GATEway to PSUs

MN Ramesh 

If you are an engineering student looking for job security, a good work environment, a decent paycheck along with opportunities of career growth, then Public Sector Undertakings or PSUs can be ideal choice. If you are looking for ways or eligibility to get into these PSUs, then GATE is your “go to” test. Clearing GATE with a good percentile is a direct gateway to the PSUs. 

Every year, the commencement of the month of September is an indication to all engineering graduates to shift their gears and pull up their socks for the GATE exam which is conducted in the month of February. 

For engineers GATE exam is the Midas touch which transforms their dream of getting PSU job or admission in the prestigious IIT/NITs for higher studies into reality. And for this more than 9 lakh candidates appear in GATE exam every year. 

With so many career opportunities available through a single exam, the level of competition is quite high, but most of the candidates are unaware of this fact. 

Unlike any other exam, a good score in GATE will land you directly to the dream organisation or institute. A candidate’s overall understanding of the concepts along with the problem-solving skills must be sharp enough, to score well in the crucial 180 mins of the exam.

Syllabus & Pattern 

While the authorities made a new addition to GATE 2020 in the form of Biomedical Engineering apart from the 24 existing papers, the pattern of the exam has remained unchanged for the past few years. IIT Delhi has released the syllabus for all 25 papers including the newly added paper of Biomedical Engineering and it is available on the official website. It is a single paper online examination of three hours, with 65 questions (multiple choice questions & numerical answer type) carrying a total of 100 marks.

Syllabus for each branch is different and must be reviewed properly so that preparation is aligned with the syllabus. 

Pattern of GATE Exam

In GATE Exam; General Aptitude questions carry 15marks, which include both 5 questions, each of 1 mark and 2 marks. The Technical Section carries remaining 85 marks; which includes MCQs and Numerical Answer Types (NAT) questions. Both the sections are allotted a total time of 180 minutes.

• Type questions Marks 
• 1 Mark Questions 30 30
• 2 Mark Questions 35 70
• Total 65 100

Choice of Study Materials for GATE Preparation

It is recommended to go for standard books and study notes of good institutes for better concept building and problem solving. Candidates may also utilize the online education platforms and live classes for effective preparations which is time saving and cheaper than the conventional offline coaching institutes. 

This year the applications concluded on October 5 and candidates now have a little over 100 days to give their best shot at the exam. 

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Tips for initial stage of preparation

• Generally the initial phase of preparation is considered to be the concept-building stage where student covers the syllabus for GATE exam.
• Understand the pattern and level of exam by practicing at least the past 10 years’ questions.
• Once you have understood the basics & concepts of the subject, it is advised to prepare short notes for all important topics.
• These short notes are very helpful during the final phase of preparations where candidates can easily revise the formulas or topics. 
• As most of the questions in GATE are numerical,  aspirants must emphasise on time-bound problem solving ability.

Tips for final stages 

• Once each topic is covered thoroughly by the aspirant, practice and repeated practice becomes  crucial.
• Try to solve as many problems through daily /weekly quizzes, Mock tests or test series on a regular basis to improve accuracy and performance.
• Candidates must remember the fact that along with practice, it is essential to analyse your performance in each test, and improve on the weak areas.
• After practicing questions daily, candidates must also revise the topics to recall all concepts, formulas, definitions and examples as basic concepts always help in cracking even tough questions.

Subject-wise tests and Mock Tests

• The following are the points must be analysed while writing the tests.
• Identify the mistakes committed by you in that exam and update yourself not to make the same mistake next time.
• Based on the marks you obtain in the test, understand your level of preparation and plan accordingly for further preparation.
• Check whether you are able to complete the tests within time or not. If not, practice to manage the timely completion of the tests.

Success mantra

• While attempting Mock Tests for GATE exam, candidates must try to reduce negative marking by not attempting or guessing the answers.
• Candidates must be well aware of the working of Virtual Calculator and must be swift enough while performing calculations.
• Once the admit cards are released, and the exam timings are known to the candidates, they must practice the Mock Tests on their exam timings only i.e. Forenoon or Afternoon.

Tracking opportunities
Some PSUs that hire  on the basis of GATE score are

• Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO recruitment)
• National Highway Authorities of India (NHAI)
• Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL)
• Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL)
• Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC)
• Gas Authority of India Limited
• Indian Oil Corporation Limited
• National Thermal Power Corporation Limited
• Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL)
• Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL)
• Airport Authority of India (AAI)
• BSNL Junior Telecom Officer (JTO)
• Magazon Dock Shipbuilders (MDL)
• National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC)
• National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO)
• West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (WBSEDCL)
• Central Electronics Limited
• Rail India Technical and Economic Service
• Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL)