This post is all about the RA (Research Assistantship) category admission in the department of CSE, IIT Bombay.
I should have written this post long ago. Now that GATE 2013 result is out, I am getting quite a few calls/messages asking about RA admission. So here it is. To the best of my knowledge and belief. I have tried to shape this post as a FAQ. See Update in the end.
Check the comments section after you go through the post. Chances are what you’re looking for has already been discussed in the comments. If not, feel free to leave a comment!
What is RA?
Computer Science and Engineering department of IIT Bombay offers two types of admission to M.Tech program – Teaching Assistant-ship or the conventional two-year M.Tech program and Research Assistant-ship which is a 3-year course. Of course, there are other categories like Project Staff, Self Financed etc. A detailed information about department admission policy can be found in here.
Why should one choose RA?
Simply stated, the 3 year programme is a more relaxed programme. Reflect back: did you just mug up the answers to the questions when you did your B.Tech/BE programme? did you ever feel that if you had more time, you have done more justice to your dreams/capabilities/brain cells? Unless you go back for a Ph.D, it is unlikely you will get a chance to learn from the ultimate “masters” in their individual field.
Is RA category a part-time M. Tech. Program?
Absolutely NOT. There is a common misunderstanding that since it is a 3 years course, it is part-time. In fact, somewhere in the M.Tech brochure, I found that the phrase “part-time” is mentioned about RA category. Well, your M.Tech degree is NOT part-time course, but your RA project is. There is no difference between the M. Tech. degree a TA and an RA student receives after the completion of the course.
What is the Admission Procedure?
Each year around 200 aspiring candidates are called upon for the admission test. Depending on the number of the applications, the cut off may vary. Still, if your AIR is close to 400, you have a good chance of being called in for the test. The test is a two-way screening process. First there is a written test. Question used to be of MCQ type, but since 2012 they changed the patterns. After the written test, a presentation session is held where professors explain what positions are open under him/her, what is the project all about, what are the requirements etc. You can expect around 20 vacancies each year. During the presentation the answers scripts are corrected and a cut off is set and approximately 30/40 students are shortlisted for interview.
These candidates are then asked to fill in their preferences of projects. Candidates are interviewed separately for each choices. However, due to lack of time (the entire procedure is conducted in one single day) one can not make it to all projects. Interviews are so scheduled that a candidate attend most interviews. It is guaranteed that he/she could appear for first two choices. After the interview, the respective professors selects the more deserving candidates and result is put up with in 3/4 days.
What is the selection criteria?
Once you get a call for the written test, it all depends on how well you perform on that very day. Your written marks, and to some extent, your GATE score will carry a good weight during the interview, but believe me, if you completely mess up the interview, there is a very little chance that you would get through just because you did well in the written.
Any special skill set required?
There is no such hard requirement but, having research exposure would give you an edge over other aspiring candidates. You may have noticed by now that cracking RA has like 1 out 10 chances. Sometimes, a project may demand a skill set in particular e.g. “A 2 year working experience in machine learning field”. In those cases, the professor in charge will make it clear during the presentation itself.
Does recruiting companies discriminate TA and RA students?
None to my knowledge. Except for the duration of the program, there is no difference between a TA and RA student. That is, current RA batch will sit for placement with the next TA batch. Companies do not discriminate between TA and RA students. So don’t worry about RA placement at all.In fact, this year out of 19 RA students, 5 have received offers in US (total US offers is 15) 🙂
What’s Project RA and what’s Institute RA? What’s the difference?
As I mentioned, after clearing the written test, you would be asked to fill out a preference form for projects you want to apply. The list of available positions would be made available to you during the presentation. During the presentation you would realize that most positions are for specific projects. These positions require candidates with a strong inclination and/or experience in that particular field. These positions are Project RA. Below are the list of research group that usually take students every year are –
+ CFILT – Natural Language Processing
+ Machine Learning
+ CFDVS – Formal Design and Verification
+ VIGIL – Computer Graphics/Vision
+ SynerG – Computer Networks/Systems
+ GISE – Geospatial Information Science and Engineering
+ Aakash – The Aakash tablet project
Project RAs are required to work for the project as their “RA” work. Once you’re selected as a project RA, you will join one of the research groups (as listed above) in the dept.
Apart from these, there would another two/three projects which do not fall under the category of “research” projects as these are not associated with any research lab of IITB. There are primarily three projects/areas where RAs are taken –
+ SysAd – System Administration. These RAs are responsible for the maintenance of all CSE Servers, labs, PCs, routers, access points etc. If you have a knack for tweaking with stuff, if you ever wanted to be the “admin” and have control over everything what others use, then my friend, this is the place for you!
+ ASC – Application Software Cell. These guys are responsible for developing and maintaining the online interfaces of IIT Bombay. Form the very first M. Tech. application portal that you saw while applying to the very delicate accounting system that takes care of employees salary and such stuff, all are products of ASC. So if you are interested in web development, then ASC is the perfect choice for you.
+ CC RA – CC or Computer Center is the central system administration group of IIT Bombay. They maintain and control all of IIT B’s network. Often they take RAs from CSE dept.
