We all know that qualifying for NET can be a challenging task. Some of us are very good in our main subject. But many students struggle in General Paper on Teaching and Research Aptitude, the first paper in this exam. Before we jump into paper I, let’s talk about NET a little. Well, most of you are completely aware of this exam. That’s why you are here with me. But as a proper ceremony, everything should start from Zero. I would like to start with “What?” So here is our first question “What is NET.” From the official site, you get that “National Eligibility Test (NET) is to determine eligibility for lectureship and for the award of Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) for Indian nationals in order to ensure minimum standards for the entrants in the teaching profession and research.” Remember you need to qualify NET to do research.
We have come to the next question “who.” Who conducts this exam? And Who is eligible for this exam? We’ll start with the first. The main body of this exam is by UGC which was established under the act 1956 and whose main objectives are the coordination, determination, and maintenance of standards of university education in India. But it took them 32 years to start the NET. Funny isn't it? The first NET exam happened on 22nd July 1988. In brief-1st JRF 1984, 1st NET 1988, common to both eligibility for Lectureship and Junior Research Fellowship in two parts, that is, in December 1989 and in March 1990. At first, NET was conducted by the University Grants Commission, and then the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), and from December 2018 the National Testing Agency is conducting the National Eligibility Test. Now it's being conducted in an online mode instead of offline mode which is called CBT(Computer Based Test). Now we have come to another “who”--Who is eligible for this exam:
55% marks for General category and 50% for others in Master's Degree
Appear in the subject of their post-graduation only.
The next question we have is “When.” So the answer to this question is unclear due to this pandemic. But as per the press release by the Government of India, the exam would be conducted twice a year in the months of June and December.
Let’s now talk about the pattern of the exam. Well, this test will consist of two papers. Both the papers will consist of objective-type, multiple choice questions. There will be no break between papers. Paper I will have 50 multiple choice questions containing 100 marks and Paper-II will have 100 multiple choice questions consisting of 200 marks. So all together 300 marks 150 questions and you get 180 minutes (3 hours) to solve them.
So I guess the introduction to the exam is done. Shall we bounce back to our Paper I? “Yes or No?” Yes!”
As we began this introduction, I said some of us are good in Paper I, and some of us are not. Paper I plays a huge role in determining your success in this exam. Most of the students don’t pay attention to get high marks in Paper I. They think qualifying with minimum marks is enough for them and they completely rely on their main subject which is Paper-II. It really didn’t make a difference in the past, but as the competition for this NET has grown. Right now this exam is attended by so many students from different subjects that make it really a big challenge to qualify. Suppose you secure over 70 percent in Paper-II but you fail to get a high mark in Paper I, your chances of qualifying NET is very less. That’s the reason you should pay more attention and give equal value to Paper I.
The syllabus of Paper I is not a lot; it is clearly mentioned what they are going to ask. So the chances of getting higher marks are more, whereas Paper II is quite vast. Think and ask yourself this question again, “Does Paper I decide my success?” Yes, it does. You have 10 units from different topics and they are going to ask 5 questions from each unit. Isn’t it straightforward? It tells you how many chances you have to obtain high marks. Let’s talk about each Unit one by one.
In Unit I we have Teaching Aptitude. You need natural thinking to answer a few questions which include things like teaching objective, its concepts, and teaching characteristics. This Unit also includes learners' characteristics and their level of understanding and the factors in learning and teaching. In this unit, we also have methods of teaching whether it’s teacher-centered or learner-centered. This Unit not only includes ICT-based teaching but also how to evaluate students’ performance and the new innovations in teaching and evaluations.
After teaching aptitude we come across research aptitude which is in Unit II where they ask research meaning, types, methods, and the steps of doing research which is quite useful if you are hoping to do research. This unit not only includes the ethics behind research but also makes us aware of how ICT can be applied in research.
Unit III is mostly based on reading skills. You will be given a passage and based on that they are going to ask questions. So in this unit, you should know how skimming, skipping works. We have an extensive collection of different types of paragraphs to exercise which you can find in our rapid-fire.
Unit IV is based completely on communication skills. You will be getting at least one or two questions on its meaning, types, and its characteristics. If you have looked at the previous years’ questions they frequently ask about effective communication like how verbal and nonverbal plays a huge role in teaching. And you will certainly see one question about the barriers to effective communication. There are so many ways to communicate in the modern era of social networking so no wonder they have included Mass-media and society in this unit.
In order to test your IQ level, they have included Mathematical Reasoning and Aptitude in Unit V where they mostly ask for number and letter series and their code and the relationships. You will be asked questions on loss profit, fraction, ratio, and time and distance. This unit can consume time but it gives you a solid advantage to score high marks because the level of the question is very easy.
In Unit VI you will be asked questions on logical reasoning which will really mess up your mind and it’s time-consuming. But if you prepare well for this section, then it will give you the advantage of scoring high. This unit also has some interesting topics, like the structure of the argument and its fallacies. You will get questions on the Venn diagram, Indian logic, and the types of reasoning like deductive and inductive. We will be thoroughly discussing this unit in our paper I course. We have not only extensive reading material on Paper I, but also have a huge bank of questions that can be accessed in our Rapid Fire Program.
Unit VII is more or less about the graphical representation of data. You must have seen questions in previous year papers that they give a table full of data and information and based on that they ask questions. You will most probably get almost 3 to 4 questions based on the table. You will not only get to see questions on qualitative and quantitative data but will also get to see at least one question on data and governance topics.
After your IQ test unit, you will have some easier topics like in Unit VIII where you will be asked questions on ICT which is basically on modern communication technology. There will be questions internet, intranet, email, and conferencing which will be really easy to solve. You will face little difficulty on the topic like digital initiatives in higher education and ICT in governance. But don’t worry, it doesn't have so much content in it. A couple of hours is enough for them. As I have said, we’ll provide enough content, guidance, and questions to tackle the paper and secure a high score.
The last two topics are based on your general awareness of people, development, and environment, and most importantly on the higher education system in India. In Unit IX you will find questions on environmental issues and their impact on human health. You will see questions on natural resources, gases, natural hazards, and disasters. And not only that, but also you will be asked questions related to environment plans and different government initiatives and efforts to protect the environment.
Last but not least we have Unit X based on the Higher Education System in India. These questions are mostly related to the establishment of different education bodies and policies in India. The process of Indian education throughout history, in post-independence India.
So here we have a brief introduction to Paper I. It was really wonderful to have you guys with me. So I will take a leave and will see you on the other side of the course.
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