The GATE Syllabus for Humanities and Social Sciences offers a wealth of information for preparing for the exam. Planning and time management are essential to succeeding in the GATE exam and getting into the program of your choice. Questions will be designed strictly according to the GATE Humanities and Social Sciences Syllabus 2025.

The Humanities and Social Sciences is a newly added course that includes topics like English, Economics, Linguistics, Psychology, Sociology, and Philosophy. The GATE exam syllabus for Humanities and Social Sciences comprises two sections where one is a compulsory section and carries only one subject.  The other section requires students to choose one subject from six options.

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2. 1 subject test
3. 2 chapter tests
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Below is the table consisting of the sections in the GATE Humanities and Social Sciences.

Free Gate Mock Tests

For EC, EE, IN, ME, CE, CS

1. 1 GATE past year’s paper with detailed solutions
2. 1 subject test
3. 2 chapter tests
4. Video solutions for all questions

P.S. Also, get access to 50+ hours of exclusive concept videos, masterclasses, workshops, and content.

Access My Free GATE Mock Test

Humanities and Social Sciences sections of the GATE syllabus

Below is the GATE 2025 Syllabus for Humanities & Social Sciences for all the sections in detail: 

GATE exam syllabus for Humanities and Social Sciences – General Aptitude 

This section of the GATE Syllabus for Humanities and Social Sciences includes topics like: 

• English Grammar
• Sentence Completion 
• Instructions 
• Word Groups 
• Verbal Analogies 
• Verbal Deduction 
• Critical Reasoning
•  Numerical Reasoning
•  Numerical Consumption 
• Numerical Estimation 
• Data Interpretation 

GATE XH Syllabus – Reasoning and Comprehension 

Reasoning and comprehension are compulsory sections of the GATE Syllabus for Humanities and Social Sciences. This section assesses the candidate’s ability to reason critically and analyze. The topics covered in this section are: 

Reading Comprehension – Analytical Reasoning
Expression – Logical Reasoning 

GATE XH Syllabus – Economics 

This section includes various key topics like linear regression, non-cooperative games, and investment accelerator. 

Below is the information on topics discussed in detail: 

• Microeconomics: The topics covered in this section are 

1. Theory of consumer behavior: Cardinal Approach and Ordinary Approach 
2. The theory of revealed preference 
3. Uniqueness and Stability of Market Equilibrium 
4. Efficiency Criteria 

• Macroeconomics: 

The topics included in this section are: 

• National Income Accounting: Closed Economy Concepts and Measurements and Open Economy Issues 
• Statistics, Econometrics, and Mathematical Economics
• Probability Theory: Probability Distributions, Concepts of probability, etc 
• International Economics: Imperfect Competition in International Trade, Theories of International Trade, etc.
• Public Economics: Public Goods, Asymmetric Information, Externality,
• Market Regulation:  Collusion and Consumer Welfare
• Public Revenue: Tax and Non-Tax Revenue
• Development Economics: Theories of Economic Development: David Ricardo, Adam Smith, J. Schumpeter, Karl Marx, W. Rostow, Balanced and Unbalanced Growth Economic, etc
• Solow, Harrod-Domar, Ramsey, and other economic growth models Disembodied and Embodied- Endogenous Growth Models- Technical Progress 
• Indian Economy: Agriculture, Industry, and Services: Patterns and Structures of Growth, Major Challenges, Policy Responses, Economic Growth in India: Patterns and Structures, etc.

GATE XH Syllabus Linguistics
This section of the GATE exam syllabus for Humanities and Social Sciences includes various important topics like Indian Grammatical tradition, pragmatics, and rules. 

Below are the topics discussed in detail: 

Language and Linguistics – Areal Typology, Universals
Levels of Grammar and Grammatical Analysis: Methods of Analysis 

GATE XH Syllabus English 

This section of the GATE Syllabus for Humanities & Social Sciences 2025 includes various important topics like the history of English literature, poetry, and literary forms. 

Below is each topic discussed in detail: 

• Multi-genre literature in English: The topics covered in this section are poetry, novel and other forms of fiction including drama, short stories, and creative non-fiction prose focused on the long 19th and 20th centuries.
  
• Anglophone and English translation, literature from India and extending to some degree, the Indian subcontinent.
  
• Literary criticism and theory, critical and cultural intellectual traditions, and approaches are widely referred to and used in the discipline of English.
  
• History of English literature and English literature studies
  
• Research approaches and methodologies like interpretive techniques to literary forms, concepts, devices, and genres.
• Research approaches and methodologies, including interpretive techniques responsive to literary forms, devices, concepts, and genres.

GATE XH Syllabus Philosophy 

This section of the GATE Syllabus for Humanities and Social Sciences includes various important topics from contemporary, classical, and modern Western philosophy. 

• Classical Indian Philosophy: The topics covered in this section are Heterodox systems, orthodox systems, Bhagavadgita, Upanisads and Dharamsastras: Philosophy of the Upanisads, Saivasiddhanta, Kasmira Saivism, ViraSavism, Shaktism and Vaishavism. 
• Contemporary Indian Philosophy: Vivekananda. C. Bhattacharya 
• Classical and Modern Western Philosophy: Epistemology, Metaphysics, Ethics, Social and Political Philosophy and Logic 
• Contemporary Western Philosophy 

GATE XH Syllabus Psychology 

This section of the GATE 2025 Syllabus for Humanities & Social Sciences includes various important topics like psychometrics, social psychology, and motivation. 

Below are the topics discussed in detail: