In order to get into a medical college, one has to clear the NEET exam. To get the seat of one’s choice, an aspirant needs to follow a few guidelines, says Rajshekhar Ratrey

Every student aspiring to receive a degree from one of India’s premier medical and dental colleges would ideally want to crack the NEET exam in one go. With NEET being the exclusive gateway for admissions into medical and dental undergraduate courses, aspirants will have to put up a good show to be offered seats at their desired choice of college.

However, making this happen requires not just hard work and perseverance, but an intelligent approach that efficiently channels effort in the right places. The strategies given below will help you achieve success in this highly competitive entrance exam.

Know the Neet syllabus & what’s important

Study all the chapters taught in class 11 and 12 thoroughly. 70 to 80 percent of the overall questions are either directly taken from NCERT or are an advanced form of its learnings. Before you take on the study effort, go through the previous years' papers, so much so that, you can identify the important topics and concepts. Study those thoroughly, and prioritize these topics before you move to the less important ones.

Make a study strategy

Ensure you make a good timetable that includes solving test papers, regular revisions, and small breaks to help you recuperate and start afresh. Strictly abide by it and allocate more time to difficult subjects. Make it a habit to cover difficult topics along with interesting ones so that preparation does not become monotonous. Keep a track of time as you do not want one chapter to consume time and affect your overall study plan.

Solve test papers

As soon as you complete your syllabus, start solving as many test papers as you can. As the final date approaches, solve 3-4 test papers/mocks tests a day. Try to complete the test papers within the designated time. Demarcate the questions where you made a mistake and identify its cause. Revise all the incorrectly attempted questions well. In this manner, you will be able to understand your weaknesses better and prepare strategically, which is very important for a competitive exam like NEET.

Revise well

Along with your mock test papers take some time out to revise lessons. This should begin after you have completed studying all the lessons. If you are facing difficulty in grasping a certain topic, formula, diagram, etc, prepare a learning aid (like flashcards) and fix it in front of your study table. Do not be overconfident about your preparation and pay attention to the technique applied to crack the question while you’re revising.

Develop your own study technique

Every student will have a different strategy to crack the exam. While preparing for a competitive exam like NEET, follow a study technique that helps you recall your lessons well and allows you to solve the paper in the stipulated time. Follow the one that suits you best and adhere to the pattern till the day of examination. Do not panic and alter your strategy a few days before the exam - this is likely to hamper your preparation and affect your confidence before the examination.