GATE toppers' success mantras

SUCCESS MANTRAS OF GATE TOPPERS FOR
GATE 2017
SUCCESS MANTRAS OF GATE TOPPERS FOR GATE 2017
Contents
Table of Contents
Foreword
GATE 2016 Topper Interviews:

Sachin Gupta, AIR 1 in Textile Engineering & Fibre Science
Suman Kumar Paul, AIR 2 in Agricultural Engineering
Nilesh Agrawal, AIR 3 in Petroleum Engineering
13
Sayeesh TM, AIR 4 in Mechanical Engineering
17
Muthuraj Pillai, AIR 6 in Electronics & Communication

Engineering
22
Raja Majhi, AIR 7 in Electronics & Communication

Engineering
27
Sudarshan Yadav, AIR 8 in Electrical Engineering
29
Arpit Garg, AIR 11 in Mining Engineering
33
Jaikishan Damani, AIR 18 in Civil Engineering
37
Amit Srivastava, AIR 20 in Mechanical Engineering
41
Manideep Reddy, AIR 29 in Aerospace Engineering
46
Know GATE 2015 Toppers
51
GATE Expert Opinion
52
Useful Links for GATE 2017
53
Foreword
ATE 2017 will be held on February 4, 5, 11 and 12 in multiple sessions per day. Careers360 has endeavoured to bring all aspects of
GATE preparation handy for you in the form of this e-book, which
contains the experiences, learnings and preparation strategies of the GATE
toppers.
The e-book also explores the study schedules, books, and mind-sets of
these toppers to help GATE aspirants understand what does it take to crack
GATE? To help aspiring students make their preparation more efficient, this
guide carries a series of interviews with GATE toppers.
Despite being different in their approach towards planning and preparing
for GATE, the common factors which all the past GATE takers have reflected are consistent hard work, never say die attitude and smart planning. Steps
taken in the right direction will lead you to success.
So the wait is over. Start your preparation now, take a leaf out of the books
of these toppers and work your way to crack GATE 2017 exam successfully.
With the help of the success mantras in this e-book, you can also write your
success GATE story.
Sachin Gupta, AIR 1 in Textile Engineering & Fibre Science
ne of the relatively less pursued branches in GATE, students appearing for

Textile Engineering & Fibre Science (TF) find a lack of information in terms
of coaching, study material while studying for GATE (TF). The fact is that the
branch doesnt ensure many PSU jobs unlike some of the popular branches like ME, ECE,
CSE, etc.
Careers360 talks to Sachin Gupta who scored an All India Rank of 1 in GATE 2016 Textile
Engineering & Fibre Science to understand his passion behind his success in GATE 2016.
Sachin, who is an engineer in Textile Engineering from UPTTI, Kanpur speaks about his
passion to become a scientist in DRDO in his chosen branch. He elaborates on his preparation methods, the books he followed and his success strategies as well as his advice to future
aspirants. Read on to know more
Careers360: Tell us something about yourself; where have you done your engineer-
ing from and in which branch?

Sachin Gupta: I am Sachin Gupta and I hail from Kanpur, U.P. I have done my matriculation and intermediate from Chacha Nehru Smarak Inter College Kanpur. I have done my
engineering from UPTTI Kanpur in Textile Engineering.
Careers360: What was the GATE Paper you appeared in? What rank did you get
in GATE 2016? What is your GATE score and how many marks did you secure out
of 100 in GATE paper?
Sachin Gupta: I appeared for Textile Engineering & Fibre Science in GATE 2016. I
secured an All India Rank of 1in GATE 2016. My GATE score is 1000 and my GATE 2016
Marks are 59.67 out of 100.
This is my second attempt at GATE. In GATE 2015, I secured an All India Rank of 15.
Careers360: What was the reason you appeared for GATE 2016? PSU or further
studies? Please elaborate your reasons.

Sachin Gupta: DRDO is one of the places I would love to work as a scientist. The entry
to DRDO is through GATE so I appeared for GATE 2016. Textile engineering has few
vacancies and DRDO this year has announced just one vacancy in the general category for
this branch. I had to beat all competition to get to the selection stage which gives weightage
of 80% to the GATE scores. I had to give it my best shot.
Careers360: If PSUs, have you applied to any and which ones?

Sachin Gupta: I was selected for NTPC in 2015 when I had secured an All India Rank of
15. I did not take up the offer as I did not want to work in the industry. I am more passionate
about research and want to be a scientist, hence my aim was DRDO.
Careers360: When did you start your preparation? How did you prepare? How
many hours did you put in per day as per the stages of preparation?
Sachin Gupta: I sincerely feel preparation is dependent upon each person. I feel that the
hours of study and such parameters dont matter. How much you study also doesnt make
much of a difference as much as the quality of your study and preparation. I also strongly
endorse preparing and adhering to a good strategy to taste success in GATE.
Textile Engineering doesnt have a support system for GATE preparation as much as the
other branches like Mechanical Engineering, CSE etc. So many students find that a bit
difficult.
Careers360: Have you taken any coaching? If yes- From where? How did it help?
Sachin Gupta: No. I did not take any coaching. I didnt believe I needed it actually so it
was just self-study.
Careers360: The virtual calculator is the new feature introduced this year? How
was your experience with it? Do you think it is necessary that students should practise with it to get acquainted with its working as most of the engineering students are
used to the good old calculator?
Sachin Gupta: We are used to the physical scientific calculators during our graduation
and therefore the transition is a bit slow. Getting used to the virtual calculator takes time.
My experience is that we should practice on it a few times to get used to it and understand
the modalities of its functioning.
My suggestion is that one should do simple calculations like addition and multiplications
manually, because it consumes less time than the virtual calculator. This habit can be mastered by solving a few numerical questions everyday while preparing. For functions like log,
exponential etc, the use of the virtual calculator is necessary.
Careers360: GATE 2016 saw a substantial amount of numerical questions asked
when compared to previous years. Were you prepared for this eventuality? How
did you prepare for the numerical questions considering that they require speed in
calculating the solutions?
Sachin Gupta: For GATE - Textile Engineering, there is no book available for practicing
numerical problems. Your best bet is the previous year papers and solving them in order
to get acquainted to practice. I would advise that one should understand all the numerical
questions of previous year papers and the concepts behind them to be good at answering
the GATE question paper. The good part about the numerical questions in Textile Engineering is that they are concept based so if your concepts are strong and in place, you can
crack them.
Careers360: Can you share any preparation strategies with our readers? How to
schedule study time and make timetables?

Sachin Gupta: My mantra is MAN Maths, Aptitude and Numerical questions. The
strategy should be to focus on scoring the best in Mathematics which fetches you 15 marks,
then Aptitude which again fetches you 15 marks & numerical questions of the GATE question paper on Textile Engineering.
Here I must say that it is impossible to cover all the theoretical portion of the Textile Engineering Syllabus. Therefore one must strategize. Two most important topics to cover for
GATE Textile Engineering are Concepts of Spinning and Textile testing. These two topics
are purely conceptual. For a topic like Processing, one has to memorize many things so I
would advise to focus less on that.
Careers360: How should one schedule answering the GATE exam which section
to attempt first and which next?

Sachin Gupta: According to me, one should solve the numerical portion first. Maths and
Aptitude are a must. Exam strategy again differs from person to person. I think the focus
should be on what allows you to score more. Speed is also important as well as attempting
those sections like numerical questions which dont have negative marking.
Careers360: Since all the GATE exams are online now, how mandatory is it for
students to practice online and how frequently?
Sachin Gupta: If one is not comfortable with the online GATE exam, it will be tough to
get going. So it is mandatory to practice online as much as one can. With practice comes a
comfort level for the exam and one is not awed by the online pattern.
Careers360: What did you feel was a tough thing in the GATE exam?
Sachin Gupta: That day was my best day so I didnt find anything tough.
Careers360: How important do you feel mock tests are and why? Is it true that if
one solves the previous years question papers, there is a good chance of cracking the
exam successfully?
Sachin Gupta: Unfortunately there are no mock tests available for Textile Engineering.
Therefore, the previous years papers become the means to practice and understanding the
GATE paper. I would suggest that one should understand the concepts behind the questions
asked in the previous GATE papers rather than memorizing them. The questions are never
same. The presentation of the questions will be different each time, so one has to be good
with the concepts to actually answer the questions.
Careers360: Which books did you follow for GATE preparation?

Sachin Gupta: The following were pretty useful for my study:
S. no.
Books and Authors
Blow Room- N CUTE BOOK
Carding & Draw Frame- A KHARE
Speed Frame- W KLEIN
Ring Frame W KLEIN, NPTEL,K R

SALHOTRA
Textile Testing-NPTEL
Processing- N CUTE
Careers360: What did you do for leisure? Any specific activities that helped you
unwind?
Sachin Gupta: Music is my hobby. Listening to songs is my way of relaxation. I would

listen to my favorite songs to unwind and get back on groove.
Careers360: Any advice for the future aspirants?

