Dear Aspirant,

CUCET is a national level exam also known as Central Universities Common Entrance test. Here are some preparation tips for CUCET 2020:

1. Following a proper time table is important. It will lead to a disciplined lifestyle and better preparation for your exam.

2. Be aware of the syllabus of the paper. This paper also has negative marking, so you have to be extra careful with the authenticity of your reading material and should be good in English, Numerical Aptitude/ Data Interpretation, Analytical Skills, Reasoning, General Aptitude and GK. The paper will consist of- General Awareness (25 questions) and your domain subject (75 questions).

3. Start early and be prepared for the exam beforehand. DO NOT RELY ON LAST MINUTE PREPARATION.

4. Revise. Don't forget to revisit each topic after it is done.

5. Go through previous year's question papers, mock papers, model papers to get the hang of it. It will not only help you increase your speed but will also help you to understand the format of question and answers and where your strengths and weaknesses lie. Also, time these tests!

You can get them here: https://university.careers360.com/articles/cucet-sample-papers

6. Since you are applying for M.A. in English, you have be thorough with texts and contexts in English Literature. Read as much as you can and increase your knowledge of the existing Canonical literature. Be thorough with all theoreticians from Plato to postmodernists. You should be clear about the time periods, reforms, movements, literary works of all kinds, important people throughout the ages in literature including Indian, American, World, Postcolonial and of course, British Literature. Do not forget dramas and essays! Know who introduced what style of writing. Here is a list of things to know:

1. History

2. Literary terms

3. Literary Genres

4. Famous authors and texts

5. Comparative literative

6. Current awareness of the subject

7. Literary trends and movements

There are no prescribed books, but these will surely help you prepare!

• A Glossary of Literary terms- M.H. Abrams, the eleventh edition
• English Grammar in Use by Raymond Murphy
• Beginning Theory: An introduction to literary and cultural theory
• Darrel Abel- American Literature, Volume 1: Colonial and Early National Writing,
• Darrel Abel American Literature, Volume 2: Literature of the Atlantic Culture, (ed)
• Recent American Literature to 1930, (ed) Heiney and Downs Lenthiel H, Volume 3
• Recent American Literature After 1930, (ed) Heiney and Downs, Lenthiel H. Volume 4
• Neil Corcoran- The Cambridge Companion to Twentieth-Century English Poetry.
• Davis, Alex, and Lee M Jenkins. The Cambridge Companion to Modernist Poetry .
• George Sampson- The Concise Cambridge History of English Literature
• John, Eileen, and Dominic McIver Lopes- Philosophy of Literature: Contemporary and Classic Readings
• Gordden, Malcom, and Michael Lapidge- The Cambridge Companion to Old English Literature
• Maxwell, Richard, and Katie Trumpener- The Cambridge Companion to Fiction in the Romantic Period
• Gayatri Chakrovorty - Spivak- The politics of Translation
• Stuart Blackburn and Vasudha Dalmia- India’s Literary History. Essays on the Nineteenth Century.
• Indian Literature, Sahithya Academy, bi-monthly journal. Vol.167, 168, 169
• Ashcroft, William D., Gareth Griffith, and Helen Tiffin- The Empire Writes Back: Theory and Practice in Post-Colonial Literatures
• Books of Edward Said
• Viswanathan, Gauri- Masks of Conquest: Literary Study and British Rule in India.
• A Companion to Comparative Literature- Ali Behdad and Dominic Thomas

Hope this helps. All the best!