GATE Exam Date:07 Feb' 26 - 08 Feb' 26
GATE 2025 Topper Interview Arnab Paul (AIR-1 BT) - This year, Arnab Paul has emerged as the GATE 2025 topper with an All India Rank (AIR) 1 in Biotechnology. Arnab Paul who hails from Kolkata has secured 66.67 marks in the GATE 2025 exam. A student of Heritage Institute of Technology, Kolkata, Arnab’s journey is inspiring; a three-time national grappling champion, he channelled his sports resilience to academics after an accident and that’s how he cracked the GATE exam.
In a conversation with Careers360, Arnab shares his strategy and experience in the national-level GATE examination. He aspires to pursue M.Tech at one of the older IITs and is working on his international debut in Grappling for 2026. Read more to find an interesting topper journey who is not just all brains but brawns too.
Q1. Congratulations on your amazing result! How does it feel to be among the top rankers in GATE?
Ans. Of course, I am very happy. Initially, when I saw my result I was surprised. I am not very studious or someone who studies for long hours a day. I am professionally an athlete so emerging as a GATE 2025 topper was something I did not expect.
Q2. As you said you are an athlete so what sport do you play?
Ans. I am into Grappling and wrestling.
Q3. Can you share a bit about your background—your college, stream, and when you decided to prepare for GATE?
Ans. I did my schooling from Navnanda High School right from nursery to +2. So I was a topper throughout my schooling. But my focus shifted to sports and then academics took a toll but I passed in all my subjects anyway. I even attempted the WBJEE and JEE Mains exams and prepared for these within a span of 1-1.5 months. During that time I was not at the peak of my sports career so I made sure to keep all options open for my future. Right now I am in my final year of B.Tech in Biotechnology at Heritage College
Q4. Tell us something about your family.
Ans. We are a family of 4, mom, dad elder brother and me. We are twins and he is 2 minutes older than me. He is currently studying at NRS College, Kolkata. So he has a major support in my preparation. NEET is much more competitive and tougher than JEE Mains, so having him around made it easier for me to prepare for the entrances in a short while.
Q5. What was your overall preparation strategy? Did you follow a daily or weekly schedule?
Ans. So coming to the preparations, In February 2024, I met with a bike accident which changed the course for both my training and academics. I couldn’t compete in my sports so I got plenty of time to focus on my studies. Like every other aspirant, I too had a goal of at least 10 hours of daily study. However, realistically speaking I did study study for 5 hours a day.
Q6. How did you balance college studies and GATE preparation?
Ans. So I think I am good at prioritising I would say. As the championships would come i would start focusing more on the sport and for college the same case with exams and assignments. I would say balancing between studies and sports wasn’t that difficult.
Q7. Which subjects or topics did you focus on the most, and why?
Ans. My strongest suit remained core engineering. It was that part that did not bother me. For core biotechnology or theory I would have to put in more efforts.
Q8. Did you rely more on self-study or coaching? What resources (books, online platforms, test series) did you use?
Ans. I did not take any coaching it was just self-study and peer discussions. Yes, i referred to multiple online resources available. For any conceptual clarity I would just go on YouTube and for practice take up mock tests online and download GATE sample papers and previous year questions.
Q9. How did you approach solving mock tests and previous year papers? Any tips on time management during practice?
Ans. I would suggest being prepared for any situation. While solving mocks and previous year papers I was able to find a pattern. However, this year the GATE Biotechnology question paper was unpredictable. Many other examinees were unable to cope with such a huge difference in the GATE exam pattern. Given my training and the nurture of the sports, I was used to pressure-handling which worked in my favour. So I would suggest it is very important to have the mental strength to deal with whatever comes in your set.
Q10. What role did peer discussion or online study groups play in your preparation?
Ans. I always preferred group study. It was three of us, each helping the other one out based on our strongest pursuits. Like I was good at the core engineering part of it like bio-processing and bio-engineering but for the theoretical or core biotech portion, my friends became my guide. The issue is like any other student trying to study alone i too would get distracted and find myself watching reels again but then with a study group, you develop this disciplineby looking at others.
On Question asked by student community
Hello,
The GATE 2026 Agricultural Engineering (AG) paper will have a total of 100 marks. Out of this, 15 marks are for General Aptitude and 85 marks are for core Agricultural Engineering subjects.
The marks are generally distributed among major topics like Engineering Mathematics (12–13 marks), Farm Machinery (10–11), Farm Power (14–15), Soil & Water Conservation (12–13), Irrigation & Drainage (10–12), Agricultural Process Engineering (10–12), and Dairy & Food Engineering (9–10 marks).
The official qualifying marks for GATE 2026 are not yet released. However, based on previous years, the cutoff for the Agricultural Engineering paper is expected to be around 25 marks for General, 22.5 for OBC/EWS, and 16.6 for SC/ST/PwD candidates.
Hope it helps !
Hello,
No,For Mtech you are not eligible to give GATE examination in 2nd year diploma and after completing your diploma degree
Only bachelor's degree holders can give GATE examination
Thank you
Hello
If you're in 2nd year right now, you can’t register for GATE 2026 just yet.
The exam is only open to students in the 3rd year or beyond in their degree.
It’s mainly because the GATE tests subjects that are usually taught later in your course.
But don’t worry, you are in a great position to start preparing early!
Focus on your basics, practice problem-solving, and build strong concepts now.
By the time you reach 3rd year, you’ll be well ahead of the game.
Hello,
If your GATE 2026 application shows "under scrutiny," continue to monitor your applicant portal and registered email for updates, as this is a routine process where officials verify your details. An "under scrutiny" status does not mean your application is rejected; you may be notified of discrepancies and given a chance to correct them during the application correction window, which opens later. Keep your application details accurate and prepare for the exam while waiting for the correction window to open.
I hope it will clear your query!!
Hello,
In the GATE application form , you should enter your name exactly as it appears in your official ID proof , even if the order is different.
For example:
If your ID proof shows Surname + First Name , enter it in the same way in the form.
Do not change the order to First Name + Surname.
This is important because your GATE admit card and scorecard will match your ID proof.
Keep it exactly the same to avoid any issues later.
Hope it helps !
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