Wake-up. Relax and prepare yourself for the next day.

• Have a good breakfast.
• Watch a good movie like ‘The pursuit of happyness’ or do whatever that makes you happy.
• Have your lunch. Don't eat something heavy because that might affect your digestive system for a day or two.
• Arrange your clothes that you are going to wear next day.
• Make a playlist filled with songs that boosts you up. Listen to them on your way to the centre.
• If you feel like you want to study then just go through your formulae copy once. Revise those tricks, short notes and mistakes you committed during your preparations.
• Don't appear for any test one day before GATE. Because if by any means you score less in that test you are mentally going to be a hell lot down.
• Try to sleep on time. A lot of things might go through your mind that day and that won't allow you to sleep. So try to avoid such thoughts.
• Be positive.
• Have a good 8–9 hours of sleep so that you can appear for exam with a fresh mind.

All the best.

First of all preparing aptitude and mathematics is most important, more important than any of the technical subjects. Because the weightage of aptitude and mathematics is decided that is 15 and 15 each together having 30 marks and that is for sure. So neglecting the aptitude and mathematics is a grave mistake.

Each marks scored in gate is equally important and GATE doesn't discriminate wether it has come from aptitude of technical. So you should also give due importance to aptitude.

If you see toppers they mostly score 13–15 marks in aptitude section and if they lose marks here they will be in thousands.

Aptitude contains three different section though the GATE does not says that.

1. English
2. Numerical aptitude
3. Logical reasoning

All the three should be prepared,

In English you can prepare the grammar questions which you know will come for sure. Vocab questions is out of your reach unless you have good English or good luck on day of examination.

Preparing the numerical and data interpretation question is more important as it will definitely fetch you 4–5 marks. So solve all previous year and some good institute (GATE not ssc or CAT) book.

logical reasoning is more important and most of the time its the one which get incorrect by silly mistakes. So prepare it more thoroughly same as above.

If you feel that you have good command over aptitude, give a test from your test series and you will know your level. If you score good then thumbs up and if you score low then start taking it seriously.

Remember marks are marks no matter from where it comes.

Good luck

Originally written for What is the best way to study for GATE so as to get a good rank to get into IISc?

First thing, Are you serious about it? Do you really want to make it? Is that the only thing in your life you look forward to? or are you at least capable of convincing yourself so?
ONLY If your answer so far is yes,continue reading.

1) PLAN: Stop thinking,Stop Internet searching,stop seeking advice.
Lock yourself in a room. Take a pen,paper,calender,and a copy of your GATE Syllabus.
Count how many weeks you have before exam. Not months, not days, Count WEEKS. Subtract 4 from that.
Now count number of subjects, excluding gen. aptitude.
Now count Number of weeks per subject.
(There will always be more important,less important,stronger and weaker subject, but it's better not to consider all that initially. you'll have much better insights later once you are thoroughly into studies. So for the time being, divide time equally).
Now divide each subject into chapters/sections, count number of chapters and see for yourself if the number of weeks allotted to that subject are going to suffice. Plan accordingly and allot chapters to each week.
You can switch subjects every week, to keep mind fresh or sometimes continue same subject for 2 weeks for a lengthy topic. And aptitude can be solved on a daily basis so as not to make your everyday study monotonous.

The moment you've done this, a realization will start creeping that NOW is the time, your countdown has already begun. If that gives you goosebumps, you stand a good chance making it.

2) Open flipkart. Search for 'previous year's GATE XXX question papers'. Search for the book that has at least last 10-15 years' papers. Don't waste your time reading reviews and searching for the best book. There isn't any.

3) From day 1, start solving papers. They're going to look scary. Accept it. Don't actually sit and work out every question initially, just mark every question with the name of the chapter it belongs to. Believe me it's a fun game. Keep doing it light heartedly to break your heavy study sessions and see how enormously it helps you in later days.

4) Refer books which are absolute bibles on that subject. This is a secret,trust me on this. It's a game of building your concepts,and there are no shortcuts. It will take time, but just once. Try this for yourself. Read a chapter from an ordinary textbook, and then read it from a book where it's really thoroughly and nicely explained. The kind of inner peace and confidence it'll give you is uncomparable. For a book which scares you for its size, remember that you can always omit chapters/subtopics which are not in the syllabus. And next time onwards, while seeking advice, re-frame your question from 'how to prepare?' to 'which are the really good books to refer to?'