Sachin Gupta: For GATE Textile Engineering, I would advise not to study all books.
Rather choose books topic-wise and study those topics from those books. Have self-confidence. It will help you to reach your goal.
Suman Kumar Paul, AIR 2 in Agricultural Engineering
ne of the GATE 2016 Papers is Agricultural Engineering (AG). Suman Kumar

Paul has secured All India Rank 2 in GATE 2016 for Agricultural Engineering.
Having completed his B.Tech in 2015, his aim has always been further studies at
the IITs. Suman, who started his GATE preparation in the third year of his B.Tech tells us
the challenges he faced for the GATE exam; how he undertook his preparation for GATE
and the factors that played a crucial role in the exam. Read on to know more.

Suman Kumar Paul: I belong to a lower middle class family of West Bengal and have
done my B.Tech in Agricultural Engineering from Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya,
West Bengal in 2015.
Suman Kumar Paul: I appeared for GATE 2016 in AG (Agricultural Engineering)
paper and secured an All India Rank of 2 in GATE 2016. My GATE 2016 score is 938. I
scored 44 marks out of 100 in my GATE paper.
Suman Kumar Paul: I appeared in GATE as I want to pursue M.Tech from a renowned
IIT with preferences in Food Engineering at IIT Kharagpur or IEOR/CSRE at IIT Mumbai.
Careers360: When did you start your preparation? Tell us about your preparation?
How many hours did you put in daily as per the stages of preparation?
Suman Kumar Paul: I started my preparation from the beginning of the 3rd year of my
B.Tech (5th semester onwards). Initially, I started covering all the theories and formulas
which I felt were very important, then I moved on to practicing the numerical questions
from some books. In the later stage, I would solve the previous years question papers which
helped me achieve success in the exam. Although I didn't have any specified preparation
schedule or routine, but I studied about 6 hours per day on an average.
Careers360: Have you taken any coaching? If yes - from where? How did it help?
Suman Kumar Paul: No, I haven't taken any coaching. My professors and friends
helped me a lot. I just studied my class notes and books that covered the GATE 2016 Syllabus.
Careers360: The virtual calculator is the new feature introduced this year. How
Suman Kumar Paul: The virtual calculator was very much time consuming. It will be
better if there is no virtual calculator. In my understanding, it's very much problematic to
do the bigger calculations using the Virtual Calculator. But since it is compulsory to use in
the GATE exam, we have no choice. Therefore, to score good marks students need to practice on it a lot. They need to be completely familiar with the operators and the calculation
procedure of the virtual calculator. Otherwise they will face a lot of problems during the
exam, in addition to losing a lot of time which will be detrimental.
Suman Kumar Paul: In the Agricultural Engineering Paper for GATE, there are plenty
of numerical questions every year. It is no surprise. I was prepared for it from the beginning
itself. As I said earlier, I solved numerical problems from different books related to the
theory and then solved the numerical questions from the GATE question papers of previous
years using the virtual calculator. It helped me a lot. I revised the calculation procedures
of the virtual calculator at least 6 times, which helped me achieve a very good calculation
speed with the virtual calculator.
Suman Kumar Paul: According to me, for a very well and compact preparation, one
must cover the theory part as much as one can. Then they should practice the questions
related to each theory from different books. Finally, they must solve the previous years
question papers to get a good understanding of the questions generally asked in the GATE
exam. I would advise future aspirants to start practicing the previous year question papers
at least one month before the exam for better understanding of the question types.
Suman Kumar Paul: Answering the questions in the GATE exam or for that matter
any other exam solely depends on the candidate. But I will suggest that one should start the
exam with the GA part and then proceed to the subject part.
Careers360: Name some important topics that you feel are a must read for any
student attempting GATE exam?

Suman Kumar Paul: For every GATE aspirant, I would suggest to cover the Maths
syllabus and the important subject topics thoroughly.
For AG students the following topics are important:
Farm Machinery and Tillage implements, harvesting and plant protecting equipment,
Clutch, Belts, Transmission, farm power, IC engine, Traction, Hydrology, Groundwater,
soil erosion, wind erosion, conservation structures, fluid mechanics, Irrigation, Surface
and sub-surface drainage, soil mechanics, Heat and basic of mass Transfer, Psychrometry,
drying, evaporation, microbial death kinetics, refrigeration and air conditioning, Properties
of Grains, Milling, Bins, and Material Handling equipment.
I would advise to follow Sanjay Kumar's book for FMP.

Suman Kumar Paul: It is advisable to practise with GATE Mock Tests as the advantage would be an understanding of the online exam format, paper pattern. In addition, one
can improve his/her speed and learn time management for the GATE exam.
10
Careers360: Towards the preparation of GATE exam, what was it that you found
most challenging?
Suman Kumar Paul: The preparation is rigorous. I feel sometimes concentration is a
problem and keeping focused too. The rest of it is workable.
exam successfully?
Suman Kumar Paul: Mock tests are very important because they help you to be
acquainted with the online exam system of GATE. So anyone with good preparation and
practice of previous year question papers of GATE will have an absolute chance to crack
GATE in AG paper with a good rank.

Suman Kumar Paul:
Book Name
Author
Application and Concept in Agricultural

Engineering
Dash & Mohanty
Numerical Approach in Agricultural

Engineering
Er. Sanjay Kumar
Gate Digest in Agricultural Engineering
Er. Sanjay Kumar
Heat Transfer
J.P. Holman
Transport Processes and Unit Operations
C.J. Geankoplis
Fundamentals of Food Process

Engineering
R.T. Toledo
Introduction to Food Process Engineering
P. G. Smith
Postharvest Technology and Food Process Amalendu Chakraverty, R. Paul Singh, CRC
Engineering
Press (2014).
Tractors and their Power Units
John B. Liljedahl, Paul K. Turnquist, David

W. Smith, Makoto Hoki (4 author's book)Springer US (1989).
Engiineering Principle of Agricultural

Machines
Ajit K. Srivastava.
Elements of Agricultural Engineering
J. Sahay
THEORY OF MACHINES
R.S. KHURMI
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Book Name
Author
Engineering Hydrology
K. Subramanya
Applied Hydrology
Ven Chow, David Maidment, Larry Mays
Soil and Water Conservation Engineering
Glenn O Schwab
Land and Water Management

Engineering
V.V.N. Murty
Higher Engineering Mathematics
Dr. B.S Grewal
Advanced Engineering Mathematics by
Erwin Kreyszig (10th Edition)
Careers360: What are your interests in your leisure time?

Suman Kumar Paul: I love to watch movies and play computer games.
Suman Kumar Paul: Best of luck to all the future aspirants. Remember one thing -
keep calm and use your preparation efforts to deliver in the exam hall. You are capable of it
since you worked so hard for it.
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Nilesh Agrawal, AIR 3 in Petroleum Engineering
etroleum engineering is the latest paper introduced in GATE 2016 signifying the
importance of this field and is considered to be sought-after in the years to come.
Since it was the first GATE paper for the subject, most of the GATE applicants
for Petroleum Engineering had no clue on how to go about the preparation, as no previous
years papers were available to check the pattern and so on.
Nilesh Agrawal, who secured AIR 3 in GATE 2016 Petroleum Engineering, speaks to
Careers360 about how he went on to prepare for the exam. A final year student in Petroleum Engineering from ISM Dhanbad, Nilesh is interested in a PSU job and feels that if you
have a plan and you stick to it, you can achieve it. Read on to know about his GATE 2016
preparation strategies and more.

Nilesh Agrawal: My name is Nilesh Agrawal, and I am currently pursuing B.Tech (final
year) in Petroleum Engineering from ISM Dhanbad.
Careers360: Which GATE Paper you appeared in? What rank did you get in GATE
2016? What is your GATE score and how many marks did you secure out of 100 in
GATE paper?
Nilesh Agrawal: I appeared for GATE 2016 Petroleum Engineering Paper. I scored an
All India Rank of 3. My Gate score is 914 and I secured 78 marks out of 100.
13
Nilesh Agrawal: Definitely PSU jobs. My interest has been working for a PSU. Leading
PSUs like ONGC, IOCL to name a few in my field of expertise are recruiting through GATE
so it is natural that I appear for the GATE exam.
Careers360: If PSU, have you applied to any and which ones?

