GATE 2026 Preparation Timetable - Roadmap, Tips, Tricks

GATE 2026 Preparation Timetable - Preparing for GATE 2026 can feel overwhelming at first, especially with such a vast syllabus and tough competition. But with the right timetable in place, the journey becomes a lot more manageable. A clear, realistic plan helps you stay consistent, track your progress, and make sure you’re covering all the important topics without last-minute stress. Whether you’re just starting out or already midway through your prep, this article will help you build a smart timetable that fits your routine and keeps you on track for success. Let's dive into the resources you can use and how you can strategize to score better in your GATE 2026 exam.

This Story also Contains

1. GATE Preparation Timetable - Monthly Plan
2. Key Points to remember while making GATE Preparation Time Table
3. GATE Paper wise Topics with Expected Marks
4. What GATE Toppers Say about Preparation?

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GATE Preparation Timetable - Monthly Plan

To help the candidates prepare for GATE , here we have provided a monthly plan preparation plan for the exam. Before starting anything, candidates are advised to check the GATE exam pattern and syllabus first. After this, candidates can refer to the following table to know the GATE preparation plan in detail.

GATE Monthly Preparation Plan

Keep following this preparation time table of GATE until you complete your entire syllabus for each section of the exam. Experts suggest that candidates should at least give 6-8 hours daily for their studies, so candidates must keep this in mind. Candidates can also edit this plan according to their convenience but they should be regular in whatever timetable they set up for the preparation. A disciplined GATE preparation time table can only help the candidates to ace the exam.

Key Points to remember while making GATE Preparation Time Table

Time table for any exam can differ from one person to another, so many candidates may follow a different time table from that suggested above. In that case, candidates should keep all the following points in mind while preparing their preparation timetable for GATE.

Understand syllabus - Before making any time table, candidates must understand the GATE syllabus properly; know about the subjects, and courses to be covered. Once the syllabus is known a proper timetable can be devised.

Check your weaknesses and strengths - Candidates know what are their weaknesses and strengths; so while making a time table they should divide more time for the weaker sections. Stronger areas can be given less time. Taking up weaker sections first or stronger first completely depends on the candidates.

Proper time for revision - Whatever GATE preparation time table a candidate makes, it should have proper time for revision. As the syllabus is very vast, candidates must keep revising simultaneously.

Be disciplined - The candidates must be disciplined in their preparation and follow their time table religiously. A delay of a single day will disturb the entire time table so candidates must be very disciplined during their GATE preparation.

GATE Paper wise Topics with Expected Marks

Here, we have provided some of the important topics with their weightage for some of the GATE papers. Candidates can refer to the following tables to check the topics for different papers.

Civil, Computer Science and Electrical Engineering Topics

Paper-wise Topics: Electronics & Communication, Mechanical and Instrumentation Engineering

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GATE Preparation Tips

We have already mentioned the points that should be kept while making the GATE preparation timetable; here we are providing some tips that should be followed to boost the preparation for the exam. Check the preparation tips that candidates must keep in mind while preparing for GATE. Moreover, GATE preparation can be done by self-study. All you need to follow strict preparation tips.

Time Table - Once the time table is prepared, follow it regularly. Make sure the GATE preparation time table is such that it is completed before the actual available time. Also, ensure proper time for revision.

Best Books - Candidates should consider the best books for GATE preparation. Taking up correct books can help the candidates to ace the exam. While selecting the GATE preparation books check if the topics are easy to understand or not.

Mock Tests - Practice more and more GATE mock tests to improve speed and time management. As these tests are based on the actual pattern of the exam, candidates will be able to understand the level and type of questions asked in the exam. Candidates can also analyse their performance after attempting each mock test and work on their mistakes.

What GATE Toppers Say about Preparation?

