The complete PSU exam pattern
PSU (Public Sector Undertakings) is an exam held for candidates who want to acquire a job in the government-owned companies. These companies are in high demand as they offer a lot of perks to their employees. As with the rising population and competition, there has been a race among individuals for securing a good job that comes with job security and financial stability. PSU companies provide their employees with benefits such as high income, job security, work-life balance, chance to study further, housing & transport facilities, etc. So, to enjoy these benefits, one needs to first prepare for the PSU exams efficiently.
The first and the most important thing to know before preparing for the exam is that these exams are conducted through GATE or some PSU companies conduct their own private exams. However, majority of the companies conduct these exams through GATE where a good GATE score is the eligibility criteria for getting into the company.
Let’s first discuss the exam pattern through GATE:
GATE examination is held annually where the exam pattern is mainly released on the online portal of the companies. This examination checks the knowledge of an individual in their undergraduate engineering subjects. The entire paper is held for a duration of 3 hours where the questions are based on MCQs and NAT. The paper weighs for 100 marks where there are in total 65 questions. It is mainly divided into three sections i.e. the Engineering Mathematics, General Aptitude and Subject questions. There are total of 25 disciplines in which the candidate can choose for which subject they want to apply. The subject questions hold a majority i.e. 70% marks while the General Aptitude and Engineering Mathematics hold 15% respectively. Note that there is a negative marking for MCQ questions. For each wrong answer( 1 mark MCQ question) ⅓ marks are deducted while for each 2 mark MCQ question answered wrong, ⅔ marks are deducted. No marks are deducted for unanswered questions.
Exam pattern for Private Companies:
There are a few changes in the exam pattern for the companies that held their own exams. The first criteria is the written examination which is generally held on Sunday. This examination contains 150-200 questions. The technical question holds more marks i.e. 75% and the total no of questions asked can vary from 120-150. On the other hand, the aptitude questions hold 25% marks and the total no of questions can be 50. Also, ¼ marks are deducted for each question which is answered wrong. The total duration of the paper varies from 2- 2 ⅓ hours.
Personal Interview Round:
This round is held to get to know the candidate and to conduct a face to face discussion. Personal Interview mainly focuses on knowing more about the candidate, their academics, hobbies, family background, etc. The companies also evaluate them based on the technical knowledge. Lastly, more detail is highlighted on candidate’s last year project. The duration of this round can vary from 20-30 minutes.
Group Discussion Round:
Many PSU companies conduct group discussion rounds to test communication skills, expression of views, ideas, knowledge about the topic, etc.
In this round, candidates are given a topic to discuss in a group of 4-5 people (the number can vary from one company to another). The duration of this round can vary from 30-40 minutes.
Medical Examination:
Generally, before giving the training letter, companies conduct a medical examination. This helps the company to get a clear picture of an employee’s health status. Also, an individual’s productivity and efficiency can be determined. Hence, it is important to take a medical test before getting an appointment letter.
The overall exam pattern consists of these four rounds but it can also vary from one company to another. Candidates must also refer to the exam pattern from the official portal of the companies. Check the eligibility criteria i.e. which PSU companies are recruiting through GATE criteria and which have their own exams. Lastly, prepare according to the exam pattern keeping in mind the marks that each section holds.