The Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) 2017 is being organised by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee. GATE scores are used for admissions to various post-graduates programmes in Engineering. They are also used by the Public Services Undertaking (PSUs) for recruiting entry level engineers.
Aspirants start preparing for GATE about eight to nine months in advance. And with the exam around the corner, candidates enter their last phase of preparation. Working professionals take advantage of the Republic Day weekend, and will take advantage of the long weekend; Himanshu Sharma, working with Hyundai as a marketing strategist, said, “I get only weekends to prepare for GATE, and I do make the most of it. My exam in on February 4, and I am glad a long weekend is coming. I am planning to take my last three-four mock tests, and get over with GATE preparation.”
Working professionals who can’t study during the weekdays look forward to weekends. But there are professionals who have been granted two weeks leave to prepare for GATE. Vishal Jain, working on a research project at IIT Kanpur, is focusing only on studies. He said, “My project head allowed me to take a two-week break. I finished revising the syllabus last week, and this week I am taking topic-wise mock test.” Jain continued, “I take notes if I come across some difficult topic, and then I pay more attention towards those topics.”
Candidates who are in their final year of BTech/BE/BPharm/BArch (Bachelor of Technology/Bachelor in Engineering/ Bachelor of Pharmacy/Bachelor of Architecture), can take the GATE 2017. Jain reminiscences his college days, where his friends prepared for GATE in the last few weeks. He shared, “They would burn the midnight oil and skip our weekly outings for GATE. They would frantically search for tips and strategies online, and find out any approach to solve questions.”
Another aspirant, Vamsikrishna Tez, who will take GATE for the fourth time opposed the idea of last-minute study, and shared his experiences. He said, “The first I took GATE was in 2014. I did not study for it and scored 28 marks. Since then, I am learning from my mistakes, and I try not to repeat them.”
He continued, “I finished the syllabus in December 2016, and first round of revision by mid-January. Now I am taking three-four full mock test every day. It takes close to 9 to 12 hours.”
Tez advises aspirants to revise only their mistakes, then the whole topic. He added, “My plan for the last four days is to do a final revision. It should be done in three days, and for the fourth day, I shall relax.”
GATE will be conducted in February on 4, 5, 11, and 12. The exam is conducted for 23 engineering streams, from Aerospace Engineering, Agricultural Engineering, to Production and Industrial Engineering, Life Sciences.
PaGaLGuY wishes aspirants all the best for GATE 2017.
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