GATE Study Guide 2026
Everything you need to pass the GATE exam in one place: the exam format, every topic to study, real practice questions with explanations, flashcards, and full-length practice tests. Free, no sign-up needed.
📋 GATE Exam Format at a Glance
📚 GATE Topics to Study (53)
✍️ Sample GATE Questions & Answers
1. What does the term 'phantom read' refer to in transaction isolation?
A phantom read occurs when a transaction re-executes a range query and finds new rows inserted by another committed transaction.
2. The maximum window size in TCP using a 16-bit window field (without scaling) is:
The 16-bit window field can represent values from 0 to 2^16 - 1 = 65,535 bytes.
3. A 4-bit ripple carry adder adds two 4-bit numbers. What is the maximum number of gate delays for carry propagation?
Each full adder introduces 2 gate delays for carry, so 4 stages yield 8 gate delays total.
4. In a second-order control system, the damping ratio ζ = 0.5 corresponds to which response?
When 0 < ζ < 1 (here ζ = 0.5), the system is underdamped and exhibits oscillatory response.
5. What is root cause analysis?
Root cause analysis (RCA) is a systematic process for identifying the underlying, fundamental causes of a problem or undesirable event, rather than just addressing its symptoms. The goal of RCA is to implement solutions that prevent recurrence by eliminating the root cause. This leads to more effective and lasting problem resolution.
6. Which of the following correctly describes a 'lossless join decomposition'?
A lossless join decomposition guarantees that joining the parts back on common attributes yields exactly the original relation with no spurious tuples.