Nilesh Agrawal: I have applied to IOCL. I plan to apply for ONGC once they open their
application portal.
many hours did you put in daily as per the stage of preparation?
Nilesh Agrawal: On a serious note, I started preparing just two months prior to the
GATE 2016 exam, because the subject is the same what I am studying in my B.Tech. It was
a matter of focusing on the subject. I thoroughly checked the GATE 2016 syllabus for PE
and started my preparation.
I started with in-depth study of the topics given and moved on to hard core preparation. I
spent about 7-8 hours a day on an average.
Nilesh Agrawal: No, I did not take any coaching. Actually, I didnt feel the need of it.
Self-study worked best for me and I did my own preparation, planning while working on it.
Careers360: Virtual calculator is the new feature introduced this year? How was
your experience with it? Do you think it is necessary that students should practise
with it to get acquainted with its working as most of the engineering students are used
to the good old calculator?
Nilesh Agrawal: Actually, the virtual calculator was not a good experience for me. We
have been using the physical calculator for so long. Shifting to the virtual one isnt easy.
It was a bit difficult for me to solve the numerical questions because these questions
require a degree of accuracy. This calculator is time consuming because you focus on the
accuracy part even if there is no negative marking here.
The virtual calculator is not handy and requires abundant practice in order to get used to
it. So the key to using it to your benefit is to have a lot of practice with it.
14
Careers360: GATE 2016 saw a substantial amount of numerical questions when
compared to previous years. Were you prepared for this eventuality? How did you
prepare for the numerical questions considering that they require speed in calculating the solutions?
Nilesh Agrawal: I was aware of this. The previous years aspirants had mentioned these
things for all papers. As it was the same scenario, so it was not a surprise at all.
Having said that, this was the first paper for Petroleum Engineering, so I thought I had to
be prepared for any eventuality. You see there is no previous years paper or any other fall
back stuff for PE. So I prepared with this in mind.
As for preparation, we did these kinds of questions in our regular B.Tech classes and the
books I was studying helped with solutions and so on. The rest was easy. I could practise
and get ready.
Nilesh Agrawal: My strategy was to draw a plan and stick to it. When you start, you
have frightening factors like the vast syllabus and uncertainty for PE as this paper was
introduced for the first time, and then time management and so on. But I think these are
workable. Turn them to your favour by making a plan, a timetable and sticking to it. The rest
will follow. The most important solution is hard work. It always pays.
to attempt first and which later?
Nilesh Agrawal: Well I had no plan for this. So I worked my way through the GATE
2016 Question Paper in the order it was given. I feel this varies from individual to individual,
and therefore you should work according to your strengths. The fact is if you are able to
solve well in the beginning, your confidence rises and the going gets easier.

Nilesh Agrawal: My suggestions would be:
Maths and Aptitude: They are scoring. Prepare well for these. These are easy to do and
add to your scores. Never neglect these sections.
Petroleum Engineering: Some important topics to focus on are Drilling, Production and
Reservoir.
But the important thing is that you should try and cover the major portion of the GATE
15
2016 Syllabus if not the complete one.

Nilesh Agrawal: I found the online tests easy but a little practice and some experience
will always help. There is help from the organizers; they guide you, so practice is a good
thing. You can always learn.
Careers360: What did you find challenging in your preparation towards GATE
exam?
Nilesh Agrawal: GATE 2016 syllabus was somewhat vast, especially because it was the
first time that the paper was being held and the first time I was writing it. I had absolutely
no clue about the kind of paper it would be. Covering all the topics is a big challenge. And I
didnt like to leave out any topic while preparing.
exam successfully?
Nilesh Agrawal: Mock Tests are good simply because they allow you to get familiar with
the paper pattern, hone your speed and time management skills and lastly give you the exam
experience. So definitely yes - it helps.

Nilesh Agrawal: Some books I referred to are:
Oilwell Drilling Engineering: Principles And Practice H.Rabia
For Reservoir Engineering I referred to books by L.P. Dake and T. Ahmed.

Production Operations by Thomas Allen and Alan Roberts
Careers360:.Any advice for the future aspirants?

Nilesh Agrawal: Firstly, its not that tough as it is projected to be, provided you have
determination to work hard. Always have a plan and more important stick to it. Engineering Maths and Aptitude are scoring so try to make the most out of these sections. Make
notes for revision. They were very handy and useful to me and I am sure will be for you too.
Careers360: Enough about the serious stuff. Tell us. What do you do in your leisure
time? What helps you unwind?

Nilesh Agrawal: I love watching movies and Hollywood soaps. I also love listening to
music. I am also quite a sleepy head.
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Sayeesh TM, AIR 4 in Mechanical Engineering
areers360 spoke to Sayeesh TM who left his job at L&T Construction to appear
for GATE 2016. He went on to score an All India Rank of 4 in GATE 2016
Mechanical Engineering, thereby ensuring that his dream of becoming a scientist
comes true. Here he tells us about his preparation for GATE 2016, books referred by him,
exam strategy and more. Read on
Careers360: Tell us something about yourself; where have you done your engineering from and in which branch?
Sayeesh: My name is Sayeesh TM and I am from Calicut, Kerala. I belong to a family
of 4 - my parents and a younger brother. I have completed my B.Tech from NIT Calicut in
Mechanical Engineering with a 9 CGPA.
Sayeesh: I have appeared for GATE 2016 in Mechanical Engineering. I secured an All
India Rank of 4. My GATE score is 993. I scored 92.69 marks out of 100.

Sayeesh: I was selected in L&T Construction through the campus recruitment after
I completed my B.Tech. I was working for Kannur International Airport Project. After
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working for ten months I decided to resign to pursue my dream of becoming a scientist. To
achieve that, I needed to study in IISc Bangalore or one of the IITs like IIT Bombay/IIT
Delhi. To get into the M.Tech courses at these institutes, I needed to crack GATE and this
became my only aim this past year.

Sayeesh: Since I was not sure of the rank I would get, I applied to most of the PSUs.
Now that I have secured the 4th rank in GATE 2016 in ME, I am totally focusing only on
DRDO and BARC.
many hours did you put in per day as per the stage of preparation?
Sayeesh: After I resigned, I took coaching in Hyderabad starting July 2015. The classes
were over by November end of 2015 and I came back home. That left me just two months to
work on all that I learnt at the classes. So I chalked out a plan and put it into action.
I first revised all the class notes given thoroughly till December 2016. I made short notes
while studying so that I could use those for revision at the last moment. I studied up to 10
hours each day. I made sure that I studied more than two subjects each day alternating
between them. Also both theory and numerical type questions were done by me daily to
avoid getting bored.
Starting January 2016, I focused on the online test series as well as mock tests. The previous year GATE question papers were a must for me to solve. All the hard work paid off.
Careers360: Have you taken any coaching? If yes, from where? How did it help?
Sayeesh: Frankly, if you are good at the basics of your subject and can recall all those
things, then self-study is enough. But if the subjects were not taught properly in your college
or you didn't care about your studies at that time then you better join a coaching institute.
In my case, I was working for almost a year. I felt that I was really out of touch with my
subjects and needed good coaching. Therefore I took coaching which was very helpful the
faculty was good, notes were of high standards and I could strengthen my basic knowledge
of the subjects required to be studied. Typical problems were solved in the classes itself
and the best part was the interaction with a similar dedicated peer group of students totally
focused on GATE 2016.
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Sayeesh: I think virtual calculator is a good addition to online examinations. I feel it
eliminates any chance of malpractice and allow everyone to compete on an equal footing
with no undue advantage. The difficulty I faced with the virtual calculator was that it was
consuming more time when compared to the physical calculator. But then, this was because
I had been using the physical one for years.
To overcome this, I practiced hard with it. It was also mandatory in all the online test series
and mock tests so I now had a good idea of how to work with it. I think its crucial for all the
students to practice it as it affects your speed and accuracy to a great extent.
Sayeesh: I was aware that the number of numerical type of questions was slowly increasing in the GATE exam and therefore I was prepared for it. I simply practiced every day.
There is no other way to go about this. In the exam, I gave a little more time to these questions by double checking the steps to make sure that the answers are really accurate as the
margin for error is really narrow.
Sayeesh: According to me, three key elements contribute to success in the GATE
exam. The first is to build a strong base in the requisite subjects. Rote learning, mugging
wont help at all.
The second factor is Practice. Once you have studied the basics thoroughly, start with
practicing them. Solve as many problems as you can. Here solving the previous years papers
will help in giving an idea about important topics and formulae. Solving problems makes
you fast and accurate. Appear for as many online tests as you can and attend the mock
GATE tests to get the advantage over other candidates.
The last key factor is Time Management. Start preparing from day one because you can
never pull miracles out in the last month. Make a plan at the beginning itself. Be ready to
sacrifice everything else and execute your plan. Say no to excuses and motivate yourself.
Keep calm and believe in yourself.
I gave more time to the topics I was strong in at the initial stage and gave less time to
them in the revision stage. I studied the theory in-depth and noted down the important and
frequently asked formulae. I gave my weak subjects more time throughout the gate preparation. In addition to understanding theory and formulae, I practiced a lot of previous years
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questions. I think practicing is the only key to tackle your weak subjects.

Sayeesh: The most crucial thing in GATE is Time Management. This has to be supported with speed and accuracy. You can hone this only through continuous practice. After
trying many approaches to attempt my GATE question paper, I finally hit upon the best
method which actually worked for me. I went directly to the technical section and started
solving from the very first question itself. Here I solved only the easy questions which
mainly required recall of simple formula or concepts and about two to three steps to arrive
at the solution. By the time I completed this, about 90 minutes of the exam were gone. Then
I went to the Aptitude section and answered the easy questions in about 20 minutes. Then
I came back to the long questions in the technical section which required more steps and
calculations or had something new about them thus requiring more time and care.
Sayeesh: I think each and every subject is important. I would advise that one should
have a basic knowledge in all the subjects. The previous years question papers are useful
in pinpointing the most important topics that may feature in the GATE exam.Some scoring
areas are Engineering Mathematics, Aptitude and Thermodynamics
Sayeesh: I think it is a must to practice the online test these days. Once I would complete
class notes and solving the practice problems, I would start attempting the online tests. I
was attempting about 3 tests per day in the last two months prior to the GATE 2016 exam.
The advantage of attempting the online tests is that they allow us to understand how the
concepts and formulae we have learnt are actually applied in the GATE exam for solving
the given problems. They also show us where we stand among the other well prepared candidates appearing for GATE.
With constant practice through these tests, our confidence increases thereby helping us to
write the exam with a cool head sans any kind of tension. The test also gives us a clear idea
about our strengths and weaknesses. They help us improve our time management. They are
like the warm up matches before the real test.
Sayeesh: I think the vast syllabus and the strain of recollecting things from a total of 4
years study within 3 hours is what makes GATE a really tough exam. But through continuous practice we can overcome and crack it.
20
one solves the previous year question papers, there is a good chance of cracking the
exam successfully?
Sayeesh: The advantages I mentioned earlier for the online practice tests also apply to
mock tests. The extra advantage with the mock tests is that it simulates the real GATE exam
environment before the actual exam itself. I have appeared for 3 mock tests and I feel their
contribution was really crucial to my success in GATE 2016.
I dont think that simply solving the previous years GATE question papers is enough. One
should go for the previous year papers only after one has created a strong base in subjects
and learnt all the key concepts and formulae.

