The NEET is a three-hour long exam which includes three sections – Physics, Chemistry and Biology.
The National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET-UG) is one of the most pivotal national level entrance exams. It 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, lakhs of candidates apply for NEET to pursue a career in medical science. This year, it will be conducted on May 5, with an estimated 12 lakh candidates appearing for it across 2300 exam centres.
About NEET
The NEET is a three-hour long exam which includes three sections – Physics, Chemistry and Biology.
Of the total 180 questions, 90 would be from biology and 45 each from physics and chemistry. Preparation syllabus includes the whole of class 11 and 12 standard NCERT textbooks in the respective subjects. Every correct answer would fetch you plus four marks and every incorrect answer results in a negative mark. Questions that are not attempted do not have any penalty marks. So, choose your battles wisely, if you do not know a question for sure, do not mark it.
To prepare for NEET, it is not enough to study and solve problems in physics, chemistry and biology only. To earn a seat in the coveted medical colleges, you will have to build a strong strategic preparation plan. To help you prepare better, here are a few smart hacks:
Solve previous year papers
The best step at the moment would be to solve question papers of the past few years. No competitive exam preparation is complete without solving past papers. Past papers often act as a good indication of popular topics and question patterns. It would be best to start by practicing the latest paper first, and going backward (attempt 2017 paper first, followed by 2016, 2015 and so on). This is because, the NEET/AIPMT (as previously called) patterns have been changing over the years, and the last five years’ papers will give a good understanding of what to expect.
Work out your own ‘Study Strategy’
Based on your understanding of the previous years’ papers, you will be able to figure out the chapters/units that tend to be more commonly asked across all subjects. Make a note of these and keep revising them. Make sure you get your NCERT basics right, especially for those topics. For instance, genetics and evolution is one of the most important units for NEET from the point of view of biology. Topics of similar importance in physics would be kinematics, electricity and magnetism and in chemistry, it would be chemical bonding, coordination chemistry and general organic chemistry. If you are thoroughly prepared for such chapters, you stand a chance to score higher. Formulate a strategic study plan which will allow you to complete the syllabus on time leaving you with sufficient time for revision as well.
Quick tips for biology
Remember that there would 90 questions in biology, twice of physics and chemistry. While answering questions in biology, your approach would be either one of the listed below categories-
You know the answer for sure – Great! You have added four marks to your kitty!
You are totally blank – leave it unattempted. Why would you want to take a chance with a one in four-probability (25 per cent chance) of getting it right? A single negative mark can put you down by a few hundred ranks.
You know something about the answer but aren’t sure – This can be a very common scenario during a biology multiple choice exam. In such a case, read the question VERY clearly, and start with eliminating the most unlikely option among the four, and keep doing this until you are left with one. However, if you are unable to decide between two options, for instance, it means that you now have a one in two-probability (50 per cent chance) of getting it right. Either take a call based on your judgment or in an ideal scenario, do not attempt it as the risk is just not worth it.
Quick tips for chemistry and physics
Make sure you target the usual suspects first – atomic structure and thermodynamics.
Why these topics?
Atomic structure was a topic covered in class 11 chemistry and is repeated as atoms and nuclei chapter at the end of class 12 in physics. Thermodynamics is another topic that is covered under both chemistry and physics but in a slightly different way. Be very careful about sign convention of work. The convention used in chemistry is the opposite of that in physics. A lot of students get confused by this.
How to sort this out: Make a cheat sheet. This would be helpful in all numerical based questions throughout these subjects. Other chapters that have a high ROI are semiconductors, current electricity, communication systems, and dual nature of matter in physics. This means that you need to spend a little bit of time on these as there are sure shot questions every year from these chapters. The states of matter, chemistry in everyday life and polymers are similar topics to be covered under chemistry.
Revise the formulae and important equations (including named reactions of organic and inorganic chemistry) of at least two chapters daily. Remember, there are around 30 chapters in both the subjects – a total of 60 and we have a little more than a month remaining for the exam.
Time is everything, so are the NCERT books
Make sure to get the NCERT basics right and cover the exemplar questions which will help you to understand the nature of questions being asked in the exam. Follow the elimination method of answering. Avoid the steps to manage time and use a shortcut if you are confident about it.
In the case of a match-the- following question, match what you are sure about and see if that already reveals the answers for the rest. This would also save you time from trying to match every single item in the table.
Be thorough with the details from NCERT books as one can expect a lot of direct questions which are direct theory based or a direct application of a formula.
Time plays a very crucial role, both in your preparation and the exam. Plan your revisions and check the time-taken to solve questions from each chapter. This will give you a sense of your strengths and will help you to identify the areas which need improvement and attention.
Inputs by Vinay MR, Teacher and Chief Content Officer at BYJU’S – The Learning App