GATE 2018 Topper Interview: Sashidhar Kasimsetty AIR 13 Instrumentation Engineering

Sashidhar Kasimsetty secured an All India Rank 13 in GATE 2018 exam, the results for which were declared in March. He has been working for Infosys since 4 years and has pursued his BTech in Electronics & Instrumentation from Amrita University , Coimbatore. 

GATE 2018 was Sashishar’s 4^th attempt at the exam. According to him, the first two times he attempted the exam without any preparation. He appeared for the exam in 2017 and this year after some serious preparation and strategy.

In an interview with Shiksha, Sashidhar Kasimsetty shares tips for students for future GATE aspirants appearing for the stream he opted for – Instrumentation Engineering. Read the full interview below.

I felt very happy and blessed as my parents were really happy about my achievement.

Yes. I took coaching but for GATE 2017. I took classes from ACE Academy, Hyderabad.

Classes do help a lot as the faculty gives basic understanding of the concepts. Because of this, the foundation is laid strongly and that according to me is the most crucial part in learning & understanding the basics well. Also, coaching classes help us learn topics which need focus. The faculty will teach only what is required for GATE exam, thereby saving time.

I would say coaching classes make the journey easier and smoother. Because we tend to waste time on few topics which may not come in the exam at all. On the other hand coaching will be totally exam oriented and helps save lot of time.

Like I said, I attended for coaching classes during 2017. This year, I took 2 months leave and focused completely on preparation. First I prepared topic-wise concepts from my class notes for each subject, and after each topic I tried to solve problems related to that topic.

Later, I moved on to the next topic and continued the same. I took topic wise mock tests. After a subject was over,  I took few mock tests on the whole subject. This is the way, I covered each subject.

I followed the exam pattern as it is. First attempt the General Aptitude section and complete it in first 15 minutes. Next, the 1 mark questions which should be completed in next 45 minutes.

Later, go for the 2 mark questions which would take around 1 hour 15 minutes.  (One could try to finish off even faster by marking lengthy questions for later). Last 1 hour is the most important where you should spend time in solving reviewed questions, rechecking the answers for already solved and reviewed questions. This is compulsory because I committed few mistakes in 1st attempt and corrected it while reviewing. 

My strength was that I had a good understanding of concepts and I was feeling confident after lot of practice. Hence, the more you practice the more confident you feel. After all, confidence is the key.

Weakness was committing silly mistakes while writing the exam. This hurts a lot as I had to wait another year to correct my mistakes. To avoid it please practice mock tests. 

My stream was IN. According to me, students appearing for GATE next year should follow the following:

• Must cover subjects: Mathematics, Signals, Networks and Controls as all of these are scoring.
• After that choose any 3 out of remaining 5 subjects. For remaining 2 subjects practicing model problems by referring either previous papers or by analyzing mock test problems. This would do.
• I studied Analog, Digital and Transducers . I covered Optical Instrumentation as well. In Communications, I studied only important topics and formulae. In Measurements, I studied just by analyzing the solutions to problems given in mock tests. 

Second and most important part of preparation after getting thorough with the basics is exam oriented preparation which can only be done by taking mock tests. Just solving previous papers would do, but with mock tests one can also learn time management.   

To be honest, I referred to only class notes that I prepared while attending classes. I didn't refer to any textbook.

Most of the part in UG exams is theoretical but GATE is totally conceptual and problem oriented. Having strong basic knowledge is the trait required for GATE.

My plan is to do MTech in Micro Electronics from one of the IITs. 

• Have a clear idea about how much marks and rank you are aiming for and prepare a strategy accordingly.
• Always read a question twice and understand the essence of the question completely.
• Be extra cautious while attempting MCQs. When in doubt, not attempting is even acceptable but don't end up giving wrong option and getting negative marks.
• Use virtual calculator from day 1. Install the app in your phones and use only that.
• To get acquainted with the exam attempt as many mock tests as you can. 
• Lastly, feeling 100 % confident during exam is most important. So keep aside all the fears on that day. Treat the exam as an opportunity instead as a threat.  

I have been working for Infosys since 4 years. 2 years back I developed interest for GATE exam and this year I finally achieved it. My hobbies include Gymming, singing songs and watching movies. 

My native place is Hindupur, Anantapur district, Andhra Pradesh. My mother is a house wife and my father is a Govt Doctor.

GATE 2019 exam dates have been announced and the exam is all set to be conducted online on February 2, 3, 9 and 10, 2019. IIT Madras is the conducting body of the exam next year.

GATE 2019 application forms will be available online from September 1 and the last date to apply for the exam is September 21, 2018. Candidates who miss applying during these dates can apply till October 1, 2018 on payment of a late fee of Rs 500 (USD 20 for candidates from centres abroad). Check GATE 2019 important dates!

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