DO's and DON’Ts of the GATE exam

With a large and ever increasing number of candidates taking the GATE exam every year, a well-defined preparation strategy is the need of the hour. GATE aspirants are not expected to mug up the entire syllabus, but to have a clear understanding of the basic concepts and their application.

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As the first GATE tip, a GATE aspirant needs to collect all the relevant study materials needed and that they are comfortable with, including questions papers of past GATE exams. Devise a timetable, allotting dedicated and sufficient time for each subject you’ve chosen to study. Following are a few GATE tips (for preparation and during the exam) to be abided by the aspirants.

Also Read: How to prepare for GATE in one month

DO’s during GATE preparation:

Select your subjects of focus according to your area of interests and also their maximum weightage in the GATE exam.
Another GATE tip is to make handy notes of the important formulas for you to refer/revise during the last week of your preparation before the exam.
Solving previous years’ papers by GATE aspirants and taking as many mock tests (available online) as you can is a very crucial GATE tip.
In the mock tests, a simple GATE tip would be to try to solve each question with more than one concept/formula, this way you’d know right away which formula is required for a certain kind of question when you read it.
At the end of each day, GATE aspirants should revise what they studied during the day.
A sincere group study could help you attain better understanding of the topics or concepts which you failed to on your own.
Keep track of and attend the various seminars/workshops arranged for GATE aspirants, as they provide a platform for insightful discussions among the likes of you.

DO’s during the GATE exam:

Read each question carefully, and decide whether you know enough to attempt the same. Since you will be marked negatively for wrong answers, answer only those questions which you have a clear idea about.
Another GATE tip would be to attempt all numeric questions as they, unlike the rest, don’t have negative marking for a wrong answer.
Usually solutions to the GATE questions aren’t lengthy, so if it takes you more than 8 steps to derive your answer, it is advised to reanalyze the solution.
For multiple choice questions, take the “eliminate the irrelevant/wrong answer” approach, so you will be left with shortlisted option of answers.
Keep the Aptitude section for the last, as they don’t need any technical thinking or evaluation but your logic and intuitions.

DON’Ts during GATE preparation:

GATE aspirants shouldn’t refer more than two sources for a subject, as it may confuse you.
As a GATE tip, GATE aspirants should not study topics out of syllabus for the sake of wanting to be “extra-prepared”.
Don’t cram the theories; instead spend time evaluating and understanding the fundamental concepts.
No need to cover all the subjects, since it would not give you enough time to prepare the subjects you know better.
Don’t study new topics few days or even a week before the exam.
Most importantly, don’t panic or dread the GATE exam, if you know your subjects well it’ll be a cakewalk.

DON’Ts during the GATE exam:

Don’t revise a few moments before the exam.
Don’t skip or pay less attention to the Mathematics section, as you have high scope of scoring full marks in that.
Don’t lose patience if you can’t solve a question, try solving it with a different approach/formula, since each question has multiple solutions.

GATE Preparation Tips | Exam Strategy GATE 2021

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GATE Preparation Tips | Exam Strategy

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