Students’ Speak: Things to remember when preparing for GATE exam
Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering 2026 ( GATE )
GATE 2026 Scorecard (free download)
27 Mar '26 - 31 May '26
By: Yash Singhal
Tips & topics that would help you ace Information Technology part of GATE.
Engineering students, who are planning to study post-graduation to enhance their skills and fetch a better pay package, study and aim to ace Graduate Aptitude Test for Engineering (GATE). So, what are the things that one should keep in mind while preparing for the GATE exam?
First, keep aside all the negativities of the society. Begin with looking up the syllabus and blueprint of the paper and keenly notice what are the main topics that weigh more in the exam.
Study all the topics and clear your concepts of all the chapters that were taught in your graduation. Most of the topics that weigh more in the exam are:
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- Digital Logic
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Second, look for the books that you understand the best. Almost all the books and the study material that the coaching institutes provide have similar questions but the only difference is in the explanation. So opt for the one you understand the best.
Third, when you are done with the all the preparation, keep six months aside before your actual exam date and in these six months, do mock tests and analyse all the weak topics and devote more and more time until your foundation is strong.
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In the last days, before the date of exam, keep a track on your speed and try to increase it, so that you will get enough time to be in the flow during the GATE exam. Through this, you will be able to build up confidence in your preparation and the speed as well.
Fill up all the gaps in these 30 days and just before the week from the date of the exam, look up the previous five years’ papers and solve it thoroughly.
This way you will get a clear idea about the pattern of the exam and also the type of question they ask and make up your mind.
About the Author:
Yash Singhal is a student of NIET, Aurangabad pursuing his BTech in ESE. Singhal writes articles as a mentor and has been in the field of guiding and counselling students to get into the right stream by smart work instead of hard work.
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Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered 3 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 3 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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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. |
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Contributor-Level 10