For an engineering graduate, there are two prestigious and equally tough competitive exams conducted at the national level – GATE and IES. GATE stands for Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering. Candidates who qualify the GATE exam can take up Master’s and Doctorate level studies in prestigious higher educational institutions with scholarships. Moreover, rank holders are offered jobs by the Public Sector Undertakings. IES stands for Indian Engineering Services. Qualified IES candidates in the order of merit secure engineering jobs as Class-1 officers under Government of India.
While GATE is held in all the branches of engineering, IES is limited only to Civil, Mechanical, Electrical and Electronics & Telecommunications branches. Another difference is that GATE is a single-stage examination, while IES has two stages – Prelims (2 hours duration) and Mains (3 hours duration). GATE is conducted by one of the IITs while IES is conducted by the Union Public Service Commission. Those of you having an engineering degree in Civil, Mechanical, Electrical and Electronics and Telecommunications branches can simultaneously prepare and write both these examinations.
Additional Sections in GATE and IES
As an aspirant, if you intend to study simultaneously for both these examinations, then you will find that the core engineering syllabus would be the same for both GATE and IES exam. However, you need to cover certain additional sections which are different. For more details on these exams, you can follow BYJU’S Exam Prep.
For GATE examination
- General Aptitude
- Engineering Mathematics
For IES examination
- General Studies
- Engineering Aptitude
Important Tips for Simultaneous Preparation
Below given are some tips that would come in handy in your exam preparation journey.
- After going through the syllabus, prepare a study plan that encompasses all the topics.
- It is said that ‘Concept is the King’. Hence, make an all-out effort to imbibe all the concepts related to your syllabus.
- The best way to understand a concept is to teach it to others. You can teach some topics to your friends and in turn learn other few from them during group study.
- Watch educational videos on YouTube and also NPTEL-SWAYAM videos to benefit from the lectures given by the eminent professors.
- Give due importance to non-core sections such as General Aptitude, General Studies, etc. in both examinations.
- Revise the topics at regular intervals to fill the gaps in the memory.
- In the last three months before the examination, give as many mock tests as possible in exam conditions to boost your confidence.
Comparison of GATE and IES Examinations
The following table compares IES and GATE with regard to the syllabus, topics and the mode in which the questions are given. It would help you immensely in simultaneous preparation.
| S.No. | IES | GATE |
| 1. | Complete engineering syllabus is covered. | Syllabus coverage pertains only to those portions which find application in higher studies. |
| 2. | Written examination syllabus of the technical section is divided into nearly 12 subjects. | Written examination syllabus of technical section is divided into nearly 8 subjects. |
| 3. | Current affairs topic is included as objective type mode | Current Affairs topic is not included. |
| 4. | General English topic is not included. | General English topic is included in objective type mode. |
| 5. | General aptitude topic is included in objective type mode. | General aptitude topic is included in objective type mode. |
| 6. | Engineering aptitude topic is included in objective type mode | Engineering aptitude topic is not included |
| 7. | Mathematics is included in objective type mode. | Mathematics is included in objective type mode. |
| 8. | Technical subjects are included both in objective type and conventional mode. | Technical subjects are included only in objective type mode. |
Conclusion
Steadily maintain your confidence and motivational levels while preparing for these examinations. If for some reason, you have not written one examination properly, then do not lose heart. Learn from your mistakes and try to avoid them while writing another one. In a nutshell, cracking one successfully will give you valuable skills and experience to race through the other.
