How to Prepare for GATE Mechanical Engineering: GATE is an entrance exam conducted together by IISC Bangalore and the seven IITs, which also acts as a medium for PSU recruitments and fellowship along with admissions to higher education at IITs, NITs or other prestigious institutes. GATE 2023 constitutes 29 subjects as of 2023, and so candidates have the choice of one or two papers, as approved for the preferred program and stream of study. GATE Mechanical Engineering seems to be a popular choice for many students. Hence, more and more candidates aspire to crack the exams and go on to query “Tips to Prepare for GATE Mechanical Engineering.”
Here, in this article, we have attempted to provide as much information or hacks as possible to ace the Mechanical Engineering GATE exams. Candidates are advised to refer to this completely and know how to prepare for GATE Mechanical Engineering.
How To Crack GATE Mechanical Engineering
How to Crack GATE Mechanical Engineering is a question often asked by candidates. Here, in this article, we have mentioned some points that the candidates can follow to get the best results. Following this is the first step to building a proper strategy to ace the exams. See, here, the GATE Mechanical preparation tips.
- Be Thorough With the GATE Syllabus– The first step to acing the exam, is to understand the topics and concepts covered under the relevant subject, as it helps them plan better for the exam. The GATE Mechanical Syllabus constitutes four sections and the chief topics are spread around these sections. By referring to this GATE syllabus for Mechanical Engineering, candidates can also prepare ahead for the exams based on the marks weightage and the topics covered in the syllabus.
- Refer to the Complete Exam Pattern- Referring to the exam pattern is the best way to help the candidate understand details such as the mode of examination, number of sections, number of questions, type of questions, marking scheme and so much more. Candidates can refer to the below table to know about the exam pattern of Mechanical Engineering GATE 2023 paper.
| Examination | Computer Based Test (CBT) |
| Time | 3 Hours |
| Number of Papers | 29 |
| Sections Covered | General Aptitude (GA) + Candidate’s Selected Subject(s) |
| Question Type | (a) Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ) (b) Multiple Select Questions (MSQ) and/or Numerical Answer Type (NAT) Questions |
| Abilities Tested | Recall, Comprehension, Application, Analysis & Synthesis |
| No of Questions | 10 (GA) + 55 (subject) = 65 Questions |
| Distribution of Marks in all Papers EXCEPT papers AR, CY, EY, GG, MA, PH, XH and XL | General Aptitude: 15 Marks + Engineering Mathematics: 13 Marks + Subject Questions: 72 Marks = Total: 100 Marks |
| Distribution of Marks in papers AR, CY, EY, GG, MA, PH, XH and XL | General Aptitude: 15 Marks + Subject Questions: 85 Marks = Total: 100 Marks |
| Marking Scheme | Questions carry 1 mark and 2 marks |
| Negative Marking Details | A wrong answer, chosen in a MCQ, will be marked negative.
For 1-mark MCQ, 1/3 mark will be deducted for a wrong answer. For 2-mark MCQ, 2/3 mark will be deducted for a wrong answer. There is no negative marking for MSQ & NAT. |
- Take part in a multitude of Mock Tests- Writing multiple mock tests is the best way to get enough practice writing the exams. It helps the candidates to write the exam more easily and in a more effective manner. It also helps them to manage their time in a more efficient way.
- Daily Revision is a must– Candidates should make it a point to revise daily and as often as possible. Doing so will help them to recall the highlights of the topics or subject more easily. Revision is the key to reinforce knowledge of a subject and the best way to crack a subject thoroughly.
- Practise solving papers– From previous year papers to sample papers, candidates are advised to solve a lot of questions for practice. This helps them to get acquainted with the exam pattern and thus answer the questions accurately and in time. It also helps to build the confidence of the GATE candidates.
- Choose the Best Reference Books– Books are the best reference material that helps the candidates to not only become very proficient in the language but also acts as the base for the question papers. So, referring to the relevant textbook is the key to acing the Mechanical Engineering GATE Exam.
