GATE Preparation Tips 2024: Candidates appearing for the GATE exam need an effective strategic plan to crack it. GATE Preparation will be highly dependent on the subject chosen by the candidate. It is important for all aspirants to go through the GATE last-minute tips to perfect their exam strategy. To prepare a GATE study plan, candidates must have in-depth knowledge of the GATE Exam Pattern, syllabus, best study materials, and proper guidance from experts.

GATE is a National-Level exam, and to crack it, aspirants must ensure that they move in the right direction. By following the prescribed GATE tips and tricks, candidates can improve their exam-taking strategy and score good marks in the GATE 2024. Read this article and find the best last-minute preparation tips to clear the GATE Exam with flying colours.

Latest Updates:
— IISC Bangalore will begin GATE 2024 registrations on August 24, 2023 and end on September 29, 2023. Candidates willing to appear for the entrance test on February 3, 4, 10 and 11, 2024, are highly recommended to check out the preparation tips from this page to improve their exam-taking experience.

GATE Preparation Tips 2024

Whether you rely on self-study or a coaching institute for your GATE 2024 entrance exam preparation, you will always need a well-planned strategy and understanding of the GATE 2024 Syllabus and Exam Pattern. The GATE question paper consists of 65 questions and carries 100 marks. Since there will be negative marking for each wrong answer, we advise you to avoid guessing and recommend you attempt only those questions you are entirely sure of.

GATE Preparation Strategy 2024 is usually based on candidates’ abilities and hard work. Check the below-mentioned strategy for effective preparation:

1. Understand Concepts & Fundamentals

1. Know your syllabus.
2. Make short notes for formulas and concepts.
3. Strengthen your concepts for all the topics.
4. Having a strong grip on concepts will be helpful.
5. Make your notes in such a way that you can easily revise again and again before the GATE exam.

2. Start Early for GATE Preparation

1. Analyse your time, routine, and number of days or months required to complete the subject or topic.
2. Make a list of GATE Important Topics in the order of difficulty level.
3. Keep a note of all the GATE preparation books which you will require to study.
4. As per this strategy, you will be able to put your efforts in the right direction of preparation.
5. Try not to divert from your GATE preparation plan.

3. Cite Best Study Resource for GATE

1. Try to find the trustable GATE preparation online resources.
2. Watch GATE subject-related online videos and lectures.
3. Read related online study books for GATE preparation, articles and many more which explain the complete topics in a detailed and effective manner.
4. You can take help from the video lectures from sources like YouTube.
5. Also, refer to the IIT professors’ and IES’ recommend books.

4. Make Use of Flashcards

1. Use sticky notes or flashcards to note important points
2. This will be of help while learning and revising difficult formulas and methods
3. Jot down tough formulas and concepts and stick them in front of your walls or tables
4. This will help you to remember the formulas and difficult topics

5. Frequent Revision

1. Revise! Revise! Revise
2. Spend at least 2 hours on revision daily
3. This helps you retain all the concepts you have studied the day before
4. You can choose to do your revisions daily or weekly, but ensure you stick to the routine

6. Solve Mock Test/ Previous Year’s Question Paper/ Sample Paper

1. Solve more mock tests. It will help you gain hands-on experience to crack the real-time exam effectively.
2. Attempting mock tests enhances your problem-solving ability by helping you solve questions within the given time frame.
3. Each year GATE Exam conducting body releases the GATE Mock Test officially on its website.
4. Taking more GATE Mock Tests will boost your confidence, and increase your speed and accuracy.
5. Apart from the mock test, GATE Previous Year Question Papers will also be helpful for you.
6. There are many test series provided by Made Easy, GATE Academy and Kreatryx.
7. Try choosing the reliable study resources suggested by experts and toppers.

GATE Study Time Table

Every student has a different preparation technique. They can dedicate time for the GATE Preparation according to their ability and learning plan. However, below we have provided the minimum number of hours and time they can dedicate to each subject or topic in the table below:

Day	At least 2 Hours	More Than 2 hours	2-3 hours
Monday	Engineering Maths	Subject Specific Topics	Numerical Ability
Tuesday	Subject Specific Topics	Subject Specific Topics	Verbal Ability
Wednesday	Engineering Maths	Subject Specific Topics	Subject Specific Topics (Pick those that need more time)
Thursday	Subject Specific Topics	Engineering Maths (Pick the ones that need more time to cover)	Numerical Ability
Friday	Subject Specific Topics	Verbal Ability	Numerical Ability
Saturday	Subject Specific Test	Full-Length Mock Test	Analyze Your Mock Test
Sunday	Subject Specific Test	Full-Length Mock Test	Analyze Your Mock Test

Important: GATE Exam Date

GATE General Aptitude Prep Tips

The GATE Preparation should be formulated based on a perfect strategic plan. The General Aptitude section in GATE is common to all the subjects. Candidates are advised to prepare well for this section too. GATE General Aptitude has been divided into

• Numerical Ability
• Verbal Ability

You can refer to the below preparation strategy for GATE Preparation.

