Crack GATE (My strategy)- Article

#HOW_I_DID_IT

The stats are for ECE branch , can vary in the following years and according to your branch.

Make a plan to execute these steps according to your priorities, your college routines, your ambitions and the time you have.

Tip 1 : Use GATE CALCULATOR app on your mobiles for every calculation the day you start studying for the exam. This will make you familiar with the virtual calculator to be used in the exam.

Tip 2 : Don’t leave anything like projects, internships/trainings or research papers for this exam. You can manage everything if you have the skill.

But

You should leave wasting time on phone watching videos, comparing yourself with anyone else (preparing or not), going to parties, unnecessary farewells, birthdays, society meets, fests and placement process (If you don’t belong to tier 1 college and seriously want to crack GATE).

I did it, you can too.

Tip 3 : Never think I will drop a year or two , if I couldn’t crack GATE.

" THEN YOU WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO CRACK IN A SINGLE ATTEMPT". 

Step 1 : Set your target 

Be practical. Don’t fool yourself.

Everyone knows after giving the IIT JEE and other exams , and few years in undergraduate that where they stand, how strong are their concepts, how much they can work and intake, and their capabilities, according to that: 

Decide what you want to achieve after giving GATE, know how much marks are required to accomplish that. 

1. If you want to join a PSU you have to score above 70 marks.
2. If you want to do MTECH you can score max 50 marks.

So find your motivation and keep your goal clear.

The decision may also vary as you go through the process of preparation. So don’t be upset.

Preparation strategy is the same but the goal will set how much hardwork is required.

I chose to go for PSU first when I started in 5th sem, but as 3rd year of BTECH ended, I chose MTECH, score a decent marks to get admission in a good Tier-1 college because firstly I knew my capabilities and also, I wanted to improve my knowledge in my stream and not go into the 9-5 job straightaway. I was quite good with core subjects, not very clear but still chose this. 

Doing a post grad right after your undergrad gives you confidence, and prepare you for the future . After you start doing job, you won’t get back to studies at all, and if it is, atleast becomes very difficult. Also, we see so many people with a BTECH degree but if you want a good reputation and a stable future with qualifications that can be helpful in the long run, go for post graduation straightaway.

Step 2 : The real truth

Do not think of going into a coaching centre. That will just be a waste of time and money. Moreover, you will be demoralised either in the start of the preparation or at the end. 

Prepare yourself for self study and then try once, you will see yourself the change in your thinking, knowledge. Success will definitely be yours.

Without coaching, and even continuing a job /undergraduation you can crack GATE.

It is through my personal experiences, be it 2 years, 4 years or a crash course. No need of coaching. Joining the best coaching classes of Delhi in class 11th and 12th, and following so many seniors , friends, relatives, and neighbours - I came to a conclusion that only 1% of all the students who are really brilliant from the start, and the teachers need not teach them much and studying in those money-making businesses get a future worth the money the parents pay. 

This is same for all the coaching institutes. 

Hence a home tutor will be a far better choice for studying a particular subject to crack any competitive exam and that also, only if you feel the need..

1.The money spent will be equal as mostly everyone charges per hour but the results will be far much better. And you won’t regret later.

2. Search for a good home tutor for taking classes regularly and doubt classes too, this will help you maintain a plan which most people join these centres for. 

3. This will solve all queries in lesser time and moreover the teacher will focus on you only.

4. Time saving - teacher will come to your home to teach at a time suitable to you. 

Step 3 : Know what to study 

Print out the updated syllabus of GATE according to your branch.

Some people might change their streams for giving the exam so that they can do specialisation in the subject according to their interest. You can do that too, but before that, make sure you have a clear idea about what are you going to do in the future. 

After knowing the syllabus, you will know what is the exact amount of subjects and topics you have to study. 

Mark what you already know/ have learnt, this will give you motivation as well as a perfect view of the content to cover in future. 

( If you have minimum 2 years before you appear in the exam ) :

Start doing NPTEL lectures. This is the best source one can refer if they are/ or not from IIT’s. 

Start from the easiest subject you think in which you have the best understanding. Make notes of each series of lecture. 

If you are not able to understand 70% of it, it is completely fine. Because most of us do not study in the bachelors like this, and even don’t feel the need to go beyond the semester syllabus.

I started with the signals and systems in the 5th semester and was demoralised in the start, but it is all worth it. After completing electronic devices and circuits, digital electronics, control systems ; I knew what to do next. Do at least 4 of all the subjects (mostly 10 are the total in number).

Whatever you study never goes in vain, sooner or later you will realize and remember that 1 point these teachers telling you. Moreover you will get used to watching lectures, doing self study, staying at one place for more than an hour and mistakes you used to commit, also, how much deeper are the subjects and you need to study a lot more.

You will get to know that which subject you like, you have an interest in, what are the type of questions. A basic understanding to an in-depth study which you didn’t do before, will be happening during this.

Step 4 : Take help of those hyped coaching centres

Go to the website of MADE EASY coaching centre for GATE/PSU/ESE and either order online or go to the nearest branch to get the handwritten notes that all the subjects toppers make who go there for the coaching of GATE exam. Collect all the notes, will range from Rs. 2000-4000/- 

I got from KALU SARAI , PRAKASH BOOK DEPOT for around 2500 RS.

