The NTA (National Testing Agency) conducts the UGC NET (National Eligibility Test), one of the extremely admired All India Level entrance examinations. The exam is written by lakhs of ambitious candidates who aim to become either Assistant Professor or JRF. It is considered one of the toughest exams in the country and has a great competition. Coming up with a suitable strategy will help you to qualify the UGC NET exam. This article will provide you with some useful tips and techniques to help you crack the UGC NET Exam on the first attempt.
In Paper-I: The Paper-I include questions that are generic in nature. Like questions that are related to teaching/research. Paper-I will be designed to test the general awareness, reasoning ability, divergent thinking and comprehension of the candidate.
The 10 categories in Paper-1 for which UGC NET aspirants have to prepare themselves for.
Teaching Aptitude - This will be followed by questions that mainly test the teaching capabilities of a candidate. The candidate must include topics like learner’s characteristics, factors affecting teaching, evaluation system etc.
Research Aptitude - For this the candidates have to prepare themselves with questions concerned with research and method of doing it.
Reading Comprehension - The candidate has to read a given passage and answer the given questions. To make this part easy candidates can start cultivating reading habits. They can improve this by reading newspapers, stories, editorials, business magazines, etc.
Communication - Here the candidates need to understand the concept of communication. Its nature, types, characteristics and effectiveness in the classroom.
Mathematical Reasoning - This part is about solving questions without using any mathematical formulas, but through non-numeric ways.
Logical Reasoning - This part is mainly concerned with testing candidates ability to think and problem-solving skills. This part consists of questions that are mainly brain teasers and these can be tricky to answer.
Data Interpretation - This is a section that includes questions on Ratios and percentage. Here candidates can score highly.
Information and Communication Technology (ICT)- This part has questions regarding the meaning of ICT, its advantages, disadvantages, basics of the internet etc. And other sections related to this concept.
People and Environment - This section includes questions related to the environment to test a candidate's knowledge in which they are living.
Higher Education System - This part includes questions regarding governance, polity and administration. Also, test the candidates knowledge about the laws related to the Higher Education System and its structure.
In Paper- II: The Paper-II include subjects selected by the candidate.
Tip For the Candidates
Proper Study Plan: Strategically prepare a time table for all the sections and start studying using it.
Practice Previous Year Papers and Mock Tests: Like the saying goes “Practice makes a man perfect”. Start practicing previous year papers as many questions are repeated and attend mock tests every day to improve your speed and accuracy.
Focus on Important Topics: Focus on the syllabus and go through the important topics first.
Improve your weak areas: Identify your weak areas and spend more time on these topics.
Time management: Learning time management will allocate you with more time. So, you can have time for revision.
When you are frustrated during your preparation, understand that it’s a part of the journey. Know that every student goes through emotional turmoil.
It is said that smart work beats hard work. Keep in mind to choose a guide or teacher wisely. This can make a big difference.
Stop blaming your luck if you fail the exam. Understand that it is time to change your strategy. There are plenty of free resources available online and you can make use of them.
Go through previous year question papers regularly.
Revise, Revise, Revise Do not trust your memory. Revise your notes several times.
Study something each day. Your happiness is linked to your achievements. So instead of wishing to crack the NET-Exam, work for it.
Put aside all your negative thoughts.
Practice Paper 1 for 2-3 hours every day.
Get familiar with UGC NET Exam Syllabus and Exam Pattern
Try to make your own notes
Trueman’s UGC NET/SET General Paper I by M Gagan and Sajit Kumar
NTA UGC NET/SET/JRF Paper I: Teaching and Research Aptitude by Pearson by KVS Madaan
General Paper – 1 UGC NET/JRF/SLET – Teaching and Research Aptitude by Arihant Experts
Upkar’s UGC – NET/JRF/SET Teaching and Research Aptitude (General Paper – I) by Dr. Lal Jain and Dr. KC Vashistha
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