Post Engineering Confusions

GATE or GRE, Which One To Chose?

This is really a nice question at the right time. We have several months to go for GATE and probably the same amount of time for GRE, if we decide to take a master degree abroad. I will try to shad light on both the options and let you decide what is good for you. We are trying to understand them because both lead to Master degree in Engineering.

Let me start with GATE, it based on the subject we learned during graduation (BE or B.Tech). GATE exam helps in getting admission in M.Tech (master of Technology degree) in Indian universities.

The basic advantage with GATE is that if you do well you will get to see most prestigious engineering institutes in the world. You get a scholarship to support education and get wonderful two years of life that you are going to remember for rest of you life. Even if you little less scores it will take you to some college where you will enjoy scholarship and time.

The real daunting task comes when the master degree is finished. IITs, NITs and some good universities have placements and everyone have to face huge competition. Even top multinational companies one or two candidates out few hundred bright candidates.

Another disadvantage, because of high competition, is that somehow one need to remove few candidates to make selection procedure to finish in given time, and usually CGP or percentage will come into picture as a short listing criteria killing many bright students who didn’t cared much about scores and marks.

Now let’s move on to GRE, it’s really exciting to go aboard, specially for Indian students. That motivates many students for preparing for GRE. The biggest advantage studying abroad is that the exposure and huge confidence one gain in life. It also depends on where you study. Given a chance to me I would try studying abroad at the earliest age at a best place 😉

Preparing for GRE need extra effort as English is not our first language, though most of Indian student do good, but one the average we don’t do good in English. Apart from this, after GRE, one has to run around a lot to fulfill many other admission requirements. This may discourage few students from taking this option.

The other disadvantages are, if you don’t get a scholarship you may land up serving tables in an Indian Restaurant. If your university is not well ranked and you don’t have a scholarship then it’s totally a mess, one or the other day you will land in India for good too.

Now, if you ask me what I did, when I was standing as a B.Tech final year student? I opted for GATE. But on the same time I tried a lot to understand the admission procedure in Australia, New Zealand and Canada. I did it because there was a useless procedure for paying GRE and TOFEL Fee, I was not good at English and was from a small town and was afraid to go to a metro city and talk to consultancies.

On the other hand, I was good at engineering subjects that made me very comfortable with GATE. Scholarship, and the energy to see IITs was enough for me to opt for GATE. I know my country well and I know the English they speak so all these made GATE easy and best possible option for me.

The most important factor for not going ahead with GRE was lack of guidance and motivation for studying abroad. Paying fee for master degree and managing living in US or other countries was considered as failure at my home. Most of my friend went there either paid full fee, or got some weaver from university and I never saw anyone got scholarship that pay their living there.

After doing M.Tech I started thinking of PhD abroad, but there was again lack of guidance and this time I approached few consultants and they shown a lengthy procedure, which was almost infeasible for me to try. I left that option in their offices and moved on with simple and long loved dream of IITs. The more trouble I saw going abroad the more I loved IITs and became disparate to join there for PhD. Long back I wrote about it How do you feel to be at IIT.

I know where I was going and know what I want to do, and was doing it happily, because of the freedom it offered me. If we don’t know what IITs are for then we will end up in books and finally feel that there is always some smarter than you. I got a huge advantage being an IITian. I also, got a chance to visit Singapore and Korea for research without spending a single penny from my pocket.

After spending several years abroad, I feel its better we start early in life. If possible go abroad for engineering degree itself, gain that exposure and try to be best and learn how common people use resources to build big business. Make a point to learn how opportunities come and how to grab them to grow higher.

The conclusion is wherever you go, try to reach excellence and try to be best. Not just say that work like that. Raise above all excuses and work hard to the human capacity and expect the best of it. All Indian you see on the top are because of their hard work and too much competitive and never give up attitude. Let’s work hard and chase our dreams.

There are few other articles related to M.Tech you may find useful. Please subscribe for updates and become a fan on facabook to gain feeds in facebook. Don’t hesitate to drop a comment for a question or suggestion.

Wish you all a wonderful luck ahead.