5)Initially, don't try to remember anything. Just pick a topic and read everything about it. And MAKE NOTES, about 1/3 rd in size of what you read. Again, this is a secret. Your notes are going to work like some secret gear in final stages of preparation that will take you ahead of others and help you win the race.

6) Apart from your absolute essential daily activities like eating,sleeping etc, Abandon absolutely everything that consumes your time for more than 10 minutes. In extreme scenarios/ do or die situations, make it 13.

7)To satisfy your cravings for internet and other entertainments, join good forums,good meaning those where you're likely to seek help for your difficulties and are likely to get a feedback. Also,allow yourself some time to go through some inspiring and motivational articles/videos/songs etc. You have to keep yourself motivated and devise your own ways of doing it. Be absolutely stupid here and make it filmy. Yes that's what it is, Make it filmy. Read great motivational quotes like this one. Listen to inspirational songs- try this,this and this. Watch silly videos demonstrating How to study effectively. Read about the same. e.g this. It's just about building up the right kind of environment for your mind to realize that what you want it to work on is very very important and great so that it stays focused. So sort of keep cheating it with this and that. (Again not more than 10 min. at a time).

Once again, all this applies only if you are tooo serious. To the extent of a climax scene bollywood hero chasing heroin's murderer in the second birth. Otherwise there are too many interesting tasks awaiting you. Enjoy yourself!

(For all those to whom this answer seems too detailed,obvious,cliched,I knew it already,silly,NA; thanks for reading! My IISc life starts this August and I genuinely wanted to help. That's it.)

The most important three tips that I would recommend to the students preparing for GATE examination is:

1. Learn to dominate: You can’t win a race if you do not dominate. You’ll hardly find any successful person who didn’t had the habit of dominating at what they do.

No matter how far you get ahead of me, I’m gonna catch you. That’s my mentality that I go there with. ~ Usain Bolt

I’ll fight anybody my trainer puts me in with because I’m confident I can beat any fighter in the world. If anybody can see I’m almost a master at evading punches coming at me. ~ Mike Tyson

If you even dream of beating me you'd better wake up and apologize. ~Mohammad Ali

You don’t let people deter you. That’s how you do it. ~ Mark Zuckerberg

If you’re not serious about training, conditioning, and practice. You’re not serious about being your best. ~Michael Phelps

You can see the domination that they had to achieve there goal. So dominate at whatever you are doing, that is the only way to succeed.

2. Keep your cool: Preparing for GATE is a long and tiring process. There will certainly be times you’ll feel agitation, self-doubt and demotivation. Understand that it is quite okay and normal to feel like that but never loose your calm and surrender to these feelings. Always remember why you started?

Remember nobody ever reached the top by giving up in midway as the climb was too steep. Everybody reaches the top by overcoming hurdles (a lot of hurdles).

When I feel tired, I just think about how great I will feel once I finally reach my goal. ~ Michael Phelps

3. Never ignore your health: It is important to have a healthy body and a healthy mind if you are aiming to achieve something. So in the process of preparation never ignore your health. Your health is of a prime concern if you are preparing for GATE. So never forget to take a break and exercise a little, go for a walk, eat healthy.

Hope this would help

Knowledge GATE

Okay, keep apart of Gate preparation for a while now.

Let us know what are your top priorities in your day of life?

Ask yourself what is your daily routine, I mean as you mentioned 8am to 5pm college, what you are doing in those 8 hours. Please do not mention (tell) that you are studying, we all have gone through that phrase of life and we know what exactly we do in that time. It is not part of our mistake, our great education system is like and we do not have right to condemn that.

Now come to the Gate preparation, you also mentioned that you need a schedule for 8 hours a day for Gate preparation.

To my knowledge, Humans are not logic gates which can produce a high value(1) or a low value(0).But we people are in between them(0 and 1). I mean a probability of getting succeeded in a number of trials.

What I am trying to convince you and also the harsh truth is you won’t sit for that much (8)hours in a day, although you are having the best schedule . I bet you won’t. Of course, you try, u will get exhausted and give up the very next day.

Do you know about Divide and Conquer algorithm, where it splits the problem into half and checks the solution in first half and if not found then it goes to the second half. Oops, I am going out of your context but I will explain you in a better way by this example.

