Is it better to write GRE and study in foriegn or prepare for GATE and study in India?

This is a question that has been asked of us thousands of times over the two decades that we've been in this field, and a lot of different kinds of people have asked it to us. We would like this answer to benefit as many people as possible, so we will try to answer it from many different points of view, and give different cases that will, hopefully, cover every possible eventuality. If you are very interested in a high-quality research career, you should prepare for GRE and go abroad Research is one big area where the US is streets ahead of India: a graduate degree abroad will provide you access to higher funding, more diverse projects, more meaningful projects, better opportunities for networking, and high private sector participation in research - something which makes it more lucrative by definition. This is not to say that research in India is dead, or that no one can do good research in India. However, it is definitely true that the US and Europe provide a research environment that multiplies the probability that you will be able to become a respected researcher in any field. If you want to increase your potential pay package throughout your career, prepare hard for the GRE and go abroad In the short term, there is a salary differential. The median salary of those taking up jobs after an MS abroad is usually 5 times (or more) than the median salary of those taking up jobs after an MTech in India. In the medium to long term, a foreign MS can open up gates to work in different foreign geographies or to grow quicker in a career; both of these will result in increased pay opportunities as compared to someone who has completed a graduate degree in India. Again, these are valid when we are comparing apples to apples and are talking about the average student in either course. The probability of a higher salary if you have done your graduate degree abroad is higher. If you have family commitments or extreme financial constraints, it might make sense to give the GATE and stay in India A graduate degree abroad is a big commitment, and will require you to spend substantial and sustained time and effort on it - both from the point of view of keeping up with your class, and from the perspective of adjusting to a brave new world. Because of both the expense and the time lost, frequent trips back home will probably not be a regular feature of your foreign MS. Therefore, if you need to satisfy certain commitments at home, or if the funding you are able to get is not sufficient, a foreign degree might be difficult. However, it is not true that the cost is a hurdle for many who aspire to study abroad for their graduate education. The multiple funding opportunities available - teaching and research assistantships, in addition to university and institutional scholarships and on campus jobs - make it possible, in most cases, to complete all financial requirements. If you want to fast track your career in an international setting, you should definitely go abroad If you have always wanted to be a cross-continental professional, who is easily able to work in any cultural setting, a graduate degree abroad gives you many advantages. For example, you are easily able to work with diverse teams once you have spent a couple of years abroad, and practised how to do just that. In addition, many international companies have an international graduate degree as part of their CV screening criteria, so that gives you an edge if you have gone the GRE route. Many Indian graduate degrees lead abroad, as well, but the path is less direct: most graduates have to complete a few years in an Indian office before moving abroad, and they will always be a few years behind, career wise. If you want all-round development and a quantum leap up from your undergraduate experience, you should give the GRE and apply to graduate studies abroad The graduate degree abroad confers many benefits over and above mastery of one field: it teaches perseverance, academic honesty, independence, resourcefulness, professional networking, and the ability to balance work and life. In many ways, it is like a finishing school, where students get the final coat of polish to become full-fledged, successful professionals. If you have completed your undergraduate studies from India, you will inevitably see similarities between that experience and that in a postgraduate program in India. Of course, emphasis on academics and access to research facilities is higher, but the environment is not comparable to that abroad - where it is simultaneously fun and conducive to academic achievement of the highest kind. If you are interested in a career with the Government of India in a technical role, either option is equivalent, with GATE having a slight edge Some students have specific goals in terms of what they want to do post a graduate degree, and we will take one example here. We have talked to many who want to take up a quintessentially Indian job - for example, a career in DRDO - and they often have the misconception that an Indian graduate degree is the only way in. This is not true - many who have completed an MS abroad work for the Government in various capacities; their strong qualifications are often welcomed with open arms. On this parameter, there is very little to choose between the two options. If you want to settle with a lower work input but lower reward option, you could choose the GATE and a domestic degree It is definitely harder work to aspire for and achieve a graduate degree - from test taking to selection, the procedure demands greater dedication and greater time input. On the other hand, the expected benefit of a graduate degree is also much higher - from a career and transformational point of view. The choice is finally up to you - if you cannot currently spend the kind of time and resources necessary, you might want to look at the GATE. However, if you want to make it truly big and want to increase your probability of making that happen, we suggest that you do what it takes to make it abroad for your graduate studies. Overall, most students who want an aspirational, high potential goal choose the route of a foreign MS or PhD degree, and give the GRE as a starting point. Whether or not you fall in one of the categories above, you should definitely talk to a few people who took either the GATE or the GRE route, and find out what their experience was Aside: We provide comprehensive GRE training - http://www.jamboreeindia.com