Sayeesh: Actually most of my preparation was from the notes from the coaching class
as well as my own short notes. For reference the following books helped:
Topics
Authors
Engineering Thermodynamics
P K Nag
Fluid Mechanics
Yunus A. Cengel, John M. Cimbala
Heat Transfer
Holman
Text Book of Fluid Mechanics and

Hydraulic Machines
R.K. Bansal
Theory of Machines
Rattan
Machine design
Joseph Edward Shigley
Manufacturing Science
Amitabha Ghosh and AK Malik
Strength of Materials: Elementary theory

and problems
Timoshenko
Engineering Mathematics
Erwin Kreyszig
Careers360: What did you do for leisure?

Sayeesh: I play football and badminton so that was a stress buster. I also like playing video
games, watching movies, reading books and listening to music like most students.

Sayeesh: Have a plan and have dedication to follow it. To win, you need to diligently
move forward on your set path.
21
Muthuraj Pillai, AIR 6 in Electronics & Communication Engineering
lectronics and Communication Engineering is one of the most sought after GATE
papers. A majority of PSUs have advertised for candidates appearing for GATE
2016 EC Paper. Careers360 spoke to Muthuraj Pillai who secured AIR 6 in
GATE 2016 EC paper. This being his second attempt (he earlier secured AIR 70 in GATE
2014); Muthuraj believes that the determination to succeed is the driving force behind his
success. Here he talks about how working with MDL further inspired him to continue with
his desire to complete M.Tech from IIT Bombay, his GATE preparation methodology,
books he referred to and more.

Muthuraj Pillai: My name is Muthuraj Pillai and I have completed my B.Tech in ECE
from SIES College, Navi Mumbai. After completing my graduation, I chose not to take
up the placement from TCS and instead wanted to appear for GATE. I had appeared for
GATE 2014 and secured an AIR 70. Due to some financial constraints, I couldnt pursue
M.Tech, so I decided to take up the offer I received from Mazagaon Docks through GATE
2014 scores. I have been working there since then till February 2016 when I resigned.GATE
2016 is my second attempt and I secured an AIR rank of 6 in EC Paper.
Careers360: Which GATE paper you appeared in? What rank did you get in GATE
2016? What is your GATE score and how many marks did you secure out of 100 in
GATE paper?
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Muthuraj Pillai: I appeared for Electronics and Communication Paper in GATE 2016
and obtained a score of 1000. My GATE 2016 marks are 77.85 out 100 and All India Rank
this time is 6.

Muthuraj Pillai: I am very much interested in pursuing M.Tech. Actually in 2014, my
idea was to pursue M.Tech. The opportunities after M.Tech are good for EC and CS candidates. Somehow due to some constraints, I wasnt able to and settled for a job at MDL in
November 2014. My job was quite good and I learnt a lot of things there. It made me more
determined to be better equipped with EC knowledge which I can get at the IITs.
Just to leave nothing to chance, I have applied to a few leading PSUs like NTPC, etc. but I
know I wont take the offers up. I plan to do my M.Tech this time now that I have got a good
rank and I will get admission.
I am clear that I want to pursue M.Tech from IIT Bombay or IISc Banglore - as education at these institutes is a different experience and the environment is very conductive. In
B.Tech, we dont get so much exposure. At IITs, placements are good and the chances for
pursuing Ph.D from abroad are also bright.
many hours did you put in to study everyday as per the stages of preparation?
Muthuraj Pillai: My GATE preparation actually started during my 2014 attempt when
I didn't accept the TCS offer and instead decided to do self-study and prepare for GATE.
Meanwhile, I was working at Vidyalankar classes in Mumbai for a period of 3 to 4 months
and then quit to concentrate on GATE.
I first started with checking the GATE Syllabus. This was to know which topics were my
strengths and which ones were my weaknesses. I started this exercise in July itself. The idea
is to tackle the weak ones and convert them to strengths. There was nothing fixed about my
schedule. I would study as per the need of the day and practise accordingly.
Once I had segregated topics I needed to work with, I would start with the reference books.
You need to be clear about the concepts and that will only be possible when you read and
understand the topics and subjects. I would also solve the questions at the end of the topic.
Coming to GATE 2016 preparation, I started it in July 2015. Here I would like to tell you
that NPTEL is an awesome resource. If there is no time constraint, I would suggest checking them out for all those topics you dont understand. I used Prof. Nagendra Krishnapuras
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video lectures for Analog Electronics. I checked the reference books again. By October, I
completed revising my subject.
November to January, it was all about practise. I enrolled for online test series and went
on practicing till I was sure to get confident about where I stood.
Muthuraj Pillai: I focused more for self-study and have just used the test series from
leading coaching institutes. The advantage of doing the test series from the different coaching institutes is the varied experience and the different approach of each. So, its good to
attempt them all.
If your preparation is good, these test series are helpful in boosting your confidence, they
help you hone your exam strategy and time management.
Muthuraj Pillai: I have been exposed to the virtual calculator with all the test series. In
GATE 2015, it was cancelled at the last moment. So I was actually hoping for the same this
year. Well they didnt cancel it.
I am used to work with the virtual calculator, courtesy the various online test series I was
appearing in. They have the in-built virtual calculator. But still I feel it is not an easy thing
to master. I also found that I was wasting time with it. So I did away with using it except for
big additions and such stuff. I worked on most of the problems using the scribble pad and
used the calculator only when I needed to use it for big calculations.
If you ask me, it is not a right thing to add as we as engineering students are comfortable
to use the physical one. The virtual one requires plenty of practice so all the future GATE
aspirants must also note this fact and get familiar with the virtual calculator with plenty of
practice.
Muthuraj Pillai: I was prepared for this. If you see, NAT questions dont carry negative marking but they are all about accuracy. Its like a double edged sword. You have to be
accurate and you have to be fast. That one number here or there could lose you marks. You
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should be alert and should be clear with your formulas and concepts.
Muthuraj Pillai: You should start preparation from July and by October; you should
complete the study of the basic concepts. Strengthen your hold on the weak topics and be
clear with the subject. Reference books will be pretty useful here. I would also advise to
plan the study as per the most important topics which may feature more than the others.
The complete syllabus is important but some topics are also so important that their coverage is inevitable.
Short Notes: While studying, prepare short notes for reference. These will be pretty handy
and useful for revision during the last month prior to the GATE exam.
From November onwards, it's practice, practice and more practice. I would advise give as
many tests as you can. The online test series from good coaching institutes will serve this
purpose.
I would say that if you are not able to complete all the topics, it's ok. You should be prepared for that also. You need to ensure that you are good and confident at what you have
prepared.

Muthuraj Pillai: Though this is a personal choice, but I attempted the questions with
the options first. Then I later moved on to the NAT questions, as they require calculations.
I also attempted 1-mark questions first and then later the 2-mark ones. I marked them for
review and rechecked them in the last 15 minutes of the exam.
I couldnt complete the GATE 2016 Exam in time so a few questions were left out. I wasnt
happy about that but was at peace with the fact that what I attempted, I was confident about
it.
Careers360: Name some important Topics that you feel are a must read for any
student attempting GATE exam? Which books did you follow to read them?
Muthuraj Pillai: Here they are
Topics
Authors
Analog Electronics
Sedra And Smith
Digital Electronics
Morris Mano
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Topics
Authors
Communications
B.P.Lathi
Networks.
Valkenberg
Signals & Systems
1. Oppenheim and 2. Proakis
Control System
Nagrath N Gopal
Mathematics
B S Grewal
Electronic Devices
Donald A Neamen
Muthuraj Pillai: Practice makes a man perfect. It's sort of true because the tests are not
just for gauging how you stand in your preparation. They are also tools of time management
that allow you to understand the exam pattern and in general get familiar with the GATE
exam. So definitely yes, students have to be comfortable with the online exam.
Careers360: What did you find most challenging in the GATE exam?
Muthuraj Pillai: For me, time was an important factor and I missed answering a few
questions. So I think time was the only problem.
exam successfully?
Muthuraj Pillai: The GATE 2016 Practice tests and mock tests are tools for students
to use in their GATE preparation. The benefit is that the more you solve the better you get
with it, provided your preparation is very good and then your confidence levels improve.
One of the most important factors is the confidence one has in cracking the exam. It feels
nice to do well and that carries you forward on the day of the exam.
Careers360: What leisure activities did you pursue to unwind from the tough
studies and tension?
Muthuraj Pillai: I like chess very much. During my breaks I would rejuvenate myself
by playing chess online.
Careers360: Any advice for the future aspirants of GATE?
Muthuraj Pillai: More important than anything else is the determination to crack
GATE 2016 exam. Once that is in place, everything else can be worked on. Get your subject,
concepts in order, be clear with them and then start testing your knowledge. Dont forget
to prepare the reference notes when studying the subject. Use time wisely and be honest
with yourself. GATE 2016 will just be one barrier you will have crossed to a bright future.
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Raja Majhi, AIR 7 in Electronics & Communication Engineering
aja Majhi, a 4th year student of Electronic and Telecommunication at Jadavpur

University, secured AIR 7 (Electronic Communications) in GATE 2016. Raja
says that though he put more efforts on his GATE preparation than his semester exam preparations, the semester syllabus being very similar to that of GATE syllabus
helped him manage well both his semester exams and GATE preparation simultaneously.
He shares a lot more in this interview on his preparation strategies and time management
tricks. Read below for the full interview:
Careers360: Congratulations for securing place among toppers of GATE 2016.