My brother, a weight lifter used to warn me that if I am willing to learn weight lifting, I must warm up daily and present there regularly with out fail( a constant practice in your context). The most important thing is I need to start with less weights(sitting for less hours in your context).

We engineers are best at procrastination.

Do you able to sit for study for an hour in a day?_______

Do you have ability to do the above step for a month?____

If the above process is your top priority in your life then you are mastering it.

It is not about the quantity of work but the Quality.

In precise the answer is, prepare the schedule for you on your own but for a reasonable number of hours. Once you are attaining the stamina, lift more weights(hours).

Don’t get hard on yourself that you need to prepare for more number of hours from starting onward.

To my knowledge, a priority is giving your importance to what to do and what not to.

Hope you understand.

I am concluding the answer by these lines,

If you listen to successful people you will get motivated, but

If you listen to the failures you will understand the scenario.

You can start your preparation by seeing the GATE syllabus on official website. By seeing syllabus, you will about the pattern and types of topics that is been asked in the GATE exam. Make sure that you complete your syllabus from good study material. Here I’m recommending study material over books because books consume more time in comparison to study material. If study material is perfect and contained full GATE syllabus then you should go with study material. I would suggest you to go with Notes4u(.in) study material. Their Material is best and cover full syllabus of GATE. I bought their syllabus when I was preparing for GATE and their notes was one of the major factors that helped me in cracking GATE. After completing syllabus, you have to also revise is thoroughly. The more you revise, the more you will remember. GATE syllabus is very vast and to remember it properly you have to revise.

Don’t forgot to take mock test. Writing mock test is very important for testing your knowledge. It will also help you in finding your mistakes. Mistakes can only be found when you analyse the mocks properly. Hence, Analysing and writing both are equally important. Mistakes shouldn’t be repeat. Make sure you give past year’s papers as a mock test. Past year’s paper will help you in knowing the question that is being asked in GATE. You will get an idea about the weightage of any particular topic.

At the end, you have to study daily with consistency. You have to believe in yourself as well as in your hard work. Keep studying hard. GOOD LUCK!

Join a coaching centre if you are totally clueless.You can for go for weekend classes and use the entire week time to do self study.
By joining coaching centre,you will get the course material,you will start solving problems right from day one.
You will get to know about the books which you can buy as second hand.

If you dont want to spend money on classes,then you must be hard headed ,passionate about doing everything by yourself.Search for GATE question papers.Once you have look at them,you will get idea about what is what.May be it turns you off,may be you think its easy,it can be done.
Then you dont need anyone to tell you how to aproach it,you will yourself figure out what books,how to read,what to read,what not to read,what to pay attention to ,what to ignore.

Start preparing/studying now itself.You can complete every topic,every subject or cover important/required/interested parts.

In a survey, about 68% students said that they got IITs by self preparation and remaining through coaching and test series.

​

You made a point that you have made easy classroom notes which are best for Gate/IES.Mean you have classroom study materials and books, if not then get standard books for more conceps because sometimes books helps more than notes.

Group is needed to understand the concepts and discussion, and you already done this.In alone mode you have extra time and get time for preparation than who enrolled in coaching,they spend 4-6 hours in coaching and make 10 hours for self preparation. You are ahead of them.

The most important thing is that you don't need work hard ,you need to work smarter. You need to study 2 subjects at a time and your time table regularly.

Join the test series in October- November of Made easy and ace both.Complete your whole syllabus by the end of October and rest three months for revision regularly along with test series.

The most important thing is Keep motivated yourself and believe in yourself(you have greatest in you)

Forget about alone aur group ,you have also some advantage in alone.Try to regularly time management for study.

If you follow this no one can stop you to get two digit rank.
Thank you !!

Cracking the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) in one month through self-study can be challenging, but with focused effort, it's possible. Here are some tips:

1. **Understand the Syllabus:**

- Familiarize yourself with the GATE syllabus to know what topics to cover.

2. **Prioritize Topics:**

- Identify your strengths and weaknesses. Prioritize topics based on their weightage in the exam and your proficiency.

3. **Create a Study Plan:**

- Devise a daily study schedule that covers all subjects. Allocate more time to challenging topics.

4. **Use Standard Reference Books:**

- Choose reliable textbooks and study materials. Focus on standard references for in-depth understanding.

5. **Practice Previous Year Papers:**

- Solve previous years' GATE papers to understand the exam pattern and types of questions.

