GATE (Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering) is one of the most esteemed exams in India, and cracking it is not a child’s play. If you are an aspirant preparing for the same, then you need to create a successful plan for covering the syllabus. Candidates who are giving the exam for the first time might be confused and intimidated. Solving the question papers from previous years might help you with the process of understanding the exam pattern.
About 8.5 lakh aspirants appear every year for the GATE exams- looking forward to getting admission to reputable organizations for Masters and Ph.D. courses. Many candidates also give the exam for better chances of recruitment at Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs). Since the overall level of competition is very high, you need to prepare a fool-proof strategy for cracking the GATE exams. In this article, we will discuss how the GATE 2020 Question Paper along with other previous years can help.
Practicing Previous Year’s Papers Is A Must: Here’s Why
Contrary to popular belief, competitive exams like GATE rarely repeat their questions in the recurring years. Solving papers from previous years will not help you in figuring out the probable questions in the current session’s exams. However, it can help you in various other ways, such as:
- New candidates can understand the pattern of exams even if they haven’t given the exams yet.
- You can mark the most important sections of the given syllabus by observing the pattern of questions.
- Solving these papers help aspirants in understanding their level of preparation, and they can mark the sections that need a better revision.
- You can assess the actual difficulty of the exam by solving the question papers along with sample papers.
However, the overall pattern of the exams evolves over the years. Thus, it is advisable to solve only the papers from recent years. The most helpful ones would be:
- GATE 2021 Question Paper
- GATE 2020 Question Paper
- GATE 2019 Question Paper
Is Solving Question Papers Enough?
Question papers surely help candidates understand the examination pattern and prepare accordingly, but you cannot skip the other steps in the preparation process. Here are a few other tips for GATE aspirants:
- Understand the concepts behind the concerned topics. Refer to the difference between articles for a better understanding of the technical terms that might confuse you.
- Solve only the recent years’ question papers, mock tests, and sample papers. Stick to the current exam pattern. Avoid wasting your time on papers that might have an outdated syllabus.
- Collect both- online and offline resources. Only refer to high-quality and trusted sources to avoid grasping any incorrect information.
- Make running notes while studying.
- Revise your previous day’s content before beginning with the rest.
- Check your performance with quick quizzes.
- Always stick to the preparation plan, and make changes only when it is necessary.
Other Resources
Apart from the question papers from the previous years, here are a few more resources that you must have with you for the upcoming GATE 2022:
- GATE syllabus of the current session to narrow down the content from the available study material.
- GATE study material and textbooks for understanding various concepts and understanding their practical implications.
- GATE students’ notes and reference materials for covering the syllabus.
- GATE sample test and mock test papers for revising and preparing for the upcoming exams.
If you are a tech nerd waiting to crack this exam in this session, then you must solve the GATE 2019 question paper, along with the ones from 2020 and 2021. Follow the tips and resources mentioned in this article to give your best. Manage your time better and create the best plan of preparation. Happy learning!!!
