GATE Bible: 6 Steps to Clear GATE EE (Electrical Engineering) | GATE Electrical Engineering (EE) Mock Test Series 2025 PDF Download

How was this guide made?

• This guide has been made by EduRev experts by referring to the strategies & interviews of the toppers including Gaurav Kumar (GATE EE 2022, AIR 1), Piyush Pandey (GATE 2022, AIR 29),  Abash Rai (GATE 2020, AIR 1).
  
• Study pattern, schedule and strategy of the toppers have been studied deeply while making this document so that students get the right way towards the preparation.

Why did EduRev make this guide?

• We wanted to answer the question "How to Prepare for GATE EE" once and for all in the best / perfect way possible.
• Since students waste a large amount of time, effort, and money while preparing for GATE just because of a lack of the right direction. We believe it will be very very valuable for every aspirant.
• This guide was made to teach in a guided way so that you can clear your GATE EE Exam with the least amount of time, effort, and money spent, by just making sure you Study What Actually Matters for the preparation of the exam.

This section aims at helping you devise a well-planned preparation strategy for the upcoming GATE EE exam. Let’s have a look at the fool-proof STEP by STEP preparation strategy for preparing GATE exam.

Step 0: What to do Before you begin your GATE EE preparation?

The best thing you can do for yourself for your GATE EE preparation is to give time to read this guide and then check at different steps to see if you are in the right direction in achieving your dream to enter in a good IIT, NIT or PSUs.

• Set goals and devote time effectively: Before starting your preparation for GATE EE, it is important to prepare yourself mentally and physically for the examination. Set goals, devote time effectively and be motivated in the journey.
• Know the GATE EE syllabus: Knowing the Syllabus and pattern of GATE examination is important for every aspirant before starting the preparation, click here for the syllabus and pattern of GATE EE.

• Must Know about the Exam: What could be the weightage of every topic? And how much marks do each topic or concept carry? Therefore, you can determine how much time you want to spend on revising every topic accordingly.
  

Step 1: How Do I Begin Preparing for GATE EE?

Jumping into core subjects without clearing basics is the mistake most GATE aspirants do.

• There are 3 starting points in GATE EE and these are the easiest subjects in Electrical Engineering.
  (i) Network Theory
  (ii) Signals and Systems
  (iii) Control Systems
• Engineering mathematics is a prerequisite, but you can keep doing it along with the other courses.
• Now, Let's see how Toppers begin their preparation, so, most of the toppers divide the entire syllabus into 2 parts: Easy topics and difficult topics.
  (a) For easy topics: These are the topics that toppers felt are easy like Network Theory, Signal & Systems & Control Theory. They to solve all the questions from these topics, attempt questions from the previous year GATE papers until they are fully confident.
  (b) For difficult topics: There are topics like Electrical Machine, Power System, Power Electronics, that are probably difficult for everyone! So for subjects/topics like these, I first went through the standard books and cleared my concepts, so that these topics can also be put into the bucket of easier topics. And yes, I always jot down the formulae or points that I need to remember in a sheet which I could refer before the exam
• Additionally, most GATE top performers believe that quality, not quantity, is what matters. They keep this in mind during their GATE preparation and devote enough time to each topic, rather than cramming for the exam by covering a lot of material at once.
• Group Study: This helps a lot during preparation. There are always new things/tips you get to learn if you are studying in a group.
• Cover important topics: Cover the important topics, do not mug up concepts, know the fundamentals, and derive important topics.
• Revision: At the end of the day, revise what you studied throughout the day.
• Test Series: Regular Tests were the only thing that will help you keep track of any silly errors.

Step 2: Can you make good Short Notes While Studying?

Here are some steps to make your notes effectively:

• As an electrical engineering student, you don't need to write KCL, KVL. Just focus on the concepts that you feel are more important. But make sure that you don't miss out any topic. 
• Then comes the more important portion. Jot down all the concepts that you had marked from the numericals. Leave 2 pages even after that as you will be solving different numericals even after that and later if you find any new thing, you can add that in your notes.
• When people talk regarding the number of pages in your short notes. Don't focus on such things. It is not relevant. What is important is the content.