Did you expect this?
Raja Majhi: Thank you. I was confident of a good score since I had been preparing very
systematically from the beginning of my 3rd year itself. Still, I did not expect to be among
top 10 in this very first attempt.
Careers360: What was your score?
Raja Majhi: I scored 1000 out of 1000 and managed to score 77.65 marks in GATE
2016 (EC).
Careers360: Now that you have secured good marks in GATE 2016, how are you
going to utilize this for your career?

Raja Majhi: While appearing for GATE I had thought about both the options - M.Tech
and PSU Recruitment. But since I may have a choice now, I would first like to work for a
27
good PSU for the next 2 years before entering into an M.Tech programme.
Careers360: How did you prepare for the GATE 2016 exam?
Raja Majhi: I started preparing for GATE 2016 from my 3rd year itself. Since, the syl-
labus of GATE and that of the semester papers is common, I just needed to focus on practicing MCQs and practice a little more so as to increase my question-solving speed. I also
practiced a lot from the textbook questions that appear in the end of every topic/chapter.
This helped me strengthen my fundamental concepts and build on the same.
Careers360: Which books did you follow for your GATE 2016 preparation?
Raja Majhi: I did not prepare from diverse sources. I simply put in more efforts on
completing the syllabus of my semester papers. I practiced a lot. Last but not the least; I
also joined the mock test series by GATE Academy. But throughout my preparation, I was
completely focused on my GATE preparation and for that I sometimes compromised with
my semester preparations and exams.
Careers360: How did you manage time for both your GATE preparation while also
doing your semesters?
Raja Majhi: Though it was a little challenging, but still I maintained discipline and did
put in more time to take both simultaneously. The common syllabus actually makes it viable
for students to prepare for both together without much hassle.
Careers360: What are the important topics that you suggest as must-read for
GATE aspirants?
Raja Majhi: Though, all topics in the syllabus are important but topics like communication, analogue, electronics, circuits, digital, etc. should be studied thoroughly.
Careers360: What was the tough part of your preparations and exam?
Raja Majhi: The virtual calculator that was introduced from this year was actually a chal-
lenge for me during the exam. It really cost me 4-5 marks since using it was time consuming
and I was not very well prepared to use the same. Using this onscreen calculator was really
difficult for me. I think physical calculator is still a better option for candidates.
Careers360: Which PSUs have you applied so far?

Raja Majhi: I have applied for many PSU including IOCL, Power Grid, HPCL, and
NTDC.
Careers360: While preparing seriously for GATE would have taken a lot of effort
and time management on your part, were you able to find time to relax and socialize?
Raja Majhi: Yes. I used to find time to play video games despite the time constraint I
faced during my preparation. Also, I love to spend time with friends and class mates and I
continued to do so even during my preparation. I would also watch movies and play chess
with my friends. This actually keeps you refreshed and boosts your mental energy.
28
Sudarshan Yadav, AIR 8 in Electrical Engineering
very success story has a tale of hard work, persistence and determination behind
it. We spoke to Sudarshan Yadav who has scored an All India Rank of 8 in GATE
2016 for Electrical Engineering.
Sudarshan Yadav, who is a senior undergraduate engineering student of IIT Delhi firmly
believes that one has to prioritize and use his/her time, resources and energy for the right
purpose and in the right direction.

Sudarshan: I am Sudarshan. I am a senior undergraduate student pursuing B.Tech in
Electrical Engineering (power) at IIT Delhi.
Sudarshan: I appeared for GATE 2016 in Electrical Engineering (EE - S8) paper and
secured an All India Rank of 8 in GATE 2016. I obtained a GATE score of 974. My actual
marks are 80.67, which after normalization became 79.84.
29
Sudarshan: I wish to build my career in the power-engineering domain. For that, I

have to join a PSU that can give me the maximum technical exposure, field experience and
where I could interact with international experts and service personnel related to my field
of expertise. I think PGCIL suits me best considering all these factors. The only way to get
through is by cracking GATE as PGCIL doesnt have a presence in our campus placements.
Careers360: If PSU, have you applied to any? If yes, which ones?
Sudarshan: Apart from PGCIL, I have applied to other PSUs like BHEL, NTPC, GAIL
and IOCL to leave nothing to chance.
many hours did you put in daily as per the stages of preparation?
Sudarshan: I started my preparation in July 2015. Firstly, I started with my hand written notes from Made Easy and tried to finish studying them by November 2015 with a close
watch on the syllabus so that I dont go off-course. I highlighted the important points and
incorporated additional inputs from friends & various online sources like NPTEL, electrical4u etc. At the same time, I was also solving the previous years' GATE problems and
appearing for tests chapter wise as well as open book exams. After that, I devoted the whole
of December 2015 and January 2016 to practise mock tests and revision.
Simultaneously, I was also making notes for the difficult problems and abstract ideas that
I came across in the mock tests. I revised these notes in the last week before GATE 2016
exam.
I could not devote a fixed time to my GATE 2016 preparation, as I was busy with my
semester schedules. But I feel that one should dedicate at least 4-5 hours per day in order
to get a decent rank.
Careers360: Have you taken any coaching? If yes - from where? Did it help?
Sudarshan: I enrolled in a rank improvement batch as it focuses on problem solving.
Although I couldnt attend all topics due to my commitments at college, still I got a really
good grip on topics like Signals & systems, Digital, Microprocessor & Control there itself.
Sudarshan: I was quite comfortable with it by practicing beforehand in lots of mock tests
that I had appeared for. In fact, one should see virtual calculator as an opportunity to get an
edge by exploring all of its features and doing lots of practice.
30
Sudarshan: Practice is the key to tackle numerical type problems. One should not
always use calculator for doing simple calculations. I would suggest learning some Vedic
Maths fundamentals to calculate faster. An important thing to do would be to give a quick
glance on calculations right after attempting the problem or recheck lengthy calculations
at the end of the exam if time permits.
Sudarshan: Ideally, one should prepare for all topics as the GATE cutoffs are getting
high each year. Daily scheduling should involve 2-3 subjects so that one doesnt get bored
or feel stuck. Heavy subjects such as machines or power electronics should be clubbed with
lighter ones such as network theory, EMT or digital. Also, there shouldnt be a dry day when
you didnt solve any problem.

Sudarshan: This depends on a persons convenience. I started with the 2-marks questions from the end & continued till I attempted 15 questions. The problems, which got stuck
either due to calculation mistake or due to lack of concept in this duration, I simply marked
them and set aside space for them so that those problems could be tackled there on itself.
Then, I attempted the aptitude section in order to relax a bit. After that, I again attempted
the 5-6 two-marks technical questions followed by 1-marks technical questions and so
on. This process allowed me to keep on going at rapid pace without getting stuck. Once I
attempted the entire GATE 2016 paper in this manner, I returned to the marked problems
and analysed them with a cool head.

Sudarshan: I would say special emphasis is required for:
Power systems
Machines
Network theory
Control,
Power Electronics
Engineering mathematics
31
Sudarshan: It is absolutely necessary to practice online tests before appearing for
GATE to avoid blunders in the actual exam. One should take at least 15 full syllabus mock
tests beforehand.
Careers360: What did you find challenging in GATE exam?
Sudarshan: Although the paper was easy when compared to last year, I found it little
bit lengthy as I hoped to finish the paper half an hour earlier than the given time and then
utilize the remaining time for identifying calculation mistakes. But I got only 7-8 minutes
for the revision.
one solves the previous years' question papers, there is a good chance of cracking the
exam successfully?
Sudarshan: Mock tests are the most important part of ones preparation. These really
help you identify your weak areas, build up your speed as well as accuracy and minimize
your chances of committing errors. Mock tests are like litmus tests you know where you
stand. I would recommend aspirants to sit for CBTs (computer based online tests) organized by various coaching institutes to get a feel of actual GATE exam. CBTs also reflect
your true standing and level of preparation as I got AIR 7 in the CBT organized by Made
Easy. Chances are very rare to get a good rank if one doesnt sit for mock tests even if one
had solved the previous years' papers multiple times.

