GATE XH previous year question papers
Humanities & Social Sciences · 2021–2026
Free year-wise GATE XH question papers with official answer keys. Solve them under a 3-hour timer to simulate the real exam, then review every wrong answer against the GATE XH syllabus.
Free PDF downloads
We link to established, free sources rather than re-hosting copies. Papers open in a new tab; always cross-check against the official GATE organising institute's site for the current cycle.
How to use these papers
- Finish a subject first, then solve that subject's questions across all years.
- Once the syllabus is covered, switch to full papers under a strict 3-hour timer.
- Log every mistake by cause: concept gap, silly error, or time pressure.
- Re-solve the papers you scored worst on after two weeks.
Frequently asked questions
How does the optional section choice work in GATE XH?
Every candidate attempts the compulsory Section B1 (Reasoning and Comprehension) and then picks exactly one optional section out of C1 through C6: Economics, English, Linguistics, Philosophy, Psychology or Sociology: unlike GATE XE, where two optional sections are chosen, XH allows only a single optional subject, selected on the exam interface itself, and that one section carries 60 of the paper's 100 marks.
Can I switch my GATE XH optional section after filling the application form?
The application asks you to indicate a section at registration, but the choice that actually counts is the one you select on screen at the start of the optional-section block during the exam, so there is room to change your mind up to exam day itself: switching late in preparation is still costly, since each of the six subjects has its own reading list and question style.
Which optional section should I choose for GATE XH?
The choice should track your undergraduate or postgraduate coursework rather than a hunch about which subject is "scoring": a candidate with an Economics or Commerce background naturally leans toward C1, an English literature background toward C2, and so on, because catching up an entire subject from zero inside a single preparation cycle is a much harder task than mastering material you have already studied for at least a year.
Is GATE XH only for humanities graduates, or can science and engineering students appear too?
GATE XH does not restrict eligibility by undergraduate stream, so science, engineering and commerce graduates with a genuine background in one of the six optional subjects: for instance an engineering graduate who studied Economics as a minor: can appear, provided they meet the general GATE eligibility criteria.
Are previous year GATE XH papers sufficient, given the paper is relatively new?
GATE XH was introduced in 2021, so the PYQ pool is thinner than for long-running papers like Civil or Mechanical, and it is thinner still for whichever single optional section you choose, since only your subject's questions from each year are relevant to you: treat every available paper as worth solving more than once and lean on standard postgraduate-level textbooks and full-length mocks to fill the gaps.