Inside IISc Bangalore for a Day — From GATE Shortlist to Test Day

It was a couple of weeks after the GATE results. I had already finished applying to all the colleges I was interested in.

One day, I was just sitting at home when suddenly I got the mail. I had been shortlisted for the IISc written test for the MTech in Artificial Intelligence program.

That moment felt a bit unreal. I was overjoyed.

And then I quickly realised I had around a week left for preparation.

A Week of Preparation

That week basically became revision mode.

I tried to cover as much as I could. The topics were familiar. I just brushed up quickly, went through my GATE notes, and I focused heavily on solving PYQs and the sample test IISc had shared, because they were the most useful at that stage. It was not about perfection anymore, just trying to be as ready as possible in the time I had.

The syllabus for the MTech in AI written test (2026) is attached below.

I also went through my short notes, the sums I had solved earlier, the mistakes I had made, and my error log book.

I tried to stay as calm as possible. I wanted to enjoy the process of studying and writing the exam.

Exam Day at IISc!

On the day of the exam, I travelled to IISc, Bangalore.

I saw the campus. Lush green surroundings, huge beautiful trees, and mighty buildings! Calm and very peaceful, contrary to the usual exam center vibe.

There were students everywhere, some came with their parents, all there for the same reason. Some were nervous, some quiet, some revising last-minute. Some were pacing around.

Everyone was looking at each other. Including me. Curious, some of us exchanged smiles. It felt like we all understood what the others were going through: a mix of happiness and pride at being at IISc, along with nervousness and pressure to perform well. And maybe, we were also just trying to get a glimpse of the “competition” (hehe).

I was definitely a bit nervous, but also super, super excited to be there!

The exam went by quickly like competitive exams usually do. Questions, thinking, solving, time ticking, moving on.

The test was 90 minutes long, comprising 30 non-MCQ questions.

When it ended, I didn’t feel stress anymore. Just a kind of “it’s done” feeling.

The Post Exam Adventure: The Best Part

And then came the unexpected part of the day.

I had the whole day left, so I decided to just walk around the IISc campus.

And honestly, it was AMAZING!

It felt so peaceful, almost magical. I felt a deep sense of happiness. I felt proud just to be there living that moment.

After months of rigorous studying and a tight schedule, just being outside, walking slowly, and seeing the campus was so calming. The vibe was completely different from exam mode.

Majestic, architecturally rich, timeless buildings, trees everywhere, long quiet mysterious roads, students moving around. It all felt very perfect and refreshing.

I took pictures and videos everywhere I could. It genuinely felt like one of those places where you slow down without even trying.

The whole experience rekindled a sense of motivation, inspiration, and passion towards science, research, and tech just by being around everything and everyone.

At the end of the day, I just felt really lucky.

Lucky to get the opportunity, lucky to write the exam at IISc, and lucky to spend time on that campus.

It was not just an exam day, it was much more than that.

Irrespective of the results, I will remember the 15th of April, 2026 for a long, long time - and probably, the feeling that came with it too!