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Importance of Time Management for GATE exam

They say hard work is the key to success but with changing times, this particular quote has also evolved into- Hard and smart work is the key to success. Now, we are all familiar with hard work. Hard work is rigorous effort and energy put into something in order to yield lucrative and desired results. Smart work; on the other hand, is a completely new concept with a completely new type of effort toward achieving what one aims to. Smart work is the strategic preparation. One needs to analyze the task at hand and bifurcate it according to the value of each in the task. Strategies can be created and implemented depending upon the total time and the value of the different areas or subjects included in the task. For example, if you have a mathematics exam in two days and the exam includes eight chapters. Prepare each chapter according to how much percentage of the total paper it covers.

He who every morning plans the transactions of that day and follows that plan carries a thread that will guide him through the labyrinth of the busiest life.” – Victor Hugo

Planning and managing time is the most essential thing not only for specific tasks and exams but also for life. Another famous saying is “Time is money.” This particular saying still stands true. Loss of time is like the loss of money and in today’s world poverty is the worst bed you could choose to sleep in. However, money is not time and almost everything you want, need and wish is directly or indirectly dependent upon time.

The General Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) is a computer-based standardized exam that tests the examinee based on his primary undergraduate knowledge related to the general aspects of engineering and specifically the subject or field he or she wishes to specialize in. Thousands of students appear for this exam each year.

One of the necessities of GATE exam preparation is skillful handling of time. However, this strategic skill comes in handy during the exam too.

Career options have increased but so has the competition. New careers have sauntered into our populated lives and the old ones continue to have a hold and the same importance. Engineering is one of them. This very old career option is new in different fields and much detailed and improved.

Every aspiring engineer aiming to complete his or her higher education in India aspires for a good JEE Main score that will get him into a top-notch institution for his Undergraduate program. However, that is not it. The second most elementary concern of an on growing engineer who holds an undergraduate degree in a particular field of engineering is the GATE score.

Importance of a GATE score?

  • A good GATE score will get you into some of the most reputed institutions in the country like IITs, IISCs, etc.
  • A decent GATE score can also help you attain funding and scholarships is private institutions inside and outside India.
  • If you planning to do an MBA, then the top colleges in the country that offer the degree admit students on the basis of their GATE score.
  • GATE score also opens up international opportunities enabling you to study abroad as many of the international universities require a good GATE score for their entrance, especially some of the universities in Singapore and Germany.
  • GATE preparation can come in handy even if you do not wish to study for a master’s degree in the near future. The GATE preparation can brush up your knowledge of engineering and prepare you for semester exams as well as campus recruitments.


Why is there a need for time management while you prepare for your GATE exam?

GATE is a highly competitive exam where thousands of students compete to acquire a seat in a few of the best educational institutions in the country. The number of seats available is very less than the number of examinees, which already increases the risk and the difficulty rate of the exam. It is a well-known fact that better the institution, better will be the quality of education, the rate of placement and brighter will be the future. It is a simple formula for engineers at an academic level. Therefore, in order to crack the GATE exam, one needs to put in all their effort, energy and time but all will be in vain if not strategized and well managed. Time management helps you strategically plan, prepare and produce good results.

To make your preparation a little easier, in this article we have added the general format of the exam and a few tips that will help you manage your time while preparing for the GATE exam:

The total duration of the exam is 3 hours.

The Technical questions cover the highest percentage of the total paper. In total, around 45 technical questions need to be answered. Half of which are of one mark each and the other half are of two marks each. The remaining percentage of the total paper is divided equally, between the general aptitude questions and the math questions. In total there are 10 general questions asked. Five are of one mark each and the remaining five are of two marks each. The math questions could be eight to ten in number and of one or two marks. The marks, if remaining are adjusted in the technical questions.

Whether it is six months or just fifteen days, time management for the GATE exam is essential and crucial.

Tips to Strategic Time Management for GATE

For both long term and/or short term GATE exam preparation:

  1. A well-timed start could make you work all the easier. If you start preparing for the exam, three months beforehand, the effectiveness of your preparation will increase tremendously. You would and should have enough time for preparation and revision.
  2. Identify the value of each part of the exam. Identifying what is important and what is not is the primary step. This way you can invest time in important parts like hypothesis and numbers.
  3. Make sure that you spare enough time for preparation, and then check your preparation and improve it by solving previous years question paper. This way you can test yourself and analyze which subject r areas you need to focus on more.
  4. Revision is an important step. This step is crucial to your preparation and cannot be avoided. Make sure you spare a minimum of twenty-five days for your revision. In revision time you can take mock tests and other online tests.
  5. Spare enough time for sleeping, eating and other recreational activities.
  6. General aptitude could be said as the easiest and the most scoring section of the paper. You should invest enough time in preparing for the same from different standard books and papers.
  7. Take a weekly revision test for what you studied the previous day. This will save your revision time during the week before the exam.
  8. Spare time for solving comprehensive questions related to the subjects and chapters you are weak at.

Time Management Tips during the GATE Exam:

  1. Reach the examination center before time.
  2. Do not spend more than 15 minutes in reading the complete paper.
  3. Attempt first the questions that you are confident about.
  4. Do not spend more than five minutes on a question you are not sure about.
  5. Stay Calm in the last phase of the GATE and even during the Exam.

Important things to know about the GATE exam:

  1. The duration of the exam is 3 hours.
  2. The GATE score is only valid for two years.
  3. These exams are conducted on a computer-based online mode.
  4. There is negative marking in multiple-choice questions. 1/3 of the marks are deducted for each wrong answer.
  5. There is no negative marking in the numerical questions.

TIP: Attempt all the numeric questions and as far as the MCQs are concerned, attempt only the ones you are sure about.

Efficient time management will help you crack the GATE exam regardless of how late you begin to prepare. If you begin your preparations, plan and systematize your learning and practicing schedule even twenty days before, there is a possibility of you being able to clear the exam and acquire a seat at a renowned institution. Time management has and can do wonders.

What we all need to understand today is that everyone has their own pace of life, own time and speed of doing things. You have your own speed; your competitor has his own. You can be fast yet slower or vice versa but you cannot control the pace of somebody else’s life. However, you can control your own pace and improve it with proper time management thereby achieving better results.


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