As we know that , Notification for MPSET 2024 is out click here to view the same. If you are planning to target MPSET 2024 then you are at the right place. Clearing exams like SET and UGC NET is the dream of every aspiring student of English Literature, it not only provides glorious career opportunities but also helps in resume building. The validity of MPSET score is lifetime however only within the state of MP. One can become eligible for taking MPPSC Asst. Professor exam if passed. While the syllabus of UGC NET can be a bit overwhelming for even advance learners MPSET could be a relatively moderate level exam to aim for and conquer. We are here to offer some specific and systematic preparation strategies to crack the exam.
I. CUT OFF
Before we delve into the knows and hows of it, let us see the previous year cut off for the exam.
For the unreserved category score was 188 i.e one needed to get 91 question right out of 150. Similarly, in OBC category cut off score was 164, for SC 150 and 140 for ST category.
My suggestion would be to aim a little higher this time i.e. if you’re in Gen category aim to get at least 95-100 questions right. In OBC category aim for 85-90 questions. For SC and ST I’d recommend a target score of 79-85 and 75-80 respectively.
II. Be Career Ready
Before aiming for any
competitive exam one needs to have a grasp of ones subject. Competitive exams
in English Literature are only a prerequisite to the career ahead. They are not
the whole and sole of the subject. The ultimate aim of any student by clearing
an exam like MPSET would be to establish oneself as a scholar of the subject.
For the same we need to understand what is English Literature itself and
thereafter ascertain that how does one strategize English literature, be it for
MPSET or any other competitive exam like NET or GATE.
First and foremost, as a
beginner we must realise that the subject of English literature today is
approached not within the limitations of Poetry, Drama or Fiction. It the
embodiment of all major humanities faculties such as Sociology, History,
Psychology, Philosophy and to some extent Economics as well.
We must not
compartmentalise it into Fiction, Poetry, Drama or Criticism & Theory only.
Advanced learners will vouch that any text, be it prose, poetry or drama is not
read in seclusion. A piece of literature is strongly rooted within its
socio-cultural milieu and is representative of not only the author’s psyche but
also his/her economic disposition. Hence, a holistic approach is pre requisite to
the study of English Literature.
III. Begin Early
The exam is scheduled for
15.12.2024 as per the amended exam schedule dated 28.03.2024 released by MPPSC,
click
here to view.
If you haven’t yet began,
NOW is the Right Time to start preparing. It doesn’t matter if you’re in
Graduation or Post Graduation, aim for exams like MPSET. Neither is it too late
if you’re already a Doctorate in English Literature. Cracking competitive exams
in English Literature like MPSET, NET or GATE gives one that edge over others
in the longer run.
IV. Begin with British History
As a scholar of English,
it is of utmost importance to know British Literature like the back of your
hand.
As Post graduates of
English Literature we are expected to know the history of English language and
even British history as a whole by heart. Not only that examiners have also
asked question from Greco-Roman literarure like-
Who was the husband of
Helen? Simple Ans was Melanus but many of us would not get this right since the
narratives of Greek tragedy is often
over shadowed by epics n anecdotes about the characters like- Troy, Paris, Odysseus,
Agamemnon. However, as a scholar of English we must be a little pedantic in our
approach and get our facts in order.
Hence, it is suggested
that we begin with studying Homer’s Illiad and Odessey and then glide onto
the oeuvre of Greco Roman Trinity (Aeschylus , Sophocles and Euripedes)
moving towards poets of the Second Roman Triumvirate Court (Ovid, Virgil
and Horace)
The History of English deserves
attention i.e. starting with the Anglo Saxon Age of Arthurian Legends, of Hengist and
Horsa glide towards the Old British History of Cynewulf, of
old English manuscripts (Beowulf/Elegies). End it with study of
Middle English Scholasticism (Dream allegories of Dante, Sonnets of Petrarch, Romances of
Boccaccio). As you near Chaucer and the seminal Canterbury
Tales, don’t forget to pay attention to the English Chaucerians like
John
Lydgate and the Scottish Makars like Gavin Douglas/William Dunbar.
Most students will jump
from Chaucer to the Elizabethan Age but be mindful of looking up early
renaissance authors in between like- Skelton, Thomas Wyatt and Henry Howard, one who introduced
Blank Verse in English Literature.
Moving ahead, sure
Shakespeare overshadowed his age and times but don’t let him overconsume your
study of Elizabethan Age, which is incomplete without the mention of the University Wits
and other important contemporaries like Sidney, Spenser and Puttenham.
Following the Elizabethan
Period, one can classify British Literature as follows:-
V.PYQ Analysis:-
We
can read and study all the history that there is and yet be boggled about it so
as a beginner when we are targeting a specific exam we need to know the exam
pattern as well the orientation of the examiners. Let us try to gauge that
through the previous year question paper analysis. Key to
crack MPSET lies in its Previously Asked Questions, which were:-
1. Direct
Fact Based.
