GATE 2019: With only four days to go for the much awaited GATE 2019 exams to begin, every aspirant is trying their best to utilise every single minute to give it their best shot. The GATE exam is scheduled on February 2, 3, 9 and 10. Given that there are only a handful of days remaining, in order to get a good rank candidates need to maintain a balance between practising questions and revising the syllabus. The good news is that the exam pattern has not changed in the last 3-4 years. Although this year, instead of 23 papers, the examination will be conducted for 24 papers because of a new addition, i.e. Statistics. READ | GATE 2019 tomorrow: How to prepare for Engineering Science The Statistics (ST) exam will take place for the first time this year, and so there is a lot of uncertainty regarding the type of questions that may be asked. The pattern, however, will remain the same as the other subjects with an equal weightage given to the General Aptitude section. Candidates can access the detailed syllabus for the Statistics paper on the GATE 2019 website. The GATE exam pattern consists of 65 questions split into two sections: General Aptitude (GA) which includes 10 questions and Technical section including 55 questions. The Technical section has about 20 questions in NAT format (Numerical Answer Type) while the remaining are MCQs. Overall, aspirants have 180 minutes to write the exam. Below is the marking pattern of GATE 2019, which will help you choose the right strategy to attempt questions. GATE is a crucial examination for all engineering aspirants and being under pressure during the last few days will only affect the performance of the aspirants. Here are some last-minute tips and tricks that will help you deal with stress and crack the exam with flying colours: To revise your concepts and formulae, make sure you attempt online mock tests daily. This will acquaint you with the online exam interface along with the usage of virtual calculator which is a vital tool in GATE exam. Normally, about 30 per cent of GATE questions require the usage of virtual calculators. Compile short notes and formulae This is the best time to use the short notes & formula lists you must have prepared during the initial stages. Revise and recollect the concepts in your memory by taking time out between the revisions of topics. Don’t lose focus from General Aptitude & Engineering Mathematics Together, both these sections carry about 25 per cent to 30 per cent of total marks. Candidates can easily score high in this section with adequate practice. Hence, it would be a smart move to revise all concepts from both these subjects to strike a good score in the exam. Keep a track on the previous year’s statistics The rank scored in the GATE exam decides whether you are eligible for a PSU job. So you need to be aware of previous years’ data, the cut-off and maximum marks scored in each branch. This will help you make a target score, secure your dream job in a PSU or an admission in the IITs. For instance, the cut off for GATE 2018 in Mechanical Engineering was 34.7 for the general category, 31.2 for OBCs and 23.1 for SC Appear with a proper strategy and confidence While every aspirant has a different strategy for tackling the GATE examination, develop a smart approach of attempting at least one full mock test daily, analysing the progress in each section and making improvements in the score accordingly with each passing day before the exam. Aspirants must read each question carefully and decide whether it can be answered and then spend the required time on it. Finally, it is important to manage your time well, work hard and get enough sleep; up to 8-10 hours each night before and during the exams. This will help you attempt the exam with utmost confidence and positivity. - The author is SVP (Academic) at Gradeup
