GATE 2024: Things to Do in the LAST MONTH

With the examination season upon us, we hope all the ESE exam aspirants have done well in their exams. Now after a month, we have the GATE 2024 exam, and most students we see around are anxious and worried about the GATE examination. They keep wondering if they have studied enough or if they have left any topic from the exam point of view. Most aspirants pray that some miracle happens and they get to know the questions that will come in the exam.

We want to talk about and highlight the steps you must take one month before the examination, taking all the issues and problems that students face right before the exam. Therefore, before we start with the respective steps or things, let us make some points clear that students feel and have in mind around the examination. Along with this, we will deliver clarity towards misconceptions associated with this engineering competitive exam with the state of mind.

1. Anxiety: It is quite normal for a student or professional preparing for the GATE exam to get anxious before the GATE examination keeping the intense competition in mind. You have worked hard all year long and now you want to give your best shot. The interesting part is anxiety is normal and it is sometimes even helpful for you to remain focused to achieve your goal. However, developing tension throughout the GATE preparation journey and having sleepless nights or not studying at all is wrong. So, make sure you are studying regularly and putting in your effort as that will give you the desired results.

2. Test Series: We are sure that most of you are now attempting or reattempting the online and/or classroom test series. You may know some questions and solve them with much ease but you may face difficulty in solving some questions. Do not let yourself be bogged down after seeing the unsatisfying marks in the test series. The Test Series is prepared with a variety of questions including easy and difficult ones. You need to make sure that you keep a note of the questions that you found difficult while solving and revise from time to time. Making a mistake in the GATE test series is acceptable but a similar mistake in can cause your rank score to drop, even if it is one mark. Therefore, you need to have a sporting spirit and take your marks in the test series with greater zeal and confidence.

3. Doing it all: Right before the exam the students normally try to read everything and anything under the sun. Most students hear something new from a friend and with the fear that the experts might ask the same question in the final exam, they tend to read new topics also that we come across. It is natural human instinct to do so, but GATE exam aspirants must avoid this completely.

4. Leaving aptitude section: The students tend to leave the General Aptitude (GA) part of the GATE examination with the notion that it carries just 15 marks and will be easy to solve. Always remember that the GATE syllabus does not specify any fixed subjects for the aptitude part of the examination. Therefore, you must practice the aptitude topic well as it can become the deciding factor in your selection scores.

These are the top concerns that GATE aspirants most commonly deal with during the exam preparation journey. We now come to the important part about the activities that students must do to overcome these misconceptions and come out victorious in the competitive exam. With just a month to go for the GATE exam, this time is very crucial for all the aspirants as sincere and dedicated effort can give you results whereas even slight ignorance in your studies can cost you to a great extent. Therefore, we bring to you 10 things to do a month before the final exam.

1. Calm Yourself Down: Instead of always being in a state of panic and fear and hampering your preparation, you must calm yourself down before any competitive exam such as the GATE exam and ESE exam. As an exam aspirant, you can perform various rejuvenating activities to calm yourself and sharpen your mind. Some of these activities include meditation, listening to good music, going for a walk with friends, and talking to your friends and family, to name a few. Make sure not to indulge in any activity that eats your time or distracts you completely from the exam mode. Choose the activities smartly. Activities that one must avoid include watching a movie, starting a new TV series, reading a novel, going out partying with friends, etc.
2. Strategy: The GATE 2024 exam requires a different strategy from ESE. The questions require in-depth knowledge of the subjects. Therefore, you must be thorough with your concepts and their applicability. GATE comprises a significant part that has several numerical-type questions in the examination. Therefore, exam takers must practice calculating the answers with a virtual calculator, instead of the physical ones. It will help you get accustomed to the examination format and solve the questions quickly in the exam. Your question attempting speed increases steadily with the increase in the question practice session. Therefore, it will ultimately lead to more marks in the GATE examination. The strategy for 1 month before the exam must also include the selection of the best books and studying from them according to the updated GATE syllabus.
3. Revise: If you have already practiced the test series questions and previous year’s questions, then now is the time to pick those practice notes, and revise them once again. While revising, if you think any topic requires special attention, take your GATE preparation notes and go through them thoroughly. Starting with a new topic at this stage can hamper your preparation and affect your mind largely. Therefore, do not start any new topic during the revision phase but make sure to revise the old ones to become thorough with the topics important from the GATE syllabus point of view and not miss any questions related to them.
4. Practice: If you have not practiced any questions during your GATE preparation phase, then this is the high time to start practicing quality test series, which offer the solutions for later reference. Practicing questions regularly will help you revise properly and understand which topics you left by mistake during the earlier stages of preparation. Every GATE 2024 exam aspirant must put in the best efforts at this time and answer the questions properly to get a real-time experience of the actual GATE examination.

So practice questions, as knowledge is of no value if not practiced well.

