Tips and Tricks for GATE 2012 Aspirants

1. Aim for taking GATE exam varies from candidate to candidate. Students from private engineering colleges try to get into M.Tech in order to have stamp of the better known institutions and for them reasonable percentile serves the purpose. On the other hand, students studying in well established institutes may aim to get into IIT or other equivalent institutions. For them very high percentile is essential.
2. Normally 3 to 4 months of serious study will be sufficient for the preparation.
3. Those students who are in final year have to schedule their studies as semester exam in winter and other engagements may absorb lot of time.
4. First of all make a proper strategy before starting preparation of the examination.
5. You have to choose the subject and study as per the syllabus mentioned in the GATE brochure.
6. Collect the Syllabus for the GATE exam.
7. Collect all the relevant books for the subject. This collection must include the books for Fundamental and basic concepts as well as for specific problems, guide book for GATE and previous year question papers.
8. Always try to go through the standard books which are easily available and in which you can easily understand the concepts. This will improve your learning ability.
9. Mean time you should be in touch with some GATE experienced persons for proper guidance.
10. Read syllabus and question papers carefully so that it will easy for you to make a proper approach.
11. Start preparing from the initial topics i.e. the basic ones and note down the basic concepts (definitions, unit, dimension etc.) as well as necessary theories, formulae etc.
12. Try to solve as many problems as possible from different book as well as try to find more and more tricks.
13. Try to apply your own logics and tricks in solving problems and note it down because it will save your time in the examination hall.
14. Conduct self tests based on various chapters. Continue the self tests and try to achieve a very good score.
15. Practice more and more problems and follow the same procedure for the rest of the chapters and subjects.
16. Finally, go for self tests based on whole syllabus and if necessary take help of others in conducting self-tests.
17. To do all these things one has to spend lots of time on studies and should be very sincere throughout the preparation.
18. One month before the examination you should start revising the course as many times as possible so that on the day before the exam you will be prepared enough to crack the exam.
19. In the revision stage concentrate more on the selected topics.
20. Always reach the examination centre 30 min before the start of the exam. It helps you to stay cool and calm during exam.
21. Keep all your necessary stationeries and admit card with you before going to the examination centre.
22. During exam try to attempt section A which is compulsory and that to Q1 carrying one mark each and those in Q2 carrying two marks each.
23. It’s very important to manage the time well during the exam. So manage the time well during the exam.
24. In the examination hall one should not get panickly upon receiving the question paper rather candidates should stay cool before the test so that they do not get confused while attempting the paper.
25. Time management is important but not at the cost of answering the paper accurately.
26. Always try to attempt only those questions in which you are pretty confident and you know the answer very well.
27. Read the questions carefully and apply proper logic before marking the answer.
28. Always avoid the negative marking.
29. Do not attempt unnecessary questions in which you are not confident because that may cost you much.
30. Do not try to get hold of the entire syllabus prescribed by GATE. A selective preparation would be a very helpful concept and should be learned accurately.
31. Memorization of any problem without a clear idea of the concept will be a futile exercise.
32. I feel that it is better to have flexible time plan before going to exam and have a balance of mind. It helps in avoiding the silly mistakes.
33. Results of qualified candidates in GATE will give All India Rank and indicate percentile score. For example, a percentile score of 99 means you are in the top 1% category of the candidates who appeared for GATE.
34. Candidates who get less than 70 percentile get no score card.
35. After publication of GATE results, students must apply to individual Institutes to get their application forms.
36. Institutes advertise M.Tech admissions in leading newspapers from 1st April till end July. However some Institutes do not advertise and therefore students have to get the forms themselves.
37. Admission in the Institute is based on GATE percentile.
38. The concerned Institute may conduct written test and/or interview for the purpose of admission.
39. During the pursuit of M.Tech, you are paid a scholarship of Rs. 5000 per month by the Government of India. This amount is enough for living expenses including purchase of books etc. the scholarship is paid for the entire period of M.Tech.