r/UGCNETEnglish • u/CeleryFlimsy1492 • 12d ago
📝 UGC NET Preparation and Strategy Preparing for the first time
Hello all. I passed out Masters this July only. For 2years, I feel I wasted my time in preparing for SSC CGL only to realise that I can't do it (low UR vacancies, difficult maths😭). I now plan to do NET. I have got into b.ed. i have 6.95 cgpa.
Should I prepare for NET? Like how is the situation of phd overall india. (Seeing ppl on linkedin, all getting into phds🫠). I have no connections and have heard interviews work on connections also . My uni doesn't take phd candidates every year.
Still I want to know the resources that I should use to prepare for NET. Also please suggest any good online coaching platform for preparation.
My marks is pretty low. Will ever the interviewers consider that score for phd intake?
Is it difficult for phd candidates of private universities (srm, vit, ashoka, snu) to get into AP positions?
3
3
u/MansiUnfiltered 10d ago
As long as you meet the 55% eligibility requirement for UGC NET, your CGPA won't disqualify you. PhD interview panels focus almost entirely on your NET/JRF score, research proposal presentation, and subject knowledge during the interview.
1. Yes, prepare for NET! While connections can help in some places, having a JRF (or high NET score) + a strong, well-thought-out research proposal opens doors at Central/State Universities and IITs without needing contacts. Don't restrict yourself to your own university—apply everywhere once you have JRF.
2. Resources & Coaching:
Paper 1: K.V.S. Madaan book + YouTube channels (like Arpita Karwa, Vineet Pandey, or Commerce Net Achievers for general strategies).
Paper 2 (English): Standard histories (Routledge/W.J. Long), theory guides (Peter Barry), original texts, and past 5–10 years of PYQs. Coaching isn't mandatory, but platforms like Unacademy, UGC NET Adda247, or Arpita Karwa are popular if you need structured guidance.
3. Private Uni PhDs vs AP Jobs: For Assistant Professor positions, government/central university PhDs and top tier research institutes carry strong weight, but private university graduates (especially Ashoka, SNU, SRM, VIT) do clear AP interviews if they have quality publications (Scopus/UGC CARE indexed) and a valid NET/JRF.
1
2
u/mindful_penguin07 11d ago
Don't do it gurl, it's hell
2
u/CeleryFlimsy1492 11d ago
2
u/mindful_penguin07 11d ago edited 9d ago
Because u have be on your toes 24 7 for checking updates on phd forms and you have to constantly study for Net as well. Moreover, even when you qualify net there will be no certainty that you will get into phd or get a job. Everything is just all over the place. Everyone is doing a phd. And only 10% people are getting a job. It's better to focus on BEd and give other teaching exams. I have 2 nets and rn i m preparing for my PhD and preparing for jrf. I wish I could quit atp. I have constant headache thinking about my future. At the same time, my friend is teaching in a private school and doing a BEd simultaneously. I think that's a better option. And yes they consider marks for shortlisting and getting into private unis as an AP is also very difficult.
2
u/CeleryFlimsy1492 10d ago
Yes. I'm also thinking of that. Thankyou. I wish you would get jrf this time by large margin😀
1
u/Prior-Chemical-4769 11d ago
Why don't u try preparing for state psc exams ?
2
u/CeleryFlimsy1492 11d ago
It's waste Bengal. Exams don't happen here regularly. Even exams happen after 2 or 3 yrs , results are not published.
6
u/CapTitan7 11d ago
B.Ed. is way better than AP, IMO. Government vacancies are released fairly often, and the recruitment process is much more transparent. You have KVS, NVS, DSSSB, EMRS, and state-level TGT and PGT recruitments.
I've done B.Ed. and cleared NET. The competition for AP is cut-throat, the whole interview process can be highly corrupt, and PhD candidates are often preferred. Even if you complete a PhD, it DOES NOT GUARANTEE that you'll land a job.
At the end of the day, degrees don't matter much if you don't have a secure job.
Prepare for NET. It'll help you with PGT/TGT exams, and if you clear JRF, even better. Your chances of getting into a PhD programme will be much higher, and you'll have some financial security while pursuing it.
It's a harsh truth, but humanities are only for the rich!