6. **Mock Tests:**

- Take full-length mock tests regularly to improve time management and assess your preparation.

7. **Short Notes:**

- Prepare concise notes for quick revision. Summarize key formulas, concepts, and problem-solving strategies.

8. **Focus on Weak Areas:**

- Give extra attention to your weaker subjects. Strengthen your understanding through problem-solving.

9. **Stay Healthy:**

- Ensure proper sleep, nutrition, and breaks. A healthy mind is more productive.

10. **Revision:**

- Allocate time for regular revision. Focus on reinforcing what you've learned.

11. **Seek Clarification:**

- If you encounter difficulties, don't hesitate to seek help from online forums, peers, or teachers.

12. **Stay Positive:**

- Maintain a positive mindset. Believe in your ability to grasp and apply concepts effectively.

Remember that success in GATE requires consistent effort and a strategic approach. Adjust the intensity of your study plan based on your progress and adapt it as needed. Good luck!

Relax.

You had already prepared for the examination over the last few months. You won’t pull off some extra-ordinary stuff by studying whole day just before examination. You had already put in your efforts, now is the time to deliver. Go through some short notes for revision if you feel so but don’t study too much on the last day.

Apart from study, do something that makes you happy.

Eat well and get a good sleep.

This is somewhat that I did when I was giving Gate Examination. I have seen students studying till the last minute even on the examination day with all sorts of books and notes in their hand. May be it work out for them but not for me. I usually don’t study anything on the examination day. Even on the last day before examination I try to study minimum stuff which I feel is important to revise.

But don’t overthink. Try to remain as calm as possible without worrying much about the examination.

All the Best !!

The best way to study for an exam is to practice under exam conditions.

Let me explain using the story of multiple chess champion Mikhail Botvinnik…

In 1940 Mikhail Botvinnik placed 5th in the USSR championship.

He was disappointed, and attributed his loss to the difficulty of concentrating in a ‘party like atmosphere, filled with noise and tobacco smoke’.

Instead of sitting there and feeling sorry for himself he did something about it.

He practiced.

Not any ordinary practice.

He practiced while getting his opponent to blow smoke in his face.

He practiced with the radio on.

He slept in the practice room with the windows closed.

Next competition was for the Soviet Championship.

Not only did he win, he won convincingly!

He won because he practiced in match conditions and was better prepared than his opponents.

The best way to study for exams inspired by Mikhail Botvinnik would be:

1. Print off a practice exam or practice questions for your subject of choice.
2. Find a quiet spot in the library or study space (I’m assuming you don’t have smoke and noise in your exam room…it’s not 1940).
3. Have your pens, pencils, calculator, and water bottle prepared.
4. Set a timer for the same length as your exam. Then go for it.
5. Complete the practice exam like you are sitting it for real.
6. Review your answers.
7. Repeat.

Practice questions under exam conditions will acclimatize you to the pressure and mental concentration needed for your real exam.

By reviewing your answers after each practice exam you will iteratively improve.

This will result in better answers and higher levels of concentration.

And you will be on your way to becoming a champion of exams.

Footnotes

There is no limit to the number of points I would suggest you for GATE:

1. There is no best coaching for GATE
   What coaching does is they look for the students who can give them ranks, and then focus on them. So when you start dont be discouraged by things like my coaching is best. Your preparation is in your hands, only you can help it.
2. It is a marathon run and you must have Rohit Sharma ODI intent
   
   There is no stopping even after you are at your best phase of preparation

As if 100 was considered a huge score in ODI cricket, this man has made 200 thrice, and is habitual of making bigger hundreds. It is disappointing if he gets out after a hundred, we want more Rohit, sky is the limit.

Initially you will struggle , then you will start conquering. When you start conquering, make sure to take it to next level.

3. You are your own motivator

I might have motivated you in the last point but this motivation comes down with time. You have to keep this fire alive inside you to work hard. Do not fall for seeing motivation videos as a habit on youtube. It will never help. Only your efforts will.
I find cricket as a motivation for me, you have to find yours to stay motivated!!

Thanks for A2A.

You haven't mentioned about the levels of interest you have in the subjects, so I will make certain assumptions.

I am not aware of the conditions in West-Bengal, but lets assume to get into the government college, you require AIR below 1000. This means on average 45-50 marks out of 100.
(NOTE : this assumption is very very delicate, and wholely depends on the level of difficulty of the paper for a given year.)

