Preparing for GATE is not only about studying every day. It is also about making the right decisions at the right time. Rajat Pareek's journey reflects this clearly. Along with scoring exceptionally well in GATE XE and securing AIR 4, he also achieved a strong score in GATE Mechanical.
Instead of following too many resources, Rajat focused on completing the syllabus, revising regularly, solving previous year questions, and improving through mock tests. His experience can help you understand what worked for him and how consistency made a difference.
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Every successful result begins with a proper plan. Rajat started his preparation months before the examination and focused on covering the syllabus first.
"Like Mechanical, maine starting June se start kiya tha. Kuch-kuch mere pehle padhe hue the B.Tech time se... November tak ho sake to apna syllabus complete kar lena. Mera thoda syllabus reh gaya tha... Sabse pehle ye hai ki syllabus jitna jaldi ho sake wo kar lo. Uska bahut benefit milta hai. Bahut zyada time mil jata hai improvement ka."
For Rajat, completing the syllabus early became one of the biggest lessons from his preparation. Although a few topics remained incomplete, he realised that finishing the syllabus before November gives enough time for revision and improvement. This approach helped him spend more time on strengthening concepts instead of rushing during the final months.
After completing major portions of the syllabus, Rajat discovered that remembering everything was not as easy as expected.
"Mere ko yaad hai sir maine June July mein bahut achhe se Applied Thermo kiya tha... November ke time jab dobara kar raha tha na to mere ko yaad hi nahi aa raha tha. Mere ko aisa laga ki maine padha hi nahi hai... Time to time ek month mein agar mile time to revise kar lena chahiye."
This experience changed the way he revised. Instead of assuming that completed subjects would stay fresh, he understood the importance of revisiting topics regularly. Continuous revision helped him retain concepts and reduced the chances of forgetting important formulas before the exam.
Along with classroom learning, Rajat relied on Physics Wallah's lectures, revision resources, and tests throughout his preparation.
"Lecture complete karne ke baad uske PYQ achhe se laga lo... phir test series lo. Physics Wallah ki to thi hi. Is baar bahut test diye the. Unka benefit ho gaya."
He believes previous year questions played a major role in his preparation, especially for the XE paper. After completing them, he focused on mock tests from different institutes along with Physics Wallah's tests.
During revision, one-shot sessions also proved useful.
"Theory Machine thoda weak lag raha tha to maine Vishwajeet Sir ka one shot lagaya tha... fast revision ho jata hai aur important cheezein bhi yaad aa jaati hain."
According to Rajat, these sessions helped him revise quickly while also reminding him of topics that often appear in the exam.
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Along with revision, Rajat believed that solving quality questions made a big difference in his preparation.
"PYQ maine bahut achhe se kiye the... Test series join kar li thi... Physics Wallah ki to thi aur do aur bhi test series thi. Test is baar bahut diye the."
When asked how many resources students should use, Rajat shared a simple approach.
"Main to yahi kahunga ki achhe se poora syllabus kar lo, uske baad PYQ kar lo. Aur uske baad agar time mile to test plus practice aur kar lo."
Instead of collecting too many books, Rajat relied on previous year questions and regular mock tests. The repeated practice helped him understand the pattern of questions and improved his confidence before the examination.
For the XE paper, Rajat focused more on practice because the dedicated section carries significant weight.
"XE ka Fluid aur ye sab maine kaafi achhe se padh rakha tha. Iske PYQ bhi bahut kiye the. Inki thodi practice zyada kar lo kyunki dedicated pura 35 marks hai."
He believes that repeated practice helped him gain confidence in the subjects he selected for XE.
According to him, previous year questions already cover many important concepts. Once those are completed properly, mock tests and additional practice become more effective.
After the response sheet was released, Rajat was happy with his performance in both papers.
"Mechanical mein mere 64.33 hai abhi aur XE mein mere 82.33 hai."
Looking ahead, his focus shifted towards PSU opportunities while also keeping M.Tech options open.
"Filhaal to maine PSU ka socha hai... Saath mein dekhunga ki M.Tech waqerah achhe institute mil jaye to XE ke score se mil jayega."
His journey did not end with one examination. He planned to continue preparing for upcoming PSU recruitment exams while making the most of his GATE score.
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As Rajat's preparation progressed, he understood that consistency matters more than trying too many study materials.
"Main to yehi bolunga ki achhe se poora syllabus kar lo, uske baad PYQ kar lo aur phir time mile to test aur practice kar lo."
His journey shows that completing the syllabus early, revising regularly, solving PYQs, and taking mock tests can make your preparation more organised.
Rajat's journey shows that success in GATE does not always come from studying longer hours or using countless resources. Completing the syllabus on time, revising consistently, solving PYQs, and analysing mock tests helped him improve step by step.
His experience reminds aspirants that disciplined preparation over several months often brings better results than last-minute effort.