By: Kandarp Patel
Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) is one of the most important exams for engineering students. This exam is considered as the most important because of the scope and benefits it offers, such as obtaining jobs in PSUs (Public Sector Undertakings), obtaining admission in M.Tech programmes in top engineering institutes like IITs, IISC, NITs, etc.
This exam is conducted by different IITs which tests a student’s abilities in the core subjects of his/her field, including the engineering mathematics and verbal ability. It is conducted every year in February.
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The first basic thing required for scoring well is to have a clear goal and a specific purpose for giving the exam. This will keep you motivated throughout the exam’s preparation.
Overall strategy in general
In order to excel in the exam, lay utmost importance on practicing more and more questions from your strong areas/topics. Do not waste too much of your time on new concepts and the topics in which you are weak. Make sure that you revise your strong topics accurately, i.e. to the point of fluency and thoroughness. Keep a track of proper time management while solving the mock test papers. Try analyzing the exam pattern in a detailed manner while going through them. Do not forget to solve the previous year’s question papers (last 5-7 years) and while attempting them, make a handy book of each and every important formula for the last minute revision. By solving more and more mock test papers you won’t get confused at any instance while attempting the real question paper. Most importantly, try to attempt all the NAT (Numerical Answer Type) questions during the exam because there is no negative marking for them.
Finally, you could allocate your daily study hours according to the given schedule:
- Branch Specific Topics: 5-6 hours
- General Aptitude: 1 hour
3. Engineering mathematics: 1-2 hours
About the Author:
Kandarp Patel is a student at Nirma University, Ahemdabad, pursuing Bachelor of Technology in Mechanical Engineering (final year). He is also a campus representative with Shiksha.com since 2016.
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Student Forum
Answered 4 days ago
MANIT M.Tech fellowship is paid every month based on your attendance. You need to fill out a simple form and get it signed by your teacher. This shows you attended your classes and did your lab assistant work. Once the department confirms this, the money goes straight to your bank account.
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Contributor-Level 9
Answered 4 days ago
MANIT M.Tech application starts by qualifying the GATE. Next, you register on the CCMT portal during the month of May. You will fill in your personal details and upload your scorecard. Then, you must list your preferred branches at MANIT in order. If you are allotted a seat, pay the fee and verify y
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Contributor-Level 9
Answered a week ago
This year, 10,11,719 candidates registered for Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering, and 797434 candidates appeared for the GATE. The number of qualified students list will be available once statistical report is released.
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Contributor-Level 7
Answered a week ago
Yes, COAP is only for M.Tech and PhD admissions at IITs and IISc Bangalore. The portal also updates job offers for some PSUs. Overall, around 23+ IITs participate in GATE COAP counselling every year.
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Contributor-Level 7
Answered a week ago
With a GATE EC 2026 score of 609 and EWS category rank, you are well within the cutoff range for M.Tech in VLSI/Microelectronics at several IITs (like IIT Guwahati, IIT Hyderabad, IIT Roorkee) and top NITs (like NIT Trichy, NIT Warangal, NIT Calicut). Your score is strong enough to target premier in
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Contributor-Level 10
Answered a week ago
Yes, you can join NIT Puducherry without GATE, but only through specific alternative admission channels such as the Self-Support M.Tech program, Sponsored/QIP (Quality Improvement Program), or DASA (Direct Admission of Students Abroad). Regular M.Tech seats are primarily filled via GATE and CCMT cou
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Contributor-Level 10
Answered a week ago
The GATE exam is conducted in the month of February. Registrations can be done on respective website. The application forms are generally out in last week of August. The application fee is INR 1,000 (female/SC/ST/PWD) and INR 2,000 (Male/General/OBC/EWS). Students have to register separately on univ
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Answered 2 weeks ago
No, Indian students don't need JEE, NEET, or GATE exam score to get a seat at Imperial College. However, programs like MBBS (UCAT), MBA (GMAT), and some STEM programs (ESAT, TMUA, GRE) do ask for additional test scores.
Make sure to check entry requirements for desired course before applying at Impe
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Answered 2 weeks ago
Yes, you can get admission in M.Tech without GATE exam at MIT College of Management and Computer Application. In that case, you can appear for PERA CET or MIT-WPU CET exam and get a valid score for admission.
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Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 weeks ago
| Target Performance | Desired Score | Approx. Questions to Attempt | Reasoning |
| Top IITs / PSUs | 70 - 85+ | 55 - 60 Questions | High attempts with near-perfect accuracy are required to compete for the top 500 ranks. |
| Old IITs / Top NITs | 55 - 70 | 45 - 52 Questions | A safe zone where you focus on high-weightage topics and core subjects. |
| Qualification / New NITs | 30 - 45 | 35 - 40 Questions | Focus on General Aptitude, Mathematics, and your the strongest 3–4 technical subjects. |
S
Contributor-Level 10