GATE Preparation for Numerical Ability Section 2024

1. This section is the scoring section in GATE.
2. Cover all the fundamental topics and concepts.
3. Learn time-saving techniques in the exam by solving more and more problems.
4. Create a formula cheat sheet also and go through them regularly.
5. Learn to use shortcuts and use them during your mock sessions.
6. Try to maintain consistency while practising the problems.
7. Utilize GATE Preparation Resources to the fullest.

GATE Preparation for Verbal Ability Section 2024

1. The first step in preparing for the Verbal Ability section is to improve your vocabulary.
2. You can use online apps to improve your verbal skills.
3. Make a habit of having conversations in English.
4. Start reading English newspapers.
5. Use shortcuts to solve problems; refer to YouTube for simple and detailed sessions.
6. You can listen to the English Podcast; it will prove your vocabulary and speaking skills as well.
7. Learn tenses, active and passive voices, adjectives, etc. These are the fundamentals of grammar which are necessary to learn.
8. Read questions carefully and try to understand their meaning at the first go so you don’t have to re-read.

GATE Engineering Mathematics Prep Tips

1. If you are preparing for Differential Equation, it is important for you to remember Bernoulli’s Equation and Euler’s Differential Equations.
2. Eigenvalue and Matrix Algebra problems are the most important topics of Engineering Mathematics. You should not leave any linear algebra topics.
3. Memorize the formula or Numerical Methods like Simpson’s Rule and Trapezoidal Rules.
4. Statistics and Probability is another scoring topic. Memorize Poisson Law, Bayes Theorem and so on.

GATE Last-minute Preparation Tips

Here, we are providing the final steps for revision, which candidates can utilize during the last days for their preparation:

• Keep revising while you’re still preparing – If you have completed the maximum syllabus, then try to avoid the new topics for now. If the topics are very important, you can only go through some important points or notes.
• Take more mock tests – Take complete mock tests every day once you finish the syllabus to analyze how much you are improving each day. Before the exam, you can identify your strengths and weaknesses and work on those parts. In such cases, time management plays an important role. So a regular mock test will give you better results in speed as well as in terms of accuracy.
• Make notes – Try to make notes for everything you read. Don’t rely on YouTube videos and online lectures too much. Try to keep revising your notes regularly. Once you revise, you will see that you are memorizing everything, which will help you to score better.
• Practice numerical more – The candidates should attempt the NAT-based questions because such sections don’t have any negative markings. So prepare well for them.
• Follow a healthy life routine – While preparing for any exam, students usually avoid following a healthy diet and sleep pattern. But at this stage, it is important to stick to a healthy eating and sleeping pattern as it will help in candidates’ high concentration levels. So candidates should ensure they follow a healthy lifestyle based on a well-planned schedule to focus and prepare well for GATE.
• Keep your test day procedures prepared – Candidates ought to reasonably comprehend the number of inquiries they need to endeavour for an ideal GATE score. The paper will have negative markings, so there is no need to attempt all the questions if you are unsure about answers.

Candidates should know their strengths and play along to score well. There is no sectional time limit. Therefore, the candidates can choose any section and start attempting the ones they are confident in cracking. It is highly suggested that candidates avoid guessing work as there is negative marking for wrong answers in MCQs / MCQs.

Is Coaching Best for GATE 2024?

Several coaching institutes offer the GATE Preparation Coaching as well as training. Due to the COVID situation across the country, most coaching institutes have shifted to online classes because it is impossible to attend the courses offline. These coaching institutes have great teachers and professors who help students achieve their goals.

Although just coaching alone will not assure you of the selection, you can get a good rank with the help of your consistent effort and practice. Candidates can refer to the YouTube lectures uploaded by IIT professors, and IES qualified great lecturers.

Aspirants can refer to more than one source for online videos to understand the essential concepts and topics. If you are preparing for the first time, it is recommended that you take help from experts and online instructor-led courses.

GATE Preparation Resources

Candidates preparing for GATE need to ensure they use the best GATE preparatory resources, especially those who do not opt for online GATE coaching sessions. Aspirants can use GATE resources such as YouTube Videos, GATE Important Books, Questions papers, Sample Papers, Mock Tests, Online or Offline Test Series.

Various authors in the market publish GATE 2024 exam books. However, you need to analyze and find out the best ones. Attempt GATE Mock Tests and go through last year’s GATE question papers to have an idea regarding the actual GATE exam. 

