The UGC NET exam stands for University Grants Commission- National Entrance Test.  This exam is required for pursuing advanced research in University Departments/ Institutes Of National Importance/National Laboratories And  Institutes Of CSIR in various fields of Science and Technology. People qualifying this exam are awarded either a JRF or a lectureship.

This exam is conducted by NTA or National Testing Agency. It is an online or computer-based exam. The medium of the exam is either English or Hindi. A candidate can appear in either language. It is a 3-hour exam consisting of two papers. Paper1—1hour and Paper2-2hours consisting of 150 objective type questions. Paper 1 consists of 50 questions and Paper 2 consists of 100 questions. There is no negative marking. The exam is held in June and the result is declared in July.

There is no upper age limit for the post of Assistant Professor, for JRF the upper age limit is 30 years.

A candidate should possess a Master’s Degree or equivalent with a minimum 55% marks can apply. Candidates in their final semester of Post Graduation are also eligible to apply.  Candidates holding a Ph.D are also eligible to apply.

Paper 1—consists of reasoning ability, general awareness and language skills. This will consist of 50 questions.

Paper2- consists of questions from the subject selected by the candidate and will consist of 100 questions.

Candidates can choose from 92 specialization subjects for paper 2.

Paper 1

• A general paper on Teaching and Research Aptitude
• Teaching Aptitude
• Research Aptitude
• Reading Comprehension
• Communication
• Reasoning
• Logical Reasoning
• Data Interpretation
• Information and Communication Technology
• People and Environment
• Higher Education System

Paper 2-

Candidates can choose an optional subject from the list of 100 subjects.

Preparing and getting through the UGC NET is an uphill task but with proper management and tricks, one can easily clear the exam. Let us discuss the tips and tricks to get through the exam.

One should learn the skills to work in a time span or the exam won’t be completed in time and all the hard work will go down the drain. So one should time oneself while taking mock tests to prepare well for the exam.

Only cursory and rote learning cannot help a candidate to clear the exam. The candidate should have a thorough knowledge of the subjects to attempt the questions properly.

The candidate should go through the previous year papers to find out the pattern of questions being asked in the previous years. This will help a candidate to analyse the exam pattern and prepare accordingly.

The candidates should not count their hours of study, instead, they should study less but thoroughly. One can’t prepare all the topics but whatever topics are prepared should be prepared well. This is the key to success to get through this exam.

Practice the course with the help of mock tests. These tests help students to develop the right strategy, learning new techniques, learning time management and analyzing one’s performance before one sits for the main exam.

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Revising the concepts daily will help a student to retain the course well and do well in the exams.

Students should develop the habit to make short notes while preparing for the exam as students will grasp the information faster and during exam time a cursory glance through these notes will take them a long way.

Students should keep negative thoughts at bay and attempt the exam with positivity to get success in the exam.

Along with studies, students should follow their passion by picking up some hobbies to keep their mind stress free. They should take a 20-minute break after every two hours and eat and stay hydrated. This will keep them fresh and alert to do well in the exam.

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Keeping in mind these pointers one can easily come out in flying colors.