NOTE: The above list is only partial. Please check the official list of positions here.
The general idea is that if you’re a Project RA, you pursue your Masters Thesis on a field related to your RA work, under the supervision of the Professor in charge. In that way, you can use your two-year RA work experience in your Thesis. However, this is not a mandate. You can opt to work with any professor of your choice with the consent of your RA prof-in-charge. Institute RAs on the other hand, are free to approach any professor without anyone’s consent. There are both upsides and downsides for this. Upside is, if you are in a project that you like, but don’t want to do your thesis on that field, you have to take the consent and convince the other prof to take you in. Sometimes it goes smoothly, sometimes it get dirty. Insti RAs don’t have to deal with all these stuff at all. On the contrary, Project RAs get to use their RA work-ex into their thesis. They also get chances to apply for fancy internships (your prof-in-charge may suggest you one). Insti RAs don’t get these opportunities as they are not attached to any research groups. Of course you can decide your thesis topic early (during end of 1st year) and get associated with one of those groups.
So I guess, I have answered most of your queries. Still if you want to know more about M.tech Admission in CSE, IIT Bombay, feel free to leave a comment.
The Q&A section has more information than what you presume. Please give it a look before posting a new question. The answer you are looking for may have already been addressed.
UPDATES
- The written test pattern is likely to change every year. Please check written test details. This year’s test is on 17th May, 2019.
- Coding tests are recently introduced as part of selection procedure.
- Please check the list of available positions here.
- People who are interested in ASC (presentation is available at http://portal.iitb.ac.in/joinus) please fill the following Google Form ASAP.
the useless stuff 
Hi Souvik,
First of all I would like to thank you for a very informative and elaborate post.
My GATE 2015 CSE AIR is 981, not eligible to apply for TA category in any of the IITs. But I am eligible to apply for RA category at IITB.
Is it a good idea to apply for it and what chance do I have to get admission as RA? I am looking to get into IIT – 80% for research opportunities and 20% for core job opportunities. I am employed in a multinational bank now, so looking at the current rank will you advice to go for another attempt while continuing with the job?
Another Question, if we join as an RA, are we eligible to get converted to Phd program after a year like TAs?
And during application and admission procedure at what point it is decided whether we will be institutional RAs or RAs with a particular project?
My areas of interest are Networks, Theory of computation and Data structures & algorithms.
Hi Aditi,
Whether you want to continue your job and re-attempt GATE next year or go for IITB RA exam this year is your choice, but given your strong intent for research, I would suggest you to go through the RA exam process and lets see what happens. If you’re selected, then you can make the choice. You don’t lose anything this way.
Preparing for GATE while working for a MNC is tough, not impossible but it will surely test your commitment and perseverance.
As I have said earlier, in terms of academic prospects, there is absolutely no difference between a TA and an RA in CSE, IITB. Only difference is an extra year for RA. So yes, RAs are allowed to convert their M. Tech. into PhD. Certain rules apply for both RA/TA – like you have to have good grades.
After the written round, all (successful) candidates are presented current vacancies in RA positions and there itself you get to know which ones are Project RAship and which ones are Insti RAship. Hint: ASC/Sysad are insti RA.
I would suggest you to go through the pages of CSE Faculty and SynerG group before you come for IITB RA exam.
Best of luck!
Hi Souvik,
I have done my UG in mechanical , with intention of doing m.tech in CS I have given gate 2018 in CS.
my rank is 308. So, I think I might get RA call.I’m into ML
my queries are as follows:
1.If i get accepted as Sysadmin, Can I not work in ML ?
2.I have no prior experience in Sysadmin, how should i prepare for it?
Hey Sai,
If you’re into ML, please do apply for ML related projects (if there is one). If you are selected as Sysadmin, you have the advantage of choosing any subject you like. Of course, you have to convince the prof. that you are capable enough – either by scoring good in the relevant courses or via doing some RnD projects. Since you’re going to be RA, you have an extra year to build rapport with the prof. 🙂
For Sysadmin, honestly no preparation is required. It might help you if you have basic shell scripting knowledge, programming concepts, understanding of basic networking devices like switch/router. Some level of understanding of a unix system would be an added benefit.
You are expected to know these things if you were curious in your undergrads. Since you’re from mechanical background, I would suggest revise your gate syllabus focusing on above topics.
All the best 🙂
Hi Souvik,
I have an AIR of 798 and I am planning to apply for RA position.
1) Can I apply next year if I couldn’t get through the exam this year ?
2) What is the approx no. they will take for Insti RA ?
TIA
You have to retake the exam. With your AIR, you might not get a call next year. Ranks are usually values less in future. Well, exceptions exists.
Approximately 6~10 seats for ASC/Sysads. Last year, there were 5 ASC positions and 6 Sysad positions.
