PREPARATION GUIDE 1
POSTGRADUATION ENTRANCE/ GATE/
UGC NET JRF PREPARATION
A Preparation Guide by
KRISHNA MEHRA
M.A. Psychology (Clinical)
University of Delhi
चाकी चाकी सब कहे, कीली कहे ना कोय I
जो कीली से लाग रहे वाको बाल ना बांका होय II
- कबीर
For any questions or queries contact me at krishnamehra1331@[Link] or via LinkedIn
PREPARATION GUIDE 2
As UGC NET JRF June 2023 cycle is around the corner and a lot of you have asked
me about UGC NET JRF Preparation and many other Psychology entrance exams. Here is
my strategy (advice) and list of books or other resources which I have used so far to clear
some of the entrances. (UGC NET, GATE, DUET, BHU-PET, Christ University Entrance
Test, CUCET, Ambedkar University Delhi, NFSU Entrance Test, etc.)
1. Familiarise yourself with the exam – read and re-read the syllabus if provided by
the university or organizing committee, it helps to give the direction of preparation by
telling which areas to focus on and utilize time.
a. Look through previous year’s papers – if available then try to look through
what has been asked in the previous years so that you can get an idea of what
to prepare, it provides a template to function.
2. Get a baseline- assess yourself before starting the preparation to know the current
level of your preparation, and what all you know and don’t know. It will help you
with realistic goal setting and being grounded in your understanding of the subject
under study. It will also help you to trace the progress (increment in marks in further
assessment).
Figure 1 – Record of marks scored in the attempts
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PREPARATION GUIDE 3
3. Make a study plan or Schedule – divide areas related to exams and make a rough
routine so that you don’t get lost during the preparation. As humans we are not robots
to follow a plan so don’t get disheartened if you are unable to reach your daily or
weekly goals it’s a journey and you never know how it gets translated into the results.
The areas typically involve UGC NET JRF Psychology Syllabus, as it contains almost
every area so divide time accordingly.
4. Decide your study material – don’t read multiple textbooks for a single topic rather
stick to limited resources. It will help you to stay focused and will not let you wander
here and there for the material. Some coaching institutes also provide their material
for such entrances as UPS EDUCATION, POWERWITHIN, ETC.
5. MY BOOKLIST (One can refer to other books/resources)
Paper 1 – KVS Madan Book
Psychology By Saundra Ciccarelli or/and Introduction to Psychology by
Morgan and King
Unit 1 - Refer to references section of University of Delhi, M.A. Psychology
syllabus of paper “A Conceptual History of Psychology” mentioned in First
Semester -
[Link]
LABUS_MA%20PSYCHOLOGY_20.[Link]
Tests, Measurements, and Research Methods in Behavioral Sciences by A.K.
Singh
Research Methodology by Kothari
Statistical reasoning in the behavioral sciences by Minium and King
Statistics in Psychology and Education by S.K. Mangal
Psychological Testing (Any basic book like Anastasi, Gregory, Kaplan)
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PREPARATION GUIDE 4
Foundation of Physiological Psychology by Carlson
Cognitive Psychology (Smith and Kosslyn)
Social Psychology by Baron
Abnormal Psychology by Butcher
Child Development by Laura E Berk
Theories of Psychotherapy and Counselling: Concepts and Cases by Sharf OR
Theory and Practice of Counselling and Psychotherapy by Corey
Theories of Personality by Schultz and Schultz
For some topics or areas, refer to different research papers or online resources/
coaching material.
You don’t have to read the entire text but whatever is related to your syllabus plus has
been asked previously and for this reason, previous year’s papers are useful it helps to filter
out the content. Apart from this, some internet resources might be useful, which can save
time and provide rich information. For the June 2023 attempt, it would not be advisable to go
for the standard textbooks mentioned above, but one can go for a reading of Ciccarelli or
Morgan which will prepare basic areas of psychology.
6. Practice! Practice! Practice!
a. Practice as many papers as you can it will make you stay closer to the agenda
of solving MCQs and will also familiarise you with newer terms
b. One can maintain a personal glossary where terms and their meaning can be
noted down, helping you revise them in one place.
c. Some of the resources for practicing previous year’s papers
i. UGC NET Previous Year papers
ii. SET (State eligibility test) Papers
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PREPARATION GUIDE 5
1. [Link]
2. [Link]
3. [Link]
4. [Link]
iii. GRE Question Paper
iv. Some other online quiz sites
v. Learning Portals of several Coaching Institutes
d. Keep a record of your marks and check your progress it will increase
confidence and will serve the purpose of feedback.
NOTE
All the very best for this journey, it’s not an easy process, there are many ups and
downs, and it’s okay to go through it all because when you get the result, then all the pain
seems worth it. Preparing and sitting for entrances is not an easy task, it takes a toll on
your mental health, I am not here romanticizing the pain and struggle but the so-called
COMPETITION makes it more complicated. We as a community of Psychology students
understand this concern and we should help others struggling in the process, correct
guidance and mentorship can solve many problems and we should be willing to offer that
whenever feasible.
For any questions or queries contact me at krishnamehra1331@[Link] or via LinkedIn