Engineers planning to take the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) next year would have to sit for one more paper — ecology and evolution.

The number of papers in GATE is now 22. Any BTech (including students in their final year) can sit for it. Those clearing it become eligible to pursue MTech from any Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) or National Institute of Technology (NIT).

IIT-Kharagpur will conduct GATE this time. The process of filling up forms for the test began on Monday (September 2) and students can apply online, at www.gate.iitkgp.ac.in, till October 3.

The test would be conducted on alternate weekends from February 1 to March 2. A student who clears GATE gets a monthly stipend of Rs 8,000 during his two-year MTech.

M.P. Singh, a senior teacher at NIT-Patna, said: “The idea behind introduction of the paper is to promote research in ecology and environment.”

Those taking GATE had to sit for 21 engineering papers, such as civil, electrical, electronics, mechanical, computer science, IT and others. They also had to sit for mathematics, physics and chemistry papers among others. But from this year, the tests will be online, consisting of both multiple-choice and numerical answer type questions.

Engineering graduates in Bihar look forward to the GATE as no state engineering college here offers MTech courses. A large number of students from Bihar sit for the GATE. Prashant Kumar, a second-year MTech student of civil engineering at NIT Patna, said: “With the introduction of online examination, results would be declared soon.”

After MTech, one can top it up with a PhD and join the teaching field.

The craze for GATE has gone up in recent years, as many public sector undertakings (PSUs) — like HPCL, BPCL, NTPC, Power Grid and others — take GATE scores into account while hiring.