I am a general category student with 1426 rank and 626 score in GATE- CSE 2015. Can I get a call for RA. Should I apply in IERO department at IIT Bombay and what are the chances to get a call. I am a final year student and placed at infosys. My rank is not good enough and I know it. Should I prepare for gate 2016. Please suggest me. Thanks 🙂
Please do apply for RA@IITB and see what happens. But don’t keep your hopes too high. You might get a call. If you do, don’t miss the opportunity. Prepare well for the interviews.
You can also apply for IITM MS and IITG/R (If they are not taking direct admission).
I do not have much info on prospect of IEOR department. Do a bit of research before you apply.
I would strongly suggest you to prepare for next year GATE.
All the best!
Hi sovik,
my rank is 492 and i m in OBC category.what are my chances for iit B t.a/r.a and other iits?
Hi Shreyans,
With your rank, you would surely get a call for IITB RA. I am not sure of TA though. But do apply.
Other IITs, I cannot tell. Please check previous years’ cut-off ranks.
All the best!
Btw, its souvik, not sovik.
Hi Souvik,
Thank you !!
hi souvik,
my rank is 735(gen).can i get a call for mtech(ra)?
Hopefully, yes!
Sir, my gate 2015 ee score is 546.I belong to general category. My B.E. Cgpa is 8.75 and secured university rank 36 in B.E. Till now, I have published three international journals and i have filed patent for my final year project. Is there any chance for me to get research programmes like MS, Direct Phd or Mtech by RA in IITs?
First, please don’t call me sir. It’s offensive to those person who actually deserve this title. 🙂
You should apply for M. Tech. or PhD. I am not fully aware of which IITs are better for EE, but I am sure that with a strong resume like yours, it would be a walk in the park for you to crack the interview. Having said, prepare well because every one else, you’re competing with, is doing. If you want, I can share contact details of one of my friend who did M. Tech. (RA) in EE from IIT Bombay (2011-14). May be he can help you a bit more.
All the best!
Thank you brother for your reply. Sorry for calling you as sir. Please give me the contact details of your friend who did mtech by RA in IIT Bombay EE branch. I will contact him for further clarifications ,if any.
Hey have you got some info on this ra course? Reply me to the mail gaya 211006@gmail.com
Reply me to this mail gaurav211006@gmail.com
I AM ALSO FROM EE MORE OR LESS IN SAME SITUATION CAN I GET HIS CONTACT TOO.
THANK U
You can try pinging Sudipan Saha on facebook.
https://www.facebook.com/sudipan.saha
I hope that helps.
How much professional experience is must for the position of sysad? As I have got the call for mtech in RA
Zero. You need to have common sense and some hands on experience with opening the CPU box. (at least I got with these experiences in my bag, supported by a decent resume)
That said, having some professional experience would certainly help you get through the interview.
All the best!
i got rank 5000 in gate 2015 (ME) i got cal from iit bombay thermal and fluids engineering RA category .should i appear for interview and is there any chance for me to get selected.and upto what rank can one expect admission under RA category.
Should you appear for the interview or not is your decision. All I can say is that, you don’t lose anything by appearing in the test.
Remaining details, I am not aware of. Please contact some one from the concerned department.
All the best!
could you please guide me on the paper patterns. As I have gone through the website and it says there are two section 1. Programming aptitude 2.Computer science … and they haven’t mention mathematics anywhere so should I believe that there won’t be any maths and general aptitude (Like reasoning and all..) questions in the paper.
Bro need your suggestion
Hello Souvik!
A bit of off set query, Can you get me inn touch with any student @CTARA at IIT-B?
Am completely blank about written test contents as in they’ve not defined it much clearly on the site.
(P.S. I’ve mailed most of the people from online database of the CTARA yet did not receieve any replies as yet, owing to little time, wish if you could connect me with someone in your known’s)
Hi Shreeneet,
I would have loved to get you in touch with an existing student of CTARA department, but I left the campus almost an year ago, and not aware of any one who is still in CTARA department.
This time of year, most are busy with final dissertations, so you can expect a delay in their response.
Anyway, I will let you know, if I could get in touch with someone.
Hi Souvik,
Thank you for your previous reply. I am interested in the SysAd and ASC (3+4) roles. I know that predicting the future is not in our hands, but I’d like to ask about your experience in the RA interview.
1. How was your written test and interview?
2. Do you have an idea how many people appeared for the round during your time?
3. As Nitesh said above, the website mentions Programming and CS for the written test. Did your batch have also have Maths in the test or interview? What are they likely to ask in the interview?
e.g. This guy here (though not about IITB) says he was asked maths questions a lot in the interview: https://www.facebook.com/GateInstructors/posts/175408419277143.
4. Sandhan project looks interesting. http://www.cse.iitb.ac.in/documents/MTech_RA_Project_Pushpak_Ganesh.pdf But intake is only 1!? Any tips you know about Prof. Pushpak Bhattacharya and Prof. Ganesh Ramakrishnan that will help me?
P.S. I wanted to post a thank you for your previous reply, but WordPress was not allowing me. 😛 So thanks in advance here (if I don’t get the chance again) 🙂
Hi Jonny,
1. How was your written test and interview?
Good I guess! Written test was easy. Had to answer 9 mcq questions out of 13. It had 4 sections – maths(3), apti(3), cs(3 out of 4), programming (3). Most questions were common GATE questions.
