Useful preparation tips for GATE

By: Rutika Kalidas Jadhav 

Understand the syllabus, make short notes, practise mock tests and manage time properly during the preparation for competitive exams.

Time Management

Time Management is very important while preparing for the GATE exam. GATE aspirants must utilise each second effectively. The students need to ensure proper time management for covering the syllabus, practising sample papers and mock tests, and revising the topics.

Keep Your Concepts Strong

The students should understand the basic concepts to secure high marks in the exam.  The easiest way to get clarity on the concepts is to prepare short notes of important topics and write formulae and concepts on a separate notebook. This would help in revising the concepts more easily.

Practise Mock Tests

Practising mock tests are important for every entrance exam. After completing the syllabus, the students should practise mock tests daily to identify their weak areas and work on them. Mock tests are somehow similar to the final exam. Hence, one should prepare for the same accordingly. Benefits of the mock test:

• It would increase a candidate’s problem-solving efficiency
• Mock test would reduce the chances of error
• Writing mock tests would give candidates an idea about the type of questions and the pattern of the exam

Go through the syllabus first

Another important step that candidates must do is to know the GATE syllabus and the topics with high weightage in the exam. The syllabus of GATE examination is vast, therefore, the students need to devise a plan to cover all the topics. To get good marks, the first focus of students should be on topics with higher weightage.

Last-minute preparation tips

Revise the topics regularly: After completing a topic, the students should revise the same to ensure better understanding. Also, the students should avoid starting a new topic before the exam.

Practise previous years question papers: Practising previous years question papers regularly is crucial in achieving a high score in the exam. Practise as many previous years question papers as possible and analyse the same. This would help in identifying your strengths and weaknesses of each topic and would also give time to work on them. Also, the students should mark the questions or the topics that are frequently asked in the exams.

Formulae and Notes: The students should not solely depend on many resources for preparing a particular topic, as reading from multiple sources might confuse. Refer to the handwritten notes and highlight important formulae. Read the important formulas daily to have them on the tips.

Maintain a healthy lifestyle: The students must eat healthy and stay fit during the preparation process. Most of the candidates skip their meals and do not sleep properly to cover the syllabus, which might result in poor concentration level. Hence, the students must sleep for at least seven to eight hours in a day and eat food high in nutrients during the exam.

About the Author:

Rutika Kalidas Jadhav is pursuing BE in Information Technology from SKN Sinhgad Institute of Technology and Science. She loves drawing and painting.