Engineering Entrance Exam

From what I've seen, Kongu Engineering College's TNEA cutoff for CSE, IT, and ECE usually stays above 180–190, so with 175 it's tough for those. But you can still get branches like Mechanical, Civil or EEE. The fees come to around INR 55 K – INR 60 k per year, and hostel charges are extra.

In the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE), Paper 1 is common for all aspirants, comprising general aptitude and engineering mathematics. On the other hand, Paper 2 is subject-specific, allowing candidates to choose a paper from their core engineering discipline. 

Overall, Paper 1 tests broader skills applicable to the engineering fields, while Paper 2 focuses on the candidate's chosen branch. 

Yes, final year candidates can apply for GATE (even if their results are not declared). Candidates must mention complete and correct details regarding their educational qualifications while filling out the application form. 

NOTE: Your final results are not required at the time of filling out the application form. Candidates must provide only the documents prescribed by the GATE authorities. 

However, make sure to keep a provisional certificate or a certificate from your Head of Department confirming your current enrollment, as it will be required at the time of admission or PSU recruitment. 

The "session expired" error usually occurs if the page remains idle for too long or if you keep clicking the back button. Ensure that you complete each and every section of the form in 15 to 20 minutes and avoid multitasking during the process. If the issue continues, clear the browser cache, refresh the page and log in to the page using a different browser. 

If you've made the payment and didn't get a confirmation, do not make a fresh transaction immediately. Wait for at least 24 to 48 hours, and the status can be checked once you log in again. If the status is not displayed on the dashboard, then check your bank statement and take a screenshot or download the receipt. After that, write an email or contact the GATE helpdesk mentioning complete details, including your GATE application ID. 

The fee for two papers in GATE is INR 3000 for the general and OBC categories. Candidates can make the payment using any of the following payment modes -

• Netbanking
• Credit card
• Debit card
• UPI

With 95.5% in IPE and 90 percentile in JEE Mains, your combined score is strong enough for SASTRA's ECE cutoff in recent years.

Past admissions show students with slightly lower marks have still got ECE.

You're not guaranteed, but chances are high if you apply in both streams.