Interview was somewhat smooth. I was asked to explain what I did in my BE final year project.
As I have mentioned earlier, interviews greatly depend on which RA positions you are interviewing for.
2. Around 200 people appeared for written and 30 odd were called for the interview, 15/16 were selected finally.
3. Yes. We had all the four sections I just mentioned. You can find more info here: http://www.cse.iitb.ac.in/~souvik/public/ra_2011.txt
4. If you have the following and a keen interest in Machine learning, then you’re good to go 🙂
All the best!!
what about ECE
Electrical Engineering department also takes RAs. But I am not sure of the selection procedure. Please visit official websites for details.
MY RANK IS 780(GEN) IN MECHANICAL BRANCH.I GOT CALL FROM IITB UNDER RA CATEGORY FOR DESIGN.HAVE I ANY CHANCE TO GET FOREIGN JOB AFTER COMPLETING M.TECH?
I am afraid, I don’t have any idea of Mech. placement at IITB.
Sir my stream is Electronics & Instrumentation. Sir i need to know regarding written test for Mtech RA. Sir what topics should i study for written test and what topics for interview?
Hello Aditi,
Honestly I don’t have any idea of EIE M. Tech. program at IIT Bombay. If you got a call for the written test, I would suggest you to concentrate on GATE syllabi. Other than that, I can’t be of much help to you.
All the best!
Brother, I just got a call for Mtech RA at IIT bombay under RAP. Can you guide me as to how i can approach the coursework at IIT bombay?
Hey congrats man!
Don’t worry too much about coursework right now. Since you’re in RAP (Project RA), your prof in charge will guide you with course work so that your courses are aligned with your RA project. And since every year, offered courses change, it is difficult to guide you now. Once you join, there will be tons of programmes aimed at guiding you folks selecting appropriate course work.
Have fun while you’re at IITB 🙂
Cheers.
Sir, I have got offers from iit guwahati 2 year in EEE dept as well as iit bombay 3 year RA program. Which according to you would be a better choice? I feel another year for mtech might not be such a great idea and iit guwahati seems to be emerging iit with young faculty interested in research. I am confused regarding this matter.
It’s completely your choice, but as an IITB alumnus, I would always say, that you would never regret coming to IIT Bombay as RA. Sometimes I feel, TA guys really miss a great opportunity to learn because ten courses in two years is really much to ask for. Anyway, what ever you choose, give your best shot. All the best!
hi,
I have got admission into EE4(microelectronics) in IItb this year.It is institute ra position.
What is the average salary that I can get after the completion of course if I put my good efforts for three years.
Hi Abhijeet,
First of congratulations! The salary depends on the job you bag, which in turn depends on your preparation and performance on that day. So, it is really difficult to predict a figure. What I can say, is that, most companies coming into campus in first 3/4 days (when most people get a job) offer somewhere between 15 to 10 lacks INR per annum as CTC. These numbers vary every year and in my opinion, you should not ponder upon this at all. Once you get into the IIT system, you’ll get to know it better.
While you’re at IIT enjoy! All the best!
Hello Souvik,
First of all thank you for maintaining such an informative blog. 🙂
I got selected in micro-electronics in EE department under RAP catagory this year. I would like to ask you a couple of questions.
1) on an average how many hours you have to work per day with the project group.
Do we have to work on Saturdays also.
And will the timings of the classes not clash with the project?
And will we get enough time to study.
2)Is any differentiation done between the TA and RA students during the time of placement.
3)And if you don’t mind, can you please share how was the placement scenario of the EE dept RA’s in the year you passed out..since i am guessing you must have had friends in the EE dept as well .
Thanks in Advance and cheers 🙂
Congratulations Sourya!
i) On an average how many hours you have to work per day with the project group
Depends on your project requirement, but mostly it is somewhere between 10-20 hours a week, i.e. 2-4 hours a day.
ii) Do we have to work on Saturdays also.
Ideally no for project RAs, but these works are like academic stuff, so you can make your own schedule according to your conveniences. There is nothing like giving attendance every time you work.
iii) And will the timings of the classes not clash with the project?
As I have mentioned above, these are mostly academic stuff, most likely you would be asked to work on an existing project along with other senior M.Tech./PhD students or professor. So, no one will force you to drop your credit courses just to attend these works.
iv) And will we get enough time to study?
Its a difficult one 😀 😀 There is never enough time to study if you do not like the subject and there is almost always enough time if you love it 😉 Initially, there would be a lot of pressure, but it will ease out once you get accustomed to the schedule. Don’t worry, your RA work most likely won’t affect your credit courses.
v) Is any differentiation done between the TA and RA students during the time of placement.
I have mentioned this multiple times in the post/comments/replies. There is absolutely no difference between a TA and a RA student in terms of placement opportunities. Companies do not care if you spend 2 or 3 years at IIT Bombay, all they ask is how able you are for the job. Period.
vi) And if you don’t mind, can you please share how was the placement scenario of the EE dept RA’s in the year you passed out..since i am guessing you must have had friends in the EE dept as well .