Sudarshan: I did not study books as the hand written notes plus theory booklets were
already available to me in distilled form from the coaching centre. For doubts, I had discussions with my friends or googled them.
Careers360: What did you do for leisure? Any specific activity that helped you
unwind?
Sudarshan: I listened to Red FM Baua (especially Nand Kishore Bairagi) and Mirchi
Murga (RJ Naved) through an android app. Also, while studying I used white noise/concentration music to kill background noises.

Sudarshan: Learn to prioritize things that you do on everyday basis by understanding
the need of the hour. Everybody has limited time, energy and resources; trading them for
the right purposes is all that matters.
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Arpit Garg, AIR 11 in Mining Engineering
ining engineering is one of the 23 papers of GATE 2016 exam. Careers360

talks to yet another GATE 2016 Topper Arpit Garg who is studying at IIT
(BHU) Varanasi. An avid reader and writer, Arpit feels that mere preparation is not enough. A proper analysis of the preparation is crucial and more important acting
upon the analysis thereafter.

Arpit Garg: My name is Arpit Garg. I hail from Shivpuri, M.P. Currently Im studying
in the Pre-final year of my Integrated Dual Degree Course (B.Tech + M.Tech) in Mining
Engineering at IIT (BHU)-Varanasi.
Arpit Garg: I appeared for Mining Engineering in GATE 2016 and secured an All India
Rank of 11. I scored 845 out of 1000 and got 60.67% marks in GATE 2016 MN paper.

Arpit Garg: I am studying in the Pre-final year of my Integrated Dual Degree Course
(B.Tech + M.Tech) in Mining Engineering, it includes Masters too. So I dont need to
33
pursue Masters again. I appeared for GATE exam just to assess the level of my mastery
over the subject.

Arpit Garg: Im not interested in PSUs. Besides that I am still studying.
Careers360: Tell us, when did you start your preparation and how did you prepare?
How many hours did you put in daily as per the stage of preparation?
Arpit Garg: To be truthful, I started my GATE 2016 preparation about a week before the
date of the exam. Firstly, I analyzed the previous years question papers, did self-assessment
and figured out topics which were my strong zones, then my weak zones and the chapters
which have relatively higher weightage in the GATE exam.
Then I sorted out the notes of my previous semesters at IIT and revised them in 2 days. I
focused on the chapters which have higher weightage in the GATE 2016 MN paper. Once
my revision was done, I started with solving question papers from previous years. My aim
was to solve as many questions as I could from the previous years question papers. I also
tried to solve as many questions in all the important chapters from the book on Mining
Engineering by A K Gorai.
Arpit Garg: No, I didnt take any coaching. I felt it was not required by me.
Careers360: The virtual calculator is the new feature introduced this year. How
Arpit Garg: We, as engineering students are more used to the physical calculator. We use
that a lot. So to shift to the virtual one needs understanding of how it works. Definitely yes,
students need to get familiar with the calculator. They have to practice with it otherwise it
consumes a lot of time during the GATE exam.
Arpit Garg: I dont think engineers need to do anything special as far as numerical questions are concerned as they are already good in them. However, if a student is not that good
with numbers, he will then need to put some extra efforts to prepare for these questions. If
you know the subject well, you can answer the questions.
34
Arpit Garg: I would summarize my GATE Preparation as follows:

Identify the important topics and your strong zones.
Focus on eliminating your weak zones in important topics.

Give mock tests and analyse them carefully. Remember analysis is as important as giving
mock tests.
Arpit Garg: This was simple for me. I started with the sections I felt confident about. I
think that is the best way to go about it because if you gain confidence in sections you solve
well, your going can only get good.

Arpit Garg: For Mining Engineering students some of the important topics are:
Rock mechanics
Operation research
Mine ventilation
Mining methods

Arpit Garg: Its good to be familiar with the online exam pattern. This allows you to
understand the GATE 2016 exam format. I would also advise students to read the instructions carefully and understand them.
Careers360: In your view, what was challenging for you during GATE exam preparation?
Arpit Garg: For me, the tough part was during preparation when I had to study some
boring topics and cramming some data. I can't think of anything else that seemed tough
or difficult.
exam successfully?
Arpit Garg: Definitely. Mock Tests give you a fairly good idea about where you stand in
your preparation for GATE exam and also how you should strategize your time during the
exam. If you attempt the previous 10 years question papers, there is a high probability that
you would have already come across most of the questions that can be asked in GATE paper.
35

Arpit Garg: I would suggest the book by A K Gorai its a good book because it contains
most of the formulas and all the chapters in brief. It also contains many questions for practise but this book will be helpful only if your fundamentals are clear. If youve time, you can
also study elements of mining technology vol. (1,2,3) by D J Deshmukh
Careers360: What are the leisure activities that help you unwind?
Arpit Garg: I am an avid reader. I love reading in my spare time. I also write poetry and
short stories when I can in my blog.

Arpit Garg: Trust me, GATE as an exam is not tough. Prepare well with your subject.
Unless you know the subject, you wont be able to answer the questions. Yes, there will
definitely be some questions in the exam that will be alien to you. Dont waste your time on
worrying about them, just focus on the rest.
36
Jaikishan Damani, AIR 18 in Civil Engineering
ivil Engineering is one of the top five branches that receive maximum number of
GATE applications. A lot of PSUs also feel the need for good civil engineers and
hence the recruitment happens through GATE.
Jaikishan Damani appeared for Civil Engineering in GATE 2016 and scored an All India
Rank of 18. A civil engineer from MANIT Bhopal, Jaikishan feels that one should focus on
quality and selective study which should further be supported by loads of practice. Here he
talks to Careers360 about how he went on to prepare for GATE 2016, his interests, ambitions and more.
Careers360: Tell us something about yourself; where have you done your engineering from and in which branch?
Jaikishan Damani: I am Jaikishan Damani and I belong to Bairagarh town of Bhopal
(M.P.). I have done my B.Tech in Civil Engineering from MANIT Bhopal.
Careers360: Which GATE Paper did you appear in? What rank did you get in
GATE 2016? What is your GATE score and how many marks did you secure out of
100 in GATE paper?
Jaikishan Damani: I appeared for GATE 2016 in Civil Engineering stream, in which I
secured an All India Rank of 18. I scored 78.74 marks out of 100 and my score was 939/1000.
37
Jaikishan Damani: I appeared in GATE 2016 because it has been mandated by many
leading PSUs. I am interested to work in a PSU.
Careers360: Have you applied in any PSU? If yes, which ones?

Jaikishan Damani: I have applied in some PSUs like IOCL, HPCL, NBCC, etc. to
name a few.
Jaikishan Damani: I started preparing for GATE in the final year of my B.Tech. Selfstudy is a critical yet overlooked part of the process. In my opinion, the quality of your study
is more important than the amount of time you put into your study. Still, 4-5 hours daily
may be considered as a good approach.
Careers360: Have you taken any coaching? If yes - from where? Did it help?
Jaikishan Damani: I took coaching classes for a year at Made Easy Bhopal centre. But
these classes are just a means to provide you the path and relevant study material. It is your
task to study selectively and carry on your self-study consistently.
Jaikishan Damani: Yes, definitely, a GATE aspirant must get used to the online calculator. As you go on spending a lot of time on the virtual calculator, a slight difference in
speed may make that difference. As it is a very weak calculator, you need to get used to the
procedure of carrying out complex calculations beforehand to ensure speed and accuracy.
Jaikishan Damani: Numerical questions are very basic questions that usually test the
depth of your knowledge. Make sure you get your basics strong. As for improving the speed
and accuracy, get enrolled in a good test series and get used to the calculator so that you
carry out the calculations without any errors, within the stipulated time.
38
Jaikishan Damani: Never ever depend upon anything completely. Assimilate all your
notes into a set of handwritten notes. They will make things easier to memorize and will
also come handy when you are at the last stage of your preparation for the exam. I did not
bother much about sticking to timetables as I personally found it very hard. The number of
hours doesnt matter as much as the quality of the study. Just stay sincere to yourself and
make sure you are doing the right thing.
to attempt first and which later?

Jaikishan Damani: That depends. I personally found English and Aptitude sections
very much scoring. These scoring sections give you good marks without consuming much
time, while helps in releasing the tension when you have been sitting for so long at your
place for the question paper to start. Going by the same logic, I personally suggest on
attempting the 1-mark questions before the 2-mark questions in the technical section too.
Jaikishan Damani: For Civil Engineering, a few subjects carry a lot more weightage
as compared to the rest of the subjects in relative terms. Some of them are Soil mechanics,
Environmental Engineering, Structures, etc. Also, there are some subjects like Hydrology, Open Channel Flow, etc., which are easier to study and remember, and carry a decent
weightage in the GATE exam.

Jaikishan Damani: Even if you are absolutely perfect in your technical section, you
cant ensure success in the online GATE exam pattern. Attempting the question paper
online can be one thing that can make or break your score. Make sure you join a good test
series, and seriously attempt an ample number of tests to give you a real understanding of
the real exam.
Careers360: What was challenging in GATE exam?

