National Eligibility and Entrance Test is an all-India entrance test for students who wish to pursue their career in the medical field (courses like MBBS, BDS, etc.) in India. This exam can help students get into a top-tier government medical college in India where fees are comparatively low than other colleges and the quality of education is also better. There are only 60,000 seats available in India. A student needs a minimum 50 percentile to get admission but every year around 15 lakhs students give this exam. This makes the cut-off for this exam to the 99.99 percentile. If a student properly preparing for NEET exam, then it will not be difficult to get 99 percentile and above. To know which type of questions are asked in the NEET examination do refer to NEET Sample Question Paper 1.  

Exam pattern  

The exam paper has a total of 180 questions to be solved in 3 hours. The complete paper is divided into 4 parts, viz. Physics, Chemistry, Botany, Zoology. Each part has 45 questions. Each question carries 4 marks. Making the maximum marks for the exam 720. NEET exam has a negative marking scheme. Each wrong question marked deducts 1 mark. The student should aim to score 680 – 700 to get a good percentile.  

Exam Syllabus  

NEET exam has a syllabus based mainly on Physics, Chemistry, and Biology. To understand details about the syllabus students should prepare with topics such as Anatomy, Physiology, Biochemistry, Pathology, Pharmacology, Microbiology, Forensic Medicine, Social and Preventive Medicine, General Medicine Including Dermatology & Venereology & Psychiatry, General Surgery Including Orthopedics, Radiodiagnosis, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Pediatrics, ENT, Ophthalmology, etc. Physics and Chemistry are going to be base 11th and 12th NCERT textbooks chapters but questions will be advanced level.  

Booklist   

For any exam having a reliable source and booklist is important. For NEET, there are three main subjects, hence students need to prepare a booklist for three subjects differently. But two types of books are going to be the same for all three subjects which are NCERT textbooks from 9th standard to 12th standard and any sample paper series book. NCERT textbooks are important to revise concepts.

Students can refer to any sample paper book as long as it is from a reliable and credible source. Each subject needs one or two specific books two study them in-depth. NEET demands students to have an in-depth understanding of physics, Chemistry, and Biology. Hence, one name of the book is given below for each subject. Students should stick to one book and practice many questions instead of reading from two or more books.  

Physics – Concepts of Physics by H. C. Verma  

Chemistry – Elementary Problems in Organic Chemistry, Physical Chemistry by O. P. Tandon  

Biology – Truman’s Biology Vol. 1 and 2  

After gathering all sources, the syllabus of the exam, and knowing the exam pattern, you can start to study. Follow below easy 10 tips to prepare for the NEET exam at your home-  

1. Read NCERT textbooks first. Cover the 11th and 12th syllabus then go for advanced books. Reading NCERT textbooks will clear the fundamentals of science.  
2. Start solving practice MCQs from a NEET-based MCQs book or online test series. Do not wait to read and complete the advanced books. Solving MCQs with different concepts will keep you in the right direction. In preparation for exams like NEET, practicing a different level of questions is more important than learning concepts.  
3. Once NCERT textbooks are completed thoroughly, start reading advanced books. Students should stick to one book instead of referring to many books. It will save time and spare you more time for practicing.  
4. Keep notes. Once you read NCERT textbooks then start making notes on each concept while reading about those concepts in depth. Notes must be concise and clear to you.  
5. Solve mock tests. Solving mock tests weekly will make you a habit of giving the NEET exam. It will reduce stress about the examination and will give you the necessary confidence.  
6. Analyze mistakes made in mock tests. Do not repeat those mistakes. If you are making the same mistakes again and again then make a note of it. Go through that concept once again through your notes and try to understand that concept once again.  
7. Keep a record of your progress. Students should check what they have covered once a month or once a week. It will help in realizing where you stand from an exam point of view. Sometimes students score more in mock tests, sometimes less. Keeping track of these ups and downs in marks will help in understanding what your average score for the mock test is so you can make necessary changes in the study plan.  
8. Take the help of YouTube videos, online doubt clearing websites, different 3d working models of concepts to understand concepts clearly. Draw tables, diagrams, write theory proofs, formulas by yourself. Although it is an MCQ-type exam, given practice will make you understand the concept in depth. It will also help in solving diagram-based questions.  
9. Physics and Chemistry together hold 50% weightage in exams. Many students ignore one of the subjects from these two. This strategy will not be useful to get a good score in the exam. Students can skip some concepts but they must not skip reading any concept. If you are not understanding anything about one concept then just read and memorize the core concept in the form of brief answers. Knowing nothing other than something is always better.  
10. Prepare a paper-solving strategy. One strategy can be dividing 3 hours according to your strengths and weaknesses in respective subjects. An alternate strategy can be to solve easy questions first then medium-level questions. Then you can attempt to solve hard-level questions.  

Conclusion  

NEET exam requires proper study. One cannot cover the whole syllabus in one or two months hence refrain from reading a plethora of concepts in one go. Take it slow. Be consistent. Start preparing at least 1 year earlier than the day of the exam. Stick to your resource material, keep on revising, solving papers and you can ace this exam.