If you like teaching and learning and are interested in research then taking up the career as a Lecturer or a professor in a college or a university is the best option. Here you get highest possible respect as well as a handsome remuneration. A professor’s salary has become equivalent to a senior IAS officer after the application of 6th pay commission’s recommendations. Apart from a good degree you also need to clear UGC’s NET/JRF exam to become eligible for lectureship.

Qualification:

General category candidates should have a post graduate degree with minimum 55 percent marks in the concerned subject in which he/she wants to appear for the NET/JRF. The SC/ST and handicapped persons should have scored minimum 50 percent marks at the PG level.There is no age limit for lectureship but for JRF it is 28 years for general category candidates and 33 years foe the reserved category candidates..

Examination:

Format

The test is conducted in two stages consisting of three question papers of total 350 marks. First question paper is of general level which tests the teaching and research capabilities of the candidates. Questions relate to reasoning ability, comprehension and general awareness. This paper is compulsory for all. It is of 75 minute duration and 100 marks. Second paper is based on the candidate’s subject in post graduation. It consists of 50 objective questions. Its duration is also 75 minutes and consists of 100 marks. Third question paper is also based on concerned subject and consists of 75 objective questions. Its duration is two and a half hours and is of 150 marks. And the final list of successful candidates is prepared on the basis of marks scored in all the papers.

Syllabus:

First paper consists of the questions about classification of relationship, analysis of intellectual capability, evaluation, logical structure and understanding of incoming-outgoing logic, chain of numerals etc.. The candidates are also supposed to be well acquainted with sources of information and the knowledge. Questions based on a piece of prose, environment pollution, formal and distance education under the higher education system, vocational, technical and general education, meaning of research, specialties, types, achievements, methods of research are also asked.

Second paper consists of subject related objective type 50 questions. It is compulsory for the candidates from general category and other backward castes to score minimum 40 percent in first and second paper individually and at least 50 percent jointly whereas for SC/ST and disabled category candidates it is compulsory to score 35 percent marks in first and second paper individually.

Third paper consists of subject related objective type 75 questions. Most important factor is the system of evaluation: it is compulsory for the candidates from general category and other backward castes to score minimum 50 percent in third paper and whereas for SC/ST and disabled category candidates it is compulsory to score 40 percent marks. 

Strategy:

Accurate planning is necessary to achieve success in an examination. It is also necessary to clearly understand the syllabus and the trend of questions asked in the previous UGC NET/JRF tests. It helps in the preparations. First paper’s preparation should be done with the help of a suitable guide or other reliable sources. Extensive practice to solve questions also helps. Most of the candidates do not devote enough time to prepare for the first paper because its numbers are not added to the merit list. This strategy can prove counter-productive because even if the candidate fails to score requisite marks in the first paper then the candidate’s knowledge about his/her subject and its appropriate presentation shall become useless. So it is better to do serious preparation for the first paper. Second and third papers are related to PG subject. So their preparation should be based on the study of authentic books and also the question papers of last ten years. It helps in understanding the trend that which is the area from where most of the questions are asked. It is advisable to prepare concise notes for the subject based papers and revise them again and again for good preparation.