48 Comments

  1. kunal

    hello sir your article was helping but i have few doubts. presently i am confused between choosing either for GRE or GATE.
    what i fell about myself is that my technical part is more stronger than english verbal part. I know that if its tech it can be improved by practise but is it same for english part required for GRE. Another thing i wanna know is that what is average salary after M Tech and MS. I am student of Electronics & Communication

  2. Asif Farooki

    (EC engineer final year student)
    Hello sir, I want to ask just one question…
    Study abroad in good universities (considering all the efforts apart from study) without getting job there(because of family need) and coming back to india for job is good or getting into best colleges in india (considering I can crack Gate) to persue job here…in these two options which is best choice for me? Will development and knowledge make much difference in abroad to surpass all the difficulties I have to face there? Thank u very much in advance…

  3. Bhanu

    Sir please make a post showing procedure for applying to nus and NTU universities with gate score. How to write statement of purpose and recommendations. That would be a great help for students planning go abroad for their masters degree.

  4. Aashutosh Tripathi

    Great article. Thanks for the guidance and inspiration.

  5. Aashutosh Tripat

    Great article. Thanks for the guidance and inspiration.

  6. shakti chudasama

    Sir,
    I am a student of 1st year of mechanical engineering and my college have jst being stared …and i want to masters in automobiles… so which would be most preferable abrod or india…and i have being knwing that Germany is best 4 automobiles so should i go there…please guide me…

  7. Akansha chauhan

    Hi sir,right now i am in my final year B.tech biotech n i am hell confused as to what to do and from where?What you think is best doing direct P.hd or m.tech.I actually want to go abroad and study so kindly help me with this please.

    1. Zahid

      Direct PhD is always a good choice if you are planning longterm. This will also make it easy to secure admission abroad.

  8. Zainab

    Hey , your article has cleared many doubts runnig in my mind.
    Currently i am a final year engg. student (biotech).I am also in the same dilemma wether to start prep for Gate or Gre. I am quite good in biotech and quite good in english as well.
    Also i wanna ask is it like a compulsion to join coching for GATE prep or we can just clear it out by self studies.
    Thanx for the wondeeful info and rply asap.

  9. arathi pv

    Sir, I ama final year Integrated MSC student,in chemistry.I would like to know the scope of doing MS course abraod.Since ,am not interested in p.h.d ,i would like to know if doing MS wil fetch me a job?

  10. sujit wani

    thanks it relly helps me a lot………..

  11. shubham pathak

    sir,
    i m a btech 1st year student in amu and i am confusd to take gre or gate for mtech. my english is not so good as required in gre on this aspect i should opt gatr but on the other hand i am also thinking that time if 3 years in more than sufficient to improve english to any extent.i can do hard work as much requird. plzz guide me what should i do ????

  12. Vaibhavi

    Hi,
    I am a B.Tech. 3rd year student from Gujarat.

    How are the chances for IIT or NIT students to get a job abroad ? How much recognition of M.Tech. is over there ?

    Can you please throw some shadow on that ?

    Thanks,
    Vaibhavi

  13. siddhant

    Hi,

    I am doin EXTC(third year) , i am thinking of appearing for gate,when is the perfect time for joining the classes or it can be studied at home?
    what is the right time to give the exams?
    i also want to give a try for gre.is it possible to give both the exams or jst cocentrate on one?

  14. Vicky

    So do you repent on your decision of not being one of your friends who went to US early ?

  15. Jai Prakash

    Hi,
    I always used to think that why people go for GRE rather that going for GATE if they want to do masters in engineering. The same facilities is also provided here in India with top universities like seven IITs and IISc, even though why people go for GRE and waste lots of money, but still they can do MTech from IITs & IISc in less fee. Now after reading this article I got to know the difference.You are awesome. I have read some of your articles and they always inspire & motivate me to go for GATE and do MTech from IIT. Thank you very much sir. I always wanted it but because of some financial problem & didn’t want to take money from home. I joined an IT company. Now i have two years of experience & have some saving with me and want to do MTech in either Computer Science or Computational Science with IITs only. My further plan is is go for research. I could not prepare with my working hour because often its took ten to twelve hours in office with very frequent night shift. I took one and half month of leave from office to prepare for GATE just before the GATE exam. Now i got 28 marks and score is 401, rank 8049. I am from sc category. Is there any chance that i can make my dream come true. Please guide me.

