GATE 2017 Preparation: 12 Months Study Plan

By J K Sinha

Successfully preparing for the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) is about consistency and diligence. This test measures how you think and what is your aptitude. Your efforts need to be extensive, where you make the most of every study opportunity and spend a significant amount of dedicated time preparing each week.

M.Tech Entrance Examinations in India

Twelve months may seem like a long time to prepare for a single test, so have a prep-plan that should have a mix of study periods with breaks. This will help you prepare well constantly throughout the year. Your preparation broadly depends upon your future aim after GATE examination because it is not a child’s play to get the desired stream for M.Tech with for night study.

After you attain your GATE score you can opt for either of the following subjects for higher education:

• M.Tech
• MS
• FPM (Fellowship Program in Engineering)
• MBA
• PhD

Or if you have no plans to study any further then you can go ahead with teaching or PSU jobs.

Prepare before you start preparing

Make sure you collect every essential study material before you initiate your preparation, and at the same time ensure that you don’t end up building a library of books! Choose some of the identified books; you can consider different books by three authors for preparing your notes.

Refer to the syllabus and analyse the number of questions asked in each subject. As all subjects don’t have equal marks, few subjects have high weightage over others.

For this, collect a copy of previous year question papers, if possible with solutions. Make a priority list of subjects based on marks or preference given it in previous exams. Marks distribution of the subjects will help you prioritize and allocate preparation time to different subjects. 

Important Time Management Tips for GATE Exam Preparation

Looking at the marks distribution:

1. Subject Question: 85 per cent
2. General Aptitude: 15 per cent

The first few months

Your first six to eight months of study establish a performance baseline.

You need to complete your whole syllabus in this period. Go through all the topics but study those in-depth which are preferred more in the exams.

Side by side, solve each and every question from previous years question papers precisely, to understand the concepts. Remember solving questions without understanding will not help you much.

Make a habit of preparing footnotes at the end of every chapter or topic. There might be few related facts or important detail which you will like to keep in mind in the last moment. So make a footnote for that, so that finding it later on while revising will be easy.

Also, keep a formula sheet handy. As lots and lots of concepts with formulas are involved, it is advised that from the day one of preparation, maintain a separate notebook, in which you will jot down every formula which you might have come across during preparation, on the basis of the topic.

Join a coaching centre for help. It is very important to clear all your doubts and queries from the faculty members or anyone who is helping you with your preparations.

To get these concepts right one would need training from a premium institute so one can enroll for classroom coaching.

In the second half of the preparatory phase!

Once done with the basic preparation, it’s now time to solve some mock tests. Most of these test series are designed in a way which shows you the mirror, it tells you about your level of preparation. Therefore, practicing them should form an integral part of your preparation. You can also work with new strategies that you may require to overcome your weak areas. By depicting where you stand you get to know how much effort you need to put in.

Make sure that you take mock tests from a noted institute which will not only provide you questions on relevant topics and difficulty level but also an appropriate environment and the navigation would be in accordance to the latest changes introduced in GATE 2017.

Importance of Mock Tests in GATE

There can be a possibility of you not being able to solve the entire question paper. But there is no need to worry, as you have got a good idea about the areas you are strong in and areas where you need to put in more time.

This way you’ll be able to cover all the topics well. Unlike the last-minute preparation, you won’t be leaving behind any concept be it important or not!

While these tests help revise the fundamentals it also helps you in evaluating the time you take to finish a paper.

The final two months

Finish detailed reading at least one and a half month before. Keep one month for revisions and clearing leftover doubts. Have a look of question you solved during preparation for GATE and remember how you solved them. Keep last 15 days for fast practice and revision. Solve as many papers and question banks as you can get from any source.

Points to remember

Breaks are extremely important when preparing for this test as your mind needs time to process the ideas and integrate them into your analytical structures. When used properly, breaks actually contribute to producing the highest score possible. Once you get started, you’ll find that time moves quickly and test day is here before you know it. Do not strain yourself till the last minute. Leave all your books aside for some time, relax and restart. Eating well and sleeping on time is mandatory, too. There are students to skip their meals so as to extend their preparation time. Not only will they make you weak, but you may also lose your concentration due to self-imposed hunger.

Following the plan, you are sure to clear the exam with flying colours.

About the Author:

J K Sinha is an M.Tech from IIT Kharagpur. He is currently the Director of Gateforum.