Time for a focused approach

Rajshekhar Ratrey

If you're a grade 12 student aiming to pursue MBBS or BDS, you're probably studying for long hours, gearing up for your boards as well as the NEET exam. Most boards conduct their exams during February and March, making it even more difficult to continue preparing for competitive exams. However as their syllabus is very close to that of CBSE, clear concepts during board exams preparation certainly help. 

The NEET exam is the gateway into MBBS and BDS courses in many government medical colleges across the country. It is an extremely competitive exam that has seen a constant rise in the number of applicants, from 11.5 lakh last year to 15 lakh this year. The NEET exam syllabus is vast too, and negative marking for incorrect answers makes it tricky. As you gear up for NEET 2019, to be held on May 5. Here are some preparation tips:

2-month plan for NEET 2019

• 1st month: Focus on balancing board exams with your NEET preparation
• How to revise your NEET syllabus?
• With just two months left, you don't have time to revise the entire syllabus. Go back to your short notes and flashcards to revise all important concepts.
• Some learning apps let you access their online classes for free. You can learn better with their bite-sized videos, or chapter-wise notes of important concepts and definitions.
• Many YouTube channels also conduct free live classes on and cover important topics on a daily basis. Here, not only can you revise a concept, but also interact with tutors in real time.
• Take as many subject wise tests as you can. Try solving 200 questions of a subject on days when you aren't studying for your boards.
• 2nd month: Take daily mock tests, and get your doubts resolved instantly
• Now that your board exams are over, spend three hours on taking mock test daily. This helps train your brain to concentrate for a longer period of time. 
• Attempt the mock test at the same time as your NEET exam to train your mind.
• Answer each test in a time-bound, exam-like setting. Fill in your answers on an OMR sheet so that you are accustomed to the format.
• Since NEET has negative marking for incorrect answers, focus on higher accuracy instead of answering a larger number of questions haphazardly. 
• Once you have completed the test for the day, go back and analyse all incorrect answers. Revise topics where you make repeated mistakes. This will improve your scores in the next test and ensure that you don't repeat mistakes.
• If you have any doubts, resolve them instantly. Use ed-tech apps like Toppr that let you ask your doubts on chat. You just have to click a picture of your doubt and upload it. You can then instantly chat with an expert until it's cleared even if it is the middle of the night.

When you start taking tests, you might not directly score very high. However, use various apps that help you learn better using free online classes and personalised practice questions. This will help you save time, focus your practice, and possibly improve your scores much faster than traditional coaching classes.

Why boards are important?

• Even though NEET is a very critical exam, you cannot ignore your board exams at this point. Your Class XII marks go a long way when it comes to higher education.
• You need to score a minimum of 50 per cent in your board exam to be able to qualify for NEET admissions.
• Moreover, if you chose to do a BSc course instead of pursuing MBBS or BDS, your board exam marks will be the deciding factor.

What are the key topics 

Remember, NEET gives a lot of weightage to some topics over the past few years. Here's a list:

• Physics: Mechanics, Electrodynamics, and Optics
• Chemistry: Chemical Bonding and Co-ordination Compounds, General Organic Chemistry and Carbonyl Compounds, and Chemical Kinetics & Thermochemistry
• Biology: Human physiology, Genetics and evolution, and Ecology

Understand the format

The exam has 180 questions, distributed equally between physics, chemistry, botany, and zoology. Each correct answer gets you 4 marks. Every incorrect answer will cost you -1 mark. 

— The writer is VP, Educational Content Head, Toppr