GATE is an acronym for Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering. This exam is conducted every year by seven IITs and IISc Bangalore in India on a rotational basis. This exam is most prestigious exam for the engineering aspirants.
Many Engineering aspirants have the question in their mind ,” When to start gate preparation ?” , How can I score good marks in gate exam ?
In this article, we will delve into the importance of gate exam and see when to start gate preparation and how to score good marks in gate exam in our first attempt.
We will cover following topics in this article :-
Overview of GATE Exam
As we know GATE is an acronym for Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering. On the rotational basis, the exam is conducted by 7 IIT’s and IISc Bangalore. Every year the GATE Exam is conducted in first week or second week of February month.
As Gate 2024 is on its way, so we should start our preparation. GATE 2024 will be conducted in online mode as a Computer Based Test (CBT) in various cities across India. The official notification will be released in July 2023 by IISc Bangalore. GATE 2024 will be conducted by the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bangalore.
Exam Pattern :- GATE exam is conducted in online mode. The language of the exam is English only. There are total 65 questions (55 technical subject of the respective discipline) + 10 (General aptitude) . The type of question is MCQ and NAT type .
The time duration is 3 hours (180 min) . There is negative marking in GATE exam. If question is for 1 M then 1/3 will be deducted if wrongly answered and if question is for 2 mark, 2/3 will be deducted.
The negative marking is only for MCQ question , for NAT type and multiple select problems, there is no negative marking.
Benefits of cracking GATE
If you crack the GATE Exam by securing All India Rank or getting a good score. Then you could get job in public sector undertaking (PSU) e.g- BHEL, HINDALCO, ONGC, NALCO, and the companies which comes under MAHARATNA, NAVRTANA, MINIRATNA. If you get job in this PSUs you could get minimum package of 8 lakh per annum in government sector.
If you wish to go in IITs then you can also get chance to study in IITs with the gate score. For Masters degree you can get chance to study in IITs and NITs , if you score well in the GATE Exam.
Who can give Gate Exam ?
Students of B.tech/B.E can give this exam from 3rd year . If you cracked the GATE Exam in 3rd year only , then also you can get benefits. No need to skip the Engineering. As GATE score is valid for 3 years , so you can take benefits of exam after completing Engineering also.
No matter what your branch is, you can write the exam of any branch, the need is just to study the subjects related to that branch/discipline. Suppose you are an civil engineering aspirant and want to give gate exam in computer science branch , you can give it , only the need is that you have to study subjects related to computer science. In short, there is no barrier of any branch.
How to score good ?
For scoring good in GATE let us see some tips.
As Gate consists of 15 m General aptitude question and 13 m engineering Mathematics question, We can score full marks here as we have already studied Engineering Mathematics during Engineering.
So you can easily score good marks if you can able to solve general aptitude question.
We can technical subjects for 72 M
and General Aptitude + mathematics = 28 M
We can try to score full marks in General aptitude and Maths we can easily score good and crack the exam.
When to start preparing for the exam ?
After joining Engineering , an GATE aspirant should be very clear from first year only, and should start preparation of the exam from first year.
As Gate exam consists of subject related to our branch. So we by studying subject deeply and get well -equipped with the concept , we can crack the exam. Besides this, if you start preparing from first year then it can help you get placement in the last year also. Because if your technical part is strong then you can also crack the technical interview questions of the companies.
So, start preparation from First year .
Tips to Start Preparation
For scoring good mark and start the preparation for the exam, here are some tips which will help you.
i) Understand your syllabus – Firstly download the syllabus from official website and understand your syllabus and start preparation accordingly.
ii) Note down your weaknesses and strength – While studying note down in which subject you are stronger and in which you are weaker. The weaker subjects should be practiced more and it will require a hard work. The subject in which you are strong need less attention but consistent study and practice.
iii) Be disciplined – Gate is all about hard-work. So before starting gate you should be disciplined and hard-working. Remember that, “Good things take time”. So if you want to shine like a star you have to burn like a sun.
iv) Be consistent – Whether you study for 8 hours or for 1 hour, just be consistent while preparation. Because consistency plays a very important role in GATE.
v) Solve all Previous Year Papers– Solve all previous years papers while studying for the individual subjects. PYQ plays very important role for your exam preparation.
vi) Don’t underestimate the General Aptitude and Mathematics – Many of the students think and as we are Engineer we already know General Aptitude and we are good at mathematics, but No. You should never underestimate the Maths and General Aptitude subject. As it consists of 28 marks.
vii) Use your College time Efficiently – Complete all your college assignments . This will help you in clearing the basic concepts and will help in GATE Exam.
Which subject should you start first ?
From first year you should start preparation of Engineering mathematics, as it is common to all branches. Electrical Engineering students should focus more on Basic Electrical , Computer science students should focus more on C programming, Civil and mechanical Engineering student should focus on Engineering mechanics subject.
i) Engineering Mathematics (For all)
ii) C programming ( For CSE)
iii) Engineering Mechanics ( For ME and CE)
iv) Basic Electricals ( For EE and ECE)
Should I do self-study or join classes?
By self-study also, the gate exam can be cracked easily, the only need is the consistency and discipline. For the proper guidance , you can join coaching also. They will help you to guide properly for the exam.
Attend classes regularly .
You can join GATE EC and GATE EE courses at Gradplus, for the courses at pocket-friendly fees , It will cover all the subjects of GATE exam. Simply consistently, keep watching the videos .
Make short notes of each subject. This will help you to learn basic concept.
So, Lastly, keep the end goal in mind and visualize the future you wish to create through your GATE success. Whether it’s pursuing higher studies, landing a dream job, or contributing to groundbreaking research, let this vision motivate you throughout your preparation.
As you venture into the world of GATE preparation, always remember that the journey itself is a tremendous learning experience.
Celebrate the small victories, learn from your mistakes, and embrace the process of growth. With the right mindset and diligent effort, you can undoubtedly conquer the GATE exam and open doors to a promising future in your chosen field.
Wishing you all the best for your Gate 2024 preparation journey!