I graduated last year. I am not in active touch with any of the EE guys now. But as far as I remember, placement was smooth for EE and most people who opted for job got placed with in the first week. So again, don’t worry!.
After you join, you will get to know more about these little things and you would realise how insignificant these are against the massive opportunity you are presented with as an IIT Bombay student. So just enjoy your three year stay to the fullest! You wouldn’t regret it for a second!
PS: I am glad that people like you find this post informative and useful 🙂
Thank you souvik for taking your time out and answering my questions in such details. 🙂
I was just wondering. ..any chance you an alumni of JU?
Nope. Shibpur IT 2011
Hi sourya.
This is Chetan.
I wrote gate in 2016. Secured rank of 593 with a score of 732. Any chance of being selected for RA micro electronics. Can you please share your interview experience. It would be very helpful if you provide your Gmail ID so that I can contact you personally.
hey Souvik,
thank you for replying even years after you wrote the original post. this blog helped me bag an RA admission!~ =)
Awesome bro!
Hey souvik first of all thank you for an awesome post!
Actually I am appearing for GATE next year and pretty confident of getting a good rank. I am interested in applying for RA(SysAd) at IITB CSE. Suppose I get a good enough rank to get admission through the TA route. Now if I apply for RA and suppose I get rejected in the interview. Then is it possible for me to apply through TA? In other words can the TA route (or the SF route) be kept as a back up in case I mess up the RA interview? Would like to know your view on this ASAP.
Cheers 🙂
Hi Pushkaraj,
As far as I know, first three lists for TA are published before RA exam, so it is very unlikely that once you’re selected for TA, they would entertain your RA candidature. On the other hand, if you’re selected in RA and then you get shortlisted for say, 4th TA list, you are presented with an option to change your category from RA to TA.
I am not sure why you are so keen on pursuing RA over TA. If you’re really interested in research, you can convert your M. Tech TA-ship/RA-ship to PhD any time during the course. And professors love that 🙂
All the best.
Hey thanks for your awesome post.
I actually am interested in applying for RA at IITB SysAd. What I wanted to know is (assuming I get a pretty good rank) can I keep the TA route as a backup if I mess up the RA interview? I mean to a sk if I get rejected from RA interview is it still possible to get admissin as TA in the same institute?
Apologies for this delayed reply!
To answer your question, No! Seats for TA are usually filled up before the RA interview process begins, so it is pretty unlikely that you would get a chance for TA after your RA interview.
By the way, if you have a AIR good enough for TA, unless you screw up big time in the RA interview, you would get selected for RA (especially for SysAds, because that post doesn’t require any prior academic research experience).
All the best!
Hi Souvik very thanks for this post. Can you please help me by answering related question on quora? https://www.quora.com/Indian-Institutes-of-Technology-IITs/What-computer-science-course-should-I-take-in-IITs
Please!
Hello
i am pursuing my bachelors in computer application and on my 3rd year.
i got 86 % in the last semester. i am planning to study abroad but before doing that i want to be a part of a RA. Can you please enlighten me i can or eligible of doing so
PLease , revert back as soon as possible
Thank you 🙂
I am not sure if I understood your question correctly, Heema.
If you’re asking the eligibility criteria for RA in CSE @ IITB, then the answer is – Decent AIR in GATE for CSE. Then you have to apply for RA and crack the written/interview. In most cases it doesn’t matter on your B. Tech. grades (unless its too bad or too good) because, there is no parity in the grading standards across the universities in India.
If you’re planning to pursue for a MS or MS+PhD abroad, then I wouldn’t recommend you RA. Instead you can apply for Project Staff role. For that, do the following thing –
Go through the CSE, IITB home page thoroughly. Find professors with whom you want to work with. Get in touch with him/her. If you fail there, try to get in touch with his/her M. Tech. PhD students to know more of available positions. From there you would get to know the admission process/eligibility criteria.
I hope that helps.
how many seats are there now for RA in cse ??
Seats availability are updated prior to RA exam. Follow the CSE web page.
https://www.cse.iitb.ac.in/page216
Hi Souvik,
Actually, I wanted to know whether people with Gate score in the range of 500 to 550 in ECE applying in IITB RA/phd programs get interview calls atleast? Is there any chance for them to be selected for RA/Phd programs at IITB?
Sorry Roshan, I am not in a position to comment on EE dept. Please get in touch with current RA students of that department.
Hello Sir,
I got AIR 929 in gate 2016. My branch is Computer Science. My gate score is 670 and I am in OBC Category. What are my chances for IITB TA/RA or in other IITs…??
Thanx in advance..
Goutam,
If you read the blog post carefully along with the comments, you would find questions like yours have been answered in great detail before.
Hello Sir,
GATE 2016 cutoff score for MTech TA in EE- 510 -general.
For MTech (RA) what score as cutoff can be expected?
