GATE 2011 Examination will include both ONLINE and OFFLINE examinations as per the following schedule:
| Type | Date | Time | Paper Codes |
| Online | January 30, 2011 (Sunday) | 09:00 Hrs to 12:00 Hrs | GG and TF |
| 14:00 Hrs to 17:00 Hrs | AE and MN | ||
| Offline | February 13, 2011 (Sunday) | 09:00 Hrs to 12:00 Hrs | AR, BT, CE, CH, CS, ME, PH and PI |
| 14:00 Hrs to 17:00 Hrs | AG, CY, EC, EE, IN, MA, MT, XE and XL |
Online Examination:
Examination using computers. In GG and MN papers, all questions are multiple choice type. In AE and TF papers, 60 questions are multiple choice type and 5 questions are numerical answer type. For questions of multiple choice type, the candidate will select the correct answer out of four options . For questions of numerical answer type, the candidate will enter the numeric answer.
Offline Examination:
Examination where the candidate will mark the correct answer out of four options in an Optical Response Sheet (ORS) by darkening the appropriate bubble.