UGC NET Questions (Paper – 1)

Empathy involves understanding another person's feelings and experiences from their point of view. In the stem,the teacher listens carefully and tries to see the problem as the student sees it. This is a clear example of empathic communication.

Option A:
Empathy helps build trust and encourages students to share concerns,which supports learning and well being. These outcomes fit the teacher behaviour described.

Option B:
Dominance would stress control and authority rather than understanding.

Option C:
Censorship involves blocking messages instead of listening to them.

Option D:
Ritual refers to formal ceremonies,not personal counselling interactions.

Empathy is the ability to understand and share another person's feelings or perspective. In communication,it means viewing a situation from the other's point of view and responding sensitively. The teacher in the stem tries to understand the student's difficulty from the student's side,which clearly illustrates empathy.

Option A:
Authority refers to formal power to make decisions and does not necessarily involve understanding feelings.

Option B:
Therefore empathy is the most accurate label for the behaviour described because it reflects perspective-taking and sensitivity.

Option C:
Gatekeeping is about controlling the flow of information,not emotional support.

Option D:
Surveillance concerns monitoring behaviour,not caring responses.

Statements A, B, C and E are correct, whereas D and F are incorrect. Effective teachers listen to words and body language, show empathy, and communicate expectations assertively but respectfully. Paraphrasing students’ answers demonstrates attention and helps verify meaning. Frequent interruptions usually harm rapport, and relying only on closed questions does not promote extended student responses. Therefore the true statements are A, B, C and E.

Option A:
Option A is incorrect because it omits E, which correctly highlights the role of paraphrasing in checking understanding. Although A, B and C are accurate, leaving out E makes the description of interpersonal skills incomplete. Thus this option cannot be accepted.

Option B:
Option B is incorrect since it includes D as if it were correct. D suggests that interrupting students improves rapport, which conflicts with principles of respectful interaction. Including D with true statements produces an inconsistent combination.

Option C:
Option C is correct because it brings together A, B, C and E, capturing listening, empathy, clear expression and paraphrasing as core interpersonal skills. It properly excludes D and F, which recommend practices that discourage rich student communication. This combination fully matches the set of correct statements.

Option D:
Option D is incorrect because it omits A and includes F. A is a key statement about active listening, while F wrongly claims that closed questions are best for extended talk. Mixing a false statement with true ones and ignoring a crucial skill makes this option invalid.

Option A – empathy Effective teaching requires the ability to appreciate how students feel and think about learning situations, and this quality is known as empathy. An empathetic teacher can sense learners’ difficulties, anxieties and aspirations and respond in a supportive manner. This strengthens trust and encourages students to participate more fully in class. Therefore, the trait described in the question is most accurately termed empathy.

Option A:
Empathy involves putting oneself in the learner’s place to understand their emotional and cognitive state, and then adjusting one’s behaviour accordingly. A teacher with empathy listens carefully, notices non-verbal cues and offers help without humiliating the student. Such sensitivity promotes a positive learning climate and is consistently associated with higher teacher effectiveness, so this option correctly names the trait in the stem.

Option B:
Authoritarianism is a rigid, highly controlling style in which the teacher demands unquestioning obedience and seldom considers students’ perspectives. Although it may produce short-term order, it often damages trust and discourages genuine communication. Because it ignores learners’ feelings rather than understanding them, it does not match the sensitive responsiveness described.

Option C:
Rigidity refers to inflexibility in attitudes, expectations or methods, where the teacher is unwilling to adapt to changing learner needs. A rigid teacher may insist on fixed rules or explanations even when students are struggling. This is opposite to the responsiveness and openness implied by empathetic behaviour, so rigidity cannot be the correct trait here.

Option D:
Impulsiveness is acting suddenly without careful thought, which can lead to inconsistent or unfair responses in the classroom. An impulsive teacher may overreact to minor misbehaviour or change rules unpredictably, increasing student anxiety. Such behaviour does not reflect careful understanding of students’ feelings and therefore does not describe the quality mentioned in the question.

Empathic listening and helping a student explore solutions are core counselling behaviours—supporting personal/emotional needs beyond instruction.

Option A:
Evaluative role focuses on assessing learning, not personal problem-solving support.

Option B:
Custodial role is supervision/safety, not one-to-one exploration of personal issues.

Option C:
Administrative role concerns organisational tasks, not emotional support and guidance.

Option D:
Counselling role involves empathy, support and guiding students to consider options, matching the stem.

Statements A, B and D are correct, whereas C is incorrect. A is true because empathy allows the counsellor to understand the student’s feelings and fosters trust. B is true since maintaining confidentiality is central to ethical counselling practice. D is true as open-ended questions invite elaboration and help students articulate their concerns in depth. C is false because frequent interruptions tend to block expression and may make the student feel unheard or controlled.

Option A:
Option A is incorrect because it selects only A and B as correct and leaves out D, which is also a key counselling skill. By omitting D, the answer underestimates the importance of questioning techniques in effective counselling. Therefore A and B only is incomplete.

Option B:
Option B is correct because it combines A, B and D, recognising empathy, confidentiality and open-ended questioning as central to productive academic counselling. It appropriately excludes C, which recommends a counterproductive behaviour. Thus this option accurately captures the set of correct statements.

Option C:
Option C is incorrect because it groups B and D only and omits A, overlooking the relational power of empathy in building trust. Since A is also correct, B and D only does not fully represent effective interpersonal communication in counselling.

Option D:
Option D is incorrect because it treats all four statements as correct, including C. C contradicts counselling principles by promoting interruptions as a way to control the conversation. Mixing this with correct statements makes the combination invalid.

Statements A, B, D and E are correct, whereas C and F are incorrect. Counsellors actively listen by paraphrasing and summarising, keep information confidential within ethical limits, and use empathic responses to build trust. They also attend to non-verbal signals that reveal emotional states. Interrupting frequently or using judgemental language tends to shut down communication, so statements C and F do not reflect good counselling practice. Therefore A, B, D and E make up the correct set of statements.

Option A:
Option A is incomplete because it omits E, ignoring the importance of non-verbal observation in counselling. While A, B and D highlight listening, confidentiality and empathy, they do not capture how body language informs understanding. This omission means A, B and D only cannot be the correct answer.

Option B:
Option B is correct because it includes the four statements that match accepted counselling communication principles and excludes the two that conflict with them. It presents a coherent picture of respectful, empathic and observant practice. Consequently A, B, D and E only is the right answer.

Option C:
Option C is incorrect since it adds C, which wrongly promotes frequent interruption, to an otherwise sound group. Interruptions can break students’ flow of thought and reduce trust. Including C undermines the accuracy of the option.

Option D:
Option D is wrong because it includes F, which mistakenly claims that judgemental language encourages openness. In reality, students may feel shamed or silenced by such language. For that reason B, D, E and F only cannot be chosen as correct.