Which time is the best time to start preparation for gate 2021 and how to prepare without coaching?

There is no best time to start the GATE preparation. Its upto you  & your capability when you start for it. Starting early will help you focus on the basic concepts & Preparing in advance will help you to cope up easily the concepts to crack the exam.

Weightage of Topics : it is advisable and important to study the complete GATE Syllabus, however, you can do a small exercise to gauge which sections, topics are much more important in terms of weightage given in GATE.

Resources other than books : It is good to look up topper and expert tips in this regard as they do mention the books or material they have referred to. Many GATE toppers run their own Facebook pages or blogs where they dispense advice and tips to wannabe GATE aspirants.

Remember the following points :

Divide the Topics broadly into Strong, Weak and to be read properly.

Next schedule your preparation such that you revise the easy ones along with the tough ones and the “never read before” ones. This will ensure you have a clear view of what is to be studied and how you are going to do it.

While many advise to check the weightage and study accordingly, it is really not the correct way to go.

Check the weightage by all means and understand the important topics but don’t neglect to study.

Make Short Notes while you study as this is will be helpful during revision.

Write down Formulae that you find difficult to remember so that they are handy for revision.

Keep the solved problems separately indexed so that you can refresh and revise later when required.

Analyse your preparation at every step.

Good Luck!