UGC NET Questions (Paper – 1)

Statements A and B correctly describe the multiplication and addition rules of counting, and D is true because many questions can be answered directly by reasoning about choices without naming permutations or combinations explicitly. Statement C is false since the multiplication rule in its simplest form assumes independence or appropriately defined conditional paths, and it cannot be applied blindly when choices are dependent. Statement E is false because counting principles are explicitly part of NET Unit 5. Thus, the combination A, B and D only is correct.

Option A:
Option A is correct as it includes the key rules and the note that problems can sometimes be solved without formal notation, while excluding C and E, which misrepresent the applicability of the multiplication rule and the syllabus.

Option B:
Option B is incomplete because it omits D, thereby failing to acknowledge that intuitive counting can sometimes bypass formal permutation or combination formulas in exam settings. Without D, the practical approach is not highlighted.

Option C:
Option C is wrong because it includes C, which incorrectly asserts that the multiplication rule applies regardless of dependence, and omits A, leaving out the fundamental statement of the rule itself.

Option D:
Option D is incorrect since it accepts C and thus endorses an overgeneralisation of the multiplication rule, even though A and D are true. The presence of C makes the overall combination logically unsound.