The National Medical Commission (NMC) has released the revised syllabus for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) 2024, duly approved by the Undergraduate Medical Education Board (UGMEB). The updated syllabus comes just in time to clear the confusion looming among the aspirants.
As NEET 2024 exam is tentatively scheduled to take place on May 5, it will give ample time to students to strategise accordingly and dedicate the remaining time wisely. After analysing the complete syllabus thoroughly, the revised syllabus is in alignment with the new the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) syllabus. Therefore, at present, aspirants should profoundly focus on learning the new NCERT book by heart.
The new syllabus has been designed consciously to reduce the unnecessary burden on the students. Minimising the course from 97 to 79 chapters eliminates the major topics deemed less relevant for medical preparation. The revisions have been aimed at testing the memorising power of the aspirants. Looking at the changes more closely, major reductions and adjustments have been made in the Physics, Chemistry, and Biology topics.
Here, it is important to note that the reduced syllabus might give rise to increased competition. Therefore, it is advisable that students focus on going through the new NCERT by heart, followed by developing a strong hold on the concepts. Coming almost four to five months before the exam, it will give students the much-needed time required to get acquainted with the new syllabus and make the preparation plan accordingly.
The reduction in syllabus is a welcome move by the NMC and UGMEB. It will solve the major dilemma of students who generally used to be at cross-ends due to misalignment in the Boards and NEET syllabus. Where the CBSE syllabus had been reduced in the wake of the pandemic, the NCERT and NEET syllabus remained unchanged.
But with the alteration of the NCERT syllabus in 2023, NEET also followed suit to be in sync with the various state boards, CBSE as well as NCERT courses. The move is being quite appreciated as it saves the students from juggling between the preparation of Boards as well as NEET entrance at the same time. It will give them the added benefit of covering the syllabus for both exams simultaneously.
Aimed at relieving the unwanted pressure of the aspirants, it can help aspirants in a great way to ace the upcoming NEET entrance exam while not compromising on the preparation of Boards at the same time.
(Nitin Viijay is the Founder and CEO of Motion Education. Views expressed are his own)
