TIPS and TACTICS for a Successful Attempt

TIPS and TACTICS for a Successful Attempt

 

 

Read Questions Thoroughly
Read questions and instructions thoroughly, do not jump to Conclusions(even if it is very simple one), do not misinterpret any question.Try to analyze what the examiner is intending to ask. Remember every mark counts. Analysis say that if a problem takes more than eight steps to solve, you are going wrong you must re-look at the approach.

Balance between speed and accuracy
Students must maintain a balance between speed and accuracy. Do not mark wrong answers in hurry. If you do rigorous online practice before the exam, you will be able to maintain this balance. Remember in exam both speed and accuracy counts. Always remember that one problem can be solved in numerous number of ways. so,being innovative will help you to arrive at solution quickly. Innovation will come through intense practice before the exam. As you practice, you will come across different ways of solving the same problem.

Strike Off The Wrong Options

Try to strike off the wrong options. The options which cannot be the answer even a slightest bit and for which you are cent percent sure, should be separated from the probable answer so that you are able to concentrate on the remaining options and hence you find out the answer easily.
(If you can eliminate 2 options then go for the risk, suppose 4 questions are like that where 50-50 chances are there after eliminating 2 options, here the probability of getting it correct is 0.5, 2 questions correct and 2 wrong  over all you will be getting 2-1/3 * 2 = +ve outcome, so the risk is calculated take a chance here).

Use Scribble Pad
You can use the scribble pad provided for rough work. You can jot down the points, ideas etc so that least number of mistakes are made while framing the final answer.

 

Now how to attempt it-

I will share what worked for me and what I have experienced after taking so many mock GATE tests.

Answer the question paper in rounds

In the first round look for questions which you can do confidently and quickly (without even a second thought). On the slightest feel of a doubt, leave that question and go for the second. Anyway go in order of the numbers..one by one. At the end of round 1, you will get an idea about the standard of the questions given.You will come to know how many questions you have answered by now and how many you should attempt in the next round. A decent outing in the first round will up your confidence level like anything.
(Time taken in this round depends upon the level of preparation you have done, those who have not prepared anything will not take more than 10 min in the first round , well jokes apart ideally it should be around 1 hour).

Now you are into the crucial round of your exam.(use the option of mark for review for these questions so that you can directly jump to these questions).
In this round you answer all those questions which needs concentration and skill which you acquired all through your preparation. This round is for those questions which you know you can do and you should do. This round decides whether you have reached your expectation level or not. Be calm,careful and clear in your mind. You have practiced hard for this and you would be fine. At the end of this round, you will feel much more relieved and ready to take up any challenge as you have just finished the crucial part of your examination.

Now the third and last round. The “Goliyaths” of the question paper are waiting for you and you the “David” is ready to face them with all your force. Do not be over/under confident, as this part though may seem bonus but is actually the deciding factor whether you would end up at an IIT or an NIT. So concentrate, If you could crack a few of those giants(toughest questions in the paper) then you are in for a fortune. Your confidence level will shoot up like anything and that will make a difference between you and the rest of the pack.

Once you finish the third round, quickly go through the question paper again to check if you missed any questions (There is high chance that you wont get time for this task).
You must have at-least 15–20 mins to recheck your answers. Dont recheck your answers once you have solved them immediately. Many students do this mistake and loose time. They solve a question then recheck it by solving it once again. By doing that you are spending 2 times the amount of time you should be spending on a single question. You must be confident of your answer in a single attempt. And have the confidence to tic/type in the answer and move on for the next.

Don’t Waste Excessive Time On One Question
There may be bouncers questions which you should leave, so that you can hit a boundary on the next loose one.
Leave those bouncer questions. They are meant to take your time and demotivate you. So don’t waste excessive time on it.

So that is it. Divide the question paper into three rounds. This method helps you avoid missing questions (which you may when you go random). This method will make you confident as the exam progresses and you can do better after each round. Though short, but it will give you a chance to analyse the question paper and your performance as and when you take the exam.

NOTE : Do not be under the impression that you can follow this method comfortably one fine morning. No! No way! You need to practice this strategy day in day out. Only then you can judge a question by its merit and handle it efficiently.

