How do I prepare for GATE Mechanical Engineering?
GATE for mechanical is conducted in two shifts which shows the competition level. Almost 1.5 lakhs engineers appear for this prestigious exam from mechanical stream. Also, it provides opportunities to take their career to the next level. One can join IITs, NITs etc for more technical knowledge. Management inclined students can join NITIE, Mumbai. Even foreign institutes like the National University of Singapore accepts gate score for their master’s course. GATE from mechanical also opens the path towards PSU like ONGC, IOCL, BARC, etc. Stakes are high and this is what makes this exam difficult.
As each day is passing by I’m sure anxiousness and intensity amongst aspirants must be growing. Here in this article, I would like to share some preparation strategies which would guide you in your preparation.
Know the exam
The application process has now started. Syllabus for mechanical has been uploaded. It is important to lay down the groundwork first. Fire the arrows in the right direction. So first thing every aspirant should do is download the syllabus. Get an idea about the topics that are mentioned. Instantaneously it will help you in judging yourself where you are in terms of progress and what needs to be worked upon.
Prioritize the subjects
Major chunk of questions in mechanical is asked from Production, thermodynamics, the theory of machines, strength of materials and fluid mechanics. The above subjects should be on the top priority list. Foremost target should be to complete these subjects efficiently and at the earliest. The next subjects to be focused are machine design, heat transfer, industrial engineering, engineering mechanics and material science. These subjects are majorly application based. So if one prepares these subjects after completing top priority ones. Though categorizing into groups can also be done depending on one’s capability and ability.
Mathematics and aptitude
Apart from core technical subjects, aspirants shouldn’t ignore mathematics and aptitude. These subjects are the ones that improve rank. Stats prove that toppers have maximized the output from these two subjects in particular.
Time plan
For every subject time plan should be made. Candidates can use excel or handwritten chart paper to track the progress. Give yourselves targets and do everything possible to achieve it. Remember the competition in GATE is very demanding. So a good plan or good framework will only help to get closer to the goals.
Tackling questions
There are various resources available for GATE. After completing one topic or subject aspirants should tackle previous year questions first. This set of questions has already been asked in the exam. This will help to get an idea of questions that are asked in the exam. Also, it will let you know where you are lagging. Every aspirant should solve at least two to threes times as per the availability of time.