GATE 2020: How to Prepare, What’s New and Preparation Tips



Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering, popularly called GATE, is one of the most prestigious exams in India and most awaited by students who want to pursue post-graduation in reputed institutes of Technology and Engineering all across India. GATE 2020 is being conducted by IIT Delhi and the institute shared that they received around 8.58 lakh applications for the exam.

What’s new in GATE 2020?

As per the changes to GATE 2020, the following points are worth notable −

  • All those candidates who registered after May 31, 2013, for certification equivalent to B.E./B.Tech/B. Arch from any of the professional societies (IE, ICE, IETE, AeSI, IIChemE, IIM, IIE, etc) but meets other eligibility criteria, are also eligible to apply for GATE 2020. However, as the matter is subjudice, the eligibility of such candidates is subjected to further orders of the court.

  • GATE 2020 has 25 papers and Bio-medical Engineering (BM) has been added as a new paper in the syllabus.

  • GATE exam 2020 dates are Feb 1, 2, 8 and 9.

How to prepare for GATE exam without coaching?

Lakhs of students across the country take coaching for GATE exam every year. Surprisingly, we see many times that toppers of the exam mentioning that they have not taken coaching and it was all their self-preparation that worked wonders. This is true in most cases. With proper planning, discipline and correct approach towards the exam, cracking the GATE exam without coaching is not a Herculean task. TutorialsPoint shares tips on “How to prepare for GATE exam without coaching?” Move on to know more.

Begin Early

It is always the early bird that gets the worm. When aspiring to crack the GATE exam without coaching, you should start your preparation early. Starting early gives you ample time to gather the material required for self-study, familiarise with the syllabus, identify the topics you need to give more focus, etc. Beginning your preparation early also gives sufficient time for revision.

Strategize your preparation schedule

You can check the GATE syllabus here. Once you are familiar with the syllabus, demarcate clearly which topics are easier for you and which need more attention. Frame a time table accordingly and start preparation. Career guidance experts at TutorialsPoint suggest that your preparation should be a good mix of focusing on both the hard and easy concepts. If you work on hard concepts and finish them early, you will gain more confidence as the exam date approaches.

Start your preparation with tough subjects and when you feel you are not able to focus learn some other simple concept and get back to the tough concept again.

Gain hold on numerical problems

GATE focuses on numerical problems to a great extent. Thus, besides your concepts, you should practice numerical problems as many as you can from a given topic. You should take the help of previous question papers to know how problems are appearing from each topic.

Learning material

The GATE exam is a prestigious one that checks your understanding of the concept at a deeper level. You should not look for quick guides for preparing for GATE, rather you should have a solid hold on subjects and concepts. For this, you should prepare for standard books for every subject. This is the secret of many toppers of GATE- they always start with standard books and gain a comprehensive understanding of the subject.

You can also purchase books from coaching institutes or download free online resources for the GATE exam to help you learn the subject easily with the GATE exam point of view.

Notes making help during revision

GATE syllabus is expansive; it will be helpful if you prepare your own notes. Remember that self-made notes help a lot in saving time when it comes to final revision than compared to running through textbooks and study material keeping in mind that you will have very limited time to revise before the exam.

Mock tests help in time management

After completing every topic or chapter, attempt mock tests in them. You will understand the style of questions asked, the time management and the areas where you are lacking in that subject. You can purchase mock tests of various reputed coaching centers online and practice them too.

Don’t forget previous papers and sample papers

Going through previous years’ question papers gives you an understanding of how questions are asked in every concept. Besides, you will gain familiarity with the exam pattern. Accordingly, you can prepare concepts with the relevant depth they need. Answering previous papers also helps in time management and you should analyze the results of sample tests to focus on how you can improve your speed.

Balance is the key

Often students start with rigorous preparation and then they tend to ignore the preparation and get demotivated once they come across tough subjects. This can happen to you also because you may be overexerting themselves or rushing in the preparation or worrying more about the exam.

To overcome such scenarios, you should set realistic goals on a daily, weekly and monthly basis. Incorporate time for relaxation and play sports or do dome rejuvenating activity such as gardening and walking. Stay away from social media and unwanted distractions. Spend time with friends and family members to distress yourself. Practice breathing exercises to improve memory and relax.

Revision is important

Before one month of the exam, stop learning new concepts. Revise thoroughly all that you learned so far. Make sure that you are not missing any point in the concepts that you studied till now. Before a week for the exam, do not start anything new; you may be confused or lack confidence if you do not understand that topic.

Focus on scoring subjects

Engineering mathematics and general aptitude are very scoring. With little effort, you can achieve a good score in these areas. Check previous question papers and gain an understanding of how the syllabus is distributed among easily scoring topics and make sure you are fully thorough in them.

One day before the GATE exam: Close all the books and learning the material and relax thoroughly. Spend time with family, play sports or watch a movie. Click the refresh button of your mind to let it focus fully the next day. Remember to give your best for the exam and do not worry too much about the result.

Updated on: 13-Nov-2019

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