Don’t settle for PDFs , they will not benefit you. 

Buy these 2 books:

1. Previous 33 years solved MCQ book chapter wise for all subjects with aptitude of your particular branch by GKP publications. From Amazon / Flipkart
2. Mathematics theory , previous year questions and solved examples. Picture attached. Same for all branches.

Step 5 : Get started

Start with mathematics, give at least 1 month for this as this will be the base for other subjects also.

I devoted a whole semester in this. But the bad luck was, in my exam the least percentage of asked questions was from mathematics. So be prepared for anything. You have to just move on. 

Read one by one all the subjects according to 

1. Weightage of the subject in the exam
2. Your interest and understanding

Make short notes of the handwritten notes you are studying, with the NPTEL lectures watched + the questions attempted from the previous year book . 

You can refer to the standard books in case you are stuck or feel the need to. But mostly these sources are enough if carefully studied. 

Though we will have to make more shorter notes in the preparation time, make them as short as possible, one liners by which you can understand easily (on A4 size sheets).

Clip them all for easy access later on. Do collect every study material neatly , keep books and notes non-scribbled and do everything roughly in separate copies. You will see the advantage later on. 

Try doing at least 5-6 most important subjects of all, so that ensures passing the qualifying marks of the exam. This step will take most of the time you have.

I covered the subjects: Maths, Aptitude, EDC, CS, Digital : perfectly

And : SnS, Analog, Networks : Basic understanding

Totally left: Communication and EMFT

Step 6: Aptitude and revision

Collect the doubts , unsolved questions and do try these whenever you are free and want to do something different for the time being. 

Now, whenever you feel like not starting a subject or not even revising, do the aptitude/ English part of the 1st book . 

This will strengthen your IQ and also, 15 marks of the total 100 marks in exam consists of aptitude, so we should focus on that. To achieve the qualifying marks of 25, you can easily score 15 by this basic exercise . 

Make notes of aptitude previous yr. questions also. 

After doing all this, you need to do revision for a month from all the short notes you have made and make another short notes package that will help you for revision before the main exam in the morning. Go through the questions as well as A4 size sheet notes to fully cover everything.

Step 7 : Test series in the last month: THE MOST IMPORTANT STEP

All of us will still be in a confusion that we are not able to remember few formulae or there will be questions from previous years that we are not able to solve etc. For this, we must know what are the most important part of the whole syllabus and which can give us a guarantee of the percentage of preparation we have accomplished. 

For this, 

Buy the online test series of any of the 3 main institutes: OR 

If you have still ample time left, just follow this order for more than 1 test series

1.MADEEASY: perfectly up to the standard of GATE exam

2. ACE : almost same

3. GATEFORUM : ask high level and tricky questions but god for practice

I took the test series by made easy only for the price of 800/-

Now make a notepad similar to what you will get in the exam hall for rough work and solving questions. This will help you in practising and feel the same as you had to in the main exam. Fold the A4 size sheet into 2 parts , cut the sheet and staple so as to form a notepad. 

To see how to use a notepad in the exam, see this video which I referred few years ago. 

https://youtu.be/SGVO3hCDLVI 

Now when you have reached to the month of January , start attempting online test series. There will be competitors, online virtual calculator, real time question-answers test. This way you will be able to judge ourselves in the best way. 

Give each test as your final GATE exam because I must tell you,

From my experience, that the average marks you score in this test series is exactly equal to that in the final exam.

In the 1st week, if you are not able to solve questions, its ok.

Just keep your notes in the front, and start solving . This way in the pressure of running time, we are able to see how much we can perform, be it while seeing the notes or books.

Next, you should start doing this without notes, do the same process while scribbling only on the notepad we have made. Soon all your queries will be cleared. The important and repetitive questions, average rank you are getting, questions attempted, left or wrong, strong and weak subjects etc. 

Meanwhile, when you do at least 2 tests 3-3 HOURS at a stretch per day, in between analyse the mistakes, revise continuously the notes, correct and recorrect them.

Do plan how you are going to go in the 3-hour duration, which part first which later by attempting various tests and come up with a perfect strategy in the last week according to what you feel like.

Step 8 : Before the day of exam

 On the 2nd last day of exam , do just 1 paper and and just leave. 

The last day before the exam, just rest and spend time with your parents, your well wishers , just stay positive, they will motivate you .Think that the best will happen 

On the day of exam, just revise after waking up .

People solve questions 15 minutes before the start of exam and I assure you that this will not work. 

Go to the exam hall without any notes 1 hour before, after praying and well fed. Do not stress. 

YOU WILL ROCK IT. ALL THE BEST FOR YOUR FUTURE TO ANYONE READING THIS!!!

Take a look at my whole journey of BTech ; on my profile

https://www.dhirubhai.net/ms-ashigupta

Share this with your friends and all GATE aspirants you know.

For any doubts or queries, or other related information about things I mentioned, message me on my profile here at linked in.