GATE score cutoffs are only for setting a minimum limit for eligibility. They doesn’t necessarily mean that anyone who is above the cutoff would be selected or get a call for RA interview. Based on the GATE ranks of the applicants, the actual cutoff for interview-call is set. Apply in whichever IIT/NIT you want and prepare for a call back 🙂
Okay. Thank you.
Hi Souvik,
Your post is very informative and I found it extremely helpful. I was hoping you could provide me some guidance.
I have a GATE score of 629 with AIR 1339. I attempted the exam this time with about 1.5 months of preparation after leaving my job in an IT company since it wasn’t adding to my technical knowledge. I am interested in research, and areas of interest are algorithms and data structures, big data/data science. I’m not eligible to apply to the IITs for the TA program with this score. So I’ll try applying for the RA course.
But with my score and rank I’m not sure if I can get through this time. In case I don’t make it, I’m planning to take the year off and prepare for GATE 2017, as I would like to aim for IISc/IIT-B. According to you, would this be a good idea? Do you think the one year gap might have negative implications ahead? Any advice on this would be very much appreciated. Thank you very much.
Hi Vishakha,
Apologies for delayed response. Got busy with work.
To be brutally honest with you, with your AIR, chances of getting an interview call for RA seems pretty slim. Keep your fingers crossed!
Did you apply for IIT M MS course? I heard it is also good in terms of research exposure.
Now to answer your 2nd question, it is really difficult for me to comment on the future implications of this one year gap. See, if you get a super awesome AIR in GATE 2017 (say within 50) and get to IIT B TA or IISC and then go for higher studies (since you are interested in research) or perhaps bag a job at super awesome R&D firm (read google, microsoft etc), I don’t think it would matter that much. Of course, if asked, you can always reply by saying that you took your time off and prepared for one competetive exam and cracked it. In fact, I know someone, who got placed in MS but got extention in his M. Tech. He is yet to complete his degree, but has no perceivable effect on his current job. So, having a one year gap is not a big deal it seems.
However, in reality, not everything goes as per our plan. I don’t want to discourage you, so don’t get me wrong, I am just picturing the worst case scenario here –
If you do not get a good enough rank next year as well, then it becomes tremendously difficult for you to explain to your next hiring manager or interviewer – what the heck you did that one year. And you may have to answer this question in your future organisations as well – leading to an everlasting red line in your resume.
Of course, it will not be the end of road, but the journey onwards will be hell lot difficult than what you would have liked.
I have friends who succeeded in either ways – dropped out, prepared hard and cracked IIT; continued with current job, did double time preparation and cracked IIT. Now it is entirely up to you what you want to choose. And whichever road you chose to follow, you have to beleive in yourself and stay focussed. Because, towards the end, the negative thoughts of not choosing the other path keeps mounting on you and make you weaker.
All the best Vishakha.
Keep Calm and Carry On!
Hi Souvik,
My gate rank is 320 (genral) and i would like to know whether gate score and rank matter for selection and do I stand a chance?
Also I would like to know how one should decide the field of interest for research considering the less exposure and lack of knowledge about the fields.
Are some seats reserved for category students in these 15 -20 seats available for ra?
Hi RockingRahulRockstar,
With an AIR of 320, you have pretty good chance of getting a call for RA interview. Ranks and GATE score usually do not matter unless they are at the extremes. But having a good AIR will never harm your chances.
I felt the same way while opting for RA positions and decided to go for ASC/Sysad as from the presentation I felt, these two fields wouldn’t require any prior experience. If you have an inclination to some field, you can opt for that as well even if you do not have any prior exposure. Of course, in the worst case, another applicant for the same post might be having prior work/research exposure in that field – and that can hurt your chances. But, you can apply for 2/3 positions and hope to crack on of them. If you are really interested in a particular field, do give it a shot.
As far as I know, Govt. has put some regulations on the number of candidates from reserved category an institution has to call for the final interview, but in most case, as I have seen, final selection is based on one’s performance and not on ones caste.
All the best!
Hello sir
Really a great work it is that you have done for us.
I have a couple of questions for you with the info that my gate score is 710 and my rank is 696 and gen category.
1. what are my chances of getting the call for RA ?
2. How should I prepare for it and what is the syllabus for test and interview?
Thanks
Hi Rahul,
1. You have a pretty good chance of getting a call considering the fact that I got a callback with similar GATE score in 2011.
2. Brush up with GATE syllabus and basic coding skills. That should do the most. Rest is general aptitude and common-sense.
All the best!
hello, sir i just seen your blog about ra. i am a chemical engineering student. scoring 398 rank this year. i am only eligible for environment mtech in iitb. what is good either to do mtech ta iit delhi or ra in iit bombay in core chemical. what will be the syllabus for written test for ra
Hi Tarun,
This write-up is about M.Tech. RA admission process in CS department of IIT Bombay. I can’t comment on your chances of getting an interview callback/admission in the Environment department(?) at IIT Bombay. And certainly not on the merit and demerit of choosing IIT B RA over IIT D TA.
Thanks.
sir can you provide me some references (any individual, sites) to know about ra chemical?
