What it is to crack GATE Exam? Part - I.

1) How difficult it is to crack Gate Exam?
-> Gate is like any other multiple choice technical examination like AIEEE, EAMCET etc, only difference is it concentrates on one branch of study like Computers, Electronics, Mechanical, Civil etc. The main difficultly of this exam is wrong perception of what exactly 'Gate examination' tests for? It tests your understanding of core engineering subjects you have learnt, not the amount of content you have mugged, unlike other exams. I will eloborate on this in my third post, for now let's move on with a small example.

What is the complexity of quick sort?

1. If your answer for the above question is O(nlogn). Well you are good in mugging(Nothing else). (Note: Mugging is not something bad, I am just referring to 'blind understanding of the subject' as mugging)
   
2. If your answer is worst case complexity O(n^2), average case is O(nlogn) and best case is so and so. Well you have good knowledge on understanding the question, and answered the question, i rate you as mugger, but intelligent mugger.
3. If your answer is above, and u know why is it that complexity. Well then you are hard working guy, trying to learn very thing from books and have a good bookish knowledge.
4. Finally If you know what is the answer, why is that so, why is it Big O(), rather than Theta() or Omega(), what exactly these three things mean, when to use what notation. There you go, Gate exam is a cake walk for you.

So your answer to above question explains how difficult it is for you to crack gate exam. If your answer is

1. U have a long way to go, concentrate more on understanding rather than answering the question.
2. U have the right attitude for understanding, you have to just question "why" for every question u answer, :)
3. U are almost at the edge of success, give a bit more thought on "why X is X but not Y?".
4. U are perfect and have enough talent for cracking Gate Exam.

But this is not all, you need 3 other things along with understanding of the subject, for you to be topper in the Gate.

• Speed, amount of time for u to respond for the question.
• Mental Peace, Or "Not having tension" as you can call it. This is one thing, most talented people lack at important situation of life.(I will write a post on it later).
• Luck, Or you can call it "Law of Attraction", as documented by BBC.

Part - II, click here.

- Satyanarayana Manyam