Students’ Speak: Tips to ace GATE 2020

By: Payal Jajodia

Aspirants preparing for GATE should analyse and create a strategy that helps them cover technical and non-technical subjects properly.

Graduate Aptitude Test Engineering (GATE) is a dream gateway for many engineering aspirants to get into top colleges in the country. Standing among one of the most difficult and toughest exams of engineering, GATE is jointly conducted by Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and along with the seven Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs). Moreover, it also can land an aspirant a job with public sector undertakings, including ONGC, BHEL, SAIL, CIL, etc. Many students appearing for GATE are always in a state of confusion about the preparation strategy and about the topics, study material and about how to get a good score in the exam. Here are some strategies to be followed.

Must-have tips

Before appearing for the exam carefully observe each and every subject along with the topic as there are many subjects included in the GATE. Talking about Computer Science Engineering branch, the strategy should be such that it covers the technical subjects as well as non-technical subjects properly.

• Analyse the subject: First of all list all the subjects of the exam for CSE Branch. Then divide the syllabus into small parts so that it helps you to prioritize the important subjects and accordingly you can prepare for the same.
• Preparation: Start the preparation for the exam from your fifth semester i.e. from third year onwards as the exam is mostly conducted during the eights Enrol yourself in a reputed coaching centre and try working hard for each and every subject of the exam. Spend your time wisely and always try to make your basics clear.
• Prepare a schedule: Make a well-planned schedule for the hours you have to invest for the GATE preparation. Make a habit of marking in a calendar the daily hours you spent with a green marker for that date. If by chance you missed or are unable to study for the scheduled hours for a particular date mark it with a red marker. This will help you a lot.
• Make notes: Make it a habit to make notes when you are studying either in a coaching institute or when you are self-studying. This provides you with a lot of help at the time of revision and you can refer them any time and also saves your time.
• Scoring subjects: Focus more on Mathematics and Aptitude as well as go for digital Logic and operating system, programming and data structure, algorithms, computer networks are some of the scoring topics that can boost your GATE score.
• Prepare periodically: Do practice the previous year GATE papers, take the subject wise tests and also go for mock tests. Before attempting for GATE exam solving the mock papers boost your confidence and prepare you mentally for the exam.
• Prepare last-minute notes: Before the week or during the peak time avoid starting any new topic. Just make LMNs i.e. Last Minutes Notes so that you can recall all the important notes revise the topics easily and quickly.
• Chapters for GATE exam: Mathematics, Digital Logic, Aptitude, Computer Organization and Architecture, Data Structure, algorithms, Operating systems, Computer Networks, DBMS are some of the most important and scoring topics for the GATE Exam for CSE Branch.

If a student follows a proper study strategy constantly, they can crack the exam with a good score. Here are some suggestions for the revision approach or the study plan for the exam preparation.

• The student should first analyse the syllabus properly and fragment them into small parts so that you can easily assess them based on its priority. Choose the correct study material for the study purpose which you can find on the official website of the GATE. For a revision, approach make a proper schedule for the topics that you have to cover within a day and mark the same in the calendar on a daily basis.
• One has to invest an ample amount of time if preparing through any coaching institute or if self-studying. Divide the syllabus accordingly and try to prepare for them within a time limit i.e. within a week or within a month.
• For revision, you can follow a simple schedule. Just make short notes or last-minute notes and revise them every morning for at least two hours before a month of GATE exam. Revision should be such that you complete the whole syllabus on time.
• Practice numerical regularly. Go for mock tests or the sample test and compare your performance. Have a speedy calculation. For Mathematics and Aptitude do memorize the short tricks so that you could solve the problem quickly.
• Identify the mistakes that you did, analyse them and try to improve the weak areas. Keeping a handbook of the formulae with you helps in having a quick look at the formulae.

Get the right study material

Students who are appearing for GATE exam are mostly unaware of the correct study material or the best books that can provide ample of knowledge and information. Either they have not searched for books or any other online study materials. One should learn how to study for GATE from correct study materials from where they can get the relevant contents and how can get a good score in the exam.

• For scoring a good score, students must have the syllabus of the GATE exam i.e. for the CSE Branch. Many of the IITs and IISc provides you with a list of the GATE CSE study material along with the websites for e-books.
• Also one should be in touch with the students who recently appeared for the GATE as they can suggest the best study material.
• There are YouTube channels providing the study material for the GATE. There is a website i.e. The GATE Academy which provides with a correspondence course along with the video lectures, correct books, and study materials.
• Some of the books for the GATE CSE are Abraham Silberschatz for Operating System, Morris Mano for Computer Organization and Architecture, Tanenbaum for Computer Networks, R.D. Sharma for Mathematics and Aptitude.
• Also, solve previous years’ papers to boost up your confidence level and prepare well for the actual exam. Besides solving the Mock Test papers also helps the GATE aspirants with providing the study material so as to improve the speed. Also, the coaching institutes provide students with the updated and well-equipped syllabus and the sample test papers. Those who are preparing themselves for the GATE needs to make the correct choice of study material by visiting various online sites for GATE or by inquiring the same by the students who have passed it.

About the Author:

Payal Jajodia is a student at Poornima University studying Bachelor in Technology with a specialisation in Computer Science Engineering.