UGC NET Questions (Paper – 1)

Statements A, B, C and E correctly describe the purposes and benefits of pilot studies. A pilot is indeed a small trial run, it tests feasibility of procedures, can give rough variance estimates for sample size and may suggest needed modifications to design and tools. Statement D is false because pilot findings often reveal weaknesses that must be refined rather than making further refinement unnecessary. Thus, the correct combination includes A, B, C and E and excludes D.

Option A:
Option A is incomplete as it omits E, ignoring the important function of pilot studies in revealing design and instrument issues that require revision. Without E, the adaptive value of pilot work is underrepresented.

Option B:
Option B is incorrect because it includes D, which wrongly suggests that refinement is no longer required after piloting. In practice, pilot results typically prompt revisions, so accepting D contradicts the iterative nature of research design.

Option C:
Option C is wrong because it leaves out A and includes only B, C and E, thereby failing to state explicitly that a pilot is a small-scale trial of the main procedures. This omission makes the definition of a pilot study incomplete.

Option D:
Option D is correct because it gathers all the statements that reflect the exploratory, feasibility-testing and revision-oriented functions of pilot studies. It excludes D, the statement that would block the improvement process that pilots are meant to support.