Mistakes to Avoid in GATE 2023 - Know How to Avoid

Mistakes to Avoid in GATE 2023 - “To err is human…” but wait, NOT when you are appearing for GATE 2023. The engineering entrance exam at postgraduate level is not only the entry point to M.Tech programmes at IITs and other esteemed institutes, but it also caters with an opportunity to work in Public Sector Undertaking (PSU’s) which pays well, like, well enough to brag about.

To achieve a job at a Maharatna or Navratna, basically, PSU’s or get admitted to an IIT for M.Tech, you need to work really hard because GATE doesn’t open for all that easy. It covers all the undergraduate level engineering syllabus extensively, so, you can expect to see yourself anxious inside the examination hall. Guess, what, you can avoid that by knowing the mistakes to avoid in GATE 2023. On the big day, we don’t want you to be in a soup, therefore, Careers360 have compiled all the mistakes that can be avoided in GATE 2023. These tips on how to avoid mistakes in GATE 2023 can help you score well in the exam. As they say, it has to be smart work along with hard work in GATE exam 2023.
Important: Students can check GATE 2023 exam analysis and GATE answer key 2023 after the exam.
Latest GATE Update: Candidates can download the GATE question papers and expected GATE exam cut off to get a detailed performance review.

Mistakes to be avoided in GATE 2023

Mistake No. 1 - Not saving the answer after marking

Mistake No. 2 - Time be the enemy

Mistake No. 3 - Answering all the questions

Mistake No. 4 - Considering scribble pad as useless

Mistake No. 5 - Being naive at using the virtual calculator

Now, when you know the mistakes that can occur in the exam, know how to avoid them all:

How to avoid mistake no. 1 - Not saving the answer after marking

This may sound silly but there are very high chances of this mistake being committed by you. Amidst the exam pressure and time limitation, you may hurry to answer the next question and forgot to save the one which has been attempted. BOOM!

What next? Now, search for the question you attempted. Difficult? Let’s know how to get ourselves together!

Solution to mistake no. 1 - Stay in a calm state of mind when inside the exam hall. Remind yourself each time after solving a question that you need to save it, otherwise, it will be taken as completed and hence will not contribute to the GATE score calculation. One of the most important tips that GATE toppers give is to appear in online mock tests as many times as possible. GATE 2023 mock test is designed to do just that - get you familiar with the exam pattern and type of questions that will be asked thereby reducing the chances of making this mistake. Easy to avoid this mistakes in GATE 2023 with saving your answers!

How to avoid mistake no. 2 - Time being the enemy

The biggest hurdle you may face in any competitive exams is the lack of enough time to answer all but that’s obviously an important rule because then it would be no exam.

Solution to mistake no. 2 - BEAT the time! Play it smart. Follow these tips given below for time management in GATE 2023:

• Glance at the complete question paper before you start

• Choose which questions to attempt first- 2 marks questions first or 1 mark questions first

• Don’t waste too much time on any one particular question

• Attempt paper with a calm state of mind

• Answer what you know, mark for review if you are not sure so you can come back

GATE 2015 topper, Santosh Kumar Pabbineedi had this tip for GATE aspirants, “My analysis of GATE shows that a score of 60 marks will fetch a rank below 200. So target it like that and you should have a clear cut agenda of how you should attempt the exam. My advice is attempt the 1 mark questions first. Then move on to the 2 marks and other questions. The target simply is to answer 20 questions of 1 mark each and schedule to answer 20 questions of 2 marks and mixed marks. Linked answers don’t fetch you negative marks if the first answer is correct.” Hmm - you could try this and avoid making a mistake in GATE 2023

How to avoid mistake no. 3 - Don't force yourself to answer all the questions

The exam pattern of GATE 2023 indicates negative marking and this will be implemented as follows:

• ⅓ mark deducted for each incorrect answer in case of 1 mark MCQs
• ⅔ mark deducted for each incorrect answer in case of 2 marks MCQs
• Zero marks will be given for questions not attempted
• No negative marking for Numerical Answer Type (NAT) questions in the exam.

Solution to mistake no. 3 - To avoid negative marks, answer only those questions in the exam that you are confident about.

Don’t bother to answer all the questions in the exam as it is a great idea unless you know the answers to all of them. If you do, then you are a TOPPER already!

Else be wise, answer judiciously and avoid this mistake in GATE 2023

How to avoid mistake no. 4 - Considering scribble pad as useless

All the candidates appearing in the exam will be given a pad to scribble. This pad will have to be returned to the invigilator after the exam concludes.

Solution to mistake no. 4 - Generally, this scribble pad is used for calculations only. One of the common mistakes made in the exam hall is that at times, you read a question and mark it to solve later. Now, it will be difficult to remember and keep track of which question that was especially if you have a good number to solve. So, WRITE the question number on the scribble pad and you wont waste time by scrolling through the complete question paper. So avoid this mistake in GATE 2023 by putting the scribble pad to good use.

How to avoid mistake no. 5 - Not being conversant with the virtual calculator

Virtual calculators are now the norm for all computer based or online exams. They are inbuilt in the system and if you are appearing for an online exam, you ought to know how to use it. Its not the same as the physical calculator so take the time out to get to know how to use it.

Solution to mistake no. 5 - Now, the virtual calculator in GATE 2023 is designed keeping the student requirements in mind. So how to use GATE 2023 virtual calculator is a must know how for every GATE aspirants else some of the calculations will take time if done manually and time is of essence here.

These are some common mistakes to avoid in GATE 2023. Keep them in mind when you appear for the exam and you are good to go! Wishing you all the luck!