Check the departmental web site to start with – http://www.che.iitb.ac.in/online/
I found this announcement there.
http://www.che.iitb.ac.in/online/forums/2015-04-16-5366
With an AIR 1497 in gate2016, can I expect to get interview call for interdisciplinary branches at IITB?
Hi,
You need to check with individual interdisciplinary branches. I do not have fair idea about them. Did you write GATE for CSE? You may want to try IIT M MS course.
Hi, Souvik!!!
My Gate 2016 AIR is 234.
Currently I am working in an MNC.
I have resigned, and my release date is somewhere in mid july.
Asked for early release, but denied. Now I am considering leaving
the releasing certificate and focussing myself on interviews.
Will it lower my chances for IITB RA, as I wont show my experience.
Hi Akshay,
With your current AIR, I don’t think you need to worry too much on your preparation for RA interview. You already have a good hold on GATE syllabus. Just brush up a little before the interview.
I didn’t understand the early release part. RA interviews would be somewhere around mid-end May. You need to take a two/three day leave for that. There is no need to leave the company abruptly. And, IIT B season starts somewhere around mid July (end of first week or early second week of July). So, that is near your actual release deadline. Few days here and there, you can always manage them.
BTW, how long is your notice period? You’ve already resigned and you’re saying your release date is in mid July. That’s more than three and half months!!!
Hi Souvik,
I secured AIR 594. I want to know more about the written test. What are the subjects I should prepare? How difficult is it?
Hi Mohit,
Congratulations on your GATE AIR!
I have answered similar questions (regarding preparation and stuff) in earlier comments. Can you please look at them?
I will try to consolidate these into a new section in the blog post itself once I get some time.
Thanks for stopping by and all the best!
Hii Souvik brother,
I would like to know how is the life of a RA.
Does RA’s attend classes in classrooms, or they spend their time only in research labs
Does RA’s have classmates as normal M.tech students do.
Can RA’s participate/involve/organize on college functions, fest , and culturals.
How strong is the friendship circle for the RA’s.
Thank you in advance brother.
Hi Shahul,
I have emphasised this point before. There is absolutely no discrimination between TA and RA students at CSE, IIT Bombay.
To elaborate, my friend from my B. Tech. college joined as TA with me in 2011. He was my room-mate in first year. He graduated in 2013, I did in 2014. We used to attend classes together. In fact, if there is a course XYZ is being offered, everyone interested can attend the course, irrespective of his/her course (B. Tech./M.Tech TA/RA/PhD/Project Staff).
RAs have to perform additional duty as ‘research assistant’ to the corresponding project and for that they have to spend few hours a day (varies with the requirement of the project/prof) in respective labs. But this has never conflicted with anyone’s course work.
It is more like a single class than two sections. So we all organize/participate in different college functions.
Do not worry about being singled out because you’re an RA.
My gate 2016 ECE rank is 832 and score 702. I belongs to OBC-ncl category. Today I am shortlisted for EE department RA category exam on 13/14 July 2016. How should and what should I prepare for the exam. Can you provide me contact details of any of your friends in EE department RA category.
Hi Subhash,
I graduated from the institute two years ago. I had one EE RA friend, I can share his fb contact (that’s all I have now) but I am not sure if he can be reached. Give it a try.
https://www.facebook.com/sudipan.saha
Best of luck!
Hello sir,
I got a call for RA written test/interview but no where on the website it is mentioned that if it is for RAP or RA only.
It states, call for : “Computer Science & Engg.(CS )(RA)”
What does it mean? Please help to clear this out fast as if it is not RA with project I won’t go for it. I have to make plans for the maybe-visit.
Hi Amar,
Congratulations!
There is as such no difference between RAP/RA in terms of admission procedure. Selection of Project RA (RAP) or Institute RA (RA) is on your hand once you’ve cleared the written test and called for the interview. At that time, you have to select which project(s) you want to apply for and interview with the corresponding panel accordingly.
Best of luck!
Hello Sir,
I got a call for RA written test/Interview. Sir can you please tell me about the type and difficulty of questions that we gonna face in RA Test and Interview(Computer Science and Engineering).
Sir please reply as soon as possible. Now you are the only hope for students like me.. 🙂
First of all, congratulations Goutam!
Regarding the question pattern/interview experience, I have mentioned these time and time again and yet I am asked the same question every alternate time. Please read the blog post and the following comments in detail.
The RA test is usually either MCQ based or short descriptive questions (unless IIT decides to change the pattern drastically). This is usually limited to 10/15 questions.
Question would be from general aptitude, mathematical aptitude, coding skills, computer science knowledge (basically gate syllabi) etc. Difficulty varies from year to year. Like in 2011, it was 9 out of 12 MCQ questions with easy to moderate difficulty. Usually there are not absolute cutoff score, most likely cut off is decided based on the question difficulty and relative performance of candidates.
Your interview (after you clear the written round) would be based on the project you opt for. So, it is really difficult to predict the type of questions. Even for a particular project, questions may vary based on the interviewing professor.
I hope that helps your preparation. I have a question, if you could state your GATE AIR and/or score, it would be great.
All the best!
