How do I prepare for the JNU entrance exam for an MA in history?
Preparing for the JNU entrance exam for an MA in History requires a comprehensive and well-planned approach. Here are some steps that can help you prepare effectively:
- Know the syllabus: The first step is to go through the syllabus of the JNU entrance exam for MA History. This will give you an idea about the topics that you need to cover and the weightage of each topic.
- Gather study material: Gather all the relevant study materials such as textbooks, reference books, and other resources like previous years' question papers, online materials, and notes.
- Make a study plan: Plan your study schedule, set achievable targets and deadlines, and allocate sufficient time for each topic. It is important to balance your time between different topics and sections to ensure that you cover all the topics in the syllabus.
- Focus on key concepts: Focus on understanding the key concepts and themes in history. Also, focus on the analytical and interpretative skills required for studying history.
- Practice writing: Practice writing essays and short answers on various historical topics. This will help you to improve your writing skills and also to understand how to structure your answers.
- Take mock tests: Taking mock tests and solving previous years' question papers is crucial to test your knowledge and assess your preparation level. This will also help you to identify your weak areas and work on them.
- Revision: Revision is key to retaining the information that you have studied. Revise the important topics regularly and make sure that you are well-prepared for the exam day.
In addition to the above steps, it is important to stay updated with current events and happenings related to history, both in India and the world. This will help you to gain a broader perspective and a deeper understanding of the subject.
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JNU entrance examination for History is divided into two parts.
Part 1 - Comprehension:
For the comprehension section, you will be given a passage. There will be questions based on the passage. There is no definite way to prepare for this section. The passages given are random. However, you can practice from comprehension passages available at bookstores.
Part 2:
Part 2 will have 12-15 questions, out of which, you will need to answer any 3. The questions are based on History but are very broad in general. In the past popular questions were from Sufism, the Bhakti movement, ideas of gender in ancient India, etc.
It’s tough to cover such a broad range of topics. Here are some of the reference books that may be of help.
- A History of India by Romila Thapar is great for the basics of Ancient India.
- Upinder Singh’s Text on Ancient India is also good.
- Satish Chandra - A History of Medieval India and his volume of collected essays are great for medieval India.
- From Plassey to Partition by Sekhar Bandyopadhyay covers modern India.
- The Mughal Empire by J.F. Richards covers Mughal pretty well.
- Cambridge Economic History of India is great for economic history questions.
The questions asked are mostly from History but there will also be some general questions. JNU papers are quite unpredictable. If you go through the previous year’s questions, you will see how erratic the questions can be. But with a cool head and strategic time management, you can definitely do well in the examination. You don’t need to write overtly long answers. All you need to do is show them that you know your stuff. That’s what your answers should represent.
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