How he secured GATE CSE AIR 54 in B.Tech 3rd Year from RGUKT Nuzvid ft.Tilak A

Main Ideas / Concepts Covered

• Early start for GATE CSE: Tilak began preparing in B.Tech 1st year, instead of waiting until 3rd year like many students.
• Parallel preparation with college coursework: While studying for regular semester subjects, he also progressed on matching GATE topics.
• Structured coverage first, then revision: He targeted finishing most of the syllabus by June (around the 2nd year → transition to 3rd year phase), followed by an intensive revision cycle.
• Use of PYQs as core feedback/assessment: Previous Year Questions (PYQs) were used primarily to measure understanding and application—not as the first step.
• Notes strategy (detailed vs short): Notes are important, but the format depends on time and subject difficulty.
• Test series progression: He used a staged testing approach:
  • Topic-wise tests
  • Subject-wise tests
  • Mixed tests (multiple subjects together)
  • Full-length mocks
• Time management + pressure handling: Repeated testing helped him manage time constraints and avoid getting stuck.
• Mistake tracking (“mistake tracker” book): Categorizing errors (e.g., silly vs conceptual) is emphasized as a key differentiator.
• In-exam question strategy: He used a timing-based “cycle” and skipped time-consuming questions based on prior practice and recognition.

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Methodology / Instruction-Style Steps

1) Subject Coverage Plan (Monthly / Semester Parallel Approach)

When choosing a new subject:

1. Study the subject/topic.
2. Revise it.
3. Attempt PYQs related to it.

Parallel strategy (especially during 2nd year):

• During each semester (e.g., Discrete Maths, Operating Systems, COA), study the semester subject.
• Simultaneously progress on matching GATE topics.

Milestones described:

• By March 2025: Covered Data Structures, Discrete Maths, COA, Operating System (as per his narrative).
• March to June: Continue covering remaining subjects.
• End of June: Most of the syllabus was covered.
• Buffer approach: If 3rd year doesn’t work out, treat 4th year as a fallback.

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2) Revision Cycle System

When to start revision:

• Syllabus completed around June
• Revision begins in July

How the revision cycle works:

• Pick one subject
• Revise it
• Immediately do PYQs for that subject
• Move to the next subject, then later repeat cycles (he mentions starting a “second cycle” again from C language)

Monthly revision tip:

• Don’t leave a subject immediately after finishing it.
• Aim to revise at least once a month after completion to reduce forgetting.

Handling “problem subjects”:

• He personally struggled with Discrete Maths (large + concept gaps).
• He paused/revisited it and then restarted the cycle.

Revision counts claimed:

• Discrete Maths & Engineering Maths: revised about 1–4 times
• Other subjects: revised about 6–10 times
• Notes (even short ones) supported revision cycles.

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3) Notes Strategy (What to Do)

• Notes matter (he agrees with notes-only advice about 50%, while still recommending notes).
• Detailed notes:
  • After syllabus completion, prepare detailed notes for subjects to cover thoroughly.
• Short notes:
  • If time is short, prepare short notes for key concepts.
  • Keep them focused on:
    • Formulas / main points
    • Avoid long paragraphs
    • Compress concepts into 1–2 lines for fast recall
• PDF/slide-based “notes” for easier subjects:
  • For DLD, he treated the provided lecture PDFs/slides (merged into one PDF) as his notes because it was easier.
• Where notes matter most:
  • For higher weightage or concept-heavy subjects (he mentioned Operating Systems and COA), reading “from notes” vs reading PDFs can feel different on exam day.

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4) PYQ Methodology (When and How to Use)

Timing rule:

• Don’t attempt PYQs immediately when starting a subject.
• Instead:
  • Study concepts
  • Understand
  • Revise
  • Then attempt PYQs

Role of PYQs:

• Not just recognition, but:
  • Understanding depth
  • Ability to apply concepts
• Works as an assessment tool

Practice style for attempting PYQs:

• Try solving on your own first.
• If stuck, move to the next question.
• After checking solutions:
  • Identify the concept you missed
  • Link the solution back to the concept (“concept behind the question”)

Use to remove misconceptions:

• Comparing your attempt to solutions reveals misunderstandings and misconceptions.

Recommended sequence (as he phrased it):

• Revise subject
• Revise PYQs once or twice (to get grounded)
• Then attempt the subject (confidence building)

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5) Test Series Plan (Types and Recommended Counts)

• Topic-wise tests
  • Must attempt for each subject/topic area.
• Subject-wise tests
  • Minimum: at least 1 test per subject
  • Estimate: 1–2 tests per subject is enough
• Mixed tests
  • Combine 1–3 subjects
  • Helps practice shifting under time pressure
• Full-length mock tests
  • Personal count: ~25 full-length tests
  • Recommendation range: 15–20 if possible

Big lesson from all test types: learn time management, pressure handling, and switching between subjects.

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6) Full-Length Transition Mindset (Subject-wise → Full-length)

• He reported a fear of low marks when switching to full-length mocks.
• Strategy:
  • Take the first full-length mock even if marks seem unexpected.
  • He attempted his first full-length mock in October (66 marks), then continued from December onwards.
• Takeaway:
  • Full-length mocks are a “different game” because they include all 12 subjects and train brain “switching.”

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7) In-Exam Strategy (Solving / Skipping Questions)

Overall approach:

• Attempt questions in a timed cycle.
• If a question is expected to take too long, skip it directly.

Time allocation pattern (as described):

• Aptitude: ~25–30 minutes
• Then proceed to 1-mark questions
• Use timers:
  • When “one hour” arrives, move accordingly (aiming to complete 1-mark questions by then)
• Use remaining time to choose and attempt the easiest remaining questions

How he decides to skip:

• Based on prior practice, recognize concept areas that typically take longer.
• Example: DP-style problems like matrix chain multiplication were skipped when time cost was high.

Per-question time cap:

• Allocate about 3–4 minutes max per question.
• If not solved within that, skip.

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8) Mistake Tracker and Analysis Routine

• Analyze immediately after each test (don’t skip analysis).

Mistake tracker categories:

• Track whether mistakes are:
  • Silly mistakes
  • Conceptual mistakes

Analysis steps described:

• Count outcomes:
  • Correct vs wrong vs left/unattempted
• Categorize wrong answers by type
• Revisit concepts behind repeated mistakes
• Track time management:
  • which questions you attempted
  • which you skipped due to time

Strategic insight about rank improvement:

• He claims that for many top candidates, differences often come down to reducing silly mistakes.

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Speakers / Sources Featured

• Tilak (main guest; GATE CSE AIR 54, GATE 2026; RGUKT Nuzvid student)
• Podcast host / interviewer (speaking as “JOSHU” in the transcript)
• Go Classes (YouTube lectures and test series)
• AS Academy (campus test series; mentioned as providing free test series/course to top scorers)