5. Discussion: During the revision phase, if you feel that you are facing a problem in understanding a particular topic, try to sort out the confusion after an in-depth discussion with an expert specialized in the respective subject. Picking up a new book to understand a topic will make you lost in the maze and you may forget the topics that you know well. In this way, you can solve your queries quite well and have an amazing revision phase ahead.
6. Inspirational Videos: Right before the exam test series, our friends, and some fellow aspirants tend to bring our confidence down. The one-stop solution for all this unwanted chatter around is watching inspirational videos from the right platforms. Watch TED Talks, Toppers Talks, or other inspirational videos on the popular video platform known as YouTube. With the help of these videos, you get a sense of what it takes to be a person of authority and intelligence. Nothing in this world comes easy, except mediocrity. Choosing a competitive exam such as the GATE exam already differentiates you from the crowd. To stay afloat from the general crowd, you must first float beyond the social noise around you. In this way, you can stay on track and implement the strategy for 1 month in the best possible manner.
7. Proper Breaks: Amidst all the preparation pressure and exam anxiety, the activity that is of utmost importance is taking breaks. Breaks are not about sitting idle and overthinking about the exam but taking fruitful breaks, which will refresh your mind and help you stay focused with the correct frame of mind. Tiring your mind right before the exam can drain you out during the exam. Therefore, take proper breaks like talking to friends, and watching videos to reap the right benefits. For breaks, you can also practice aptitude questions as this will not only give you a much-needed break but also help you secure better marks in the GATE examination.
8. Do not worry: If you have appeared for the UPSC ESE 2023 exam, you must have or have not secured your desired results. Now, it becomes important to keep the results aside, especially if the scores did not turn out as you expected, and focus on the upcoming GATE 2024 exam attempt. You never know what is in store for you. Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) is a huge platform that provides engineering graduates with bright opportunities to build a promising future. Starting from good PSU jobs to post-graduation in top engineering institutes, GATE is a one-stop solution for making all dreams come true. So leave everything behind and get set for the GATE exam.

9. Live the day: If one practices something regularly for a week or two, the mind gets habitual with the respective routine. Therefore, one can start to follow a beneficial routine that comprises waking up early, sitting for 3 hours during your supposed GATE 2024 examination timing, and wearing similar clothes that you will wear during the final exam, etc. just a month before the exam. This routine will prepare you mentally and physically for the examination day before the actual exam day.
10. Take care of yourself: If GATE aspirants do not take proper care of their health and body, consistent GATE preparation will not fetch you the desired results when required. Therefore, you need to make sure to follow a good routine associated with proper sleep and food habits. Take a good 6-8 hours of sleep, eat healthy food, and avoid junk. Your stomach controls your body and only a healthy stomach will run a healthy mind. Therefore, eat fruits and vegetables and sleep well keeping stress-causing sources away from you.

As a national-level examination, the GATE examination tests the conceptual clarity of the aspirants in their respective subjects. Therefore, the aspirants must remain focused and dedicated to the GATE 2024 exam right from the day they start their GATE preparation to the last day when the exam is held. Aspirants must understand that the examination adds a feeling of anxiety and fear that makes the respective aspirant procrastinate in the best possible manner. If aspirants continue doing this, it will nullify all the preparation efforts. It is because it is not learning but the practice that makes one perfect whether it is the race for an examination or your own life.

Keeping all the above points in mind, you must spend this last month keeping yourself calm, focused, and keeping yourself healthy. You must practice and revise all you have read in the GATE preparation phase and not pick up any new topics or books to read from during this critical phase. Rely more on discussions with your friends and family members who uplift you. Do not forget to take productive breaks to rest your mind. With this blog post, the team of MADE EASY aims to help GATE aspirants rise beyond the clouds and come out with flying colors in the GATE 2024 exam.

Now, let us check out some common concerns associated with the GATE 2024 examination.

1. What are the best books to prepare for the GATE 2024 exam?

Ans. If you are a GATE exam aspirant, you must aim to choose particular resources that will offer you the required guidance until the time of the GATE 2024 exam.

Best Books to prepare for the GATE 2024 Exam:

• 1- GATE-2024: Civil Engineering Previous Year Solved Papers
• 2- GATE-2024: Mechanical Engineering Previous Year Solved Papers
• 3- GATE-2024: Chemical Engineering Previous Year Solved Papers
• 4- GATE-2024: Computer Science and IT Solved Papers

2. When was the GATE 2024 admit card released?

Ans. The GATE 2024 admit card has been released on 3^rd January 2024.

3. How many times is the GATE exam conducted every year?

Ans. The concerned organizing committee (out of the list of organizing committees) conducts the GATE exam once every year.

4. Can candidates use the physical calculator during the GATE 2024 exam?

Ans. No. The concerned organizing authorities allow GATE aspirants to use only a virtual calculator while attempting the GATE 2024 exam.

5. What are the GATE 2024 exam dates?

Ans. IISC Bangalore will conduct the GATE 2024 exam on the 3^rd, 4^th, 10^th, and 11^th of February 2024.

6. What is the expected date of GATE 2024 results?

Ans. Candidates appearing for the GATE 2024 exam can expect the results to be out on 16^th March 2024.

If you face any problems during your exam preparation journey, please feel free to write to us. We would be happy to help you!

All the best for the GATE 2024 exam!

Dear Aspirants,

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