Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering or GATE is a national level examination based on the candidates’ comprehensive understanding of various undergraduate subjects in engineering and postgraduate subjects in arts, science, and commerce.
Why is the GATE Exam Important?
Qualifying the GATE Exam can help students in many ways. If someone wants a job in a PSU(Public Sector Undertakings), then GATE is the exam they have to prepare for, as most PSUs in India use GATE scores for their recruitment process. More than 37 PSUs – government organisations, like BARC, IOCL, etc., use GATE qualification as a requirement. GATE Exam also makes the candidates who clear the cutoff eligible for a financial assistantship for postgraduate and doctorate programmes. Some of the foreign universities (like NTU, Singapore) offer Ph.D. positions based on their GATE score instead of GRE score.
GATE Preparation
Preparing for the GATE Exam needs a good strategy as it is one of the most challenging exams, and it is conducted annually. So, students need a proper plan and guidance for their preparation. Students must look at the GATE Syllabus of their respective subjects. The GATE syllabus is published on the GATE official website as soon as the authority releases the exam notification.
Aspirants should also check previous years’ question papers and compare them with the syllabus. By doing so, they can find the weightage of each topic. This can be of great help when a candidate starts preparing for the exam.
Students should also prepare the aptitude section of the syllabus as it carries 15 marks which can be easily scored. The previous years’ question papers are excellent sources for preparing for the aptitude section.
Candidates can also follow these points to boost their preparation.
- Clearing concepts of each topic thoroughly followed by practising the test series. This will help the candidate in evaluating themselves and work on their weakness correctly.
- Go through the syllabus properly and check the previous years’ question papers.
- Go for shorter and correct methods to solve the numerical questions, which will save time and effort during exams. Time is a very important factor as the question papers are usually lengthy. If the candidates don’t utilise the time properly, they won’t be able to complete the entire paper.
- Take as many mock tests as possible to manage time more effectively.
- Read the questions carefully before answering. As the questions in the GATE Exam are often tricky.
GATE Score
GATE scores are usually valid for three years after the GATE results are published. If a candidate for GATE 2021 appears, the score will be valid until 2024. There is no age limit for the GATE exam, so GATE applicants can take it as many times as possible.
Suppose the candidate is eager for higher education. In that case, a GATE score is required to apply for the M.Tech programme at IIT, NIT, or any other institution. In addition, candidates must use their scorecard for admission within the GATE score validity period. If a candidate has multiple valid scorecards at the time of admission to the desired institution, they have the option of using one of them. However, if a candidate is looking for a job at PSU, then the GATE results will only be valid for one year. Yet, candidates can take consecutive exams each year to improve their scores.
