To clear the GATE exam with high score is a dream of every GATE aspirant and to fulfill this dream they study hard with immense dedication. But somehow, not everyone gets to succeed in the GATE exam though they prepare for a long time. So, what is the reason behind this? The answer is some common mistakes which happen during the preparation of GATE exam. If you are one of the GATE aspirants, you should be aware of these mistakes & know how to avoid them for getting a high score in the exam. In this article, you will know about the Mistakes that should be avoided while preparing for GATE exam along with the suggestions to overcome through it.
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Table of Contents
Mistake-Not being aware of the syllabus properly.
Most of the GATE aspirants kick start their studies without knowing their syllabus for the exam and they get trapped here. This is the common mistake which happens while preparing for GATE exam.
- Recommendation:
Before you kick start your studies, take some time to know your syllabus completely & then plan your schedule for preparation. This will help you to know your syllabus & thus you will get a clear idea about subjects, topics and how to study them.
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Mistake- Choosing inappropriate study material.
This is another common mistake. Most of the students don’t have a clear idea about which books to refer for their GATE preparation. So they keep reading each book from their shelf without being aware of the quality of the content provided in it. By studying these books, there are 100% chances that whatever the information you will pick through it, can be wrong & outdated.
- Recommendation:
Choose standard books for the preparation of GATE exam. Take guidance from your faculties, either they can be from your college or GATE Exam coaching institute. Ask the previous years’ toppers. Avail the customized notes from well-known coaching institutes for studying the fundamentals.
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Mistake- Lack of proper strategy-building.
Most of the aspirants make this mistake. There is a lack of strategy & planning regarding with their studies and this ends up with panic. Without proper strategy and planning, one cannot prepare effectively for GATE examination.
- Recommendation:
Strategy building is a crucial thing while preparing for the exam like GATE. Hence, plan a proper strategy according to your subjects. Schedule your timetable in such a way that you will not feel exhausted and will get enough time for revision before the exam.
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Mistake-Not giving enough time for practice.
Less practice, having a focus on mugging up the topic without understanding the concept are the main reasons for getting a lower score in GATE exam. Students focus on mugging up the things instead of studying the basic concepts. This is one of the common mistakes the majority does.
- Recommendation:
Practice and more practice. Whatever the topic you study, practice it again and again. Focus on understanding the topic and clearing the basic concepts instead of swotting them up. This will help you to make your concepts clear and you will have no need to memorize so many things.
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Mistake-Not following test series seriously.
Most of the aspirants don’t follow the test series seriously. This is another common mistake. They do not note down the silly mistakes which they do while solving the tests.
- Recommendation:
Solve a test series with complete dedication & practice. Note down the questions which you think are complicated and require more practice. Prepare those questions again and solve them again. It will help you to improve the speed of question-solving and you will get an idea about the topics on which you should focus more.
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Mistake- Using regular calculator instead of GATE calculator.
Using a regular calculator instead of the virtual calculator which is specially allotted for GATE exam, results in being unable to use a virtual calculator effectively while attending the exam.
- Recommendation:
Be habitual with using a virtual calculator while you solve the numerical & questions. Practicing more with a virtual calculator will save you from on-time chaos & confusions.
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Mistake-Not striving for accuracy.
Not using proper measurement attributes, making silly mistakes while mentioning the proportions, units, is one of those mistakes which happens often. This further result in losing the marks.
- Recommendation:
Strive for accuracy. For this, you should read the question carefully before starting to solve it. Read the units carefully. Check whether the diameter and radius have given, whether the question has been asked in terms of percentage or decimal, the magnitude has been asked or not. Observe all these things carefully and mention the units properly.
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Mistake-Not preparing short notes and not memorizing formulae.
Most of the aspirants do not prepare short notes while studying any topic and they do not memorize formulae. This results in confusion & panic which occurs on exam time.
- Recommendation:
Make a habit to write down important points and jot them down to make short notes. Memorize the formulae and prepare a complete list of formulae, paste it on your wall so you can see it anytime and revise.
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The mistake-less practice of solving mock tests and online tests.
Majority of hopefuls make this mistake. They keep studying, swotting up the topics and much more but forget to test how to apply their knowledge efficiently.
Not attempting enough mock tests and online tests are the major reason for not being able to manage the time properly while attempting the main exam.
- Recommendation:
Enroll in online mock tests. Attempt mock tests on a weekly basis once you finish a certain topic. This will help you to increase your analytic thinking ability and improve your time management. By practicing more mock tests you will be able to solve the questions effectively in a given time limit.
Along with this, give enough time for sleep, follow a proper diet, don’t skip your meals, revise the topics on a regular basis as there will be a few chances of forgetting the things. On your exam day, reach the exam centre before an hour. Read all the questions carefully first then solve them. If you feel that you don’t remember something, don’t get panic. Don’t lose your confidence. Recall with a calm mind.
All the best!
