‘Here’s how we attempted the GATE exam’: Past years’ rankers’ suggestions to aspirants

Read | GATE 2026 Begins Tomorrow: List of documents, dress code, prohibited items and other instructions

A week before the exam, Dhar’s objective was not to score high marks while solving full-length mock tests, but to test his exam strategy, time management, and question-selection approach. He tried to match the real exam timing to acclimate himself to actual exam conditions.

The last week was focused on stability and strategy rather than learning new content.

The 26-year-old is now pursuing MTech in Computer Science and Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT-B). Recalling what he did in the last few days, he told to indianexpress.com, “I revised the most important PYQs and thoroughly analysed problems from mock tests that I found difficult. I revised my short notes, always supplemented with problem-solving.”

When asked which topics he paid special attention to, he shared Pointers from Programming, Synchronisation from Operating Systems, Cache and Memory Hierarchy from COA, Undecidability from TOC, Engineering Math, Discrete Math formulas, and a few topics from Compiler Design. To him, these topics require strong conceptual clarity, and prioritising them helped him reduce mistakes, though he mentions that the GATE topic priority list can vary from person to person.

In his second GATE attempt in 2025, he scored 99.95 percentile, where he avoided overloading himself and used light activities like watching sitcoms during breaks.

One of the biggest mistakes that I made was not solving enough PYQs and not doing analysis. Real improvement comes from being brave enough to confront and learn from mistakes through rigorous analysis.

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In his maiden attempt in 2024, he scored a “mediocre” rank, which initially affected his confidence. “I was also unwell during this period and made the decision to leave a job to focus on preparation,” he said, adding that after resigning, he gave 100+ sectional mocks and 50+ full-length mocks. Although his early mock scores were underwhelming, continuous revision, active recall, and problem-solving helped strengthen his fundamentals, and by the end of December, he was confident in his preparation and had no regrets about leaving the job.

While stress and self-doubt arising from his first attempt were Dhar’s challenges, for 24-year-old Debduttaa Chatterjee, the passing of a close relative in the final week of the exam was one of the most challenging phases of her preparation.

Appearing for mathematics in GATE in 2025, in her last week, she prioritised Linear Algebra, Real Analysis, and Calculus, not because they were easy, but because they were conceptually interconnected.

I avoided over-focusing on weak areas at the last moment. Instead, I strengthened my strong areas to ensure accuracy in GATE. 

After ranking 657, Chatterjee is now pursuing a PhD in Mathematics at IIT BHU, a choice she calls that was shaped by her long-term association with the subject.

Mathematics requires clear thinking, so she focused on revising core concepts, key theorems, and standard problems. She relied on short notes, solved examples, and error analysis rather than attempting more mock tests.

A steady routine with proper rest and breaks made study less about intensity and more about consistency and self‑trust.

In the exam hall, Debduttaa tried to keep her anxiety in check, avoided guesswork to prevent negative marking, and attempted only the questions she was sure about. While recalling a mistake that she suggested GATE 2026 aspirants to avoid, she said, “One mistake I made was trying to chase multiple sources and worrying excessively about solving every problem perfectly.”

Aspirants need to accept that slow progress in mathematics is still a progress.

Another student, Paramanand Gupta, who is now working with BHEL, had appeared for GATE twice and in both his attempts he scored 99.15 (2012) and 99.32 (2013) percentiles.

Unlike Dhar and Chatterjee, Gupta found managing GATE preparation along with his regular college studies and assignments challenging. Additionally, his inconsistent performance in mock tests, choosing wrong options under pressure, confusion in formulas, calculation mistakes, self-doubt, and the fear of forgetting on the exam day created a hurdle.

Last week’s panic cause more rank loss than lack of knowledge. It is better to revise as many times as a student can.

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When asked what he did during his last few days of the exam, Gupta said, “I focused on revising formula sheets, short notes, and past papers— especially the questions I often got wrong — without picking up new topics. I made sure to attempt at least one full-length mock test, prioritising accuracy while managing speed. Alongside studies, I stayed hydrated, avoided junk food, and dedicated about 30 minutes daily to physical and mental well-being.”

Lack of conceptual clarity, skipping early revision, overthinking mock test ranks, and calculation errors under time pressure are some mistakes that aspirants should avoid.

For his preparation, he concentrated on high‑weightage subjects. His focus areas included Strength of Materials (stress–strain, deflection, joint/gear design), Thermodynamics and Heat Transfer (laws, cycles, exchangers), Fluid Mechanics (properties, flow types, Bernoulli’s equation), and Industrial Engineering (CPM, PERT).

Final days before GATE 2026

–Focus on formulas, definitions, and key theorems rather than learning new topics.

–Go through your own notes for quick recall.

–Revisit solved papers to understand question patterns. Attempt limited mocks and spend more time analysing mistakes.

–Practice solving within the exam’s time frame to build speed and accuracy.

–Don’t chase new sources or topics at the last minute.

–Maintain proper sleep, short study sessions, and mental breaks. Plan which sections to attempt first based on your strengths.
–Trust your preparation and avoid comparing with others. Eat light, stay hydrated, and keep a steady routine for exam day readiness.

GATE, a national-level computer-based test, is held annually for admission into master’s programmes and for direct recruitment into various Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs). The exam will be held in two shifts: forenoon (9:30 am – 12:30 pm ) and afternoon (2:30 pm– 5:30 pm), with results expected on March 19.