How Much Time Do You Need to Crack GATE? | Ashish Ranjan 3x GATE, ISRO, BARC, IIT Bombay

Summary

The video addresses young mechanical engineering graduates facing career challenges due to employment gaps. The speaker advises against immediately preparing for competitive exams like GATE, highlighting that such exams typically require 1–3 years of dedicated study, extensive syllabus coverage, multiple revisions, and rigorous test practice. While success is possible, it often depends on prior preparation or exceptional luck. Instead, the speaker emphasizes continuing job applications and gaining industry experience, as spending years solely on exam preparation can extend career gaps and hinder skill development. Realistic strategies, persistence, and methodical planning are key to advancing both academically and professionally.

Takeaways

• 📝 Starting a career at 25 without prior job experience can be challenging, especially due to employment gaps.
• 🚫 Do not rely solely on preparing for competitive exams like GATE as a shortcut to career success.
• ⏳ Competitive exams often require 1–3 years of dedicated preparation, even for highly skilled students.
• 🍀 Only extremely lucky individuals with prior competitive exam experience can clear exams like GATE in a few months.
• 📚 Succeeding in engineering-based national-level exams requires complete mastery of all subjects from your undergraduate years.
• 🔄 Multiple cycles of revision and consistent practice with mock tests are essential to perform well in these exams.
• ⚠️ Focusing exclusively on exam preparation can increase your career gap, potentially worsening employability.
• 💡 It’s important to continue applying for jobs and seeking industry experience while preparing for exams.
• 🎯 Exams like GATE, ISRO, and similar require high accuracy in solving questions, not just basic understanding.
• 📊 Preparation success depends more on strategy, syllabus management, and practice rather than inherent talent or grades.
• 💬 Exceptions exist for certain exams where specific subjects may be less important, but most engineering topics are critical.
• 🔑 Realistic planning, perseverance, and balancing job applications with exam prep are crucial for career progress.

Q & A

Why does the speaker advise against immediately preparing for GATE after graduation?

The speaker advises against it because preparing for GATE typically requires 1–3 years of intense study and revision, which can extend the employment gap and is often underestimated by fresh graduates.

What is the main challenge for candidates starting GATE preparation from 'ground zero'?

Candidates starting from 'ground zero' must cover the entire undergraduate syllabus, revise multiple times, and practice extensively through mock tests, making it very difficult to achieve high accuracy quickly.

How does the speaker describe the likelihood of cracking GATE within six months?

The speaker mentions that only extremely lucky candidates, usually with prior competitive exam experience or strong academic preparation, can crack GATE within six months.

What is the impact of preparing for competitive exams on the employment gap?

Spending 1–2 years on exam preparation adds to the existing employment gap, potentially making it 5–7 years, which can negatively affect career prospects.

According to the speaker, what are the essential components for GATE success?

Success requires a solid strategy, systematic syllabus completion, multiple revision cycles, and consistent practice with test series; talent or high grades alone are insufficient.

Does the speaker suggest stopping job applications while preparing for GATE?

No, the speaker emphasizes that candidates should continue applying for jobs while preparing, as GATE is not a reliable or quick solution.

Which engineering subjects are considered critical for GATE and other national-level exams?

Subjects like Heat Transfer, Thermodynamics, Fluid Mechanics, Strength of Materials, and Machine Design are critical, while exceptions like Mathematics for ISRO may not be as important.

What common misconception about coaching institutes does the speaker warn against?

The speaker warns that attending top coaching classes does not guarantee success, as revision, syllabus coverage, and test practice are the true determinants of performance.

Why does the speaker say talent is not the main factor for success in competitive exams?

Talent alone is not enough because the exams require a methodical approach, thorough syllabus coverage, and precise execution in tests, which depend more on strategy and preparation than innate talent.

What practical advice does the speaker give for someone with no immediate job options?

If there are no job options, one may prepare for GATE, but should do so while continuing to search for jobs and remain realistic about the time and effort required to succeed.

How does the speaker describe the scoring challenge in competitive exams like GATE?

The speaker highlights that the exams have a limited number of questions (e.g., 65 in GATE), requiring candidates to score very high with near-perfect accuracy, making thorough practice essential.

What is the speaker’s overall recommendation for a 25-year-old graduate facing rejections?

The recommendation is to actively continue job applications, build skills in parallel, and only consider competitive exams like GATE as a secondary option, understanding the significant time commitment and low probability of quick success.