Civil Engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical & naturally built environment, including works like roads, bridges, canals, dams, and buildings. GATE Civil Engineering syllabus comprises 3 sections namely- General Aptitude, Engineering Mathematics and Civil Engineering. 

The syllabus for Civil Engineering paper mostly covers the graduation level topics and Engineering Mathematics is one of the important sections. The maximum weightage is given to the core syllabus that is 70% and 15% each to General Aptitude and Engineering Mathematics. The paper consists of 65 questions worth 100 marks.  Check GATE Exam Pattern

The core syllabus of CE is broken into a number of sub-topics. After qualifying GATE candidates can take admission in IITs, NITs to pursue M.Tech. 

Must Read:  IIT Delhi Admission Process

---

GATE CE Syllabus

Syllabus of Civil Engineering

GATE Civil engineering consists of 7 sections namely: 

• Section 1 – Engineering Mathematics
• Section 2 – Structural Engineering
• Section 3 – Water Resources Engineering
• Section 4 – Environmental Engineering
• Section 5 – Geomatics Engineering
• Section 6 – Geotechnical Engineering
• Section 7 – Transportation Engineering

Direct link to download GATE Civil Engineering (CE) syllabus PDF 

Topic Wise Weightage of Sections 

---

Section Wise Important Books for Civil Engineering

Important books which are recommended by GATE toppers are: 

Preparation Books for Engineering Mathematics

Engineering Mathematics is the most important section of  GATE. This section carries around 15% weightage of questions in the exam. Here are some important books for the preparation of engineering mathematics. 

• GATE Engineering Mathematics by Abhinav Goel and Suraj Singh
• Engineering Mathematics - Vol.1 by Sharma J.P
• Engineering Mathematics - Part 1 by Dr. D.S.C.
• Advanced Engineering Mathematics by Sastry S.S
• Problems and Solutions in Engineering Mathematics by T.C. Gupta

Preparation Books for Structural Engineering

• Structural Engineer's Pocket Book by Fiona Cobb
• Fundamentals of Structural Engineering by Jerome J. Connor and Susan Faraji
• Structural Engineering Formulas by Ilya Mikhelson
• Structural Analysis by R. C. Hibbeler
• Structural engineering reference manual by Alan Williams

Preparation Books for Geotechnical Engineering

• Fundamentals of Geotechnical Engineering by Braja M Das
• Geotechnical Engineering by T. G. Sitharam and T.N. Ramamurthy
• Principles of Geotechnical Engineering by Braja M Das
• Geotechnical Engineering Design by Ming Xiao
• Geotechnical Engineer's Portable Handbook by Robert W Day

Check Your Rank using  GATE Rank Predictor

Preparation Books for Water Resources Engineering

• Irrigation and Water Power Engineering by B.C. Punmia, Ashok Kumar Jain, Arun Kumar Jain, and Pande Brij Basi Lal 
• Water Resources Engineering by Gupta
• Water-Resources Engineering: International Edition by David A Chin
• Water Supply Engineering by Santosh Kumar Garg
• Hydrology and Water Resources by Experienced Professor

Preparation Books for Environmental Engineering

• Introduction to Environmental Engineering by David A Cornwell and Mackenzie L Davis
• Chemistry for environmental engineering and science by Clair N. Sawyer
• Elements of Environmental Engineering by K. N. Duggal
• Textbook of Environmental Engineering by P. Venugopala Rao
• Environmental engineering and sanitation by Joseph A. Salvato

Preparation Books for Transportation Engineering

• Principles of Transportation Engineering by Chakraborty and Das
• Transportation Planning: Principles, Practices, and Policies by Sarkar Prabir Kumar, Maitri Vinay, and Joshi G.J
• Text Book On Transportation Engineering by Chandola and S.P 
• Highway Engineering by Rangwala
• Transportation Engineering and Planning by C. S. Papacostas and Panos Prevedouros

Preparation Books for Geomatics Engineering

• Geomatics Engineering: A Practical Guide to Project Design by Clement A. Ogaja
• Basics of Geomatics by Mario A. Gomarasca
• Precision Surveying: The Principles and Geomatics Practice by John Olusegun Ogundare
• Elementary Surveying: An Introduction to Geomatics by Charles D. Ghilani and Paul R. Wolf

Also Check GATE Paper Analysis

---

Exam Pattern of CE

GATE Exam Pattern of Civil Engineering

GATE is an all India competitive exam for engineers from different branches. There are a total of 25 papers in GATE. Applicants can appear for one paper at one time. Candidates are required to make sure that they go through  GATE Exam Pattern before starting the preparation of the exam. 

• GATE is held in online mode only (Computer-Based Test).
• The question paper consists of 65 questions worth 100 marks.
• The exam includes 2 types of questions - Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) and Numerical Answer Type (NAT).
• There is no negative marking for NAT but it is applicable for MCQs.
• For 1 mark MCQs, 1/3 marks will be deducted for every wrong answer.
• Likewise, for 2 marks MCQs, 2/3 marks will be deducted.
• The duration of the exam is 3 hours. 
• GATE comprises 3 sections namely- General Aptitude, Engineering Mathematics and specific subject of the paper

---

How to Prepare for Civil Engineering Paper?

The preparation of a competitive exam should be done by incorporating a good strategic plan. The plan should include all the important points like the right number of hours allocated to each topic, mock test preparation, online tests, leisure time so that preparing doesn’t get stressful and much more. Candidates can also follow the preparation plans adopted by GATE toppers. Check  Preparation Tips from GATE Topper

1. Speed and Accuracy

You aim should be solving questions with accuracy and good speed. These are the two important factors in the exams and are interrelated. With accuracy, you can easily gain speed and with a good speed, you can solve the maximum number of questions. The following will help you in gaining the mentioned skills:

• Solving Mock Test or Online Test Series
• Practice Papers or Model Test Papers
• Solving unsolved problems provided at the end of each section or subject
• Use stopwatch while solving the questions to check your speed

2. Making Notes and Daily Revision

• Revision should be done on a daily basis.
• Candidates must revise all those topics that they studied in the whole day. 
• Make notes during preparation so that you can memorize all the topics easily and also these notes will help you in last minute preparations.
• Notes should be short and only include the important topics or points. 
• Candidates are advised to keep the last month solely for revision. 

3. Test Yourself

• Prepare a test for yourself on a weekly basis.
• You can also take mock tests or online test series.
• Once you take the test, analyze the level of your performance.
• You should observe and make a list of topics in which you are weak or need to put more effort.
• Try to solve n number of mock tests.

Download GATE Practice Paper of PE

4. Following a Strict Schedule

Time management is very important while preparing for the exam. If you are good at managing time then you must divide your whole preparation into months then into weeks and then into days. You should know which topics need to cover in a week or in a day. This is also called as target based study plan. You can set a goal for yourself and then work hard to achieve that goal. 

• Candidates are advised to study 6-8 hours daily
• Take regular breaks to avoid laziness
• Devote special time for daily revisions session
• Avoid using social media. Use internet only for the purpose of studies.