Qualifying for the UGC NET exam is like a dream come true for an aspirant! Cracking this exam requires dedication, determination, hard work, and planned studies.
We had an interview with Mr. Sandeep Singh to know his perspectives on how to prepare for the exam. He qualified for the 2012 UGC NET Management exam for Lectureship and then the 2013 Commerce Exam for both, Lectureship and JRF.
Let us go through his journey from successful exam preparation to clearing it in the first attempt.
Importance of solving previous years’ question papers
Strategy and Study Plan for UGC NET Exam
No. of attempts taken by Sandeep to crack the Exam
Life, before and after clearing the UGC NET Exam
Coaching or self-study for UGC NET Commerce
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When did you decide to appear in the UGC NET Commerce Exam and what inspired you?
To answer this question, he said “I decided to appear for NET while I was pursuing my master’s in commerce (2011-13). I was in my second semester at that time.
I always desired to be a teacher and appearing for UGC NET Exam took me closer to my goal.
Teaching is a very responsible profession that requires dedication, patience, and commitment. Guiding students on the right path has been my inspiration.”
Does Solving Previous Year Question Papers help in Preparing for UGC NET Exam?
“Solving UGC NET Previous Year Papers is very helpful for Paper I. In the case of Paper II and Paper III, the questions vary a lot as per the topics. But yes, going through previous year's papers can give you a fair idea about which areas or topics are more represented in a question paper,” he answered.
Note: As per the latest UGC NET Exam Pattern, there are only 2 papers, i.e. Paper 1 & Paper 2.
What Strategies did you follow for the UGC NET Exam? Would you like to share your Study Plan with other Aspirants?
As an answer to this question, Mr. Sandeep shared his preparation tips. He said, “you need to study smart as well as hard to clear this exam. Here is what I did when I decided to appear for it:
First, I studied the UGC NET Syllabus and tried to find out my strong and weak areas.
Second, I prepared a study routine, accordingly, allotted more time to areas where I was weak.
Third, I made a list of all the books & study material that I needed for the exam preparation.”
Some of the books he recommended are:
| Topic |
Suggested Books for UGC NET Commerce Preparation |
| Paper 1 |
Trueman and Arihant Publishers |
| Macroeconomics |
Sundaram & Dutt |
| Management |
CB Gupta |
| Marketing |
Sherleker |
| HRM |
CB Mamoria |
| International Business |
Aswathappa |
Note: For Statistics, you can follow any textbook prescribed at the graduation level.
In how many attempts you cracked the NET Exam and how much time does it take?
“I cleared 2012 NET-LS in Management, in my first attempt. The next year (2013), I cleared NET-LS and UGC NET JRF in Commerce also in the first attempt. I am of the view that if you study in a planned manner with the best resources, the NET exam could be cracked in a single attempt.”
And to this, he added, “I joined the Ph.D. program in Tezpur University, under JRF scheme, in January 2014. In January 2016, after working for two years as a JRF, I was upgraded to Senior Research Fellowship (SRF).”
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How was your life before cracking the UGC NET Exam and how it is now?
On asking this question, he shared “Life was easier back then. I was under the impression that clearing NET guarantees you a permanent faculty position.
Since I had cleared UGC NET Commerce during my Masters, I used to be very carefree. It was only when I completed my master’s and joined PhD that I realized how wrong I was.”
And then he said, “Clearing NET merely makes you eligible for teaching positions. Getting contractual/ ad-hoc positions is easy but to become a permanent faculty member, you need to have much more, like:
A research degree (M.Phil./ PhD).
Decent number of publications in reputed UGC NET Approved Journals.
Teaching experience.
Currently, I am working towards that.”
Is Coaching Mandatory to Crack the UGC NET Exam Commerce?
Mr. Sandeep said that “Many candidates prefer Coaching for UGC NET, but I advise self-study and there is a reason for that.
First, the difficulty level of this exam is moderate. There is a well-defined syllabus and the question pattern is known. There is no negative marking, no limit on the age of the candidates and no maximum number of attempts you can take.
These conditions are favorable enough for candidates to study on their own.
Moreover, all questions asked are from subjects that you have studied at the undergrad and postgrad level. So, there is a sense of familiarity.”
At present, where are you working and what is the Work Culture over there?
To answer this question Sandeep said, “Currently, I am pursuing my Ph.D. in Marketing from Tezpur Central University, Assam. The university was established in 1994. In the past two decades, it has garnered a lot of acclaim. Last year, the university bagged a hat-trick of awards –
‘A’ grade by University Grant Commission (UGC)
NIRF Ranking of 5 among all universities
Visitor’s Best University Award
Recently, the Times World Higher University Rankings put Tezpur University on the 34th place in the top 200 universities of the world in last 50 years.”
Note: If you are preparing for the upcoming UGC NET session, we recommend you to watch the UGC NET Preparation webinar by Expert Ms. Mahak Mahajan.
CLICK HERE to watch now.
In this interview, you have walked you through Mr. Sandeep Singh's journey of 'Achieving UGC NET Qualification in First Attempt.' Now you can implement those techniques and boost your exam preparation. Also, if you have any queries regarding the exam, then share them through the comment box below.
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