UGC NET Questions (Paper – 1)

Statements A, B and D express central features and functions of research hypotheses. Statement A is true because a hypothesis is a tentative, testable answer to a research problem. Statement B correctly points out that a good hypothesis should be clear, specific and testable, and statement D rightly notes that hypotheses help shape the research design and data collection procedures. Statements C and E are false: C wrongly suggests that a single study always proves a hypothesis true, and E incorrectly claims that all qualitative exploratory studies must have formal hypotheses.

Option A:
Option A contains two correct statements about the nature and characteristics of hypotheses but omits statement D. Since D is also true and essential for understanding how hypotheses guide design and data collection, this option is incomplete. Therefore it cannot be the correct answer.

Option B:
Option B includes statements B and D but leaves out A. Although B and D are accurate, ignoring A fails to acknowledge the basic definition of a hypothesis as a tentative, testable answer. Because a correct combination must reflect all the true statements, Option B is inadequate.

Option C:
Option C correctly groups A, B and D, which together summarise what a research hypothesis is and what it does in a study. It excludes statement C, which overstates the conclusiveness of a single study, and statement E, which incorrectly generalises about qualitative research. As it contains all and only the true statements, this option is the correct answer.

Option D:
Option D adds statement E to the otherwise correct combination of A, B and D. However, E is false because many qualitative exploratory studies proceed with flexible questions or sensitising concepts rather than formal hypotheses. Including a false statement makes the entire combination incorrect.