2. MCQ types with a single
option as answer
(unlike the NTA NET exam
where MSQ type questions are prevalent)
Now, visualizing the previous
year paper:-
***Competition didn’t lie in easy
throw away questions, such as-
@Charles Dickens is novelist of which age? Ans-
Victorian
@Who has written Autobiography of an Unknown
Indian? Ans- Nirad C Chaudhary
@Hard Times is the novel penned by? Ans- Charles
Dickens
@Who’s the biographer of Dr. Samuel Johnson? James
Boswell
***Neither did it lie in
difficult questions on lesser known artists, such as-
@Who’s the author of Lady or the Tyger? Ans- F R
Stockton
or Questions on abstract
theoretical concepts, such as-
@Harold Bloom’s 3 stages of revision developed from
Isaac Luria are?
Ans- Representation, Tessera and Kenosis.
***Competition lied in moderate level conceptual questions such as-
@Who coined the term contrapuntal reading?
Ans- Edward Said
@What is a stereotype for Homi K Bhabha?
Ans- a form of anxious colonial knowledge
@What did Cleanth Brooks define as warping of a statement
by the context?
Ans- Irony
@What according to Kristeva is poetic discourse?
Ans- semiotic flux, openness, disruptive and
subversive practices.
@ ________is to Britain, what ______is to America.
Ans- Cultural Materialism, New Historicism
@What does Derrida mean by difference?
Ans- Both difference and deferment.
@ Who gave notion of Habitus?
Ans- Pierre Bourdieu
As is evident a lot of focus was upon literary theory and criticism. 20th
century movements were oriented by the examiners. It is suggested to study the
following literary movements in detail:-
There were no chronology based questions however there were 7-8 questions on quotations. Quotes from canonical authors like Shakespeare, Milton, Addison, Dryden. Such questions can only be answered through Extensive readings. It is suggested that one expands their literary horizons by going through prescribes texts of major authors.
Total there were 48 questions from mainstream British with direct questions on works of major writers like Milton, Shakespeare, Marlow, Fielding, Dickens, Coleridge, Wordsworth, Lamb, Goldsmith, Jonson, Dryden, Arnold and such.
There was fair share of Indian Literature, 14 questions to be exact. Contemporary authors Arun Joshi, Abdul Kalam, Kamala Markandya, Dom Moreas, Ved Mehta were asked from. Apart from this, works of canonical Indian authors like Toru Dutt, RK Narayan, Mulk Raj Anand, Amitav Ghosh, Mahesh Dattani, Girish Karnad were also part of the MPSET paper.
There were questions from linguistics as well. Concept of Communicative and Chomsky’s Linguistic Competence. Vygotsky’s ZPD, Kachru’s Concentric Circles. Some questions from syntax, morphology etc.
VI. Be MPSET Exam Ready-
Those who have a keen interest in reading know that studying English Literature can be a distracting task in itself, Yes!!! While studying a particular Age or Chapter we tend to digress into the themes or further references which interest us. That would be the end goal as a scholar to peel the layers of a text. However, it a time taking process of research and as a beginner we might not afford to spend too much time on a particular author or Age or Theory since there’s a plethora of syllabus to cover. Hence, managing time is the key to clearing MPSET 2024.
“We all have time, all we have to do is decide what to do with it” – JRR Tolkien
Time should be managed in such a manner that studies are prioritized and the most productive hours of one’s day are devoted to studies.
Depending upon whether one is a student, a part time scholar, a housewife or a working professional, weekly 25-30 hours should be devoted to studies in an exam oriented pattern over a period of 4-6 months. However, need of study in man hours is very subjective that also relies on whether one is a beginner or an advanced learner.
Weak topics, lesser studied topics should be perfected over a period of time, if one is targeting a competitive exam.
As per the PYQ Analysis, it is recommended that 50-55% of study time is devoted in perfecting the British Literature portion.
Criticism & Theory is imperative in clearing any competitive exam in
English Literature especially MPSET, hence 20-25 prcnt of one’s study time
should be devoted to it, even more if possible. As an advanced research scholar
of English we should be updated in contemporary Literary Theory so that we know
quite a few lenses through which works of fiction can be gauged, assessed and
analysed. To develop that critical lens as a learner one should try and
comprehend literary criticism right from the Plato’s Ion to
Bourdieu’s Distinction.
VII. Reading Suggestions:-
Now
that we know what to read, lets address from where to read. The books and study
material that I personally referred to is as follows:-
1.
English Literature by
William J Long
2.
World Literature in your
Fist by Prem Shankar Pandey
3.
Routledge History of English
Literature
4.
Beginning Theory: An
Introduction by Peter Bary
5.
Glossary of Literary
Terms by MH Abrams
6.
History of Literary
Criticism by MAR Habib
VIII. Why
MyProfessorNotes?
u Qualified Faculty
u More than 3 years of Exp.
u Comprehensive Course
u Live Classes 5 days/week
u Access to Recorded Sessions
u PYQ sessions
u Special Doubt Sessions
u 24*7 Support
u WhatsApp & Telegram community
u Focus on syllabi prevalent in the
state of MP
u Focus on Literary Criticism & Theory
u Crisp Exam Oriented Material
u Notes in convenient PDF files\
u Mentorship & Career Counselling
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