0.Now, consider any CS/IT paper of last 10 years, Maths+Algorithms+Data-Structures=20+ marks.
15 marks = non-technical questions ( ie English+Aptitude )
This is 35+ marks, which is like war won !! (almost ! )

So for sure, I would suggest you to go for above mentioned subjects and prepare for them rigorously, so that you score atleast 30 out of 35 marks.

1.Next go for subject "Digital Logic" , its very easy and very small. This will fetch you 4-6marks.

2.Now out of the remaining subjects, choose a couple of them according to your interest, that can fetch you another 10 marks.

So prepare very nicely for 6 subjects and for sure you can score 40+.

3.There is a big problem, if you hate Maths. Then to cover for it, you will have to prepare other *atleast* 2 subjects very nicely.

4.Also I don't think that the month of December is waste, even if you have exams, since the subjects are same only. So study nicely even for your college exam, because you know it will help you at GATE too.

5.Lastly, I feel GATE exam or any other exam, is largely a matter of how well one can "concentrate" during the exam. If one is not "fully" into the paper, one will certainly make silly mistakes.
So for next 3 months, try increasing your "concentration" ie quality of study. The no. of hours do not matter.
Give some time for meditation/yoga.

GATE is very easy exam for those who prepare well from the basics. And very tough for those who just study superficially. To crack GATE, most important point to remember is learn concepts well.

Some general tips for GATE preparation:

• Never demotivate yourself. Never.
• Stay focused.
• Some fear is good. It keeps fire alive.
• Have peace of mine.
• Don't worry about your rank my friend. It is not in your hands. Instead you can study more.
• Don't get anxiety about exam or rank or paper or anything.
• Believe and have faith in God.
• Don't spend time unnecessarily on anything. Specially on mobile, multimedia, social network etc.
• Have good sleep, food and rest. Don't become mad by studying 25 hours/day. Your brain had to be active to do well in the exam.
• Have a proper timetable and follow it.

Some technical tips for GATE preparation:

• Try to finish your learning by December. From January, practice more and more.
• Study from some good material and as time permits from a textbook.
• Have a clear aim what you want. Why you are writing GATE exam?
• For PSUs, you need to get below 200 for good ones and below 600 for any other.
• For M. Tech in old IITs, you need to get below 500 and for other IITs, you need to get below 800. For good NITs, you need to get below 1200 and for getting in any NIT, try to get below 3000.
• Don't think of so many hours to study but study atleast 6-7 hours a day during college days and 10-12 hours during holidays.
• Learn concepts well else what you have studied is in vain.
• Practice previous GATE papers and IES objective papers.
• Learn formulas daily
• Apply for test series and start writing tests
• Split your time into four parts during college days:
• Morning study formulas, practice mathematics or aptitude for atleast 2 hours
• In college find 2 hours of time and practice problems of some important subject
• In the evening take a tough subject and study and practice that subject for 2 hours
• In the night study some easy subject for 1:30 hours
• You may also write subjective tests too in the evening
• During holidays, try to write full subject tests and mock tests.
• Focus more on tough subjects during holidays.
• As you prepare, write key points in a book and prepare from them regularly.
• After you write a test series, see where you have gone wrong. Try to study those concepts and rectify the errors. Write those points too in the key points book.
• Try to revise one day after two weeks of study.
• Focus more on important topics and have an idea on the unimportant topics.
• Check where you stand in the tests and try to improve. If marks doesn't come as expected, don't worry but try to improve. If your want to worry, study more rather than crying.
• Have a good technical discussion among your friends who are aiming for GATE. Share your mistakes, key points with them and ask them to share theirs.
• If possible create a WhatsApp group and post some good points in them which you have studied. Ask them to so do the same. If you feel you waste time in them, ignore this step.

Refer these answers for detailed explanation:

• How do I crack the GATE in the last 3-4 months?
• What'll be the best strategy for getting 80 marks in GATE 2018?

Effective Study Methods

1. Active Reading

• Engage with the material actively.
• Take notes, ask questions, and summarize key points.

2. Chunking

• Break down the material into smaller, manageable chunks.
• Focus on one chunk at a time to enhance understanding.

3. Spaced Repetition

• Review material regularly over spaced intervals.
• Helps reinforce learning and improve long-term retention.