So Keep Calm & Work Hard

Best Wishes

Deepak Jangid
IIT DELHI

“Post GATE Counseling”

So GATE 2016 is over ,congratulation to those who could get the desired rank result, and for those who couldn’t make it don’t loose hope, it’s always next time.

Now the next step is to apply for M.tech courses and for PSU recruiting from gate score.
In a week or two list almost all the IITs will be out. You will find the interview dates of different IITs clashes or are scheduled in gap of one or two days. Moreover some of you may have 8th semester University examinations also. And also trains are running packed. This obviously worries anyone.
In the above described situation it is necessary to plan your journey well so that you can reach to institute for interviews.
( last year I have suffered a lot )
I am listing some of the tips may be useful to successfully attend the interviews at various IITs.
1. Try to find out the probable semester exam dates if it clashes with any interview date write/call to the concern department at IIT and notify them it. They will be able to help you how to make a request to IIT to appear for interview on different date (day).
If the interview dates of the two or more IITs also clashes try to convince one IIT to arrange interview separately for you. If you have any genuine explanation you will succeed.
2. Make sure that you are able to attend the interview for the specialization that you interested most. Prepare for it well. Try to attend all the interviews from all the IITs till you have not confirmation of offer admission from any IIT.

One thing I would like to let you know scoring high in gate exam doesn’t guarantee your admission in IITs or PSU jobs so remember the battle is on.
Keep revising basic concept regularly for interview and written test.

You better decide the specialisation now in which you are interested to pursue M.tech and start reading standard books of that subject. (That should be according to your gate score as well bcs at 1000 rank if u are looking for IITD structure or other core branch it doesn’t make sense right.)

You will have to fill the preferences for different department of your choice and that is very very very crucial so preference should be according to your gate score so that you get the call.
Suppose your rank is 500 ( around 720 gate score) and your preferences are like
1. Structure
2. Geotech
3. Transportation
4. Environment

Here at 500 rank you won’t get the call in 1st two preferences now let u get the call in 3rd or 4th.
Now here you diminish your chances of getting even 3rd choice.
Why..?
Because this is your 3rd preference you are more  interested in 1st or 2nd choices , and they don’t want uninteresting people.
So the one who has 600 rank and keep the 1st preference environment then one has better chances of getting selected than you despite you have better rank.
And in this they will bother in interview also that why did you keep that at 4th preference aren’t you interested bla bla.( bcs they will be having the form of your preferences.)
So please check the last year cutoff score and fill the preferences.

I will write interview techniques for IITs in my next post.
Gud luck everybody.

Deepak Jangid

IIT Delhi

DEMOLISH GATE IN FOUR MONTHS..!

FOUR month are remaining for GATE and you have to deal with approx 12 subjects…!

here the approach must be efficient enough that can fetch you maximum output.

Let’s start with SOM.. Take a topic read it thoroughly( stick to the single source only avoid reference books as time is not enough ).

now solve previous year papers..( gate solved papers by made easy or ies master, ACE academy)…allocate time for solving.( 15 to 20 questions in each topic )…now you will be able to solve 50 to 60% questions in 1st attempt.

those questions (40%)…that you could not attempt in one go…tick mark them…try to solve them with no time limit…even if u are not able to solve don’t bother..get help from notes books etc…again if you are not getting how to solve then discuss with your friends or teachers.

One thing remember don’t see the solution…yes..don’t see solution this won’t help u at all…last option shuold be the solution( else by the next time you will be required to check the solution again).

and while reading the topic plzz take short notes ( this will help u in 3rd 4th revision time )!

Do this for whole subject. 6 to 7 days for each major subject is enough(8-10 attentive hours daily )!

Repeat the same process for all subjects. You will be done with your syllabus by the end of December mid…!

Before switching to the next subject once go through the short notes of previous subject or the question that you could not attempt in 1 go…!

So this is how u’ll be done with the entire syllabus comprehensively…with previous year questions…very precisely…! Cool…han….!

Now time for test series ( to test what you have studied in last 2 & half month )

take any test series as described in the last post.

we will start with subject wise test okay.!

