National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET-UG) PREPARATION

The National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET-UG) is a competitive exam conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) for aspirants seeking admission to undergraduate MBBS and BDS courses all over India. Every year more and more candidates apply for NEET Exam to pursue a career in medical science.

Before preparing for any competitive exam candidates should be aware of the basic details of the examination. Here are some NEET Exam details that can help aspirants to prepare for the examination.

  Age criteria

For State Quota Seats and All India Quota Seats, the minimum age for aspirants to apply for NEET UG is 17 years. The upper age limit is 25 years. For ST, SC and OBC there is 5 years of relaxation.

  Educational Qualification

Candidates should pass in Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and English separately. 50% aggregate in Biology, Physics, and Biology is a must for general category students.

  Subjects and Pattern

NEET UG Exam is mainly based on 3 subjects – Chemistry, Physics, and Biology (Botany & Zoology). There are total 180 MCQs, with a time duration of 3 hours. For every correct answer, candidates are awarded 4 marks and 1 mark is deducted for every wrong answer.

When it comes to medical aspirants in the country, the first hurdle to accomplish is NEET UG. It is one of the toughest exams in the country. For admission into medical colleges, this is the only entrance exam conducted, so a huge number of candidates appear for NEET Exam. The exam not only requires just hard work but also the right technique to clear it.  Though it may seem difficult with a proper preparation plan it is a lot easier to crack this examination. The following NEET preparation tips can help aspirants to prepare for the exam in a better way.

Know the syllabus

The very first thing that aspirants should know is the complete information about the official NEET syllabus. They can compare the NEET syllabus with their board exam syllabus. It is beneficial because if there are common chapter candidates will not have to prepare for them separately. This can give extra time to prepare for the topics that are not covered in the syllabus.

Important topics to focus for NEET 2018

• Physics – Optics, Mechanics, Nuclear Physics, Thermodynamics
• Chemistry – General Organic Chemistry, Mole Concept, Periodic Table, Coordination Chemistry, Chemical Bonding.
• Biology – Genetics, Ecology & Environment, Cell Biology, Morphology, Basics of Biotechnology, Reproduction, Physiology of Animals & Plants.

Good study material

The most important element to prepare for any exam is good study materials. Following the right NEET study material is very important for preparing for the examination. NCERT are the best NEET books to prepare for the exam. Aspirants can consult NEET teachers and toppers or read their interviews and check which books they referred. But reading NEET toppers interview, candidates can also get an idea about their strategy and NEET preparation style. Here are some NEET Preparation books which aspirants can follow while preparing for NEET 2018.

Create a study timetable

Timetable can help aspirants plan and stick to their study routine. A well-prepared timetable can allow candidates to work on their weaker sections and allot time for NEET mock test and evaluation. It will also create a sense of seriousness and discipline in a candidate’s NEET preparation. Here are some easy steps that candidates can follow to prepare a NEET time table.

• Get a calendar and a diary
• Set your priorities
• Set out long study hours
• Take care of your health
• Don’t sleep during study time
• Get enough sleep

Practice NEET sample papers and previous year’s question paper

One of the greatest challenges for any entrance exam is the time limitation. Practice is the key for all competitive exams. Candidates have to complete 180 questions with time duration of 3 hours. This means that they can dedicate only 1 minute for each question. Thus time management skill is essential for NEET Exam. Candidates should practice NEET sample papers and previous year’s question paper to improve their speed and accuracy. Solving question paper will also give them an idea about the question pattern, difficulty level of questions and question weight age in the exam. They can also analyze their weak and strong sections by solving mock papers.

Prepare notes

The best way to improve memory skills is to prepare notes while studying. Candidates should write down all the important notes in a copy or diary which can be useful for revision before the examination and save a lot of time for them. Candidates should note down the points clearly as it will help them to avoid confusion during the time of revision.

Concentrate on weaker sections

A student can be very strong in one topic and relatively weaker in another but they should not get demotivated with this. They should work harder on the sections they are weak in to strengthen them. They can take guidance from teachers and friends if they find it difficult to understand any concept. Candidates can solve NEET sample papers and previous year’s question paper to analyze their weaker section and dedicate more time on those sections. By this way, they can overcome their fear of weakness and gain a lot of confidence.

Use codes

Aspirants can use analogies to remember certain important information. Analogies help connect certain areas of the brain to others and are effective in retaining information because they connect new information to already existing information. Mnemonics can be used to remember important sections such as the periodic table in chemistry.

Take Scheduled Breaks

Candidates should avoid marathon study sessions, especially for difficult topics. While doing a challenging crossword, they may realize that if they take a break and come back to the puzzle, they will end up with a solution faster. This is because although students aren’t consciously solving it, their brain is still working in the background subconsciously. It does most of the hard work for them. Candidates should plan and take timed breaks in between study sessions to prepare for the exam in a better way.

Take care of health

A complete sleep is the best meditation. Not only a healthy sleep will revitalize a student, but it also boosts their concentration power. They should make sure they take enough breaks (scheduled and not random) and maintain a regular sleep cycle. Since an aspirant’s brain does most of the hard work here, they should give it sufficient time to recuperate. Sufficient rest can also help candidates to stay positive and continue to remain motivated.

These are some NEET preparation tips that candidates can follow to score good marks in the exam. Apart from all these preparation tips and strategies, candidates still make some mistakes while preparing that can be harmful to their results.

Here are some common mistakes that candidates should avoid during their NEET preparation.

• Not following the time table: Candidates should strictly follow the timetable they have prepared for the exam.
• Hectic schedule: Candidates should not follow a hectic schedule or study for a long period of time as it can affect their retention and develop fatigue.
• Ignoring NCERT: 70% of the questions come from NCERT textbooks, so candidates should not ignore NCERT books.
• Following too many books:  Aspirants should avoid studying from many books at a time as they can get confused and mess up their NEET preparation.
• Ignoring subjects: When it comes to competitive entrance exam like NEET UG candidates should not leave a single page of any subject from the NEET syllabus unturned.

Candidates should follow these NEET preparation tips to secure a good rank in NEET Exam. They should avoid all the mistakes which are mentioned during their NEET preparation.

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