Maximise your study time for GATE

The Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) is an All India Entrance Examination for admissions to postgraduate courses like MTech and ME at IITs, NITs, and many other universities and institutes across the country. Over 50 Public Sector Undertakings (PSU) including DRDO, BHEL and SAIL will also be recruiting employees through this test.

GATE 2018 will be conducted by IIT Guwahati. This year, the GATE exam for 23 papers will be conducted on February 3, 4, 10 and 11 in eight sessions. The mode of paper is expected to remain the same as GATE 2017. It will be a computer-based exam and will be of three-hour duration. Virtual calculator will be provided during the online exam. There will be 65 questions, containing multiple choice questions and numerical answer type questions, for 100 marks.

Good knowledge of subjects

To get a good GATE score, one should have a very good command on technical subjects as the exam tests your knowledge in all technical areas. It is also important to have a good knowledge in the subject as many PSUs have an interview stage as a part of their recruitment process. So, to help you gain a good score in the GATE exam, here are some tips:

Proper revision: This is not the time to start reading again from scratch as GATE is around the corner. You need to go ahead with short notes you may have written and revise whatever practice questions and answers you have read before.

Start with the easy subjects first: Start studying the subjects which you feel are easier to you and prioritise them accordingly. The more you solve, the more you answer correctly, and the more confidence you will get to attempt difficult questions.

Use short notes: Try and make short notes from tutorials or common discussion forms or from any other study material. This will help you speed up your preparation, as the notes cover the essential concepts needed for the exam and help save time. It will also enable you to jot down just the basic points you need to make a further revision on as the exam time nears. Importantly, stick to one set of notes that you are comfortable with as studying from different perspectives will only make you more confused.

Solve past question papers: Try to solve as many question papers as you can. If you are not able to solve or get correct answers, go back to notes or explanations, and understand the concept properly before moving on. Don't stick to those books that have vast explanation of topics.

Avoid reading from soft copies: It is very common for students to surf the net and look for soft copies of books and notes. While these soft copies can be easily found, you can be easily distracted to do other things online. Hence, it is always beneficial to make a hard copy of the important pages and avoid reading on the computer to concentrate well on the desired subject. You can also write down important points if you don't want to take a print. The idea is to avoid all kinds of distraction during GATE preparation.

Don't think too much, start working: Do not take too much time on thinking what would happen next. Just keep your focus and remain calm while you study. If you think about all subjects you need to finish, you will feel burdened. So, plan what you want to study each day, and stick to the study plan. Just keep your focus, remain calm and go on with a steady flow.

Finally, do not take too much stress or study late at night. Don't forget to take necessary breaks, and eat and sleep on time. This would give you the much needed energy and stamina to put in your best on the day of the exam. Importantly, keep calm on the day of the exam to give your best.

With a good study plan, acing the GATE exam will not be difficult. So, good luck!

(The author is with T.I.M.E., Hyderabad)