Previous Years' Toppers Strategy to Succeed in GATE 2025 Exam

Previous Years’ GATE Toppers Strategy to Succeed in 2025: GATE is a national-level exam that requires an in-depth study of the fundamental concepts in engineering. Those of you preparing for the upcoming GATE 2025 exam must be looking for strategies and study plans followed by the toppers of the past years. From GATE previous years question papers, test series, and timetables to online and offline coaching, these strategies not only help students plan their path to success but also give important insights into what goes into making a GATE exam topper. In this article, get to know previous years’ GATE topper's strategy to excel in the 2025 exam, read about their success stories and what they do differently from others to achieve their goal.

Also Check: GATE 2025 vs Previous Years Trends: How Has the Compeition Changed?

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Best Tips and Strategies by Toppers for GATE 2025 Preparation

The GATE exam is one of India's most challenging exams, requiring thorough preparation and planning. Lakhs of students appear for the exam yearly, but only a few hundred students qualify. However, with a proper study plan and an effective strategy, anyone can secure a good rank and even get their name among the toppers list. Therefore, knowing what strategies toppers follow is important to crack this challenging exam. In this section, we have broken down some of the most common practices followed by the past years' toppers to clear the GATE exam 2025. 

1. Understanding the GATE 2025 Syllabus and Exam Pattern

First and foremost, it is crucial for any GATE hopeful to get familiar with the exam. The IIT Roorkee website has provided all the information related to GATE exam pattern and syllabus for the upcoming session 2025. There will be a total of 30 question papers in GATE exam 2025, each for a different branch of engineering. The test will be held in online mode for 3 hours and you will have to to attempt 65 questions. The exam follows a negative marking pattern, where each incorrect answer deducts certain marks. All 30 papers are scheduled on different days. The GATE syllabus 2025 for each question paper can be downloaded from the official website. 

2. Starting the Exam Preparation as Early as Possible

The syllabus of GATE is extensive and requires a deep understanding of the concepts and good practice of the numerical problems and questions. Therefore, most toppers start their exam preparations at the earliest. Many topper testimonials state that starting GATE exam preparations from the 3rd year of the B.Tech course or at least 12 months before the examination will help complete the syllabus on time. 

3. Creating Well Defined Goals

Getting into exam preparation can be overwhelming for anyone, therefore, toppers recommend that it is important to define your goals while preparing for the exam. The GATE exam preparation is not a sprint rather it is a marathon, and you need to ensure they have enough energy left at the end of each checkpoint. GATE toppers often talk about how breaking down bigger goals into smaller well-defined multiple goals helps them achieve better results in the examination. You can set daily, weekly, and monthly targets and prepare effective action plans to achieve them. This practice helps you remain focused and efficient while preparing for the examination. 

4. Gathering the Best Study Material

What you read is important while preparing for the GATE exam 2025. Whether you are taking coaching or self-studying to crack the GATE 2025 exam, it is important to only refer to the best study material available in the market. Most GATE toppers emphasized studying from only the most reputable authors and publications. A good exam preparation book will not only help you gain a good understanding of the concept and syllabus but also provide you with enough practice material to prepare for the complicated questions asked in the GATE question papers. Additionally, GATE toppers also recommend not reading from multiple sources but rather selecting only a few and keeping exam preparations less complicated. 

5. Ensuring Proper Time Management

All GATE 2025 exams include a vast syllabus that requires in-depth and rigorous studies. However, it can be challenging to plan a proper time management plan that caters to all the sections of the syllabus and also works efficiently. GATE Topper's strategies recommend planning your syllabus and dedicating specific hours to each section of the syllabus. Additionally, the time allotted to each section can depend on factors such as the weightage or the understanding of the section by the student. It is important to also give enough time to rest and relax between studies. Most toppers suggest dedicating certain hours to pursue their hobbies and take a break from their studies whenever they need it. 

6. Making Short Notes and Practice Questions

One of the most significant practices that many GATE exam toppers highlight is the importance of making short notes and practicing multiple types of questions. Short notes are helpful while revising the syllabus. These crisp and direct notes will help you recall important concepts and points quickly. Additionally, preparing multiple types of practice questions will prepare you for surprise questions while attempting the actual GATE paper.

