Every GATE Life Sciences (XL) previous year paper on Lesson Basket, typed out in full with the official final answer key. 5 papers (2022 to 2026), 610 questions across all sections, free and without login.
5papers, GATE 2022 to 2026
610questions with answers
140diagrams, as set in the exam
7sections: GA, XL-P and XL-Q to XL-U
Each paper below has its own page with General Aptitude, XL-P Chemistry and all five optional sections, in the order they were set. Every question is tagged with its topic and has a Show answer button; answers come from the organising institute’s final answer key, including the official range for numerical questions.
GATE XL question papers with answer keys
| Paper | Organised by | Questions | Changes in the final key |
|---|---|---|---|
| GATE XL 2026 | IIT Guwahati | 122 | Q46 marks to all |
| GATE XL 2025 | IIT Roorkee | 122 | None |
| GATE XL 2024 | IISc Bengaluru | 122 | None |
| GATE XL 2023 | IIT Kanpur | 122 | Q6 marks to all, Q112 marks to all, Q113 marks to all |
| GATE XL 2022 | IIT Kharagpur | 122 | None |
Previous year paperGATE XL 2026 question paperAll 122 questions, every section, with the final answer key.Open the paper →Previous year paperGATE XL 2025 question paperAll 122 questions, every section, with the final answer key.Open the paper →Previous year paperGATE XL 2024 question paperAll 122 questions, every section, with the final answer key.Open the paper →Previous year paperGATE XL 2023 question paperAll 122 questions, every section, with the final answer key.Open the paper →Previous year paperGATE XL 2022 question paperAll 122 questions, every section, with the final answer key.Open the paper →
Take them as timed testsAll five papers are also a free GATE XL previous year papers course in live exam mode: the real timer, GATE marking and an instant score.
Want full-length practice?The GATE-XL Life Sciences Full Test Series gives you full-length mocks on the GATE pattern, with MCQ, MSQ and numerical questions and GATE marking. See the GATE-XL Life Sciences Full Test Series.
New section codes from GATE 2027These papers use the old section codes XL-P to XL-U. From GATE 2027 they are XL0 Chemistry and XL1 to XL5 (Biochemistry, Botany, Microbiology, Zoology, Food Technology); the content is the same. See the GATE XL syllabus 2027.
Which topics these papers tested
We tagged all 610 questions with their GATE XL syllabus topic. The table shows the three biggest topics in each section across 5 papers; the charts below break down every section in full, so check the two optional sections you plan to choose.
| Section | Questions | Most-tested topics (questions) |
|---|---|---|
| GA General Aptitude | 50 | Quantitative Aptitude (21), Verbal Aptitude (12), Analytical Aptitude (10) |
| XL-P Chemistry | 85 | Organic Chemistry (19), Biomolecule Chemistry (11), Structure & Bonding (10) |
| XL-Q Biochemistry | 95 | Biomolecules (25), Metabolism & Bioenergetics (19), Biochemical Techniques (17) |
| XL-R Botany | 95 | Plant Physiology & Biochemistry (24), Genetics & Genomics (14), Morphogenesis & Development (11) |
| XL-S Microbiology | 95 | Microbial Growth (18), Microbial Genetics (16), Prokaryotic Cells (13) |
| XL-T Zoology | 95 | Biochemistry & Molecular Biology (27), Parasitology & Immunology (11), Animal Anatomy & Physiology (9) |
| XL-U Food Technology | 95 | Food Chemistry & Nutrition (34), Food Engineering (26), Food Products Technology (19) |
GA: General Aptitude
GATE XL 2022–2026, GA General Aptitude: questions by topic
50 questions from 5 papers, tagged by Lesson Basket.
Topic tags: Lesson Basket. See also our GATE-XL weightage analysis.
XL-P: Chemistry
GATE XL 2022–2026, XL-P Chemistry: questions by topic
85 questions from 5 papers, tagged by Lesson Basket.
Topic tags: Lesson Basket. See also our GATE-XL weightage analysis.
XL-Q: Biochemistry
GATE XL 2022–2026, XL-Q Biochemistry: questions by topic
95 questions from 5 papers, tagged by Lesson Basket.
Topic tags: Lesson Basket. See also our GATE-XL weightage analysis.
XL-R: Botany
GATE XL 2022–2026, XL-R Botany: questions by topic
95 questions from 5 papers, tagged by Lesson Basket.
Topic tags: Lesson Basket. See also our GATE-XL weightage analysis.
XL-S: Microbiology
GATE XL 2022–2026, XL-S Microbiology: questions by topic
95 questions from 5 papers, tagged by Lesson Basket.
Topic tags: Lesson Basket. See also our GATE-XL weightage analysis.
XL-T: Zoology
GATE XL 2022–2026, XL-T Zoology: questions by topic
95 questions from 5 papers, tagged by Lesson Basket.
Topic tags: Lesson Basket. See also our GATE-XL weightage analysis.
XL-U: Food Technology
GATE XL 2022–2026, XL-U Food Technology: questions by topic
95 questions from 5 papers, tagged by Lesson Basket.
Topic tags: Lesson Basket. See also our GATE-XL weightage analysis.
Exam pattern in every paper
| Section | Questions | Marks | You answer |
|---|---|---|---|
| GA: General Aptitude | 10 | 15 | Compulsory |
| XL-P: Chemistry | 17 | 25 | Compulsory |
| XL-Q to XL-U: five optional sections | 19 each | 30 each | Any two |
| Total you answer | 65 | 100 | 3 hours |
Only MCQs carry negative marking (1/3 or 2/3 of the marks). MSQ and numerical answer questions are not penalised.
How to use previous year papers
- Start with the most recent paperIt reflects the current style best. Attempt GA, XL-P and your two sections in one 3-hour sitting.
- Score it the GATE wayAdd 1 or 2 marks per correct answer and subtract 1/3 or 2/3 only for wrong MCQs.
- List your mistakes by topicTopics where you lose marks in more than one paper are where to revise first.
- Look at the sections you did not chooseOptional sections overlap: Biochemistry and Microbiology questions often test the same ideas.
Keep going
Test seriesGATE-XL Life Sciences Full Test SeriesFull-length mocks on the GATE pattern: MCQ, MSQ and numerical questions.See the test series →Exam modePrevious year papers as timed testsAll five papers with the real timer and GATE marking.Start practising →SyllabusGATE XL syllabus 2027The new XL0 to XL5 sections and the exam pattern.Read the syllabus →PYQ analysisGATE-XL weightageBiochemistry, Botany and Zoology topic split across 8 papers.See the analysis →
Source: GATE Life Sciences (XL) question papers and final answer keys published by each year’s organising institute. Question text is reproduced for practice; any transcription error is ours, and the official documents are the authority.
Practise on the Lesson Basket appEvery previous year paper in real exam mode with a timer, 130+ animated concept videos and full mock tests – free to start.
