Readying for NEET

Gauri Chhabra
Over the past few months, there has been an increasing debate among educationists over the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) which is a single entrance test conducted all over India for admission to MBBS courses in government-run medical colleges, private colleges, deemed universities and minority institutions is no doubt a welcome step. It is a huge relief to thousands of aspiring doctors and anxious parents who were earlier made to run all over the country in order to appear for the entrance tests conducted separately by different medical schools. This process imposed a massive financial burden on the parents apart from causing enormous anxiety.
In a major decision with regard to National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET), the Supreme Court said that the students who took NEET – I can also appear for NEET-II. Supreme Court passed an order on the fate of medical entrance examinations by states. It said that NEET-II, scheduled for July 24, will allow only those who have not appeared in the May 1 NEET-I exam irrespective of whether or not they had filled up the forms. According to the court order, CBSE’s AIPMT on May 1 has to be considered as NEET-I exam.The combined result will be declared on mid of August, in order to complete the admission process. The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) will be conducting the National Entrance cum Eligibility Test (NEET) for admission to MBBS/BDS courses in the session 2016-17 on July 24, 2016.
Eligibility:
The applicants should be Class XII passed with a minimum of 50% marks obtained in the following subjects- Chemistry, Physics, Biotechnology/ Biology and English respectively for undergraduate programs. For postgraduate programs the aspiring students should have an MBBS degree from an institute recognized as per the provisions of the Indian Medical Council Act and possess permanent or provisional registration certificate of MBBS qualification issued by the Medical Council of India.
The minimum age for candidates applying for the NEET-UG is 17 years. This is applicable for All India Quota Seats as well as State Quota Seats. The upper age limit is 25 years. There is relaxation of 5 years for SC, ST and OBC candidates.
Exam Pattern& Syllabus:
The entrance test shall consist of one paper containing 180 objective type questions with 3 hours duration. This includes subjects like Physics, Chemistry and Biology. Physics contains the topics like Physical world and measurement, Kinematics, Laws of Motion, Work, Energy and Power, Motion of System of Particles and Rigid Body and Gravitation. In Chemistry you need to studyStructure of Atom, Classification of Elements and Periodicity in Properties, Chemical Bonding and Molecular Structure, States of Matter: Gases and Liquids, Thermodynamics, Equilibrium and Redox Reactions. Biology consists the topics like Diversity in Living World, Structural Organization in Animals and Plants, Cell Structure and Function, Plant Physiology, Human physiology.With regards to the marking, each correct answer achieves four marks, with one mark being deducted for every wrong answer.
How to Prepare?
There is no doubt about the fact that the NEET examination is a tough one. The following tips will help deal with stress and perform better.
Get into an indepth study:
The very first thing that you should know is the complete syllabus of the NEET exam. You can compare the syllabus with your Boardexam syllabus. It is beneficial for you if there are common chapters as you will not need to prepare them separately. This will give you ample time to concentrate on the parts of the syllabus that are not covered.Don’t leave it until the last minute. While some students do seem to thrive on last-minute ‘cramming’, it’s widely accepted that for most of us, this is not the best way to approach an exam. Set out a timetable for your study. Write down how many exams you have and the days on which you have to sit them. Then organize your study accordingly. You may want to give some exams more study time than others, so find a balance that you feel comfortable with.
Use flow charts and mind maps:
Visual aids can be really helpful when revising. At the start of a topic, challenge yourself to write down everything you already know about a topic – and then highlight where the gaps lie. Closer to the exam, condense your revision notes into one-page diagrams. Getting your ideas down in this brief format can then help you to quickly recall everything you need to know during the exam.
Set a schedule:
Until and unless you make a complete and thorough schedule of the way you want to study, you will not be able to complete the syllabus. Plan for the week in advance. Figure out chapters that you need to prepare from the beginning and chapters that will need only revision. Working in this manner will help you cover all parts of the syllabus uniformly. Allot time for each segment and try and maintain that.
Do a SWOT analysis:
It might happen that you are very strong in one subject and weak in the other. Do not feel disheartened by the same. Try and work hard more on the weaker areas to strengthen them. If required, take help from a friend or senior or take extra classes for the subject. This will help in overcoming the fear of your weakness effectively.
Practice mock test papers:
One of the most effective ways to prepare for exams is to practice taking past versions. This helps you get used to the format of the questions. One of the greatest hurdles of the NEET examination is the time limitation. You have to finish 180 questions in 180 minutes i.e. 3 hours. It means they can give a maximum of 1 minute per question. Time management is a mandatory skill that is required for this exam. While practicing at home, make sure that you keep the time limitation in mind. Try to solve the questions in lesser time so that you have some time for final revision as well.
Preparing for subjects:
In Physics, develop an in depth you have a deep understanding of topics such as ‘Spring Force and Energy’, ‘Moment of Inertia and Conservation of Angular Momentum’, and ‘Satellite motion and Escape speed’. Make sure you make a learning capsule of the formulae. In addition to this, the critical topics are ‘Thermal conduction & Newton’s Law of Cooling’, ‘Heat engine efficiency increase while sink temperature is lowered’, ‘Organ pipes’, and ‘Doppler’s effect’.Go through NCERT books and master all the graphs given, especially that of the ‘Semiconductor Electronic.’
In Chemistry, learn formulae of topics like ‘Some basic concepts of Chemistry’, ‘Structure of atom’, ‘Thermodynamics’, ‘States of Matter’, ‘Equilibrium’, ‘Solutions’, ‘Chemical Kinetics’ and ‘Electrochemistry’. Here too, NCERT text book is important and prepare memory cards.In Biology, try remembering as many diagrams as it will give you a visual retention.
Avoid guesswork:
Many students have the tendency of applying guesswork to questions they don’t know. However, it might prove risky in this case as there is negative marking for a wrong answer. It is recommended to leave a question completely if you do not know the right answer.
Plan it:
Make sure you get everything ready well in advance of the exam, don’t leave it to the day before to suddenly realize you don’t know the way, or what you’re supposed to bring. Check all the rules and requirements, and plan your route and journey time. If possible, do a test run of the trip, if not, write down clear directions.Work out how long it will take to get there, then add on some extra time. You really don’t want to arrive having had to run halfway. You could also make plans to travel to the exam with friends or classmates, as long as you know they’re likely to be punctual.
Therefore, if you are preparing for NEET, it is time to pull up your socks, set a schedule, cruise through and come out in flying colors.