: Environmental Planning and Design
  • Section 4: Urban Design, landscape and Conservation
  • Section 5: Planning process
  • Section 6: Housing
  • Section 7: Services and Infrastructure

Ques. What topics are there in the GATE Syllabus for Architecture & Planning (AR): Part B1 Architecture?

Ans. The topics are there in the GATE Syllabus for Architecture & Planning (AR): Part B1 Architecture are as follows: 

  • Section B1.1: History and Contemporary Architecture
  • Section B1.2: Building Construction and Structural systems
  • Section B1.3: Building Services and Sustainability

Ques. What topics are there in the GATE Syllabus for Architecture & Planning (AR): Part B2 Planning?

Ans. The topics are there in the GATE Syllabus for Architecture & Planning (AR): Part B2 Planning: 

  • Section B2.1: Regional and Settlement Planning
  • Section B2.2: Planning Techniques and Management
  • Section B2.3: Infrastructure Planning

Ques. What are the important topics in the GATE Syllabus for Architecture & Planning (AR) 2023?

Ans. The important topics in the GATE Syllabus for Architecture & Planning (AR) 2023 are Architecture & Design, Building and Structures, Urban Planning and Housing and Planning Techniques and Management.

*The article might have information for the previous academic years, please refer the official website of the exam.

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