Important Topics of GATE 2023 Mechanical Engineering
| S.No | Topics | Topics to be emphasised |
| 1. | Engineering Mechanics | Resolving Forces, Equilibrium, Equilibrium And Truss |
| 2. | Design of Machine Elements | Principles of the Design of Machine Elements such as Riveted, Bolted and Welded Joints, Shafts,, Rolling And Sliding Contact Bearings, Spur Gears, Brakes And Clutches. Fatigue Strength And The S-N Diagram; Design For Static And Dynamic Loading; Failure Theories |
| 3. | Fluid Mechanics | Bernoulli’s Law, Simple & Differential Piezometer, Pressure Column Height Calculation, Reynold’s No. Calculation, Hydraulic Power, Nozzle Velocity of Turbines, Tapered Sections, Force Calculation, Pump Parameters (Speed, Power, Discharge) |
| 4. | Theory of Machines | Torsion, S-N curve, strain energy, Flywheel, Gear train, Linear Vibration Analysis of Mechanical systems (Goodman or Soderberg or Gerber Criteria), Degrees of Freedom, Instantaneous Centre Method, Clutch Power, Brake Power, Belt Drive, D.O.F. Of Mechanisms, Simple Gearing Ratio Spur Gears, Type Of Mechanism Simple Spur Gear Main, Quick Return Mechanism, Mobility |
| 5. | Industrial Engineering | Scheduling And Johnson’s Rule Time Study, Forecasting Model, Work Study And Measurement, CPM, PERT, EOQ, Standard Time, Demand, LPP Problems (Graphical Queuing Model, Break Even Analysis, Poisson’s Arrivals & Departures. |
| 6. | Manufacturing Engineering | Heat & Power Required In Welding, Machining (Milling, Drilling, EDM, ECM) Tool Geometry, Punching, Blanking, Force; Orthogonal Machining, Transformations, Solidification Time, CNC Machine G Codes And M Codes , Sheet Metal, Various Types Of Fits. |
| 7. | Strength of Materials | Principle stress and strain BMD and SFD, Macaulay’s theorem (slope & deflection), Problems On Various Theories Of Failure Thin Pressure Vessels, Torques, Bending Moment Calculation. |
| 8. | Strength of Materials | Concepts, Generally Theories Of Failure, Mohr’s Circle |
| 9. | Thermal Science | T-S diagrams, P-V diagrams, Rankine Cycle, Brayton Cycle, Regeneration in steam cycles, and other cycles, enthalpy calculations, C.O.P. parameters of I.C. Engine, DBT, WBT, Relations, Exit Temperature In Various Stages Of Cycles , Pressure of Nozzle, Compressor Work Calculations, Work Done |
| 10. | Thermo Dynamics | First Law Of Thermodynamics, Second Law Of Thermodynamics, Properties Of Pure Substances, Cycles, Turbines, Refrigeration, Work & Heat, Entropy. |
| 11. | Heat Transfer | Heat Exchanger (Parallel & Counter Flow) Outlet Temp. Calculation, Efficiency Calculation, LMTD, Convection, Conduction, Radiation, Biot Number, Prandtl Number, Heat Transfer through Slabs, Shells, Cylinders, Condenser. |
| 12. | Vibrations | Finding Natural Frequencies (Underdamped, Critically Damped, Overdamped), Single D.O.F |
Best Reference Books for GATE Mechanical Engineering
| Topics | Name of the Books | Author |
| Thermodynamics | Engineering Thermodynamics | P K Nag |
| Thermodynamics: An Engineering Approach | Yunus A Cengel | |
| Manufacturing | Production Technology: Manufacturing Processes, Technology and Automation | R.K. Jain |
| Material Science | Material Science and Metallurgy | U C Jindal |
| Industrial Engineering | Industrial Engineering and Management | O.P. Khanna |
| Heat Transfer | Fundamentals of Engineering Heat and Mass Transfer | R C Sachdeva |
| Machine Theory | The Theory of Machines | S S Ratan |
| Engineering Mechanics | Engineering Mechanics- New Age International | S S Bhavikatti |
| Higher Engineering Mathematics | B S Grewal | |
| Vibrations | Mechanical Vibrations | G K Grover |
| Material Strength | Strength of Materials | James M Gere, Stephen P Timoshenko |
| Aptitude | A Modern Approach to Verbal & Non-Verbal Reasoning | R.S. Aggarwal |
Meanwhile, candidates who aspire to ace the GATE exams and seek guidance on how to crack the GATE exams can browse through the article and gain all the relevant information about the GATE, the study materials such as GATE previous year papers, details about the exams, etc.
GATE Mechanical Engineering Cutoff
We have provided below the GATE Cutoff for Mechanical Engineering of last 8 years
| Year | Subject | GEN | OBC | SC/ST/PH |
| 2022 | Mechanical Engineering (ME) | 28.1 | 25.2 | 18.7 |
| 2021 | Mechanical Engineering (ME) | 33 | 29.7 | 22 |
| 2020 | Mechanical Engineering (ME) | 34 | 30.6 | 22.6 |
| 2019 | Mechanical Engineering (ME) | 34.1 | 30.7 | 22.7 |
| 2018 | Mechanical Engineering (ME) | 34.7 | 31.2 | 23.1 |
| 2017 | Mechanical Engineering (ME) | 32.7 | 29.4 | 21.8 |
| 2016 | Mechanical Engineering (ME) | 29.6 | 26.6 | 19.7 |
| 2015 | Mechanical Engineering (ME) | 32.73 | 29.46 | 21.82 |
Result Analysis of Previous Year GATE Mechanical Engineering
| Year | Paper Code | Paper | Applied | Pass Percentage | Highest Marks out of 100 |
| 2022 | ME | Mechanical Engineering | 89567 | 17.06 | 90.05 |
| 2021 | ME | Mechanical Engineering | 120694 | 17.15 | 93.22 |
| 2020 | ME | Mechanical Engineering | 171299 | – | 86.88 |
| 2019 | ME | Mechanical Engineering | 198841 | – | 94.75 |
| 2018 | ME | Mechanical Engineering | 227735 | – | 96.83 |
| 2017 | ME | Mechanical Engineering | 2,34,727 | – | 94.85 |
Comments