10 Months Study Plan for GATE Civil Engineering 2025

The Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) is a highly competitive exam that requires proper planning for the entire preparation journey. It has been observed over the years that those candidates who efficiently executed the preparation plan cracked GATE with the best ranks. Based on the observations and the feedback of GATE toppers, we have prepared an efficient 10-month study plan for the GATE Civil Engineering aspirants.

In this blog, you will find the detailed study plan, monthly targets, and strategy for maximising the output of GATE 2025 Civil Engineering preparation.

What does the 10-month study plan for GATE Civil Engineering 2025 look like?

Month 1: Getting started and laying the foundation

Start your GATE 2025 Civil Engineering preparation by understanding the exam pattern. In GATE, 65 questions were asked for 100 marks. 30 questions will be of 1 mark, and 35 will be of 2 marks. Three varieties of questions are asked, namely multiple choice questions (MCQ), multiple select questions (MSQ), and numerical answer type questions (NAT). Out of these three variety of questions, only MCQ contains a negative marking of 33%. 

After knowing the basic details of the GATE pattern, go through the syllabus thoroughly. Make a list of all the topics subject-wise. This will help you avoid reading redundant topics not in the GATE 2025 Civil Engineering syllabus.

Read more –  GATE 2025 Civil Engineering syllabus (GATE syllabus link) 

The next step is going through the GATE previous questions. Candidates can identify the marks weightage of all the subjects using the GATE question bank provided by IMS GATE ACADEMY. Here is the subject-wise marks weightage for the last 6 years.

Sequence of Reading: 

It is imperative to plan the reading sequence of the subjects. Almost all the subjects of civil engineering are linked with each other. We have categorised these subjects to make a proper reading sequence.

Based on the above categorisation, it is straightforward to understand that the basics of Engineering Mechanics and Strength of materials will be required for preparing subjects like Structural analysis, RCC and Steel structures. Similarly, the basics of Fluid mechanics will be needed to prepare subjects like Open Channel flow, Hydrology and Irrigation. Likewise, the basics of Highway Engineering will be required for Railway Engineering and Airport Engineering. Then, there are category 4 subjects, which can be read independently during preparation.

Start from the Basic Subjects:

After analysing the GATE exam pattern and subject weightage, start your preparation with the subject of Engineering Mathematics. All the civil engineering aspirants can keep a target to finish at least 3 topics, i.e. Linear Algebra, Calculus and Differential Equations, in the first 20 days of preparation. These three topics are used in almost all the subjects of Civil Engineering. So, you are advised to begin the GATE preparation by covering these three topics. 

After completing these topics, GATE 2025 Civil Engineering aspirants can start with the first technical subject of Engineering Mechanics. Though the weightage of this subject in the GATE Civil Engineering paper is small, the concepts of this subject will be used in analysing the questions of strength of materials, structural analysis, RCC, and steel structures. 

Month 2-3: Core Subject-wise Preparation

After finishing 3 topics of Maths and some Engineering Mechanics in the first month, it’s time to dive deep into the technical concepts of Civil Engineering. During these two months, all the basic subjects will be targeted. After finishing engineering mechanics and the remaining maths topics, aspirants can start reading Strength of Materials and Surveying in parallel. 

Once this combination is completed, aspirants can make the following combination of Environment and Fluid Mechanics. GATE 2025 Civil Engineering aspirants can observe that, at a time, two subjects are recommended to be read. This practice avoids the monotony in the preparation journey.

The next combination can be Geotechnical Engineering and Structural Analysis. Both these subjects require deep reasoning and visualisation of the problem statements. That is why it is always recommended that these subjects be started after practising the strength of materials and fluid mechanics.

Month 4 – 8: Subject completion with First Revision Cycle

During this duration, the remaining subjects will be completed, along with the first revision cycle of the previously read subjects. GATE 2025 Civil Engineering aspirants can start the 4th Month by reading the Transportation Engineering and Construction Material and Management combination. With this combination, they can revise the Strength of Materials and Surveying one by one.

The following combination can be Hydrology and Irrigation and Reinforced Cement Concrete, along with the sequence revision of Fluid Mechanics and Environmental Engineering. After this, the combination of Steel Structures and Open Channel Flow can be considered, and along with this combination, Geotechnical Engineering and Structural Analysis can be revised in sequence.

Month 9 -10: Feedback-based Learning with Multiple Revision 

This is the most challenging phase in the GATE journey. With so many concepts in mind, this is the phase in which candidates start losing their patience, which severely affects their preparation. At this time, the aspirants should keep their aspirations high and should only concentrate on their self-improvement.

Start this phase by taking up chapter tests for every subject. Before taking the test, go through the short notes and critical concepts. Avoid reading everything written in the subject notes to save a lot of time better utilised for question practice.

After taking the test, it is essential to analyse the test. This is one common suggestion by all the GATE toppers: After taking the test, try to find out which type of mistakes you are committing, where the problem is in concept application, and which concepts are hard to recall in the exam.

After every chapter test, this feedback will give a clear idea about which section of the subject requires more practice and revision. In these two months, the candidates should revise every subject three times with the GATE previous year’s questions. After taking the chapter test, the aspirants can take the Subject test, Multiple Subject test, Full Length Mock test and then Advanced level subject test. IMS GATE ACADEMY provides all these varieties of tests with detailed analysis.

Tips for Effective Preparation

• Consistent Study Schedule: Stick to a consistent study schedule to cover the entire syllabus. Aspirants can start with 2 to 3 hours of daily study routine, and eventually, the study routine can increase up to 5 to 6 hours before the GATE exam.
• Formulae and Short Notes: Prepare short notes and formulae sheets for quick revision
• Solve Previous Year Papers: Start solving previous year’s GATE papers to understand the exam pattern and types of questions asked. It has been observed that concepts are frequently repeated in GATE. GATE questions are the best source for practising these concepts.

• Mock Tests: Take regular mock tests to improve speed and accuracy, identify weak areas of concept understanding, and simulate exam conditions.
• Revision: Revision is the most critical part of GATE preparation. For GATE preparation, the aspirants have to read the exact content per the syllabus, but they must read this content multiple times to recall the concepts correctly during GATE. Revise the topics you’ve covered so far to keep them fresh in your memory.
• Focus on Weak Areas: Spend extra time on topics where you are weak to improve your understanding.
• Stay Updated: Keep yourself updated with the latest exam pattern and changes in the syllabus. You can subscribe to the IMS GATE ACADEMY YouTube Channel to get regular updates. 

Here is the link – https://t.me/imsgateacademy

• Healthy Lifestyle: Maintain a healthy lifestyle with proper diet and exercise to stay focused and energetic.
• Stay Motivated: Keep yourself motivated throughout the preparation journey by setting realistic goals and celebrating small achievements.

With a well-planned study schedule and dedication, cracking the GATE Civil Engineering exam is achievable. Stay focused, stay motivated, and you’ll surely achieve success. 

All the best!