How to prepare for GATE

GATE is the examination which every B.Tech/B. E. final year student is aware of. It opens the ‘gate’ of various opportunities after engineering, be it higher studies or government/PSU job in various renowned companies. In this article, we’ll talk about how to prepare for GATE.

First of all, let us know some details. This is included here just for information.

The Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) is an examination that primarily tests the comprehensive understanding of various undergraduate subjects in engineering and science. GATE is conducted jointly by the Indian Institute of Science and seven Indian Institutes of Technology (Bombay, Delhi, Guwahati, Kanpur, Kharagpur, Madras, and Roorkee) on behalf of the National Coordination Board – GATE, Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Human Resources Development (MHRD), Government of India.

The GATE score of a candidate reflects the relative performance level of a candidate. The score is used for admissions to various post-graduate education programs (e.g. Master of Engineering, Master of Technology, Doctor of Philosophy) in Indian higher education institutes, with financial assistance provided by MHRD and other government agencies.

Recently, GATE scores are also being used by several Indian public sector undertakings (i.e., government-owned companies) for recruiting graduate engineers in entry-level positions. It is one of the most competitive examinations in India.

Based on the success story of IITs all over the world, GATE is also recognized by various international institutes such as Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.

Tips:

Start your GATE-specific preparation in final year only. If you start your preparation earlier in the first or second year, you will get exhausted in the middle of your course and will start losing interest. However, keep studying your semester subjects from the level of GATE during your first three years of engineering and prepare good quality notes because these notes will help you to prepare in final year.
1. Do not hesitate to buy standard books for any subject whenever you first get introduced to it. Eg. – Many people read Ashfaq Husain for Electrical machines. The standard one is P. S. Bambara. Similarly for Design in Civil Engineering, students used to refer to the N. Subrahmanyan. Make your concepts through standard books. You can use the local/common books to pass your semester examination.
2. Do not throw away the notes/photocopies of your core subject. Those are going to help you during preparation in your final year.
Total 65 questions are asked in the examination out of which 10 are of general ability and 55 are from your core subjects. The total marks are 100.
GATE tests your analytical ability, not retaining ability. So start solving conceptual questions of your core subjects after the third year.
Revise your concepts from the books/ notes you saved in the previous years. Go for the subjects one by one. Start from the subject you find easy. Gradually go for harder subjects.
Although in many colleges, all the core subjects are taught by the time you finish your 3rd year. But at few places, some important subjects are taught in the final semester. So keep that in mind and do have some knowledge of that subject in advance.
Don’t spend too much time on a single subject. Solve the question bank from a good book for all subjects. Do solve all the previous year question papers. This will help you understand the pattern of questions asked. Complete this by two months before the exams.
Reasoning section is also there which holds probably 15% marks of paper. This section contains 5 questions from reasoning/quant and 5 questions from verbal ability. For this, solve Arun Sharma or R S Aggarwal books for verbal reasoning and quant. Again, don’t devote it too much time. 10 to 15 days are enough.
After completing all subjects, do join a good test series (online/offline). That will check your level of preparation at some extent.
Maintain yourself cool in the examination hall. Don’t panic if you don’t know the question. Solve the next one. Get back to the previous one in the end, if you find time.
Keep yourself motivated. For this read good motivational books, Buddha,s scriptures etc. means make yourself mentally strong.
My sincere advice to join a coaching, in the end of the second year, if it is required however the coaching timings can lead to frustration and extra burden, so if possible, avoid coaching and prepare self.

If you want to get selected in PSUs, your personal development is must because they will recruit you as OFFICER. For improving your personality,

Participate and involve in every cultural or any other events. Make a winning attitude.
Be in touch with your seniors so that you can get a good opportunity for training.
Make a very good project.
Improve English and communication skills. Add some uniqueness in yourself. Cultivate a leadership attitude in you.

If you follow this way religiously, you will surely be able to score very good marks in your first attempt. Set your gears to get succeed. All the best for your future.

SOURCES:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graduate_Aptitude_Test_in_Engineering
Based on Self-Experience and Experience shared by Verified User (Successful Candidates) on quora.