Now that NEET PG 2023 is going to be held as scheduled on March 5 according to the Supreme Court's judgement, students are in a last-minute rush with the preparations. With only four days left, experts ask the MBBS graduates to not panic and be confident. Here are the top 3 tips they share for effective preparation:
1. Trust yourself
"Confidence is the game changer," says Dr Lakshya Mittal, Vice-President of the United Doctors Front Association (UDFA), an organisation which had battled for NEET PG 2023 postponement. The expert states that though a postponement was needed, students should not think of that now. "Whatever did not happen is past. Students should not feel that they did not prepare well or wasted time. The exam is not difficult to crack if they are confident, attentive and focused," he states.
"Self-belief is the key. Students have to believe that they have prepared well and revise the concepts they have studied," adds Manickavel Arumugam, student counsellor and expert on NEET.
2. Study, revise, and practise
Dr Mittal shares that when he qualified for NEET, practising the previous years' question papers came as a great help for him. "Going through the question papers of the last 2-3 years is a must, along with practising image-based questions," he states, adding that students should not go for any new material and revise from the old sources only.
"Students have to divide their time and prepare for at least 12-15 hours to cover the maximum syllabus. Revise all the concepts well and practise as many sample papers as possible," Gaurav Tyagi, an expert NEET counsellor says. "Revise whatever you have prepared and keep calm," advises Arumugam additionally.
3. Keep calm and relax
"Last-minute preparation doesn't mean studying all the time. Proper rest and sleep are equally important. There should be no anxiety," Dr Mittal says. He adds that since the current aspirants are MBBS graduates, they have already studied the concepts. "The questions are concept-based these days and questions based on memory and experience are no longer asked. So, MCQ-based competitive exams like NEET are not difficult if the student is relaxed," he explains.
And the best tip: No tip is needed
"The students already know their concepts and have been preparing for the exam for months. They do not need any tips. They just have to be confident and give their best," concludes Dr Sumanth C Raman, an expert in the field of medical education.
However, the preparation part aside, Arumugam points out that the students should be attentive to the instructions written on the admit card and avoid last-minute "surprises" at the exam centres. "We have seen students facing such issues due to lack of awareness every year," he explains.
Walk in advance
He suggests that students check out their respective exam centres in advance. "They can go to the place a day in advance if possible and find out how long it takes to reach. Those who have been allotted centres far away or out of their states should try to reach the place at least a day before the exam," he says.
