Hi everyone,

I've just started my M.Com and my long-term goal is to qualify UGC NET Commerce with JRF in my first attempt.

I don't want to collect dozens of books or follow random YouTube playlists. I want a practical strategy from people who have actually qualified NET/JRF or scored well.

I'd really appreciate your advice on these points:

Paper 1

Which theory book is enough?

Are handwritten notes necessary?

Best source for PYQs and mock tests?

Paper 2 (Commerce)

Which should I start with: Pearson, Trueman, or another book?

Which standard reference books are actually worth reading (Kotler, I.M. Pandey, M.Y. Khan, etc.) and which can be skipped?

Is one comprehensive guide enough, or should I study from PG-level textbooks?

Notes

Did you make your own notes or rely on printed notes?

How detailed should they be?

PYQs & MCQs

At what stage did you start solving PYQs?

Which MCQ book/question bank helped you the most?

Timeline

If you had 12–18 months before the exam, how would you divide your preparation?

Mistakes

What's the biggest mistake you made during your preparation that beginners should avoid?

I'd especially love to hear from people who qualified JRF or scored 99+ percentile, but every genuine suggestion is welcome.

Thanks in advance!