How to Balance Job and GATE Preparation?

Balancing job and GATE preparation can be done right if the candidate understands the challenges and strategises their study and revision plan. Having a balanced routine that works best for their job and preparation and devising a study goal is the key to balancing the job and GATE 2025 preparation. 

How to Prepare for GATE with Job?

The GATE 2025 exam is scheduled for 1, 2, 14 and 15 Feb, 2025. Balancing job and GATE preparation can be challenging for the aspirants however with the right strategies and plan it is possible to crack GATE 2025 with the job. 

Here are some of the best tips on how to balance job and GATE preparation:

1. Understanding the Challenges

Candidates need to jot down the areas of challenges while working and preparing for the GATE exam 2025 simultaneously. Following are some areas that the aspirants must focus on:

• Calculate the number of hours that one can contribute in a day or in a week to devise the study plan accordingly
• Set small and doable goals per week and try to achieve them to motivate themselves
• Make sure that they put commendable efforts into the goals set dedicatedly

2. Know the GATE Syllabus and Exam Pattern

Understanding the GATE 2025 syllabus and exam pattern plays a crucial role in exam preparation. Given below is the GATE 2025 exam pattern. Students can access the GATE syllabus 2025 by visiting the official website at gate2025.iisc.ac.in.

GATE Exam Pattern 

Particulars	Details
Examination Mode	Computer Based Test
Language	English
Duration	3 hours (180 minutes)
Number of GATE Papers	30 Papers
Sections	General Aptitude (GA) + Selected subject
Type of Questions	Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ), Multiple Select Questions (MSQ), and /or Numerical Answer Type (NAT) Questions
Marking Scheme	Questions carry 1 mark or 2 marks
Negative Marking	For a wrong answer chosen in an MCQ, there will be a negative marking. For a 1-mark MCQ, a 1/3 mark will be deducted for a wrong answer. For a 2-mark MCQ, a 2/3 mark will be deducted for a wrong answer. There is no negative marking for wrong answer(s) to MSQ or NAT questions. There is no partial marking in MSQ.
Total Number of Questions	65 Questions (including 10 questions from General Aptitude)
Total Marks	100 Marks

3. Devise a Study Plan that Works

Candidate must plan their study with proper breaks managing their job and GATE preparation using proper strategies. Here are some tips on how to devise a study plan for GATE preparation with job:

• Break down the syllabus into small portions and allocate them according to the time spent for study in each day
• Based on the availability of time, the candidate must be able to complete the syllabus atleast a month before the exam to make time for revision and mock assessments
• Candidates can also refer to GATE 2025 sample papers and previous year's question papers to focus more on the important topics 

4. Time Management

With a full-time job preparing for GATE 2025 exam can be exhausting but it can be managed efficiently if the time is utilized wisely. Below are some of the time management tips on how to balance job and GATE preparation.

• It is advisable to spend some time in the morning for studying or revision before the candidate starts to work
• The time for commuting or lunch breaks can be used effectively to glance the important topics or short notes
• Weekends and holidays can be utilised for attending offline GATE classes where the candidate might get assistance in choosing the right GATE study materials and books. 

Things to Avoid While Balancing Job and GATE Preparation

It is highly recommended for candidates to stay away from any sort of distractions while preparing for the GATE exam with a job. Here are some of the things to avoid while balancing job and GATE preparation:

Never Halt the Preparation

Once the plan has been prepared, candidates need to adhere to the plan and avoid any thoughts of giving up on the goal. Following are some of the facts that candidates can keep reminding themselves to stay on track:

• There were around 8,26,239 students registered for GATE last year and many were able to clear it with a full-time job
• It is not necessary to quit the job to crack the GATE exam. It is possible to achieve the desired results through strategic planning and implementation

Avoid Distractions

Candidates must identify their distractions and should work on avoiding them as much as they can to perform well in the exams. Whilst having a full time job, the time a candidate can dedicate to the GATE preparation is comparatively less to other applicants. 

It is recommended that the candidates know what to prioritise and spend their free time wisely. They must know the priority first and avoid any distractions that mighty affect their focus. 

How to Build a Proper GATE Preparation Strategy with Job

Devising a proper GATE preparation strategy with a job is important for candidates to set a goal and use their time effectively in the preparation. Given below are the important pointers on how to build a GATE preparation strategy with a full-time job:

• Planning: Candidates should identify the areas of challenges and work on devising the proper planning including the time spent every day for studying and revision apart from the office hours
• Early Preparation: It is recommended to start the preparation as early as possible to cover all the major topics and spend enough time in revision and mock assessment to build time management and confidence
• Evaluation: Attempt mock assessment using previous year question papers with the exact time to understand the areas of weakness and to work on them to perform better in the exam

Best Books for GATE Preparation with Job

Choosing the best books and study materials for GATE preparation with the job is essential to score well in the examination. Here are some of the recommended books for GATE that students can refer to:

Book	Author	Publisher
Theory of Computer Science: Automata, Languages, and Computation	Mishra K.L.P	PHI
Higher Engineering Mathematics	BS Agrawal	Khanna Publishing
A Modern Approach to Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning	RS Aggarwal	Arihant
Introduction to Algorithms	Thomas H. Cormen, Charles E. Leiserson, Ronald L. Rivest, Clifford Stein	MIT Press
Operating System Concepts	Silberschatz, Galvin, Gagne	Wiley
The C Programming language	Brian W. Kernighan, Dennis M. Ritchie	Prentice Hall