Let’s SOM again for 1st test cover the full subject with full notes and previous year questions (only tick marked questions) and take the test. again write down all the questions that you are not able to solve in that test and try to solve with no time limit ( again don’t see the solution try to solve with yourself ) keep separate notes of these questions, and take a glance of it before going for another test.

do the same for all subjects.

now you are ready to take a full length test. give at least 2 days for all revision (revise short notes + marked questions + mistakes of last test ) before full length test.

you can take 3 test for each major subjects, or subject in which you are not much confident enough.

take full length test in each 7 to 8 days gap up to 15 jan. After it take full length test in every 3 days gap.

Atleast take more than 10 full length.

Actually only full length test gives you an Idea about you preparation level, and how you are supposed to perform in real exam.

 (Increase your number of study hours 15 to 16 per day from January to the 2 day before exam date, because this last month will decide how your entire year will be, so set your priorities accordingly).

BEST WISHES

DEEPAK JANGID

IIT Delhi

GATE TEST SERIES ANALYSIS…!

GATE is only 4 months away. It’s a good time to think about joining a test series.

Obviously, if you joining a test series – then you should treat it with seriousness and a major strategical component of your prep – because it is something that can make the difference in the real exam, if used wisely.

Now, I don’t know which test series is the best. ACE? ME? GF? or any X institute. I don’t know, and I don’t really care. Why? Because it’s NOT about the questions – it’s about PRACTICE. It’s about sharpening your sword and removing all the weak areas.

Well okay, I take my words back – quality of questions DO matter. My friends are going to take ACE’s GATE series. So I am going to blindly trust them and take it too.

(Yes, I am preparing for GATE/IES again.)

But the main reason is because I will be able to compare myself with my friends – because I know their prep is very good (better than me) and if I can beat them – then I can beat GATE also. Hence joining the same test series.

But irrespective of which test series you join – you should try to be in the top 100 students. You may not get into the top 100 straight way, but if you keep improving and learn from your mistakes and analysis your results smartly – then over time you will start getting better ranks and that will be very motivating too!:)

Now, how to analyse your test-attempt?

There are 3 parameters::

1. %Attempt 2. %Correct 3. %Score (and 4. Your rank w.r.t others)

% Attempt = no. of questions you attempted (and submitted your answer for).

eg. Out of 50 ques, you answered 33 ques. Therefore, your % Attmpt= 33/50 = 66%. This percentage shows the amount of paper you are able to answer (correctly OR incorrectly). It shows the amount of course you have covered. Ideally, it should be about 80% or more.

%Correct = no. of attempted questions that you answered CORRECTLY. This will show your ACCURACY.

eg. out of 33 attempted, you got 24 right. Therefore, %Correct or Accuracy = about 72%. Ideally this should be close to 90% or more. This is VERY difficult to achieve. Because an accuracy of 90% means that for every 10 questions you attempt – only 1 is wrong. Right from the first test, you should try to be as accurate as possible – this means NO TUKKAs. Do not attempt a question if you have no idea how to solve it. Only then this analysis will give you the correct picture. Try to maintain ATLEAST 80% accuracy.

%Score = % of marks got out of total… after accounting the negative marking.

eg. Lets say we use a +3/-1 system. Then in the above example, you get 3*24 – 9 = 63 out of 150 = 42% score. If you score 42% marks in GATE – you’ll get a rank of about 10K. To get a rank under 1000… you need to have a %score above 60 to 70%.

Finally the rank you get in the test will give an idea where you stand among your peers. Don’t worry about the rank initially. But as you get in the final 3 months and start solving the full-length mock tests – then you should keep a close watch on your rank.

Yeh toh sab mathematical analysis tha test ka. Now, how do you identify your mistakes and weak areas?

After solving a test. REVIEW it exhaustively. What mistakes you made. Was that a silly mistake? A calculation mistake? A conceptual loophole? Over a number of tests you’l start to see patterns of your mistakes – the kind of mistakes that you often do.

Once you have identified what types of mistakes you do – it wont happen again because when you solve the paper next time – you’ll have it in the back of your mind where you can make a mistake and immediately spot it when it happens!! Cool ha?

Re-attempt all the questions you did get right or didn’t even attempt. First do yourself with no time limit. Use notes/books if needed. But if you still can’t solve it… only then see the solution provided.

Also, since the there are so many tests – they will exhaustively cover the entire syllabus – this gives you the opportunity to know what you are still let to cover.

Lastly – the most obvious point – identify the areas you are weak in and then work on them. Then give another test and verify.