Kanishk Roy GATE 2025 Topper, AIR 2 in Humanities and Social Science says
I built a strong foundation using university-level books and open-access research papers. My major focus was on writing practice and clarity of concepts. I didn’t underestimate the aptitude section and prepared for it consistently for over a month. For English, I used GRE-level vocabulary apps and solved comprehension-based questions twice a week during my last month of preparation.

Ananya Suresh GATE 2025 Topper, AIR 5 in Humanities and Social Science says
I followed a three-phase strategy — first, understanding and completing the syllabus, second, solving PYQs intensively, and third, focusing on test series and revision. I gave special attention to time management and answer structuring. My preparation for aptitude was limited to the last 10 days with daily 1-hour sessions, while English was revised using flashcards and practice sets in the last two weeks.

Ritika Bhattacharya GATE 2024 Topper, AIR 8 in Humanities and Social Science says
The most important thing I did was understand the syllabus deeply and map it with past year papers. I used mind maps to revise complex topics. I gave more attention to writing practice for subjective-type questions. For the aptitude and English sections, I relied mostly on mocks and quick revision one week before the exam.

Neeraj Shekhar GATE 2024 Topper, AIR 3 in Humanities and Social Science says
I maintained consistency throughout the year. My preparation strategy was simple — I focused on NCERTs, standard books, and supplemented them with online lectures. I solved at least 10 years of previous GATE papers and revised my short notes regularly. For aptitude, I spent 30 minutes daily over two months, and for English, I revised weekly using mock tests and vocabulary lists.

Sragdhara Malini Das GATE 2023 Topper, AIR 6 in Humanities and Social Science says I have the habit of continuously updating my knowledge about my field and this is what helped me the most. I studied both objective and subjective books and analysed the previous GATE papers. I studied for the aptitude section for 4 days before the exam, putting in 2 hours daily. For the English section, I began my revision one week before the exam studying 3-4 hours daily. However, studying for this short period worked for me only because I had my NET notes ready.

Mayukh Banerjee GATE 2023 Topper, AIR 7 in Sociology says In a literal sense, I never started the GATE preparation nor for NET. People think studying from an open University is worth it and to break that stigma I was working hard in my graduation and master’s days and focussed more on the concepts rather than on getting good marks just by reading the books. I didn’t give any extra effort to my preparation, it’s just the consistency I had during my graduation and post-graduation days.

Tushar Karmakar GATE 2023 Topper, AIR 20 in Instrumentation Engineering says that "I started preparing for GATE at the end of my fifth semester (2020). I did not follow any specified schedule, but on average I regularly devoted 8 hours every day. Sometimes it increases and sometimes it reduces as well it depends on your day and your occupancy. But a minimum of 7-8 hours must be devoted to the preparation and that is enough".

Rajat Gupta GATE 2022 Topper, AIR 8 in Mechanical Engineering says “For preparation people should kick-start in 3rd semester, and be serious by the 5th semester during a bachelor's degree. One advantage is that 2-3 subjects are already there every semester which are there in the GATE syllabus. So if students keep this in mind in the very beginning, they can save half of the time by clearing the concepts there only. Together with semesters, students should focus on theoretical aspects as this helps much in keeping the doubts clear and solving the numerical as well.”

Aniruddh Joshi, GATE 2022 Topper who secured AIR 14 in Petroleum Engineering says “One should start preparing for the exam early, say in their graduation to complete the whole syllabus and not to get over-hooked before the exam. Make a preparation time-table as per the availability of time out of college. Study regularly and revise what you study to keep everything in mind.”

Arunava Mondal GATE 2022 Topper, AIR 5 in Mining Engineering (XE) says "Start the preparation as early as possible, because starting early will provide you ample time to work on your weaknesses. Regarding preparation, I would suggest completing the syllabus on time and try to give more full-length tests. Prepare short notes of each subject, these will play a crucial role during the last days of your preparation. Never get demotivated. Always work on your weaknesses and try to be better than yesterday. Just enjoy the journey because success is a journey, not a destination."