You are obviously aware that to go abroad for your Masters, universities will need you to have a valid score for GRE and TOEFL/IELTS, whereas technical institutes in India will need you to have a valid GATE score, as the basic requirement. In case of Masters in India, the best institutes are the IITs and the IISc. They need an amazing (read 1-50) AIR in GATE if you seek to get admission directly without having to face any interview. People with 50+ ranks can apply individually to these institutes who will first filter you on the basis of your AIR in GATE, then call you for a written test & interview if you are shortlisted. Your performance in the test & interview will finally decide whether you will get into the institute or not. Notice that I haven't mentioned academics anywhere. Yes, because you need to have 55% in your undergraduate degree, and that will be enough. Now I am not sure how big a part academics play in your admission to these institutes, but its definitely not as important as your GATE AIR and your performance in the written test & interview. In case of Masters abroad, GRE is just a filtering criteria and TOEFL/IELTS is an eligibility criteria. When Universities grant you admission, they will look at your suitability for the particular course you are applying to, like your overall grades, grades in subjects relevant to your course, Letters of Recommendation (LoRs) from Professors who have taught those subjects who can vouch for your aptitude, a strong Statement of Purpose (SoP) & also your financial status. So here you need to pay attention to a wide range of factors. Better are these things, better will be the University you are admitted to. The time required to prepare for GRE & TOEFL will not exceed a year if you start from scratch & devote time regularly. For GATE, if your concepts are strong, you will have to solve problems, and that will take about six months. You could study for GATE parallely with your curriculum right from the first year of Engineering, where you are taught Engineering Mathematics and Engineering Mechanics (in case of GATE-ME aspirants) which are the most fundamental subjects. Then comes the money factor. Studying in India is a lot cheaper than studying in USA and somewhat cheaper than Germany. You are the best judge. Consider all these factors & decide what suits you! All the best! You could follow my senior friend (IIT Bombay) for guidance related to GATE & my classmate (321 in GRE) for guidance related to Masters in USA.

Short answer, it varies from case to case.As Vineet mentioned, if research in STEM is your intention, then the US is probably a better option. In that case, if you have good undergrad GPA, sufficient research output, assured of good recommendations and a thirst for research, then it is better to directly apply to a PhD program of your fit and apply immediately after undergrad. Typically, job experiences has no direct benefit in grad school admission. However, if you're an undergrad looking for a fresh start, GATE would be the way to go, as you get two more years to improve your resume at a top Institute, thereby bolstering your chances of getting into your favourite PhD program. If you intend to do an MS abroad, I suggest you do an extensive cost analysis. What programs do you think you can get into? How much do they cost? What sort of jobs do students get from there? A loan of 20-30 lakhs makes sense only if you have a high chance of paying it off soon. Your branch will also matter here. Also, if you're seeking a PhD and are from a middle-income household, I will disagree with Ramnatthan and suggest you not to do an MS, since you would be taking a loan which you will not be paying off for quite a bit longer. I suggest someone to go through the GATE route if 1. They intend to stay in India (be it for family reasons or personal preferences) and 2. Are not totally sure about a PhD/ will not make it to a good PhD program of their choice immediately.Personally it took me around a month to prepare for GRE. I didn't appear for GATE, so I don't have much of an idea.

Requirements : Mtech : GATE MS : GRE, Research work, good GPA >8 for top colleges Difficulty : MS with scholarship - impossible nobody offers this now. You may get some RA/TA once you are there but nothing guranteed. Mtech: performing in GATE much harder than GRE, but then with GRE you need projects/recommendation letters/research Syllabus and course content : You can go on the websites and compare for particular course you want. 4. Employment opportunities depend  on your field, but are plenty from both places if you are in IT/CS 5. Salary : you will get top salary in india/US respectively once you are from these places and do not become complacent once you are there. 6. Job reliability : Depends on job market, recession, how good you are. 7. Quality: I will not dignify this with a response.

it is very subjective and it always the topic of debate whether to go for GATE or GRE. i would ask you conseider the following paramters in you case and determine youself whether GATE is a better option or GRE. money: you need a good financial backing to go for MS. it would cost you around 20-30 lakhs per year, considering that you do not receive any scholarship. where is GATE is relatively less costly(somewhere around 3 laks per year). getting admitted. clearing GATE and getting admission in top IITs is a challenging task and not everyones cup of tea. where as getting admission in worlds top universities in USA is relatively easy because tests like GRE and TOEFL are lot easy compared to GATE. easiness getting admitted through GRE is easy because gate is tough to clear. but life after that would be more struggling in US. you will have to away from your family for a long time. you have to more responsible, manage your finances, act wisely and study hard to get a good job. but life is full of sturgle and there is nothign called easy."no pain no gain" family if you have most of your relatives and family(like sister or brother) staying abroad and if your parents are also planning their future in US, trsut me you should go for MS because you would miss your family too much and it would be not easy for you  to visit them often because it would cost you too much. job graduating from IITs get you placed in branded MNC where you have bright future and handsome salary. your placement is guaranteed. but that is not the case in USA. securing job in USA after MS is more difficult because you have to face a lot of competition from local. and getting PR after that is more difficult then that. research if you are the kind of person more interested in research and do not like the monotonous industrial job(like me), i strongly suggest to go for MS. if you ask your resources, you would realize that there is hardly any genuine research work going in India. most of it is only on paper and copied from somewhere else. where US has a lot of research opportunities. social life(optional) beign here in US detaches you with your home country and your relatives thinks of you as an outsider and might not involve you in every occasion. this will hit your social life. if you are not socially involved then you dont need to worry. there are many more parameters that you need to consider and need to look deep into future before taking decision because this decision will decide your destiny.

hope this helps.

I have already answered in following post: Preparation for GATE need to be very thorough in technical subjects. While GRE is not technical. You need to be first clear about your plans? Your priority need to be validated. USA or MTech?

depends. If you have a decent profile to get an admit from a decent school abroad, it's always better to go there. No matter how good research you do, brand does matter.