MUMBAI: The UGC National Eligibility Test (NET)— which will be computer-based, starting this year— has created confusion among city aspirants as the entire process starting from registration has been upgraded and changed.
The exam is conducted at the college and university level for junior research fellowship and aspiring teachers/professors.
Rakhi Dixit, an aspirant said, “I got the news two days ago that the registration has started and I was clueless about how I was going to do it. This is my second attempt and last year, I did it on the CBSE website but now, I have heard it has changed to National Testing Agency (NTA). It was announced all of a sudden and now, I have too many things to do all at once.”
Students appearing for the exam for the second or third time will suffer as they were used to giving the exam physically till last year. Another student said, “This is my third attempt and all this, while I went to centres and gave exams physically. Now I’m a little scared as it will be online. My worry is with paper one as it is practical and has problem-solving questions that take extra time.” This year onward, NTA will conduct the exam and instead of three papers, there will be only two. Paper one will carry 100 marks and contain 50 objective-type compulsory questions. Each question will carry two marks.
Registrations invited twice a year
NET will be conducted twice a year— once between December 9 and 23, 2018, and the second time in July, 2019. To register, candidates should visit ntanet.nic.in and click on the result link, which will take them to a new window where aspirants can register their email id, password and click on submit. The print can be saved for future reference. General category candidates have to submit an application fee of Rs 800 while reserved category candidates (OBC) have to pay Rs 400. SC/ST/PwD/transgender candidates have to pay Rs 200. Candidates need to obtain at least 55 per cent in their Masters’ degree or equivalent exam from a recognised university or institution. A relaxation of 5 per cent will be provided to OBCs, SCs, STs, PwDs, transgender candidates who have scored at least 50 per cent marks.