For eg. I find HIGHWAY ENGINEERING easy but there’s a chapter on PAVEMENT DESIGN. It’s full of formulas. I can easily answer conceptual questions from it but always get confused in the formula I need to use. So I wrote all the formulas separately and memorized them properly. Then I solved another set of questions on them – and when I was able to solve ALL of them with ease – I knew that I had overcome this weak area.

Now,  2 or more test series??

Look, every test series has a schedule – according to which you can plan your own schedule of prep. If you take 2 test series, then it’ll be hard to find a common path. Either you can keep one test series as PRIMARY and other as IF-TIME-REMAINS type of test series.

There is no harm, but I dont see any major advantage either.

Taking multiple test series would be a good idea IF and ONLY IF you have already completed the entire course PROPERLY and now need to revise and improvise each topic and each subject. That is, if taking test is all you have left to do – no more studying and understanding. Then it’ll be a good idea..

All The Best.

HOW TO REMEBER….??

MANTRA: Don’t be afraid of the person who knows 100 things, but do fear from the person who practiced a single thing 100 times.

STRATEGY: Cover only class notes ,work book and previous year Gate questions, but revise them as many times as you can.

You can revise the subjects in the following manner:

1st Revision: Just after the completion of subject in your coaching or by self study.

2nd Revision: Before topic wise test of your test series.

3rd Revision: Before full length Test of your test series.

4th Revision : In the last 15 days before the exam.

Is GATE a Natural Choice for Engineers..?

Perhaps, the issue has been little debated in our higher educational discourses. We normally hear that the students who are in their final year of engineering or those who have just passed out of Engineering, gear themselves to crack the GATE exam and to make into higher studies in some prestigious college or University. Another thing that adds a great deal of significance to GATE is that 22 PSUs in India hire employees on basic of their GATE score.

Undergraduate Engineering students usually face the question of why have they not done M. tech or are appearing for the GATE. Every year thousands of students appear for the GATE. Have they all made their choices wisely? Or the presumed norm that once done with the engineering one has to go for the higher technical education that has pushed many to take up the GATE? Put simply, is GATE a Natural Choice for engineers?

The Answer is a categorical no. The writer expresses displeasure over the way the exam is being painted and branded as a natural choice for engineers. Almost every ordinary engineers passing out makes an attempt to qualify for GATE. One doesn’t know exactly how many have made their choice consciously, but it is highly palpable that there is a mad rush to the GATE rather than a well thought plan to take up the higher studies.

• There are many students who have meticulously planned their career and have made up their minds to go through the GATE.
• There are equally many who have simply ignored the GATE. (People interested in other trades such as Management)

• In between these two groups, there are umpteen candidates who succumb to extraneous choices they are swayed by the trend.

So, be wise. GATE is not a natural choice for all Engineers, as we analyze the issue further. However, GATE has innumerable opportunities for engineers to make a bright future.

GATE Serves Two Purposes:

• As a doorway to the top universities and colleges.
• Also, it serves as a doorway For getting hired in PSUs. (LIke BHEL, NTPC, PGCIL, IOCL, BARC, CSIR and more.)

All I want to say is that be sure about your objective. There is no point in just adding to the count of candidates and wasting your time. It can be concluded that GATE is a natural choice for engineers who are interested in their trade and wanna excel in the field of engineering.

Rising Competition in GATE: Don’t Risk it All Alone

I am not here to question your competence. Instead, I am just here to familiarize you with toughness of GATE and why it’s hard for an ordinary engineer. The components that add to it’s toughness are:

• Extremely vast syllabus.
• Too many competitors
• Time bound and difficult online question paper

In this article we will be discussing a bit about the issues mentioned above. Have a look…

To Many Competitors:

The first component that increase the hardness is your fellow competitor. The seats are limited in number, but the number of candidates is very high. The new passouts are continuously adding to number candidates appearing in GATE. If it was tough this year then it would be tougher in upcoming year.

Lack of age bar for candidates to appear in GATE is another reason I don’t see the count coming down.

Below is the historic line chart showing the number of candidates who appeared in GATE exam.

In the Line Chart:

• Red represents numbers of candidates who registered.
• Blue represents the number of candidates who appeared.
• In Green are the ones who qualified.

You can also refer to the tabular data shown below.