7. Solving Previous Years’ Question Papers

Previous years’ question papers are great study material for examinees. All the toppers suggest preparing for the upcoming exam from past years’ question papers. Very often GATE exam authorities repeat some questions from past years. Preparing from the past years’ question papers not only helps prepare for such questions but also provides you with important insights such as exam patterns, marking schemes, important question paper guidelines etc. Many previous years’ GATE exam toppers also recommend treating GATE previous years’ question papers as mock tests to practice for the actual examination.

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8. Taking Mock Tests & Doing Timely Revisions

Mock tests work as the replica of the actual GATE exam 2025. Most GATE success stories recommend taking as many mock tests as possible to assess exam preparations. GATE toppers recommend participating in multiple mock test series as one begins their exam preparation. It is also recommended to attempt 2-3 tests on a weekly basis to track progress. Additionally, doing timely revisions of the syllabus and analyzing the mock test results can help keep the exam preparations on track. 

9. Maintaining Good Health

It is essential to stay healthy and relaxed while preparing for the GATE exam. GATE toppers often highlight the importance of staying healthy during exam preparation. Ensure you are eating on time and getting sufficient rest between lectures and studies. Listen to your body and take rest whenever it is necessary.

10. Staying Motivated and Positive 

Staying positive and motivated throughout the exam preparation can be very helpful in preparing for the GATE 2025 exam. Often when a student gets stuck with a particular subject, they may feel demotivated and distraught, however, remember there is always a way out. Similarly, take every setback during mock tests or preparation as a learning experience. You must have a positive attitude toward exam preparation. Toppers recommend pursuing hobbies during free time to stay creative and positive.

Also Check: GATE 2025 Syllabus: CE, ME, CSE, ECE, EE, Download Subject-Wise Syllabus PDF

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Last-Minute Tips by Previous Years' Toppers for GATE 2025 Exam

1. Kumar Vishesh (GATE 2024 AIR 1, Production and Industrial Engineering)

• Kumar Vishesh emphasizes preparing short notes for quick revisions.

• Kumar suggests participating in the competitive GATE 2025 test series to ensure your exam preparations are on track.

• Staying positive throughout GATE 2025 exam preparation is the key to success. 

2. Yaswanth Babu Gaddipati (GATE 2024 AIR 1, Environmental Science and Engineering)

• While attending remote classes carefully make digital notes of all the important tips and tricks. 

• Gaddipati believes the test series, GATE previous years' question papers, and revision are the most essential for GATE 2025 preparation.

• He recommends video lectures for students who find physical lectures boring. 

3. Rishabh Gupta (GATE 2024 AIR 1, Instrumentation Engineering)

• Rishabh followed the ‘Revision through Questions’ strategy and solved as many important questions as possible to gain a better understanding of the concepts and syllabus topics.

• Ensured to study for 6-7 hours every day while tutoring JEE students.

• Rishabh emphasizes doing regular revisions and attempting PYQs. 

4. Bhanu Pratap Singh (GATE 2024 AIR 1, Civil Engineering)

• To keep the morale up, Bhanu recommends only attempting those questions during a mock that can be solved, since there is no point in wasting time on questions that one doesn’t know.

• He suggests only studying from the most reputed and liable study materials.

• He suggests taking online mock tests to identify your mistakes and emphasizes making a plan to improve your performance.

5. Tushar Karmakar (GATE 2023 AIR 20, Instrumentation Engineering)

• Tushar highlights the importance of preparing for the exam at the earliest as he begins his preparations at the end of 2nd year of B.Tech. 

• Studying 7-8 hours a day is recommended for thorough exam preparation.

• Tushar recommends taking as many as mock tests possible to ensure a detailed exam preparation. 

• Recommends online lectures and coaching as it allows flexibility.

6. Sonali Mangal (GATE 2019 AIR 97, Electrical Engineering)

• Sonali recommends studying quality materials, indulging in group discussions, and competitive test series. 

• Emphasizes the importance of test series and timely revisions.

• Sonali recommends using the best books for exam preparation and making a well-defined plan.

There are various online videos and interviews shared by past years' toppers on how to crack GATE 2025 exam available on YouTube, which you can refer to, to take notes and stride towards achieving 90+ marks in GATE exam 2025.

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