4. Practice Testing

• Test yourself on the material through quizzes, flashcards, or practice problems.
• Enhances memory recall and identifies areas for improvement.

5. Teaching Others

• Explain concepts to someone else.
• Teaching reinforces understanding and highlights gaps in knowledge.

6. Visualization

• Create visual aids like diagrams, charts, or mind maps.
• Helps in understanding complex concepts and improving memory retention.

7. Utilizing Mnemonics

• Create mnemonic devices to remember information.
• Associate new material with familiar concepts or memorable phrases.

8. Setting Goals

• Define clear, achievable goals for each study session.
• Helps stay focused and motivated towards learning objectives.

9. Taking Breaks

• Schedule regular breaks during study sessions.
• Allows the brain to rest and maintain focus over longer periods.

10. Healthy Lifestyle

• Prioritize sleep, exercise, and nutrition.
• Affects cognitive function and overall academic performance.

• Do Self Study for GATE daily atleast 3–4 hours or more than that if you can

• Read GATE relevant standard Textbooks only, don't need to read any research level or high level textbooks for GATE (if you want more knowledge other than GATE then it’s your own wish)

• Stick to the GATE syllabus properly, don't need to read any out of syllabus topic

• If you want you can join a coaching to get a competitive environment for preparation

• Don't ever neglect Maths & Aptitude section, properly practice them as they play an important role in lifting your rank

• Practice, practice and practice. Along with study you have to practice enough questions also. Even you can study by writing also, like you have learnt a complicated formula/concept then you can write that in your copy. It'll help you to retain and remember the concepts/formulas for longer time

• Always be confident in your preparation bcoz self confidence is very much important for cracking any competitive exam

"You don't have to know everything, but you should know what everyone knows."

And everyone knows what coaching walas teach. And coaching walas teach based on previously asked questions 'domain'. So if you master in understanding the domain, half the battle has already won.

The Gate exam has 90% of the question based on previously​ asked IES & GATE questions. So if your concepts are clear and you can understand the solution of all previous asked question then only Almighty can stop you from getting in top 100.

I have listed some points to keep in mind and you can smoothly sail through GATE.

1. Prepare avg marks alloted to syllabus ratio for each subjects.

Arrange in descending order. For example for civil engg open channel, aptitude and maths tops the list. In case of maths and apti, marks alloted are huge. Now irrigation has never ending syllabus and is highly imp for practical purposes but the marks alloted is 1-2. ( so doing first chapter will suffice but if you have time then cover what has been asked previously). So keep irrigation at last.

2. Study only those subjects which you are going to revise atleast twice. The ans required in gate are precise and slight deviation in formula or concept with the pseudo confidence that i have red it once can not only not give extra mark but will take some of your portion away. So you have to be pretty sure of ans.

3. Take 2 subjects at a time. One theorotical and one question solving one, or one you dont like much and other which you love. But these subjects should be based on the one of the highest ratio as per point no 1. Change it once you get bored or exhausted.

4. Dont take those subjects first which you think are small and will cover it fast for the sake of saying that you have completed 4 subjects. It is because most of the time these subjects have very less weightage and the first subjects are the one we tend to do more in depth and wide coverage. So take those which need more conceptual clarity and which have good marks weightage. My personal fav are SOM and Geotech for civil.

5. Revise, revise, revise. Hard work has no alternative. Multiple revision for single digit rank.

6. Keep your morning time just to revise formulaes. Concepts dont vanish, formulaes do. :p

7. Try to study for 45 hours a week. 4-5 hours daily during weekdays and stretch as much as you can during weekends. If you don't have any work or college then try to study as much as you can. An extra mile is always less crowded​ and will take you to great heights.

8. Give test. Nothing tests you more than a 'test'. But also keep in mind that marks obtained has no direct % correlation with your actual gate rank. I have seen many including myself who used to get top 50 gate rank in test series but got AIR 918 in actual Gate 16, and used to get sometimes 700 rank in test series but finally got AIR 57 in Gate 17. So focus more on concepts, variety of questions, accuracy, time limit.

9. Sometimes give test just to see your retention capacity. After a month or so just give a test. And then understand where you made mistake. Open your book and read those points and related concepts. This is backward learning and is very helpful. Very few people use this.

10. After one revision, try to do many subjects at once. Remember you have to jump from one subject to other in seconds in actual exam. You have to conglomerate and consolidate all the subjects.