Year	Registered	Appeared	Qualified	% qualified
2008	about 180,000 *	About 170,000*
2009	About 230,000*	About 210,000*
2010		About 415,000 *
2011		About 553,000 *
2012	777,134	686,614	108,526	15.81%
2013	1,200,728	984,855	136,699	13.88%
2014	1,033,625	889,156	149,694	16.84%
2015	927,580	804,463	121,060	15.05%

Approximately, on an average merely 15% qualify GATE. Still it is not sufficient to qualify, but to rank high. Higher your goal, so should be your rank.

Extremely Vast Syllabus:

The syllabus in itself is very vast. Below is the brief syllabus of a few major branches in Engineering. Everybody requires to qualify a General Aptitude Test as well.

	Civil Engineering (CE)
	Engineering MathematicsLinear AlgebraCalculus Differential equations Complex variables Probability and Statistics Numerical Methods
	STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING MechanicsStructural Analysis Concrete Structures Steel Structures
	GEO TECHNICAL ENGINEERING Soil MechanicsFoundation Engineering
	ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING Water requirementsAir Pollution Municipal Solid Wastes Noise Pollution
	TRANSPORTATION ENGINEERING Highway PlanningTraffic Engineering
	SURVEYING

On considering the subjects mentioned above, we will see that the book of Engineering Mathematics is a big one and there exists a separate book for every topic mentioned in every other block below the heading. Becoming an expert in 10+ subjects is not easy, but you will have to.

If you have any plans regarding GATE then be mentally prepared for the load. Yours hit & trial methods for GATE might work or might not. In such condition a good coaching institute can be of great help. I repeat “A GOOD coaching institute”.

Time Bounded Question Paper:

Complaints of “lengthy” problems have been rare, but it can’t be concluded that the question paper is easy in any manner. The real challenge faced in examination hall are:

• To be in possession of background-info and concepts necessary to solve the problem.
• To solve the questions within allocated time.

Only trick is all about solving correctly and in minimal time. Obviously, if you took education seriously then you would be able to solve most of the problems, but will you be able to solve them within time? Well! I doubt it.

With proper guidance, tricks, and tips from a ESE/GATE qualified faculty you will be able to minimize the lag. Without doubt, for that you will require joining a good coaching specializing in GATE preparation.

Summary: Don’t risk it all alone:

Qualifying GATE is likely to be more difficult for a newbie. It’s all about strategy, time management, and training. Yes! Coaching Institutes do have a relevance. Anyone, with a serious attitude regarding GATE must join a good one.

GATE coaching from 3rd year Itself

Benefits of Joining GATE Coaching from Pre final year or earlier.

It’s been a hot topic of discussion among engineers; whether to join GATE coaching an year before (In the final year) or even before (in 2nd year or 3rd year). Today, we will try to discuss it out and will try to end the discussion once and for all. What you need to consider are your own interests, proficiency in different subject, goals you want to achieve by qualifying GATE, and available finance.

In my opinion early start is the best thing you can do. Let’s begin with the obvious benefits of the long term preparation.

More Harmonious Learning:

It provides you with more time to adjust with individual topics in various subjects. You learn easily and in a comfortable manner. The syllabus for exams like GATE and ESE is very vast and it will require some time to familiarize yourself.

Early Preparation:

An early starter always has more time before the actual exam as their course curriculum will finish much before the batches that start later. Another benefit comes in the form of optimal time utilization.

Improvement in Academic Performance as Well:

In addition, the things students study at a coaching institute prove quite helpful in increasing their class performance as well as in the college/university examinations. In reality, joining GATE or ESE coaching will not affect your studies in adverse manner. Actually, it will only aid in boosting your academic performance.

You enroll in a competent Batch with Competent Batchmates:

As serious aspirants never waits. For this reason the competence of Early-Batches would be very high because the serious/brightest of the lot will join with you. This will surely create a better educational environment for you.

Multiple Revisions:

The best part is that, as the date of competitive exam will come closer, you will find yourself doing the revision. On the other hand, the late-entry guys will be still struggling to complete the syllabus for the first time.

Also, it is said that when you devote time in something then your chances to succeed rise exponentially. The early-bird not only catches the worm, but also saves a lot of time. Now, if for some reason you are not able to beat the competition in your first attempt, still you will be in a better position for the next examination combat.