Committing common mistakes during preparation or in the final NEET exam is a nightmare for every student. In the face of fierce competition and the minuscule number of seats, it is vital to crack the exam with good NEET scores. With appropriate guidance, a crisp study plan, some smart-work, and a lot of diligent work, scoring high marks is totally possible. With that being said, candidates need to be more careful with not only the NEET preparations but also avoiding mistakes while appearing for the entrance exam.
National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) is the single medical entrance examination for all medical courses in the country. Conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA), NEET sees around 16 lakh applicants every year. Admissions to MBBS, AYUSH, BDS, BVSc, and AH courses are on the basis of NEET scores. In this article, we provide you with a detailed list of common mistakes that students commit while preparing for NEET and how you can avoid those mistakes.
Mistake 1: Not reading the question carefully
Students should keep in mind that not reading a question carefully could affect their score with a big margin. Not reading the full question is the most common mistake by the candidates which they make at the beginning of the exam. Even the instructions should be read with full attention. This seems like something that can create a blunder in the NEET 2020 exam. Candidates must be cautious of the negative marking, correct way to fill the OMR sheet and the other basic rules for the examination mentioned in the instructions.
Prof. Ravindra Kumar Kondamudi from Sri Chaitanya said in a NEET lecture that "Many aspirants do not read the paper or the question well and that is where they lack. Candidates should always keep in mind to read the question properly before starting solving it."
Mistake 2: Lack of time management
With 180 questions to attempt in 3 hours, NEET surely is an exam of time management.
While preparing for the exam, most of the candidates forget to practice the time management that needs to be followed in the NEET exam. Being incompetent with time management is where aspirants lose track and cannot finish the exam on time. Candidates should set a time limit for Physics, Chemistry and Biology each and try to stick to those limits, that way they can also improve their speed to answer questions without getting panicked.
Mistake 3: Hurrying towards the answer
Incompetent in time management results in rushing towards the wrong answer. Students try to complete the NEET paper quickly, therefore, rush towards finding the answers. The lack of accuracy in the answer can make students score extremely low in the exam. Candidates are required to answer every question with a calm mind, maintaining the time limit.
Mistakes 4: Not verifying the answer
Candidates must make sure to re-evaluate their answers either right before they attempt the question or at the end of the exam. Additionally, candidates should keep in mind the time management. There are instances where the answers calculated for the first time might be incorrect. In order to avoid ending up with incorrect options, it is advisable for students to verify the answered they have marked.
Mistake 5: Being over confident
Being over confident leads the candidates to a situation where they end up committing the mistakes mentioned previously. By being overconfident, students commit mistakes such as not reading the instructions, not checking the answer properly, and over-estimating the speed of answering the question. Remembering that overconfidence will lead to losing more marks, candidates can have faith in their hard work and effort.
Mistakes 6: Being unaware of complete syllabus or exam pattern
Though the mistake is not common, there are few candidates who miss some important topics while preparing for the exam. The first step is to get conversant with the NEET syllabus. The next step is to demarcate it topic wise according to weightage from the past exams. Important NEET topics from Biology, Physics and Chemistry are given below:
NEET Syllabus for Physics
S. No. | Class XI | S. No. | Class XII |
1. | Physical world and measurement | 1. | Electrostatics |
2. | Kinematics | 2. | Current Electricity |
3. | Laws of Motion | 3. | Magnetic Effects of Current and Magnetism |
4. | Work, Energy and Power | 4. | Electromagnetic Induction and Alternating Currents |
5. | Motion of System of Particles and Rigid Body | 5. | Electromagnetic Waves |
6. | Gravitation | 6. | Optics |
7. | Properties of Bulk Matter | 7. | Dual Nature of Matter and Radiation |
8. | Thermodynamics | 8. | Atoms and Nuclei |
9. | Behaviour of Perfect Gas and Kinetic Theory | 9. | Electronic Devices |
10. | Oscillations and Waves |
NEET Syllabus for Chemistry
S. No. | Class XI | S.No. | Class XII |
1. | Some Basic Concepts of Chemistry | 1. | Solid State |
2. | Structure of Atom | 2. | Solutions |
3. | Classification of Elements and Periodicity in Properties | 3. | Electrochemistry |
4. | Chemical Bonding and Molecular Structure | 4. | Chemical Kinetics |
5. | States of Matter: Gases and Liquids | 5. | Surface Chemistry |
6. | Thermodynamics | 6. | General Principles and Processes of Isolation of Elements |
7. | Equilibrium | 7. | p-Block Elements |
8. | Redox Reactions | 8. | d and f Block Elements |
9. | Hydrogen | 9. | Coordination Compounds |
10. | s-Block Element (Alkali and Alkaline earth metals) | 10. | Haloalkanes and Haloarenes |
11. | Some p-Block Elements | 11. | Alcohols, Phenols and Ethers |
12. | Organic Chemistry- Some Basic Principles and Techniques | 12. | Aldehydes, Ketones and Carboxylic Acids |
13. | Hydrocarbons | 13. | Organic Compounds Containing Nitrogen |
14. | Environmental Chemistry | 14. | Biomolecules |
15. | Polymers | ||
16. | Chemistry in Everyday Life |
NEET Syllabus for Biology
S. No. | Class XI | S. No. | Class XII |
1. | Diversity in Living World | 1. | Reproduction |
2. | Structural Organization in Animals and Plants | 2. | Genetics and Evolution |
3. | Cell Structure and Function | 3. | Biology and Human Welfare |
4. | Plant Physiology | 4. | Biotechnology and Its Applications |
5. | Human Physiology | 5. | Ecology and Environment |
A look at NEET exam pattern
Subject | Type of Question | Duration | Number of Questions | Marks |
Physics | Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) with four options and single correct answer/best option | Each correct answer fetches 04 (four) marks. For each incorrect answer, 01(one) mark will be deducted from the total score. Unanswered/Un-attempted questions will be given no marks | 45 | 180 |
Chemistry | 45 | 180 | ||
Biology (Botany & Zoology) | 90 | 360 | ||
Total | 180 | 720 | ||