PS: I am not any professor or staff at IIT B. So please don’t use the ‘Sir’ salutation. I just graduated from IIT Bombay with M. Tech. in CSE couple of years back.
Sorry But You are my senior so i will call you SIR…:)
My gate score is not so good its 670 with AIR 929 and be frank I think i got this call just because of my OBC quota(Thanx to our Government:) )..
I have one more question. My interest is Data Mining/Machine Learning. So can you please suggest which Project will be good for me and Will professors in IIT B asks about the Project we did in our B.tech…
Sorry But You are my senior so i will call you SIR… 🙂
My gate score is not so good its 670 with AIR 929 and be frank I think i got this call just because of my OBC quota(Thanx to our Government 🙂 )..
I have one more question. My interest is Data Mining/Machine Learning. So can you please suggest which Project will be good for me and Will professors in IIT B asks about the Project we did in our B.tech…
Hello Sir..
The link you provide to check the available position is not showing any current going on Project. Sir do you have any idea about the current projects in IIT B..?
Keep checking frequently. They will likely update the page a week or so before the date of written test.
The information was really helpful for freshers
Hello Sir
Do I need to apply for RA separately, because till now I haven’t received any call in RA.
And if so can I attend the test?
I have applied for mechanical though…
MY AIR IS 644
please reply
Anoop,
Yes, TA and RA admission has two separate processes and you need to explicitly mention in the application which type you want to opt for. Back in 2011, the form had two checkboxes which you can select (one or both) at the time of applying.
Please check the mechanical dept website regularly for admission schedule.
Click to access Written_test_and_interview_-_venue_tming_2016.pdf
Hello sir
I have secured AIR 3416 with a score of 662 in Mechanical stream in GATE2016.In the application form I have applied for TA/TAP category.The cut off for the written test held on july 5th for general is 600 only.In the website they have mentioned that written test is to fill seats in RA/RAP/PS etc..,But in the brochure they have given written test is for TAP category students also.My doubt is whether i am eligible to write the written test or not because i have applied under TA/TAP category?If so how can i get the information regarding previous year minimum and maximum scores of the students who were admitted under TAP/RA/RAP category.I have not received any call letter from IITB. One more doubt is what about the stipend for the students admitted under TAP/RAP categories?
Please consult IIT Bombay website, Mech Dept website. You will get relevant info and/or useful contact numbers.
It is notified to the students that the Hostel accommodation is not necessary. Since i don’t know the schedule i. e. the working hours for a M. Tech. R.A. student, I am confused whether to opt for the hostel or not. What would be better? Opting for it or not? I take almost 1 hour to reach the institute from my house. Please help
( I am assuming you are in CS department. I am not sure if the following holds true for other departments )
While the hostels are made not mandatory, some of the schedules assume students live in campus. Such as,
– We had some classes at night hours (10pm onwards).
– CS 101 (introductory lab for B. Tech/M.Sc. 1st year) usually extends till 10:30/11pm. If you’re a sysad RA, you might need to be there in the lab till the end.
Staying in campus has additional benefits –
– You can utilise the computer labs/ library at night hours. This is really helpful for group study.
– Towards the end of your final year, you would require to work till late night/early morning (unless you are super genius, then you can finish work before midnight).
– Many extra curricular events are organised at night hours. You would miss if you stay at home at night.
You mentioned that your travel time is one hour. That means two hours of hectic ride each day. This will affect your health (if nothing else) considering the academic pressure you will be going through these three years.
Hence, I would say, unless you have a real urgency to stay at home, opt for hostels.
PS: Married students can opt for special hostels where couples are allowed to stay.
Sir, please tell us what are the qualities (or qualifications) one must have to get an M.TECH R.A. position in Machine learning at IITB. Also does GATE rank matters in the interviews after clearing the written test?
Dibakar,
Please go through the blog post and previous comments in detail. I have already answered similar questions in past, multiple times.
Thanks,
I might get GATE CS rank around 7000 so Should I try for IITB RA programme? Please Guide On What Good Mtech College I can get with rank in GATE 2017? Or should I prepare for GATE 2018 by taking drop of one year?
I want to know for DAIICT cutoff? Can you help in this case..?
Any help is appreciated.
Thanks In Advance.
Hi Parth,
I am really out of touch with recent GATE cutoffs, so I can’t help you with that. Please check google/quora for more info.
Thanks.
Hi, I have 4+ year experience in technologies like C#, Java, Groovy, Hadoop, HBase, OpenTSDB, Neo4J, Apache Camel etc. I estimate my AIR will be approx 3500. I am from SC category. Is there any hope for MTech RA? I have given gate 4th time this time, but job doesnt let me perform well…please reply 😦
Reading your responses I feel I have no chance…but still I want confirmation
Hi Rajesh,
Honestly, I am in no position to confirm any thing. I am out of touch for a long time. Please check google / quora for previous years’ cutoff marks / AIRs.
Thanks,
I have earlier given coding test there, it is very difficult to write correct code in plain editor. There should be at least one debugger…Is there any chance that we will be provided some debugger?