You can check below points- Focus on GATE exam from second year along with your usual preparation for semester exam. You can begin by matching the syllabus content of GATE with your usual syllabus and achieve the depth of the subject to an extent that you only need a brush-up in future for that portion. You may prepare exhaustive notes keeping in view the requirements of GATE examination. You must follow the same strategy during third year as well. In the beginning of final year, you must audit your preparation for the GATE exam. You must then set a target to complete rest of syllabus within two-three months i.e. up to the month of October. Once you are clear about the syllabus, chalk down a timetable to complete the syllabus well in time. At all stages keep collecting the cracks of the subject, topic-wise in separate note book which will be helpful to remember the important points at a glance. Use your favourite topics as your competitive advantage, for succeeding in GATE exam. In the last phase of preparation, you must focus on revision and practice. Your continuous practice in solving previous year's papers will give you a fair idea of what the actual paper would be like. It will also brush up your basics and highlight areas which need improvement. Solving more and more test papers is the best way to keep improving as you prepare for GATE. While solving test papers, set up an ambience which simulates the actual test with no breaks, no disturbance and a definite time limit. This is a very effective arrangement, which duplicates the real test environment, thus allowing you to prepare without any stress. Hope this helps!!!