“Which college should I study in?”
“Am I eligible to study in the preferred college?”
“How do I get admission? Is it on merit or is there an entrance exam?”
These were the questions that I had faced after my 12th grade exams, and these are the questions that I’m facing again while trying to figure out which college I should go to for my MA in Psychology. What is the eligibility criteria and is there any entrance exam or not?
To begin with, for graduation with a Bachelor of Arts degree (BA), most of the esteemed institutions such as Delhi University (DU), SPPU, Xavier’s, Symbiosis College of Arts and Commerce, Fergusson College, etc., give admission on merit basis. Now, it might appear to be a relief from entrance exam preparation, but the cut off to get into these prestigious institutions is extremely high. For example, DU is popularly known for its 100% cut off.
These institutions set a benchmark everywhere, hence their cut off is set higher every year and it is quite challenging to get in, added to which is the low number of seats which is why every year only 2 merit lists roll out from these colleges, and a 3rd one might roll out in a rare case. In fact, it was quite challenging for me to get into Fergusson College even with a score of 97% in my 12th board exams. This doesn’t mean that it is impossible to get into these universities, but you must work hard to make sure that you meet the cut off in order to go to your dream college.
On the other hand, institutions have their personalized entrance exams for undergraduate courses, such as:
BHU UET: an entrance exam for students who choose to pursue an undergraduate degree at Banaras Hindu University. To appear for the exam, candidates must have completed a 10+2 or similar test with a minimum aggregate score of 50%.
CUET: Christ University has its own entrance exam i.e., CUET, which is an MCQ based aptitude test, which not only judges you on your knowledge about psychology but also on current affairs, general knowledge, logical reasoning, and English, and it has negative marking as well.
CUET UG: Common University Entrance Test is a collaborative entrance test which is a gateway to the central universities of many states such as Central University of Gujarat, Haryana, Rajasthan, Kerala, Karnataka, etc., and the eligibility criteria to appear for the exam is passing grade 12 from a recognized institution and scoring a minimum of 50%.
The exams are quite competitive and the highest score of these entrance exams varies from one university to another, hence the cut off is different too. The latest update in the admission process is that NTA will conduct CUET UG from 2023 for admission in the BA programme for DU, JNU and BHU, and various other institutions may also be a part of this.
The bottom line is that if you choose a highly esteemed university, you’ll either have to score really well in your 12th board exams for colleges where the admission is given on the basis of your merit or you will have to score really well in the entrance exam for universities where entrance exams are applicable.
As I said earlier, I’m facing the same questions all over again to get through the admission process for the MA programme. So now let’s talk about the Masters of Arts (MA) in Psychology programme and where and how to apply.
All the prestigious universities conduct their admission process through an entrance exam, and some of them also take interviews after the entrance exam.
TISSNET- TISSNET (Tata Institute of Social Sciences National Entrance Test) is a gateway exam to over 55 courses provided by the NAAC Grade A university. There are two Stages – Stage I and Stage II. Stage I requires the candidate to undertake the TISSNET exam. If you clear the first stage, you will proceed for Stage II. Stage II consists of Personal Assessment (PA) in which you have to go through the Extempore Round and Personal Interview Round.
CUET: (Christ University Entrance Test) To get admission in the PG programme offered by Christ University, the candidate must appear for CUET. If you clear the entrance test, you will go through the Micro Presentation (MP), Skill Assessment (SA), Personal Interview (PI), and Group Discussion (GD) rounds for the further selection process. Candidates are then shortlisted for admission on the basis of their combined scores in CUET and MP & PI or SA conducted by the university.
DUET- Delhi University Entrance Test (DUET) is conducted by Delhi University to provide admission to aspirants in PG, MPhil, and Ph.D. programs.
BHU PET- This Banaras Hindu University Examination. Candidates must pass their graduation with a minimum of 50% marks.
But from 2023, candidates who want to pursue the UG programs offered by Delhi University, BHU and Ambedkar University and various other colleges will be required to appear in CUET PG.
CUET PG: First of all, to clear the doubt about the difference between CUCET and CUET, they are the same exam, the National Testing Agency (NTA) has changed CUCET to CUET. The CUET PG is a common entrance exam that is conducted for PG programmes which acts as a common platform for admission to over 42 participating universities. The application process starts from May to July, and has an elaborate syllabus.
Fergusson College: The PG programme at Fergusson College is highly accredited and to study psychology in the university, you must appear for an entrance exam and if you are shortlisted you will be called for a round of Group Discussion, Personal Interview and Counseling interview.
NFSU: The National Forensic Science University offers a great PG programme of Forensic Psychology and to get admission for the same the candidate must fill out the application form, appear for the entrance exam and be prepared for the counseling session. For updates, it is important to keep a check on the University’s website.
Other universities such as SPPU, Symbiosis College, Manipal University, etc. also have their uniquely set entrance exams for the PG programme, but their entrance exam’s schedule, syllabus and eligibility criteria changes every year so accurate and updated information can be found on the university’s official website only.
Even so, it is very important for a candidate to start preparing for the exams well in advance and stay updated about the upcoming changes in the exam pattern. So, work hard, stay dedicated and best of luck to all the students and I hope you all get admission into the UG or PG programme that you are pursuing.
Muskan Santwani
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