Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering or the GATE exam is conducted for the admission into M-Tech and M.S. programs of most of the institutes in India including IITs and Indian Institute of Science. The GATE exam is conducted annually in rotation by one of the seven IITs. Usually the GATE exam is held on the 2nd Sunday in the month of February every year at different test centers across the country.

It is no easy task get through this ‘GATE’ . One needs to be really good to score a good percentage in GATE to emerge among the toppers, if not the topmost.

To prepare for GATE, one needs to put in put in months, even years, of hardwork before deciding to  go at this exam.  As the saying goes – get your fundamentals right. GATE is an exam that tests you on your fundamentals. The questions are generally derivations of the fundamentals. Preparation for GATE is an ongoing process, and is supposed to happen in stages. First get your fundamentals right, and then test yourself on those fundamentals. When you have done this, you should pit yourself with the competition, which means a mock test which would give you a an idea about your calibre and where you stand amongst competitors.

How do  go about preparation for GATE and which coaching institute to choose for taining.  This is something that is quite subjective. A coaching material cannot be assessed until you have gone through it. So, it is better to go by the word of your seniors. Perhaps, a good GATE achiever like Subba will help you out in this regard.

 ‘Modest’ Subba’ scripts a success story

On your first look, you presume him to be another boy-next-door. Unassuming and down to earth, this boy did something unexpected of him. Hailing from a remote village, Kondareddy Subba Reddy created a niche for himself by emerging as the topper in this year’s Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering, otherwise simply called ‘GATE’.——— And, it’s no ordinary deed.  It literally opened the ‘Gates’ of opportunities for this promising lad.

It was around 12.25 pm on March 18. When I made my way into the sprawling campus of the Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University (JNTU) Hyderabad, Civil Engineering wing, I could see the festive mood prevailing there. Students of all category, faculty and many others gathered at the campus, surrounded the young lad, cheering him and celebrating the occasion.

Amidst all this hype and hoopla, the young boy, seemed to be in a different world. Perhaps, unable to come to terms with what was happening around. Bewildered, certainly, he seemed to be so, Subbareddy was to concede the fact afterwards. “It’s least expected of me”.  And, he was frank enough to admit that, he was  ``amazed to be on the spotlight.”

Truly, it was a memorable day for him. A moment to cherish all through his life. Bouquets and accolades poured in from all the directions. Friends and faculty in unison greeted him for the rare achievement.

Hailing from a sleepy village, Khadarpur in Marripadu mandal in Nellore district of coastal Andhra Pradesh, to be precise, the top-ranker came to the metropolitan city of Hyderabad on getting a seat in civil engineering branch in B.Tech at the JNTU campus. The Career Guide interacted with him to find out the secret behind his success as the topper in GATE.

The Career Guide: Congratulations……

Subba Reddy: Thanks a lot.

TCG: You got the first rank in GATE-2008. It’s a great feeling to be a top ranker in the country, isn’t it so?

A. Well, I am extremely happy and elated. It’s amazing and unforgettable moment in my life. I thank the God for bestowing me this great achievement. With out Him, I am nothing. 

TCG: Did you expect the success before you had appeared for the test?

A. I never expected that I would get first rank in GATE. I was only expecting to be among the top ten. But, I secured the first rank. It is really a grand occasion in my life.
TCG: Can you give details of your preparation for GATE?

A. We have to devise a strategy before starting our preparation of any  competitive exam. With regard to my preparation for GATE, first I had compiled the required syllabus. I had taken an extensive coaching from ACE Engineering Academy, which helped me a lot to obtain good score in GATE. I used to wake up at 4 am everyday and attend to coaching classes at  ACE Academy. And after the coaching class, I used to focus on my  regular studies.

TCG: How ACE Engineering Academy helped you in  preparation?

A. First of all, I would like to thank the faculty at ACE Engineering Academy. And, I am very thankful for their encouragement and support and without that, it would have been difficult to get top rank in GATE. The faculty members taught me in a different way and they have navigated on some typical problems and how to solve them.

TCG: Now, you are doing B.Tech in Civil Engineering and got top rank in GATE. Tell me, what prompted you to go for Civil Engineering branch, as there is great demand for other branches like IT, Communications etc?

A. I had chosen Civil Engineering because I want to accomplish something as an engineer in construction field.  I strongly feel that construction sector would witness a big boom in India as well as overseas in the near future. I want to do something special in the field by discovering new things for the benefit of the public. I have been inspired by Charan Raj, student of JNTU, who got top rank in GATE in 2007.

TCG: what are your future plans?

A. Well, I hope to do M.Tech from Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bangalore. I want to do P.hD in civil engineering abroad to find out new ventures in the sector.

TCG: What is your aim in life?

A. I have an idea to start a consultancy in construction field, which will help youth discover things. This I am planning to start after finishing my PhD.

Principal pats ‘Subba’

“I am glad that Mr.Subba Reddy student from our JNTU Civil Engineering branch topped GATE”-2008, said Dr. A K Asthana, Principal, JNTU college of Engineering.

“This is the second consecutive year that JNTU is getting the top rank in GATE. Last year, it was Charan Raju, one of our students, who secured the top rank in GATE-2007. And now it’s the turn of Subba Reddy to achieve the same. And, it’s truly a great honour for our university. The credit goes to everyone who is associated with the university for the same,” Dr Asthana added.

Dr Asthana said that the faculty members of engineering college in JNTU always train students not only in academic activities for their regular courses but also encourage them to prepare for different competitive exams like APPSC, UPSC, GRE and GATE.

“Students, who want to appear for competitive exams should work hard to get success. The college management is also trying to strengthen the faculty to train students in various models,” the principal added.