India graduates nearly 1.6 Million Engineers a Year! Yes, you heard that right it’s 16 Lac students earn the right to be called Engineers each year and with each year the aspirations of the young graduates increase and an inevitable question of “What next?” arises in the minds. Some take the most obvious route of seeking employment and many students seek an answer for GATE or GRE ? This piece of article helps to address this specific question of GATE or GRE .
Let’s first look at some differences that can help us assess the GATE or GRE decision.
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GRE |
GATE |
| Who takes the test? | GRE is the preferred choice for students who want to pursue a Masters / PhD degree abroad especially the USA |
GATE is the default choice for students who wish to pursue higher education in India.
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| Who accepts the Test? | 1000’s of Graduate Schools accepts the GRE for admissions, there are also a few hundred B-Schools that accept the score for the MBA programs |
A few hundred schools in India accept the GATE for admissions along with a couple of foreign universities such as NTU.
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| Pros of the test | Entry to some of the best programs across the globe, multiple attempts allowed, can be taken year-round, can be taken across the globe, standardised test |
Entry criteria to the best Indian programs, cheaper, considered by a few PSU’s
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| Types of Tests | Divided into two types: GRE General Test and GRE Subject Test |
Can be taken in 23 different fields from engineering/science
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| What is the Test Fee? | $205 |
Male Candidates: Rs1500 Women/ PWD/Candidates belonging to SC/ST categories: Rs750
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| Eligibility | Just need to fulfil the age criteria and hold a valid passport |
The eligibility criterion varies according to the field selected.
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| Pattern | GRE General Test: tests the verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, critical thinking and analytical writing abilities of students GRE subject Test: Subject tests syllabus vary according to the subject chosen |
Candidates can select ANY ONE of the 23 different papers offered by GATE. General aptitude section is common to all papers. Other sections of the paper differ according to the paper selected.
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| Difficulty | Since the test is standardised and covers only 2 majors aspects it’s comparatively easy |
Tests on the subject matter and needs thorough preparation
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| Where can you take the test? | GRE is available at 1000 test centres across 160 countries. | Select Centres |
How do you decide?
The Basic questions you’d need to ask yourself are…
- Where do you want to Study? India or Abroad?
- What are your Short term and long-term Goals?
- Would you be able to crack the GATE if the Choice is India? Remember it’s an extremely competitive test and only a fraction of test takes make the cut.
- If your choice is to Study Abroad, do you have the necessary funds?
- How much time do you have to prepare?
This combined with the information about the two test should help you make a decision about which test you need to prepare.
Still unsure? Let us call you to give a detailed personalised assessment.
To understand the GRE better, watch our detailed strategy webinar on the GRE that discusses all the aspects of GRE test and gives you expert tips on how to prepare for the challenging aspects of the test! This will further help you make a decision on whether the GATE or GRE is the test for you!