Preparation Besides Core Preparation.

Any competitive exam, whether it is of defined (GATE) or undefined syllabus (CAT) have some common peculiarities. We should keep these in our mind while writing and preparing such exams.

I am trying to cover some of these in my post.

1. GATE contains negative marking system. So attempt the questions about whose answer you are 100% sure/confident. If you are in two minds for any question please don’t attempt.

Read the question very carefully. Carefully reading the question is as much important as you know the answer of any question. They use complicated language for a simple logic. So comprehending the question is the most important point.

Never take a chance as you don’t know how much this will cost to you. For example in my case I had taken a chance for a one 2marks question. Unfortunately it had gone wrong. So it has cost me 0.66 marks only if we see. But 0.66 means 25 people had gone ahead of me. And unfortunately it has cost me a seat at IIT Bombay. So you can imagine how dangerous it is.

2. Don’t count the number of questions attempted while writing an exam. As you never know how hard or easy paper is for others. Some times only 35 to 40 marks out of 150 are enough to score above 98 and sometimes 45 out of 100 are also insufficient. So just play your natural game. Don’t be greedy for marks or attempts.

3. Peace of mind while writing any competitive examination is the most important point. So I suggest you that don’t read anything on the day of exam. Don’t read till late nights before the day of exam. Have a sound sleep of 8 hours.

Take a deep breath before few minutes of exam in the examination hall. Just try to become cool and calm. And don’t think about the topics which you have not prepared on that day. Be confident enough.

And my personal advice is to try to recall all the formulae once before the final day. Just go on recalling all the topics and if you can’t remember some topics then don’t worry, just have a look at it from your books and note books. I promise you that you will surely remember those in exam.

On 2 days before exam write one of the previous years GATE paper at the same time of GATE. This will help in boosting your confidence. This will let you know what mistakes you can do in GATE. Write it as sincerely as you are writing the actual GATE.

And in the last days try to solve more and more objectives only as your mind should be habituated for objective kind of exam. You don’t have to write subjective answers so there is no meaning of reading only theory part in last days. And if you have joined any test series then please see the mistakes you have done in those papers.

4. Another question comes in mind of every aspirant that what should be attempted first and what at the last.

This is the matter of choice. But I have done in this way.

First I had attempted 1 mark questions, as they contain only simple logic or one formula.

Then I had attempted last 10 questions, as they are linked questions. So if you know the logic then you can score 4 marks on the basis of that question.

Then I used to attempt the questions like matching and all first in 2 marks questions.

This is what I have done. You can have different strategy also.

So that is it for this post. Now if you have any queries then please ask. We are trying our best to cover all the important points but we can’t come to know about what are the difficulties other than these a GATE aspirant is facing.