GATE Preparation 2024: Online App

Various online GATE Preparation Apps help the student prepare for the GATE Exam. Some of the essential apps are given below-

1. GATE Online Test Series – There are various coaching institutes like MADE EASY, KREATRYX that provide real-time based exam experience to the students. They have made the app easy to use and accessible to all the candidates. The test and classes are prepared for the students to give them useful and specific information.
2. Previous Year Question Papers – The app has been designed in a manner that any student can get access to use it. Usually, these apps provide the MCQs with solutions and also offer a comment window where students can express their doubts. Usually, they prepare the mock tests and practice test series based on the last 3-year question papers.
3. D.I.G. – This app will provide access to video lectures, test series, problem discussions, etc. Along with this, they also provide the platform for daily group discussion and problem-solving sessions with previous years’ GATE toppers of their team.

GATE Preparation Books

The candidates can check the following lists for the best books for GATE 2024.

GATE Books 2024 for ME (Mechanical Engineering)

Subject	Book Name – Author
Design of Machine Element	Machine Design by VB Bhandari
Engineering Mechanics	Engineering Mechanics by Bhavikatti
Heat Transfer	Heat & Mass Transfer by JP Hollman-RC Sachdeva
Fluid Mechanics	Fluid Mechanics by RK Bansal/Modi and Seth
Industrial Engineering	By OP Khanna, Buffa, and Sarin
Strength of Materials	By Gere and Timoshenko/BC Punamia
Thermo – Dynamics	By Cengel
Vibrations	Mechanical Vibration by Grover

GATE 2024 Best Book for CE (Civil Engineering)

Subject	Book and Author
Strength of Material	B. C Punmia, U. C Jindal, R. K Bansal
Design of Steel Structure	SK Duggal
Structural Analysis	Theory of Structure by S. Ramamrutham & R. Narayan
RCC Design	Refer to the book Reinforced Concrete Design written by Devdas Menon and S Pillai
Environment Engineering	SK Garg
Fluid Mechanics-Hydraulics	Written by PN Modi and SM Seth
Engineering Hydrology	K Subramanya
Highway Engineering	S. K. Khanna & C. E. G. Justo
Fluid Mechanics	Yunus Senegal

GATE Books 2024 for Engineering Mathematics

Books	Author
Higher Engineering Maths	BS Grewal
GATE Engineering Maths	Arihant Publications
Advance Engineering Maths	Erwin Kreyszig

GATE Books 2024 for EE (Electrical Engineering)

Subjects	Author and Books
Electromagnetic Fields	Engg Electromagnetics by WH Hayt, JA Buck
Signal and System	By PS Bhimbhra By Allan S Willsky, S Hamid Nawab
Power System	By CL Wadhwa By Nagrath & Kothari
Control System	IJ Nagrath & M Gopal
Power Electronics	By PS Bhimbhra
Analog and Digital Electronics	Integrated Electronics: Analog And Digital Circuits And Systems by Christos C. Halkias, Chetan D. Parikh Jacob Millman. Digital Design by M.Morris Mano.

GATE 2024 Books for ECE (Electronics and Communications)

Subjects	Books and Author
Networks	Fundamentals of Electrical Circuits by Charles K. Alexander, Matthew N. O. Saidiku
Signal and System	Signal and System by Alan V. Oppenheim, Allan S. Willsky, S.Hamid Nawab
Digital Circuits	Digital Logic and Computer Design by M.Morris Mano
Electromagnetics	Principle of Electromagnetics by Matthew N. O. Saidiku
Analog Circuits	Microelectronic Circuits: Theory and Applications by Kenneth C Smith
Analog and Digital Communication	Principles of Communication by Herbert Taub, Goutam Saha, Donald Schilling

GATE Exam Books for CSE (Computer Science and Engineering)

Subject	Books and Author
Algorithms	Introduction to Algorithms by Thomas H. Cormen, Charles E. Leiserson, Ronald L. Rivest, Clifford Stein
Operating System	Operating System concepts by Silberschartz Galvin, Gagne
Theory of Computation	An Introduction to Formal languages and Automata by Peter Linz
Databases	Refer to the book named Database System Concepts written by Silberschatz, Sudarshan, and Korth
Digital Logic	Digital Logic and Computer Design by M. Morris Mano

Don’t miss out: GATE syllabus

FAQs on GATE Preparation Tips 2024

Below are the FAQs related to GATE that candidates might have:

Related Links –

GATE Exam Pattern	GATE Syllabus
GATE Application Form	GATE Admit Card
GATE Exam Center	Gate Exam Guidelines
GATE Question Papers	GATE Books
GATE Cut-off	GATE Answer Key
GATE Result	GATE Score Card
GATE Marks vs Rank	GATE Counselling

We hope these tips help you with your GATE Preparation Strategy. Keep yourself motivated, and do not give up. No matter your preparation level, attempt the upcoming exam with confidence. Manage your time well and make sure you make the best use of the time available.

We hope this article on How to prepare for GATE 2024 helps you. If you have any questions regarding GATE Exam, feel to post them in the comment box below. We will get back to you as soon as possible.