Here are some important points you should keep in mind to crack Gate without taking help from any tuition center.
First, give emphasis on systematic study. Plan well to cover the parts from where previous year papers have been set mostly. Systematic study for 3-4 hours a day can work wonder for anyone. This is the MOST important aspect to keep in mind for any competitive exam.
Second, always read from good standard books that are followed internationally. This may seem difficult, but useful to grasp concepts. Often reference books contain wrong concepts harmful for us students. So it will be better not to study from these. Again Youtube videos are there on different topics. NPTEL is there. These all are sources of important concepts required for Gate. For aptitude part, follow any standard aptitude book for the last month before Gate and that will be enough to score 10+ out of 15.
Third, Practice. Only studying will take you to nowhere. Study and after finishing a module/chapter, try to solve as many questions as you can gather from different sources on that topic. There are many model question books for Gate available. Solve as much as you can. Again, solving previous year question papers is a must. Try to solve these at least thrice before GATE-17. I assure you, if you understand all the concepts that have come in previous year papers, you can easily achieve good score in Gate.
Fourth, Give some full time mocks starting from September or October. Try to recognize the solving pattern that you are most comfortable with, ie, some are comfortable with finishing the aptitude part first and then technical, while some others may consider the reverse and some even consider oscillating between these two sections. Different tuition centers arrange for these mocks and I would suggest you to give mocks there, as they provide you the percentile & score from which you can get the idea about the competition around you.
Fifth, time management. This is the most crucial thing. Again focus on your plan to manage time just before GATE. Plan well in advance what are to be revised during last 2 months. DO NOT STUDY DURING LAST 2 MONTHS. That won't help much. ONLY PRACTICE AND REVISE. And solve aptitude questions that time.
I have tried to highlight the main factor that can give you the extra edge over others in Gate. All the best. :)
