NEET and clean tips

Only two months are left for NEET exam that is tough with a vast syllabus, tricky questions and negative marking. Rajshekhar Ratrey shares tips on how one can get that perfect score

This year, over 15 lakh aspiring students have registered for the NEET 2019 exam, which will be held on the May 5, 2019. This is a record-breaking number and almost 2 lakh more than last year itself.

At present, the Government and private colleges in most States choose their MBBS and BDS candidates based on NEET score. The exam is an extremely tough exam with its vast syllabus, tricky questions, and negative marking scheme for incorrect answers.

In spite of this, the number of applicants has constantly been on the rise. Why the sudden jump in the number of applicants? There are two reasons for this 14 per cent rise in applicants.

Hours before the application deadline for the exam closed, the Supreme Court announced that students above 25 years of age are eligible to take the exam. To help these students complete their application forms.

The second reason is, that NEET is now a mandatory exam for all students who want to pursue their MBBS and BDS courses abroad.

With this sudden rise in applicants, the number of students competing for a single rank has also increased. This means, that students will have to learn better, aim higher, and attempt as many questions as they can while maintaining a high percentage of accuracy. Practice is the key to a high score. s a NEET aspirant, you only have two months before your final exam. Spend as much time practising as you can.

• Prioritise the chapters that you practice based on the weightage that exam authorities have given in the past.
• Download an app that gives you adaptive practice. In simpler words, these apps create unique learning paths for every student depending on their unique needs. If your basics are weak, it will create questions that build your fundamentals. As you improve, it will keep raising the level of questions until you ace the tricky ones.
• Take a mock test every day for at least a month.
• In the last month before your exam, you should start taking mock tests at the same time of the day as your final exam.
• Ensure that you take it in a time-bound, exam like environment
• Develop answer strategies - Which subject will you attempt first? What is the most amount of time that you should spend answering a question?
• Keep evaluating your incorrect answers. Make a note of concepts that you keep getting wrong. Moreover, categorise your incorrect answers.
• Did you start solving it correctly and then get confused?
• Did you have no idea how to solve the question?

This will help you prioritise your revision. Since NEET has negative marking, accuracy is as important as volume.

• Make short notes and flashcards of formulae, diagrams, and other concepts that you keep getting wrong. Have a look at these during your last minute revision.
• Ensure that you understand the concepts instead of rote learning them. There's no room for doubts!
• Clarify your doubts immediately.
• When you just have about 60 days left before an extremely critical exam, you cannot wait for your teachers to free up time so that you can clarify your doubts.
• Get your doubts solved immediately, or else you will keep repeating the same mistakes in every mock test that you take.
• You can download a doubts on chat app to clarify your doubts instantly, 24X7.
• Here, you can chat with experts at any time of the day or night and they will answer your questions.
• Keep your mind calm, stay focused, and give it your best shot.

The writer is VP, Educational Content Head, Toppr