GATE

Graduate Aptitude Test for Engineering is conducted every year and is more popularly known as GATE exams. Many of the Engineering and Science students apply for this exam, because it is a gateway to the India’s Premier Institutes for learning, the IITs, IISC, etc for pursuing higher studies. The notification for the exam is usually given every year in the months of September/October, the exam for which will in February (second Sunday) and results will be announced in March.

Initially the GATE exam was used as an entrance for M.Tech admissions, but the government has done a good job by pursuing the PSU companies to accept the GATE score for selection to engineering posts. Now many of the PSUs are accepting the GATE score as a measure of the students engineering knowledge .Even for doing PhD the GATE scores are being given due credit during selection of candidates, because all that GATE does is test the student’s knowledge in the basic concepts of Engineering course.

The questions in the exam will be up to the fifth-sixth semester of the engineering syllabus and the students who are doing their third year of engineering can also apply to test their proficiency and knowledge levels. The exam does not contain numerical questions relating to engineering, but also theoretical questions and English, basic aptitude questions. Thus not only bookworms of Engineering, but also average students can do well in the GATE exams with a minimum profession.

There are many coaching centers which run courses for the GATE preparation and have become very big businesses. GATE study materials with complete syllabus and model papers are also available in the market for those who want to do self study. It is not necessary to master in the numerical problems relating to engineering, but those who can understand the theoretical concepts can also score reasonably well in the examinations.

Every year there will a new cutoff marks based on the top marks scored and the number students who have applied. All the students who have qualified in the GATE will get their marks card and is usually valid for two years. A student can attempt any number times and there is no limit of age as well. With many PSU accepting the GATE scores, in 2013 many candidates have taken up the exam and thus he cutoff marks will be definitely higher than in the previous years.

The GATE score will tell very little whether a student can get a seat, but All India Ranking (AIR) is more important. To get a seat in the IIT, IISC it is necessary to get an AIR within 250 to have any realistic chance.  The next best institutes are the NITs to do the higher learning or research. All the NITs have offering their seats though a single window system. A single application will be sufficient to enter any of the NIT spread throughout India. A ranking up to 2500 can give a chance to get a seat in the college of preference, but a ranking up to 4000can also ensure a seat in some NIT. But many students who are willing joining the PSUs are applying GATE, thus the AIRs may not give clear indication as compared to previous, but nonetheless these numbers can be taken as guidelines.

Apart from IITs, NITs there are many other private universities that provide M.Tech courses. Many of these universities give preference to students who have a valid score, and universities that conduct their own entrance exams give some additional consideration to the GATE qualified students. If a student fails to score decently in GATE all is not lost for higher learning. For doing M.Tech many states conduct their own entrance examination and students can write these exams and get the seat in the institutes.

The application for the state wise entrance exams will be provided long after the GATE results are out probably in the months of April or May. The private institutes also give notification for entrance test in about the same time. The applications for the seats for the IITs have to be applied individually. Even some of the IIITs consider GATE score as a criterion for selection.

The candidates should keep a track on the colleges/universities where they prefer to join and apply. The main advantage of joining the colleges that accept GATE scores and are approved by AICTE is the stipend. Any student who having qualified GATE and joined the M.Tech in AICTE approved college and a course certified by AICTE is eligible to avail the stipend. The amount is Rs.8000/-. The amount is usually sufficient to cover the college expenses for students.

The stipend concept is made by the government so that students become independent of their family and show interest in the learning. A little bit of financial independence is what everyone likes after completing degree and thus the stipend helps to some extent in this way.  In some colleges the stipend is given on a monthly basis and in others it disbursed yearly and the fund is given by the central government.

GATE is surely a GATEWAY for HIGHER LEARNING and JOBS IN PSUs.