  16. alfiesaden

    hi there – is it just me !! can any one explain why when i type in the firefox browser “www.inspirenignite.com” i get a different site yet whe i type it in google its ok? could this be a bug in my system or is any one else having same probs ?
    alf

  17. Goutam

    this is not at all a good comparison the the two tests you are taking about.
    there are lot stuffs to be talked about.
    your English is not good, that does not mean that others are also weak.
    you are scared of lengthy procedure but others may not.
    after all you are getting the world stage. that is enough for motivation.
    you have not talked about the guys who got the waiver.
    If a student is thinking about higher education or research he/she should consider abroad first.
    it is possible that you do not know that how Indian research system full of frauds.
    i got the evidence.
    you can not praise this kind of system…saying that you are good in the engineering topics…and not good at all in English.
    if you do not know the english pretty well,how can you understand your subject that good.

  18. Omkar

    Hi,

    I am a Mtech (Structural Engg.) Student from Nagpur University. I am into my second yr and by the end of next July i will complete my Mtech. My further plan is to opt for PhD but want to do it in good reputed institute. And my aim is to go abroad for further studies. But , for my further plans I am lacking a proper approach. Can you guide me a proper approach for Phd from abroad in my subject?

    Regards,
    Omkar

  19. Omkar

    Hi,

    I am a Mtech (Structural Engg.) Student from Nagpur University. I am into my second yr and by the end of next July. My further plan is to opt for PhD but want to do it in good reputed institute. And my aim is to go abroad for further studies. But , for my further plans I am lacking a proper approach. Can you help to guide me for a proper approach for Phd from abroad in my subject?

    Regards,
    Omkar

  20. AKSHAY

    Sir ,
    i really like your blogs .
    I am doing my B.E Electrical and working in Wilo M & p .
    After reading this it really motivates me to Do MS in germany .

  21. Rahul Mishra

    if i do mtech in computers….do we have chance to get jobs in big companies like microsoft,google…etc??????..

  22. Anchit Raman

    Please Sir “U GOT TO REPLY THIS” ,

    i have been reading ur blog continously for past one year.. someone in the queries above also pointed that u havent discussed about EUROPEAN UNIVs at all.. after that gentleman’s query u posted something lyk ” admission in GERMAN UNIV and NUS/ NTU SINGAPORE through GATE”.. Is it a rumour or a fact that German univ and NUS/NTU take students from GATE score too??

    i searched a lot of websites but didnt find any relation b/w GATE and SINGAPORE.. did a lot of research on GERMAN UNIVs but only i found was “that they do not accept GRE/GMAT/IELTS scores for their POST GRADUATION courses… Instead they want full academic record of a student and then they call him. There is a shortage of man-power in Europe specially GERMANY that is why they ‘ve started this policy of FREE EDUCATION TO FOREIGN STUDENTS.. THEY DO NOT CHARGE TUTION FEE( biggest advantage)…. but no info regarding admission procedure..??

    I ‘m still seriously confused over “HOW TO GET INTO GERMAN UNIVs/ SINGAPORE through GATE”..?? plzz blog down a post something regarding that..

  23. Viabeless

    must check Replica Purses online shopping

  24. vipin

    sr im pursuing my b.tech in biochemical engineering.what are the option fr me in gate fr m.tech and which is better?

  25. Savin Viswanathan

    The effort you take to share with us the knowledge you have gained through experience is commendable. Thank you

  26. pawan kumar

    thank u sir,you solved my problems

  27. sanjay singhania

    hum to g.r.e karenge.

  28. ASC

    To above comment I wanted to add, that I gave GATE last year 2010.

    With regards.

  29. ASC

    Hello sir,

    I scored 98.2 % in CS with rank 1900 . Do I have a fare chances of getting MS(R) from IITS /IISc? If so, can U please list out IITs colleges name?

    Thanking u in anticipation.

    With regards,
    ASC.

