M.Tech admissions 2014 are coming to an end, some of them are gearing up for next year’s battle either because they could not make it big in last year’s GATE exam and few of them are just trying to take a shot at it for the first time. I was lucky enough to make it into the MS Research Program at the CSA department in IISc, so I thought I should share my 2 cents of experience with you readers. Some strategies / Do and Don't s / best practices for GATE preparation, but there is no one size fits all approach and each person thinks and works differently, so take it with a grain of salt.

Where do I start?
Once you are decided to take up GATE exam, read important information relating to it and keep a tab on developments like format, important dates, organizing institute etc. Based on what I did (twice) for GATE I have some basic simple guidelines and suggestions for all the aspirants who want to crack GATE. But most of all it is your determination and dedication that would count the most
1.   Get hold of previous year question papers with solutions and refer back to them at various stages in the preparation.
2.   Make a priority list of items based on weightage in GATE. Check for changes in pattern of the paper for the current year. For example in 2014, CS had 20% of the marks for Mathematics.
3.   Allocate realistic time for revising each subject concepts and then later solve lots and lots of problems in increasing difficulty. This is where subscription to different GATE coaching institutes will help. I personally subscribed to GateForum and MadeEasy. GateForum helps you build solid concepts whereas MadeEasy questions challenge your concepts and solve harder problems.
4.   Make a short list of points or quick reference notes for each subject.
5.   Finish reading and revising all subjects and topics atleast 1 month in advance.
6.   Take as many mock test as possible throughout the preparation phase. Analyse the results and see what are the different and simpler ways of solving questions, your weak points and topics, strengthen / revise those topics through repeated revision. Here again, mock tests from coaching institutes will help.
7.   Since GATE is now completely online, familiarize yourself with the format and time management for the duration of the test.

Time management / Weekends also?
As with any task in life, the secret sauce of being successful is time management. We all know common enemies. (right?)
TV series / movies / social network / excessive sleeping.
This applies to both students and full time working professions. I have attempted GATE in both the phases to varying degrees of motivation and success
Remember GATE is not a one day effort, its a result of consistent hard work. Have a daily routine and make a timetable and plan for the exam. Try following it as much as possible. It maybe hard initially but as you approach the final stretch try leaning towards a good 5-6 hours a day preparation schedule.
We tend to ignore the time weekends bring for preparation.
Sometimes it also helps having a friend who is preparing for GATE. The discussion, competition and motivation it bring is tremendous. But for those who aren't so lucky read articles on the web from previous GATE toppers. I found the blog Inspire-N-Ignite really really helpful both in terms of motivation and guidance. There are a bunch of interviews from previous GATE toppers and quick reads that help keep the focus going. I especially like this list. Apart from a clear direction and hard work, preparation for GATE also calls for a lot of grit and determination in a person.

Post GATE
Once you have given the test, give yourself a break and relax. If you are the kind of person who needs to know how you performed (like myself) evaluate your answers with the answer keys released by organizing institute as well as private coaching centres. Do not loose touch of the textbooks and content you have read.
Once the ranks and scores are out, search for what are the most likely institutions and courses you can target and have the maximum chance of getting called. Some IIT's like Madras and Roorkee have only direct admissions based on GATE rank. The rest have a few seats for direct admissions and the remaining seats are filled by another written test followed by interviews. Usually GATEForum / MadeEasy release post gate guidance but don't wait for it, be proactive and search it yourself. The range of ranks that gets admits and pattern of admission for IISc and IIT's usually remains same with some minimal changes.
Clearly understand from the admissions websites what are the various offered programs (MTech, MS, Departments, Cross Department Courses etc.)and what you are eligible for. Carefully follow the procedures needed for application and make sure you complete diligently the application forms and all the attachments needed for it. Some are online and some need to be speed posted.

If you happen to get a call, search for interview experiences and the type of questions that get asked in these interviews and tests from other people who have been through it in the earlier years. Most of the interviews will focus on the basic concepts so make sure you are thorough with them. Here's my version for IISc interview.

Lastly if you didn't make it, don't be disheartened. I have known a lot of people who have really gone on to do well for themselves through other ways without doing so well in GATE. (When one door closes, another opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us - Alexander Graham Bell )

Some Useful General links
Khan Academy - for all those times you are bored of sitting infront of text books
gatenotes - A useful website
Resources for GATE by Ankur Gupta
Hacker Rank
Big0 Cheat sheet - Know Thy Complexity!
a Nice Quora A2A on texbooks for GATE

At the time of writing this article here are some useful links for GATE 2015
http://gate.iitk.ac.in/GATE2015/
http://www.inspirenignite.com/gate-2015-preparation-guide/