11. Dont hesitate to give full test. And try to give it as early as possible. It will make your brain prepared for multiple attacks from digferent sided. More early you train more stronger you become. I did the mistake of doing a full scale revision first just because I didnt had much confidence of full test. Dont do that. Just give the test but dont take marks seriously. And then do full scale revision.

12. Make yourself disciplined. Motivation is like a push to your vehicle but discipline is fuel. Push will remain for some time but Fuel is what will keep you moving. Once you will be disciplined you will no more require motivation. Trust Me.

To sum it up, TESTS AND REVISIONS are the only two things required to crack GATE.

Its all going to be worth it.

Enjoy learning!!!

Preparing for the GATE exam in a short period can be challenging, but with a focused strategy, it’s definitely achievable.

Here are some effective tips to help you prepare:

Preparation Tips:

1. Understand the Syllabus and Exam Pattern:Familiarize yourself with the GATE syllabus and exam pattern.
2. Create a Study Plan:Divide your remaining time into phases.
3. Focus on Core Subjects:Concentrate on the core subjects.
4. Use Quality Study Materials:Stick to one good book per subject to avoid confusion.
5. Regular Revision:Make short notes for quick revision.
6. Practice Mock Tests:Take as many mock tests as possible.
7. PYQ’S: To score well in the GATE exam, make sure to practice solving previous years’ question papers regularly
8. Study Hours::

• Daily Study Hours: Aim for at least 6-8 hours of focused study each day.
• Weekly Schedule: Allocate specific days for different subjects and stick to your schedule.

I have cracked CAT19, GATE19 and have scored 97% in 10th and 12th grade. Also, I topped my batch in UG B.E. Mechanical Engineering by securing 96.2%. Hope I'm eligible to answer this question.

Acquiring knowledge is a skill and preparing for exam is 30% hardwork, 20% persistence, 30% motivation and 20% strategy. I'll walk you through some basic tips on how to study for an exam and maximize your score.

Step 1: Lacing the boots.

1. Form a strategy! List out the syllabus. Identify key scoring areas. Decide on what to learn and what to skip well in advance.
2. Resource collection. Find the best available books, ebooks, video lectures and online coaching programs available.
3. Take a mock. Download previous year question paper and take a mock before you start preparing. This might sound crazy that I'm asking you to do this at a very early stage. But trust me, this will have a drastic impact on how you prepare. Identify your areas of strength/weakness, familiarize with the exam pattern and the type of questions to expect.
4. Make a schedule: Figure out the quantum of syllabus to learn and the time available, and make a realistic achievable schedule.

Blindly preparing for an exam, skipping any of the four steps would reduce the efficiency of your preparation in the long run.

Step 2. Running the marathon

1. Sticking to your schedule. Dedicate sufficient hours everyday, and cover the syllabus according to your schedule. Slight tweaks in your schedule is fine. But frequent major changes can disrupt your preparation.
2. Mocks every weekend. No matter what exam you are preparing for, mocks are mandatory. Every week take a mock and analyze your score and where you are lagging. Your score would be a sine curve for a few weeks, then a flat line, and then a increasing curve which would show your progress.
3. Motivate yourself. Your preparation might take a hit, scores might take a fall, but keep motivating yourself that one day you would come out successfully. Giving up halfway is a mistake that many people do and if they had continued their efforts, they would have had satisfaction rather than regret.
4. Staying consistent. Consistency is one undervalued skill that can do wonders to your preparation. 1hour everyday or 5 hours everyday, make sure you have a consistent preparation time. Subconsciously it will build confidence and keeps you motivated to learn more.
5. Staying healthy: Drink lots of water, eat healthy food and exercise for atleast 20 minutes everyday to make sure you are physically and mentally healthy throughout your preparation.

I guess these tips would help you with your exam preparation. All the best & thanks for reading!

Edit 1: As per the suggestion in the comments that I could have added a bit more on ‘revision’ for exams, I have attached a link of my previous answer for the same. Sathya Mukesh C S's answer to What is the best way to revise for exams?

The best strategy according to me would be to go ahead and rendezvous with the previous year papers topic wise. You can find them all at this link: Previous GATE papers with answer keys - Gateforum.

Lets get the rendezvous part clear in discrete algorithmic steps.