Few Tips from the GATE EE Topper Piyush Pandey

• Try to form tabular forms wherever possible. It would be easy for you to remember a big topic or a set of formulas.
• Don't note down the same sentence from your class notes as it is in your short notes unless it cannot be modified. Understand the statement first very properly and then note it down in your own language. Again, make sure that while changing, you don't change the meaning or miss out any concept.
• While writing down a formula I had a habit of noting down a part of its derivation along with the formula. This helped me to remember the formula for a longer period of time. These things helped me the most during the examination.

Step 3: Practice Previous Years Questions (PYQs) & Mock Tests

•  GATE Mock tests are the most important aspect to score good ranks. 
• Solving previous year questions helps if one has clear concepts and can understand the logic behind a question.
• Don’t miss Mocks: Do not feel that let me complete my syllabus then I will take all India Online mocks. Take them as and when they are scheduled. Please try to understand if you will preserve them you won’t be able to complete them at the end . You need to understand that if You score 40 marks with preparing only 4 subjects just imagine how much you will gain if you complete 6 subjects or may be when you would have completed 10 subjects It will be a decent score.

Step 4: Study Plan: Keep daily and weekly targets to complete the syllabus on time

Step 5: Practice Engineering Maths & General Aptitude Regularly

These two subjects require your efforts in a continuous manner while you are preparing for other core subjects, you have to give some extra time to these subjects on daily basis or in alternate manner, but you have to make your practice continuous the whole time you are preparing for GATE.

(i) Engineering Mathematics

• Irrespective of the stream the candidate has in his/ her graduation, Engineering Mathematics will be there in all of them. It will account for the same percentage of marks in every stream.
• Thus, ignoring Engineering Mathematics for GATE will be a big mistake. Ignoring this subject will cost you valuable GATE Marks.
• You have to practice questions on daily basis so that you remember the concepts and it will help you to solve questions in other core subjects as well as the concepts of mathematics are universal.

(ii) General Aptitude

• Aptitude cannot be learnt in a matter of days or a month so it must be made a daily habit.
• Devote an hour each day to practice aptitude. Even if you do 10 questions daily it would be enough. Solve aptitude questions while taking a break from technical subjects so that your mind gets refreshed.

Step 6: Keep revising the subjects already covered by you to keep concepts fresh

• Our objective to retain the information for as long as possible, at least till the exam date. Even though you studied the whole chapter, it is difficult for you to recollect some lengthy formulas.
• Once you move on to the next subject, try to recollect the important points and formulas from the previous subject every morning or weekly once whichever works for you.
• Similarly, when you are moving forward with the different subjects don't forget to look back for the subjects or topics you have done already.
• Make your schedule such that, which we have already discussed above, which allow you to revise the concepts and practice problems for the topics or subjects you have already covered.

Step 7: How to Attempt Exam on D-day: Strategy by toppers

• Tackling tough questions: The toughest aspect to gate is the vast amount of syllabus and the need to have a strong basic foundation towards concepts asked in exam. The chances of finding straightforward questions in gate exam is less.
• Start in a sequential manner and keep solving questions. If you get stuck on some question mark it for review and proceed.
• Sometimes the question needs a second look to get clear, so better to continue with the easy one attempt them first, then in the remaining time go for tough one, that comes to you like a set batsmen will find easier to bat that a fresh batsmen on pitch. For that they give a session to bowler and then after the shine goes and bowler gets tired you score runs more easily.
• Knowing when to answer and when to not!!
  Questions are there like deliveries in a test match, not every ball has to be played, some balls have to be left alone. If you are not 100% sure about answering, better not to answer wrong. It’s better not to lose marks for that.
• After finishing first time, come to the “marked for review” questions and reattempt them and try to solve them.
• Solving paper in multiple scans is a good way of time management in competitive exams.