Hello all, myself Ishaan Mane,
GATE CS 2025 Rank: AIR 1445
GATE Score: 688
Category: General
I would like to share my experience of applying for MTech RA programs offered by the CSE Department, IIT Hyderabad.
Overview
IIT Hyderabad offers a 3-Year MTech RA (Research Assistantship) program under the Project-Funded category. The CSE Department runs this program across two streams:
The official curriculum and other details can be found here:
👉 https://cse.iith.ac.in/academics/curriculum.html
The selection procedure comprised:
I had applied for both streams, CSE and NIS.
Travelling to Campus
The IIT Hyderabad campus is quite far from both the railway station and the airport, so I strongly recommend travelling in a group of at least 3-4 people to share transportation costs.
Expect a one-way fare of at least ₹2000, If you are booking a cab. There are cheaper bus services available as well but I wont recommend them if you have luggage.
Campus Experience
The campus is truly beautiful. The modern architecture stands out and you’ll find yourself constantly admiring it.
I stayed on campus for 2 nights and 3 days. The charges were:
I personally only had biryani during my stay, so I can't vouch for the mess food. However, from what I saw, it looked decent and hygienic.
We were given double-sharing rooms, and all the essentials were provided including a table, chair, cupboard, cot with bed sheet, pillow, and mattress.
Written Test
The selection process began with a common written test for both CSE and NIS streams.
After this, there was a subjective aptitude test (1 hour) with programming-based questions.
Note: This aptitude test was not graded, it was meant to observe how you approach problem-solving.
A few days later, I received an email stating that I was shortlisted for the interview round for both CSE and NIS.
Interview Experience
The interview was conducted online. The panel had 4 professors, out of which 2 interacted with me.
Flow of Interview:
Questions Asked:
What is the rank of a matrix?
Define linear independence. What are linearly independent vectors and why are they important?
What is the relation between the rank of a matrix and its eigenvalues?
When is the determinant zero? Asked to prove it.
This technical discussion lasted 10-12 minutes. I was able to answer each question confidently and correctly.
After that, the professor who was asking me questions discussed her ongoing project with me and asked if I’d be interested in working on it. I happily said yes.
The second professor asked if I’d be open to working on a Networks project, and I agreed.
And with that, the interview concluded.
Verdict
Selected for MTech RA in CSE (NIS) at IIT Hyderabad
Key Takeaways
Keep your core concepts strong
Don’t stop studying after the GATE exam
Be confident and honest during the interview
All the Best !
