The Graduate Aptitude Test for Engineers (GATE) is an exam conducted by the Indian Institute of Science (IISC) and seven institutes of technology (IITs) to test graduating engineers and science students. The idea is to test their knowledge and areas of interest for admission to Master’s and even recruitment by some public sector companies. With GATE 2022 set to start on February 5, many candidates might be feeling the pressure. So, here are some tips to help you deal with stress and fatigue.
Revision: Focus on the main subjects topics that are your strength. Go through and revise all notes in the time available. Don’t start new topics in the little time left. This will be a waste of time and cause you more stress and anxiety. Strengthen areas you are good at instead.
Mocks tests: Start taking as many full-length tests as possible. Solving the previous years’ papers will not only help increase your knowledge but also improve your speed. You will also learn to analyse your strong and weak points with more practice and become familiar with the paper pattern and the online technology.
Stay calm: Stress and pressure will not help you. You will progress if your mind is peaceful and calm. Make time in your schedule to de-stress. Go for a walk, listen to music, play a sport or meditate. Ensure you have breaks to refresh your mind and help you concentrate better.
Pattern: Being well versed with the syllabus and the changes to the exam pattern are important. Make sure you are referring to reference books that are updated.
Virtual Calculator: You will have to use a Virtual Calculator for the numerical-based questions. Get used to working on that, as the better your speed the more time you will have. This can also impact your marks.
Avoid discussions: Don’t try pre-exam discussions on preparation. Each person prepares in his or her own way. So listening to a friend’s strategy may increase your stress.
Section-wise prep: Since General Aptitude and Engineering Maths have the most points, concentrate on these two. They also require total accuracy. Go over the basic problems in the former and learn the formulas of the latter.
Keep faith in yourself, eat a healthy diet and ensure you are well rested. Your hard work will pay off.
Source: The Hindu, 26/12/21