Jaikishan Damani: I feel that GATE is not a very tough exam. Just make sure that you
make consistent efforts and nothing will stop you from scoring well.
39
exam successfully?
Jaikishan Damani: I have already emphasized on the importance of the mock test
series. One should finish ones preparation by observing the previous years question papers
for the pattern like repeated questions etc. in addition to attempting the online test series
to make sure that one can actually perform well in the exam.

Jaikishan Damani: Books are a good source of knowledge but to crack exams like
GATE, you have to study very selectively and therefore books might not be the best option.
I mostly studied my notes during my preparation and used the standard reference textbooks
from the college curriculum only when I felt the need to refer to them.
Careers360: What kept you busy during your leisure? Any specific activities that
helped you unwind?
Jaikishan Damani: I spent my leisure time playing games, surfing the internet, etc. I
didn't want my hobbies to die. As an avid photographer, I continued this passion of mine
all this while.
Careers360: Any advice for the future aspirants of GATE?

Jaikishan Damani: Just stay focused. Dont study everything. Study selectively and
practise rigorously. Nothing will stop you from achieving what you want.
40
Amit Srivastava, AIR 20 in Mechanical Engineering
ATE 2016 Results brought forth many smiles to candidates who had worked very
hard with an intention to do well in this largest online post graduate engineering
entrance exam of the country. Amit Srivastava who appeared for GATE 2016
in Mechanical Engineering is one such student whose hard work paid off with an all India
Rank of 20 in GATE 2016 ME Paper.
A B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering from IIIT-DM Jabalpur, Amit talks about how consistency and hard work are the keys to his success. Read on to know about how he started
preparing for GATE 2016, books referred by him, difficulties faced during the preparation
and advice to future aspirants.
Careers360: Tell us something about yourself ? Where have you done your engi-
neering from and in which branch?

Amit Srivastava: My name is Amit Srivastava and I am basically from Jaunpur, Uttar
Pradesh. I have done my schooling from Allahabad. My father Mr. U.C. Srivastava is a loco
pilot in Indian Railways. I have done my B.Tech from IIIT-DM Jabalpur in Mechanical
Engineering with a CPI 9.3.
Amit Srivastava: I appeared for Mechanical Engineering Paper (Code ME) in GATE
2016 and secured an All India Rank of 20. My GATE 2016 score is 939 and GATE 2016
marks are 87.38 out of 100.
41
Amit Srivastava: GATE provides a wonderful opportunity for both - further studies and
jobs in PSUs. I am looking forward to join a leading PSU.
Careers360: If PSU, have you applied to any? If yes, which ones?

Amit Srivastava: I have applied in almost all the top PSUs. Actually in an exam like
GATE, you cannot predict your rank no matter how much you are prepared and how well
you have written the exam. I have applied in NTPC, GAIL, ONGC, IOCL, BPCL and BHEL
to name a few.
Amit Srivastava: I started my preparation from the final year of my graduation. I started
with my college notes and slowly switched to other available resources. Here I would like to
point out that your grasp of the basic concepts of your subject should be clear because no
matter how many questions you may solve the next one may be new to you. Therefore if you
are good with your basics, you can derive the answer rather than knowing it. I feel about 5-6
hours per day is a decent time that one should put in for GATE preparation.
Amit Srivastava: Yes, I have taken coaching from MADE EASY, Delhi. Coaching does
help to a certain extent but my belief is that at the end of day, what matters is your own effort.
Coaching helps you to maintain regularity in your studies as you need to pay attention to
what is taught in class and revise the topic that is to be taught in the class etc.
Amit Srivastava: Shifting to a new thing is always difficult; also, we all have a tendency
to resist change. The Online calculator is a new feature; a little different but can be mastered with a little practice. This will come only if you spend some time with it. When you
are solving questions at your home or room, try to use the virtual calculator instead of the
old conventional physical one and within weeks you would be in a comfort zone with it.

Amit Srivastava: I usually listened to old Bollywood songs of Rafi, Kishore, Mukesh,
etc. and poetry of Gulzaar. I would also watch a handful of old b/w Bollywood movies and
some Malayalam movies of Nithya Menon and Fahad Fazil.
42
Amit Srivastava: Yes, I expected this and was prepared for the numerical based questions. The trick I feel is to try and solve the simpler expressions manually. This gives you
speed. I would advise sparse usage of the virtual calculator for such easy questions. I have
seen that most of us solve each and every step on the calculator, copy it on the paper and
then spend a lot of time on it. We make errors while copying the calculations too. So drop
this practice; use the calculator to the minimum required and derive the final expressions
on the paper thereby reducing your scope of error. You see NAT questions are the test for
accuracy and need careful handling.
Careers360: Can you share any preparation strategy with our readers? How to
schedule study time and make timetable?
Amit Srivastava: I feel that timetable does not work out as we follow it for a day or
two and then we start making excuses and neglect to follow it. So, I didnt make any kind
of timetable. One thing that I did each day before going to bed was to analyze my work for
the day. With this I figured where I was wasting time and plugged those areas. The best part
of this exercise if done properly is that you realize where you need to put efforts, what you
should avoid doing in short reducing the time wasted. I started moving in the right direction
by utilizing my time productively in my preparation.
I feel that self-study is better than group study. The analysis can be done within a group as
you then get to discuss your doubts, figure out solutions and sometimes get a new perspective to the topic but definitely to get to the point, you need to study by yourself.
Amit Srivastava: It varies from person to person. My take on this is - always start from
the section you think is easiest and you are confident in. If you are good in English, then by
all means start with it; and if you are good in aptitude, then go for it first. The reason for this
is that a good start builds your confidence. Therefore if the starting 3-4 questions go good,
it gives you the much needed initial impetus and you can get going.
In my case, I started from the Aptitude section, then went on to tackle the technical objective followed by English and then approaching the subjective, which does not need much
calculation. Last came the leftover questions and a quick revision.
A small advice here - do not spend too much time on lengthy questions as even numerical
based questions in GATE are formula based or can be solved in 4-5 lines.
43
Amit Srivastava: Every topic is important. If one can, one should complete a majority
of GATE Syllabus if not the whole thing. Some important topics that are a must read for
Mechanical Engineering:
TOM
QRR, Velocity Diagram, Magnification

ratio and transmissibility
SOM
Basic bending moment and torsion

equations
Industrial
Exponential Smoothing, Critical Path
Fluid Mechanics
Velocity of flow over pipe and plate,

Boundary layer thickness
Manufacturing
Types of casting and defects, Rolling

maximum reduction in one pass,
merchant circle diagram
Thermodynamics & IC Engine
Otto and diesel cycle, p-v and t-s diagram
HMT
Effectiveness of HeX, finding intermediate

temperature on wall
Amit Srivastava: It is important to take online exams as it gives you an edge over other
students and you become familiar with GATE exam pattern. I think if you appear for an
approximate of 20-25 tests, it should suffice for the complete course of preparation.
Careers360: What did you find challenging in GATE exam?
Amit Srivastava: Generally when you come across a question which you consider as
your strength and you are struck, it is difficult to leave that question and move forward. I
too came across this situation during my GATE 2016 exam.
exam successfully?
Amit Srivastava: Previous years' question papers are important to solve as about half
of the questions are of the same pattern or repeated with minute changes. It gives you a
benefit of 10-15 marks. The advantages of appearing for a Mock Test is that it relieves you
of any exam fear and helps to release the tension as you become familiar to the GATE exam
environment.
44

Amit Srivastava: Books are useful but only for reference in case of some standard top-
ics. Some of the books that I referred to are:
Topics
Authors
TOM
SS Rattan
Thermodynamics
Shontaag, Wiley Publication
Fluid
RK Bansal
Industrial and HMT
Notes of any coaching centre would be

sufficient
Manufacturing Science
P.N Rao
MD
VB Bhandari
One of the most important things to do is to check and solve the last few years GATE
Question papers, especially the ones after the year 2000. Selective study should be done
after marking the areas from where questions are being asked.

Amit Srivastava: Be positive, confident and loyal in your effort.
45
Manideep Reddy, AIR 29 in Aerospace Engineering
erospace Engineering is a specialized branch of engineering that deals with

development of aircraft and spacecraft. One of the GATE papers is Aerospace
Engineering and it has a lesser number of applicants in GATE as compared to
other branches like Mechanical, Electrical, and Computer Science Engineering etc. Apart
from the M.Tech admissions at the IITs, PSUs like DRDO have asked for GATE qualified
candidates in Aerospace Engineering in 2016.
Careers360 talks to Desham Manideep Reddy who scored an All India Rank of 29 in
GATE 2016 Aerospace Engineering paper. An engineering graduate of MLR Institute of
Technology, Hyderabad, Manideep talks here about his GATE preparation strategies, challenges faced during GATE and offers advice to future GATE aspirants.

Manideep: My name is Desham Manideep Reddy. I have completed my B.Tech in Aeronautical Engineering from MLR Institute of Technology, Dundigal, Hyderabad.
Careers360: what was the GATE Paper you appeared in? What rank did you get
Manideep: I have appeared for the Aerospace Engineering (AE) paper in GATE 2016. I
secured an All India Rank of 29 in GATE 2016. I scored 65.33 marks out of 100. My GATE
46
2016 Score is 779 out of 1000.
Manideep: My main aim was higher studies. I opted to appear for GATE 2016 because
the best way to go for further studies in my chosen field is through GATE as it allows a
chance to study at the IITs. I also couldnt see any good companies visiting my college for
placements in my specialization. Pursuing M.Tech would allow me to be clearer with my
concepts. In my view, an M.Tech from any of the IITs will also increase my chances of a good
placement at a well-known company in my chosen field.