• Open the newest paper you haven't opened so far.
• For each question in the paper: classify it into the broad category of subject, and then subcategory topic. For example: Computer Networks can be a category and Application Layer can be a topic. Sometimes you may feel that a question belongs to more than one category. Live with the fact!!! Subjects can have some overlap in their syllabus.
• Repeat from step 1 till no unopened papers are left.
• After the completion of above steps you should have a rough idea of what are the core topics/concepts and which others stem from them. In general, once you understand a core concept, the stems will be easy to deduce logically.
• Next, think of your favourite subject you haven't touched.
• Try solving its questions. If getting stuck, hunt for the answer in a standard text/reference book.
• Repeat from step 4 till all questions are covered or time is up, whichever earlier

Alright, I am a CS guy thats why I went algorithmic there. Even if you are not from CS, those steps are plain text. Following them word by word should put you in a better position on the exam day.

First have an idea about the concept. Now attend a lecture (if in college ), watch video ( online). Once you have the idea about the concept. Now go to the standard book you are following, read the same concept now. Solve its solved questions first to have an idea about solving different kind of questions.

Now go to the previous year question book to know what kind of questions can come. Solve it . Those question which seem to be new. Try to understand the solving mechanism. For theory question understand what and from where it is being asked.

If you have done all these steps and can remember the 80% of the work you have done , you are good to move to next chapter.

The best way to remember the concept for a very long time as they say is to do "recitation". Now I will say you the same "do recitation" but in different scenario/situation , revise while commuting, exercise and relax. What ever you are unable to recite go back to the book/video/ lecture notes, revise again, it is the sign that you are filling these small chunks into the bigger picture.

Try to write what you can recite it will help you in a healthy revision.

This method is not for a particular chapter , but a process. Get used to this process. Make this more joyful. It can be joyful , once you start getting the small achivements everyday by going steadily and firmly.

The first few chapters are most important for understanding in some subjects and later are just it's application. So focus on first few chapter more. Start following the process you will know in a month (weeks ) what I mean.

videos/lecture > read book> solve its solved questions first> previous year> recitation in different situations

Amrinder Singh
(www.mindvis.in)

Hi! Aptitude section in GATE exam has a weightage of 15% and the marks to effort ratio is very high in this particular section.

With minimal effort, this section can actually boost up your score.

Coming to the preparation part, I would suggest you to go through previous year questions first. If you are able to solve them without any difficulty then there is no need to spend much time on this section. Solve 30 questions daily. That should be enough.

In case you are struggling with this section, practice different types of questions. You just need to identify the pattern during examination.

All the best!

Thanks for A2A .

Question asked is really genuine because generally we focus more on technical subjects and complete them first and then we think of doing aptitude in last.

Since aptitude weightage is of 15 marks in Gate which is huge.Aptitude can't be taken lightly because it is the most easiest portion of Gate examination to get marks into.

More or less aptitude difficulty level is same for every branch for which Gate exam is held.

How to prepare aptitude-

Preparing aptitude for Gate is not that tough,since Gate itself is an examination of aptitude and if u want to secure a good rank,your aptitude skills must be sharp.

The best way to prepare according to me is practicing as much questions as u can and that too based on different different concepts. once u will solve a no. of questions on different concepts,u will feel handy with that concept because Gate do not ask hard aptitude,its level is not that high that u need to solve different books of aptitude.

Do not make it a hype and prepare it smartly.

What not to do while preparing aptitude-

I have seen many of my friends solving 2–3 different books of aptitude(for ex. Books of CAT exam etc). Do not commit such mistake because aptitude level of Gate will not match the aptitude level of exams like CAT,instead of wasting this time,u should invest this time in sharpening your technical concepts.

P.s.- u can get a good rank if u performs average in aptitude but for securing top rank ,u have to perform extraordinary in aptitude.

Hope it helps !!

All the best!!

Some study tricks to study faster and more effectively.

1. Give yourself enough time to study.
2. Organize your study space.
3. Start with a preparation schedule.
4. Use flowchart and diagrams.
5. Prepare your study notes.
6. Make sure your concept are clear.
7. Practice sample papers and old papers.
8. Identify your weak areas.
9. Challeng yourself.
10. Keep revising.
11. Don't avoid your test book.
12. Explain your answers to others.
13. Take regular break.
14. You need to stay positive but don't get over confident.
15. Get proper sleep

Hope it will help you 🤞