  30. ANKUR KUMAR

    Dear sir
    I passed out my engineering in July 2010 in mechanical branch.Being strict no no to software companies and IT field,am still jobless. Am also a Gate aspirant with miossing preparation.During engineering i was not keen on higher studies immediately so never thought about GATE or GRE.
    Thanks a ton for your indirect inspiration.
    Ankur Kumar

  31. devisree

    if do iit’s all the iits students get job’s(in top level companies)

  32. teja

    This page is my first hit of google in search of difference between opting for GATE and
    GRE . Let me introduce myself ,I am doing my final year B.tech in BITS GOA(computer science) . I am confused to opt for GATE or GRE . I wanted to go to IITS but already i
    am from one of the best colleges . I dont know anything about MS in foreign .
    can you give any advice to me….
    What is the scope after MTech from IIT BOMBAY CS

  33. rahul

    thanxx alott sir for ur information !! i m planning to do m.tech at one of the reputed insititutes in india . can u tell me what is is difference between studying b .tech and m tech ? i mean we hav to attend classes or we r expected to do research ??? i m really confused in this matter . please help me clarify what m tech students do in two years ??? traditional classroom studies as i did in my b.tech or something different ?

  34. vijay rathore

    how many seat are in gate for computer science & IT

  35. Prathamesh:

    Sir,
    i m attempting GATE in final of my Mech Engg…with the help of some Coaching….

    I m very inspiret n now ignited to pursue my dream of IIT…
    My engg acedemics r very poor…
    But i am very confident to secure a good score….
    Ready to do any possible help… Hope ur knolege stays like a Lighthouse in a thunder-storm…
    Really thankful of u from bottom of heart..

  36. amit

    sir ,
    my gate score is 430(cse). i selected for NIT RAIPUR.sir, i want to know that which is better option for me in long run
    1) take admission or
    2)prepare for gate 2010 && try for iit
    plz reply sir.if possible then clear why which one is better.
    thnx

  37. vivek

    thanks.
    btw the link :
    How do you feel to be at IIT
    is not working.

    1. Zahid

      Vivek: Thank dude 🙂
      I modified the link, thank you.

  38. pankaj shevkar

    i have confusion about GMAT & GATE.
    where the gate score is useful other than getting admission to IIT?
    can i get admission for MBA through GMAT in INDIA becoz i can’t afford expenditure abroad? how much min. work experiance is required

  39. J.Ubayadullah

    Dear Sir,

    I am a Mechanical Engineer working with 10 + years of Experience in Kuwait.I started my preparation towards cracking GATE 2011.It is really a tough time to start preparation after a long gap from Graduation.
    Mean while i read your article Titled GRE or GATE . I found that after completing M.Tech still placements in IITs and NITs will be highly competitive.My question is whether all students of IITs and NITs will get 100 % placements?
    What is your suggestion for those who didn’t get placements after M.tech.

    Please advise me.

    Thanks and Regards,
    J.Ubayadullah

    1. Zahid

      Ubayadullah: Almost all the students in IITs and NITs get placements. But I m talking about getting into top companies in specific domains. For the student who didnt get placements need to look ahead and hunt for the jobs. Dont miss out a single opportunity.

  40. sriram

    sir,
    its very good that you gave us an idea of both ways of doing M.tech.,
    but you never mentioned other options like MS in european countries.,i heard that european countries are offering free education..though they offer free education i know its expensive to make living there…but if you know any good german universities or any other universities please let me know…i would be more happy if you can give me approximate figure (money) needed for doing MS…
    i’m also working hard on gate and i’m considering plan to go abroad as the second option..so if you know anything regarding this subject please let me know..
    thanks in advance….

    1. Zahid

      Sriram: Thanks for a nice question. I working for a guide for MS education and I wish to complete all those titles in that. Please give me some time and keep a watch on the blog 🙂

  41. sujay paira

    sir,
    I have been admitted in NITTTR, kolkata (a institute established by MHRD) in M.Tech in Multimedia & Software Systems this year. My GATE score is CS- 7418(obc) and an MCA pass out this year. I want to move ahead with research career.
    What will be better for me – entry into IIT through GATE’2011 or complete M.Tech here and PhD abroad through Subject GRE.

    1. Zahid

      Sujay: Try both 🙂 If you get scholarship abroad that best. But be sure you select a good university.

  42. Arun Prasad

    I have been a quiet and silent admirer of your blog since last 6 months or so, i have have been promoting this to quite an extend among my friends circle. Its really mice and very helpful. Its quite a novel approach too.. Not many would like to share information as you would do.

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