Hello everyone, my name is Anshul Goel. I secured AIR-2 in GATE 2019 from Mechanical Engineering. I did my B.Tech. from BITS Pilani. The study material that was provided to me was very concise, and it helped to revise all the parts simultaneously. The syllabus of GATE is very vast. The study material gave me all in a very concise manner. This helped me a lot. The Test Series helped me looking at my weak points to work upon and build confidence, which finally helped me in the final GATE exam.
- What were your marks in GATE 2019?
My marks were 94.65 - It means you are short by just .1 marks to be the topper.
In the beginning, I was not aware of the marks of the topper. Actually I was expecting rank 1, but it’s okay. I shared this with my parents, and they were happy and congratulated me. Later on, when I came to know about the marks of rank 1, I felt bad for a couple of hours but then it got all settled because rank 2 is also not that bad. - How this difference came into effect?
Actually both our marks are same. My shift was morning, and his was evening. We both got 98.68 marks, but due to normalization, he was moved up by 0.1 marks. So, this created the difference. Otherwise, we both scored 1,000 out of 1,000 in GATE 2019. - Take us through that very special moment when you shared your result with your family.
When the result was announced, first of all I called up my family members and shared the good news. They all were really amazed, and congratulated me on this achievement. My mother, who is very religious, said that almighty God has answered our wishes. I also congratulated my family, and this made me feel very good. - Who all are there in your family?
I have a younger brother, who is preparing for Civil Services, and my father and mother.
- Tell us a about your schooling.
I did my basic schooling from my village, which is near Ambala. I completed my higher schooling from PKR Jain School in Ambala. - Take us through your journey from your school to BITS Pilani.
I prepared for JEE and BITSAT exam. I cracked BITSAT and got admission in BITS Pilani in 2014. - How were your days at BITS Pilani. Give us a feel of the BITS Pilani campus.
The campus area of BITS Pilani is awesome. The environment there is totally different. As it is located far from the city in a remote area, it’s really great. One cannot expect how the feeling would be. It’s completely mind blowing. It has its own culture like its students, environment, etc. It’s totally different. - How was this year’s GATE paper different from previous year’s?
Personally I found the paper easy. When compared to last year’s paper, it was a bit lengthy, but easier. - How was section-1 of GATE 2019 paper?
Aptitude and English are my stronger parts so I did not face any problem in that part. I answered those 10 questions in 10 minutes only. - What about the technical section?
It was a bit lengthy, but easy. There were some questions in my set that were out of syllabus, but major portion was good. So I was able to attempt it. - Which subjects were your strength?
Major subjects that are my strength are the subjects that involve calculations. So Strength of Materials, Fluid Mechanics, Engineering Mechanics, and Thermal sections are my strong topics. - What was your overall strategy with regard to GATE preparation?
Actually I am more focussed on Engineering Services. I prepared my whole strategy in the month of February only after Engineering Services Prelims exam. The syllabus for both the exams is same. So, first of all, I completed all the basic concepts for the GATE as well as ESE. After writing the ESE Prelims, I referred the previous years’ questions and solved them. That’s how I managed to prepared for GATE. - How did IES Master study material benefit you?
IES Master study material was very concise. I used to refer the study material only during my preparation instead of looking for what and from where to study in the textbooks. This helped me in covering the vast syllabus in less amount of time. - How did you went about short notes?
I started making short notes for every subject, but later on, I found that it was not very much beneficial. So I prepared short notes only for those subjects that involve formulas. - What was your study schedule, broadly?
It was not fixed. My schedule was not according to hours. My final target was to complete a particular part of the syllabus in a set period of time. It was not time oriented. If my target was completed in 6 hours then I would call it a day. If it took ten hours then I would continue with that. - What specific targets you used to keep for yourself?
After completing my graduation, I focussed mainly on ESE so I devoted my major time in preparing for ESE. Once the ESE Prelims was over, I made a schedule for GATE. There were around 2500 questions, so I made a target of solving 200 questions daily, and I achieved it. - How you kept yourself motivated during your preparation?
I would like to give all the credit for this to my family. There were times when I felt low, but my family i.e. my younger brother and parents helped me a lot and kept me motivated during those times.
- How did you benefit from IES Master Test Series?
I used to take one test from the IES Master Test Series every alternate day. One day was spent on analysing the test. When I took all the previous years’ questions, I used to write full-length tests, and then analyse them. This helped me a lot in determining my weak areas. Other than this, time management is the most important thing. - How did you prepare yourself for the exam day, and the day before exam?
The day before exam was not much exhausting for me because I prepared a lot from the test series that gave me confidence. I didn’t think much about the exam, took a proper sleep, and performed well in the exam. - What is the biggest mistake that students commit?
I think the biggest mistake that students commit is the lack of basic concepts. Instead of practicing the questions, the students start learning the questions. So in my opinion, building the basic concepts is more important. Once this is done, students should practice questions. - What would be your preference once you have achieved such a good rank?
I am mainly focussing on ONGC right now, but as I said earlier my main target is Engineering Services. - What would be your message to your juniors at BITS Pilani?
I would just like to say that concentrate on the basics, and do attend the classes. That’s really important. Apart from that, keep on giving the test series that will help you a lot to know the exact pattern, and how to manage the time during the exam. Additionally, it will also give you a lot of confidence. - Which year do you think students should start preparing for GATE?
If you did well in the college then a time period of 6-12 months is more than enough for GATE preparation. You just have to practice the previous years’ questions. But if you haven’t studied in the college well then I would say that you should start preparing for GATE in the fourth year itself. - What is that one thing that fascinated you about IES Master?
The study material that was provided to me was very concise, and it helped to revise all the parts simultaneously. The syllabus of GATE is very vast. The study material gave me all in a very concise manner. This helped me a lot. - You have been an excellent student here at IES Master. We are very much proud of you to have you here at our institute.
Thank you sir!
