what is right time to start preparation of exams like gate and cat

GATE Preparation Books for Mechanical Engineering (ME)
Mechanical Engineering (ME) is the most preferred stream of the candidates participating in the GATE exam. Around 2 lac candidates alone appear for this stream. Here are some GATE preparation books for the strategic preparation of Mechanical Engineering along with their reviews-

Strength of Materials by SS Rattan
Review:

Strength of Materials by SS Ratan unravels all the complexities of the section with utter clarity keeping the bar as low as possible in a basic language with the optimum use of jargon and good quality.
Strength of Materials (SOM) is one of the most important and toughest section in GATE Mechanical Engineering. If prepared well, it can be one of the most scoring sections in GATE 2020.
The majority of questions under SOM are from Stress & Strain, SFD & BMD and Bending Moment.examples.
For GATE 2020 aspirants, this book is a must-buy.
Theory of Machines by RS Khurmi
Review:

Though a tough nut to crack, the section could be scoring too. But only if prepared strategically by a good book and RS Khurmi provides all the candidates require to crack GATE 2020 labyrinth.
Theory of Machines section requires candidates to implicate their arithmetical abilities and knowledge of Mechanical & Kinematics.
Majority of questions test candidates in-depth knowledge of frame of reference and 3D Geometry.
Other Good Books For GATE 2020 Mechanical Engineering
Other Important Sections include Mechanical Vibration, Machine Design, Engineering & Applied Thermodynamics, Fluid Mechanics & Fluid Machines, and Operation Research. Candidates are required to follow the mentioned books for the respective sections

GATE Preparation Books For Mechanical Engineering Author
Mechanical Vibration GK Grover
Design Of Machine Elements VB Bhandari
Engineering Mechanics SS Bhavikatti
Fluid Mechanics RK Bansal
Heat & Mass Transfer PK Nag
Engineering Thermodynamics Cengel & Boles
Internal Combustion Engine V Ganesan
Refrigeration & Air Conditioning CP Arora
Material Science UC Jindal
Production Engineering Amitabh Ghosh
Industrial Engineering OP Khanna
GATE Preparation for Mechanical Engineering by Made Easy
The following books can be bought online from madeeasy.in-

A Handbook for Mechanical Engineering
4400 MCQ: IES/GATE/PSUs: Mechanical Engineering
GATE-2020: ME Solved Paper
GATE & ESE-2020: Engineering Mathematics
General English for GATE ESE and PSUs
GATE & ESE- 2020 Reasoning & Aptitude
Read More  GATE 2020 PSU Recruitment Process

Books for CSE
GATE Preparation Books for Computer Science (CSE)
Booming IT Sector and uninterrupted job opportunities in the field of CS/IT, the branch has recently become the most chosen branch among all the tech geeks and code lovers. Here are some good and well-reviewed GATE preparation books for Computer Science, we have found out for you-

GATE Preparation Books For Computer Science Author
Algorithms Cormen
Operating System Galvin
Theory of Computation Ullman
Computer Networks Tanenbaum
Computer Organisation Carl Hamacher
Database System Korth
Compiler Design Aho & Ull Man
Digital Logic Morris Mano
Software Engineering Pressman
GATE Preparation for Computer Science/IT by Made Easy
The following books can be bought online from madeeasy.in-

A Handbook for Computer Science /IT Engineering
PSUs: CS/IT Practice book
GATE 2020: Computer Science/IT Solved Papers
GATE & ESE-2020: Engineering Mathematics
General English for GATE ESE and PSUs
GATE & ESE- 2020 Reasoning & Aptitude
rank predictor
Books for EE
GATE Preparation Books for Electrical Engineering (EE)
The history of Electrical Engineering goes way back to the 19th Century. The stream shares its past with mechanical engineering and is considered one of the oldest branches that have always been since the inception of engineering.

The competition for this stream is stiffer and cut-throat as the number of seats is limited and the ratio of candidates appearing per seat available is very large. Here are some good books for smart and strategic preparation for GATE 2020 Electrical Engineering.

GATE Preparation Books For Electrical Engineering Author
Network Analysis Val Valken Burg
Solution of Network Analysis GK Publications
Engineering Circuit Analysis Hayt & Kemmerly
Graph Theory Narsing Das
Circuit Theory Chakravarthy
Control System Nagrath Gopal
Electrical machines PS Bimbhra
Power Electronics UA Bakshi
Power Systems Nagrath Kothari
Signals & Systems Oppenheim Wisky
GATE Preparation for Electrical Engineering by Made Easy
The list of GATE preparation books for EE that can be bought from the official website of Made Easy are given below-

A Handbook for Electrical Engineering
3500 MCQ: IES/GATE/PSUs: Electrical Engineering
GATE-2020: EE Solved Papers
GATE & ESE-2020: Engineering Mathematics
General English for GATE ESE and PSUs
GATE & ESE- 2020 Reasoning & Aptitude
GATE Practice Papers


Books for ECE
GATE Preparation Books for ECE
Equipped with a curriculum about the intricacies of robots and other electronic devices, Electronics Engineering also deals with Signals and their applications in the industry.

Candidates pursuing graduation in the said branch can do their post-graduation from the esteemed IITs and other renowned national universities and institutes.
They can choose their specialization from the available options post clearing the GATE.
And for that, Candidates should refer to the following books:

GATE Preparation Books For ECE Author
Network Analysis Van Valken Burg
Solutions of Network Analysis GK Publications
Engg. Circuit Analysis Hayt and Kemmerly
Network Analysis Soni and Gupta
Graph Theory Narsing Deo (Cutset and Others)
Circuit Theory Chakravarthy
Electric Circuits Schaums Series
Network Theory Prof Yoganarasimhan
Electronic Devices Circuits Boylested and Neshelsky
Microelectronic Circuits Sedra and Smith
Electronic Devices Circuits Millman and Halkias (Black Pad)
Microelectronics Millman and Grabel
Integrated Electronics Millman and Halkias
Elec

Hi aspirant
There is no right time to prepare. Competitive exams are going difficult to crack these days. It's better to prepare yourself in advance as before as you can start preparing it's good for you.
Good luck

Hi Manisha,

If you want to give the GATE then you should start preparing from second year onwards. Student should not start the preparation from first year because they hardly know about the technical knowledge in their respective fields.

For more information related to the preparation for exams like Gate in CAT you can go through the link given below.

Link 1 :- https://www.google.com/amp/s/bschool.careers360.com/articles/cat-when-and-how-start-preparations/amp

If you want to do the preparation without coaching then you can go through the link given below for getting the information that how to study.

Link :- https://www.google.com/amp/s/bschool.careers360.com/articles/cat-preparation-how-prepare-for-cat-without-coaching/amp

I hope your question has been answered properly.

All the best for your future!