Manideep: I applied for DRDO as it is a good opportunity and the recruitment is through
GATE 2016 scores. Shortlisted candidates will be called for an interview.
many hours did you put in per day as per the stage of preparation?
Manideep: I started my preparation just after the completion of GATE 2015. I figured
one year was enough for good preparation. I did not have a fixed rigid schedule of studying
but yes I studied for not less than 3 hours per day.
I planned my preparation as follows
Syllabus Walk Through
Concept Building
Learn Formulae by heart
Solve numerical Problems
Careers360: Have you taken any coaching? If yes- From where? How did it help?
Manideep: Yes, I took coaching from GATE Aerospace Forum, Hyderabad. Coaching
really helps a lot as the study material give is confined to only GATE. So I just needed to
concentrate on studying the given material.
Manideep: My experience has been bad with the virtual calculator like so many others.
We are used to the good old physical calculator which has many features and on which we
used to work most of our engineering problems. It is same as the calculator in Microsoft
Windows. I lost not less than 10 marks because of it. It was a drawback for me. I strongly
think that GATE committee should reconsider this issue. Its not easy to convert to it as
47
we use the physical one for so many years and then we have to work with the online one
for GATE.
Manideep: Although the number of numerical questions increased, the level of difficulty of the questions has decreased substantially. So the time given was just enough.
Unlike other competitive exams, GATE doesn't test your speed of calculating. It checks
your conceptual skills. So complaints of time insufficiency are not heard of. The solution to
numerical problems is more and more practice. Get the formulae in place and practice the
problems. You are ready to go.
Manideep: I feel the following points are important:

Be
clear with your concepts. You can always work out a solution if you understand the
concepts.
Attempt mock tests and keep track of the marks scored in them. Its important to practice
what you learnt so the mock tests help you there.
Practise previous years questions. They will give you an idea of the types of questions
to expect and you can prepare accordingly.
Give equal importance to the Mathematics and General Aptitude sections. They are
worth 30 marks. That makes a difference to your overall score.
Set small achievable targets for yourself. Don't get depressed if you can't solve certain
problems. Rome was not built in a day. Slowly you will get there if you keep on.
If you are not feeling confident and comfortable with certain topics/subjects, leave them
behind and concentrate on other subjects. At the end of the day, you should be really
confident with the things you have studied.
Manideep: My method was to answer the General Aptitude and Mathematics sections;
then attempt the questions for the core subjects. This actually depends upon the student.
The target should be to complete and score as much as one can.
Manideep: Some of the important Topics for Aerospace Engineering Paper are
Viscous Flows,
48
Elementary Flows,
Compressible Flows,
Velocity triangles,
Rocket propulsion,
Compressors,
Strength of materials,
Orbital mechanics.
Manideep: Actually these days most of the mock tests designed by various institutes
are online only. Students should utilize them to get familiar to both the GATE 2016 Exam
Pattern as well as the methodology to answer them.
Manideep: I found the virtual calculator and virtual keyboard to be my weak points in
the GATE 2016 exam.
exam successfully?
Manideep: Mock tests and previous years papers are essential for GATE preparation.
The advantages are many - we get an idea of the GATE Exam Pattern, understand the types
of questions required, learn time management and can devise a methodology to tackle the
GATE exam well.

Manideep: Some books I followed are:
SNo
Topics
Authors
Aerodynamics, Flight
Mechanics
John. D.Anderson
Flight Stability Aand

Dynamics
Thomas Yechout
Strength of Materials
R.K. Bansal
Fluid Mechanics
R. K. Rajput
Engineering Mechanics
Bhavikatti
Thermodynamics
Michael Boles; Yunus

Cengel
49

Manideep: I love music and movies. I also like hanging out with my friends. These were
my de-stressing activities during my GATE preparation.

Manideep: Aeronautical Engineering is a specialized branch which has little oppor-
tunity in India for students to showcase their talent. GATE is a window to better opportunities through higher studies or a good placement in the PSUs like DRDO. GATE helps you
explore your strengths, weakness and teaches you what four years of engineering couldn't
teach. GATE is neither a tough exam nor an easy one. So study as much as you can; hone
your conceptual knowledge and practice more. You will be successful.
50
Know GATE 2015 Toppers
GATE 2015 Topper Interview Sharada Prasad Panda (AIR 6 in

Biotechnology)
GATE 2015 Topper Interview Souradeep Sinha AIR 9 In Chemical

Engineering
GATE 2015 Topper Suhit Sinha AIR 10 in Computer

Science Engineering
GATE 2015 Topper Interview Aditya Narayan Nanda AIR 10 In

Instrumentation Engineering
51
GATE Expert Opinion:
GATE Expert Interview

Mr. Aniruddh Pratap Singh (Faculty, Made Easy Group)
GATE Expert Interview

Mr. B.Singh (CMD, Made Easy Group)
52
Useful Links for GATE 2017:
GATE 2017
Whats New in GATE 2017?
GATE 2017 Syllabus
GATE 2017 Sample Papers
GATE 2017 Mock Test
GATE 2017 Official Website
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latest updates
53

GATE toppers' success mantras

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SUCCESS MANTRAS OF GATE TOPPERS FOR

SUCCESS MANTRAS OF GATE TOPPERS FOR GATE 2017

GATE 2016 Topper Interviews:

Suman Kumar Paul, AIR 2 in Agricultural Engineering

Nilesh Agrawal, AIR 3 in Petroleum Engineering

Sayeesh TM, AIR 4 in Mechanical Engineering

Muthuraj Pillai, AIR 6 in Electronics & Communication

Raja Majhi, AIR 7 in Electronics & Communication

Sudarshan Yadav, AIR 8 in Electrical Engineering

Arpit Garg, AIR 11 in Mining Engineering

Jaikishan Damani, AIR 18 in Civil Engineering

Amit Srivastava, AIR 20 in Mechanical Engineering

Manideep Reddy, AIR 29 in Aerospace Engineering

Know GATE 2015 Toppers

GATE Expert Opinion

Useful Links for GATE 2017

SUCCESS MANTRAS OF GATE TOPPERS FOR GATE 2017

SUCCESS MANTRAS OF GATE TOPPERS FOR GATE 2017

Sachin Gupta, AIR 1 in Textile Engineering & Fibre Science

ne of the relatively less pursued branches in GATE, students appearing for

ing from and in which branch?

SUCCESS MANTRAS OF GATE TOPPERS FOR GATE 2017

studies? Please elaborate your reasons.

Careers360: If PSUs, have you applied to any and which ones?

was just self-study.

SUCCESS MANTRAS OF GATE TOPPERS FOR GATE 2017

Careers360: GATE 2016 saw a substantial amount of numerical questions asked

schedule study time and make timetables?

to attempt first and which next?

SUCCESS MANTRAS OF GATE TOPPERS FOR GATE 2017

Careers360: Which books did you follow for GATE preparation?

Books and Authors

Blow Room- N CUTE BOOK

Carding & Draw Frame- A KHARE

Speed Frame- W KLEIN

Ring Frame W KLEIN, NPTEL,K R

Sachin Gupta: Music is my hobby. Listening to songs is my way of relaxation. I would

Careers360: Any advice for the future aspirants?

SUCCESS MANTRAS OF GATE TOPPERS FOR GATE 2017

Suman Kumar Paul, AIR 2 in Agricultural Engineering

ne of the GATE 2016 Papers is Agricultural Engineering (AG). Suman Kumar

ing from and in which branch?

SUCCESS MANTRAS OF GATE TOPPERS FOR GATE 2017

SUCCESS MANTRAS OF GATE TOPPERS FOR GATE 2017

student attempting GATE exam?

students to practice online and how frequently?

SUCCESS MANTRAS OF GATE TOPPERS FOR GATE 2017

Suman Kumar Paul: The preparation is rigorous. I feel sometimes concentration is a

problem and keeping focused too. The rest of it is workable.

Careers360: Which books did you follow for GATE preparation?

Application and Concept in Agricultural

Dash & Mohanty

Numerical Approach in Agricultural

Er. Sanjay Kumar

Gate Digest in Agricultural Engineering

Er. Sanjay Kumar

Transport Processes and Unit Operations

Fundamentals of Food Process

Introduction to Food Process Engineering

John B. Liljedahl, Paul K. Turnquist, David

Engiineering Principle of Agricultural

Elements of Agricultural Engineering

Suman Kumar Paul, AIR 2 in Agricultural Engineering

Nilesh Agrawal, AIR 3 in Petroleum Engineering

Sayeesh TM, AIR 4 in Mechanical Engineering

Sudarshan Yadav, AIR 8 in Electrical Engineering

Arpit Garg, AIR 11 in Mining Engineering

Jaikishan Damani, AIR 18 in Civil Engineering

Amit Srivastava, AIR 20 in Mechanical Engineering

Manideep Reddy, AIR 29 in Aerospace Engineering

Know GATE 2015 Toppers

GATE Expert Opinion

Useful Links for GATE 2017