The journey of cracking India’s only largest medical entrance exam, the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) is long and tests candidates at every step. Students often make mistakes while preparing for it. Most of the mistakes students commit during NEET preparation are very common and can be evaded with a little extra focus and practice. 

The article below aims to highlight the five most common NEET preparation mistakes that bring candidates’ scores down. To know about these mistakes read the article below.  

• Underestimating Basics

As we all know, without a strong foundation, we cannot build a multi-story. Similarly, fundamental concepts of each section of NEET lay a platform for concepts to be built upon. Clearing NEET is not possible without a sound understanding of basic concepts. Get your concepts cleared on priority. Also, never keep your doubts pending. The doubts simply keep piling up and disappear into nothingness. You forget your doubts in due course of time. So, remember however silly the doubt might seem to be, it has the potential to ruin your NEET score. Hence, clear your doubts and understand and learn basic concepts before diving into the pool of hard concepts.

• Lack of Planning

There are certain topics in the NEET syllabus which are difficult to understand when compared with others. Candidates often leave difficult topics to be covered later. This shows their lack of planning. The topics students leave carry a certain weightage in the exam and leaving them can cost a good number of marks in the NEET Examination. This common mistake differentiates serious NEET aspirants from non-serious ones. It is often observed in the case of non-serious NEET aspirants, that candidates do not plan their preparation strategy. Having a timetable, preparation strategy, long term, and short-term goals are a must for cracking NEET Examination.

Lack of planning and schedule leads to confusion and wastage of time during the preparation. Thus, jumping into the race of cracking the NEET exam, candidates must prepare a timetable and schedule. The preparation strategy should cover the entire NEET syllabus well in time and must suit their convenience.

• Referring To Multiple Books

There are unlimited sources of study for NEET preparation and this creates chaos and confusion in the minds of NEET aspirants. Aspirants are also found to be under the impression that studying from multiple books is mandatory for cracking the NEET exam. However, this can be a huge blunder. In the fear of not wanting to miss out on anything important, students tend to consume a lot of information, which often is not required and unimportant. This practice should be given up right away. NCERT must be your go-to book. 

Reading from multiple sources can give ambiguity in the information they offer, leading to confusion at the time of execution during the test. Stick to one source, master it. 75-80% of questions are asked from the NCERT syllabus of classes 11 and 12.

Hence, Students must always revise the NCERTs multiple times to become thorough with NEET chapters. 

• Lack of Confidence

Mock tests, weekly/daily tests are important. They mirror our knowledge of the subject and assess our skills. One must understand these are sources to evaluate one’s learnings. Analyze your performance and learn from it. Don’t get depressed with the recurring low scores at these tests. Many times, those with consistently low scores turn out to perform much better at the actual test. So, keep working harder and set higher goals.

It is rightly said, “A healthy mind resides in a healthy body”. Life is sure a balance of work and leisure. When preparing for NEET Examination, candidates try to isolate themselves to focus on their preparation. However, this often leads to stress and frustration in students. Thus, candidates should keep in contact with their friends and loved ones, talk to their family, meditate, and maintain their health to achieve success in the NEET exam.

The only way to succeed in cracking the exam is through hard work and practice. And to study well for the Examination, candidates must be healthy both physically and mentally.

• Lack of Analysis

Preparation of the medical entrance exam using NEET mock tests is a proven strategy for success. However, a very common mistake that students make is not analyzing their performance in NEET mock tests. It should be noted that analyzing how much you scored in a mock test of NEET is a crucial part of NEET preparation.

During analysis, candidates should identify how many questions they answered correctly and how many they didn’t in the NEET mock test. Aspirants should also analyze the time taken by them in solving each question in the NEET question paper. Further, the questions candidates couldn’t solve in the question paper of NEET should be solved separately. By analyzing NEET mock tests, candidates can identify their scoring areas, weaker sections, speed, and accuracy. 

These are the five most common mistakes which candidates should avoid during NEET preparation. By working on these mistakes students can bring significant improvements in their NEET preparation and crack the medical entrance exam. But, aspirants must also remember that NEET is not your real goal, it’s just a step towards your ultimate goal that is to become a Doctor. So if you can’t clear it, don’t lose hopes, give it a second shot. 

Life gives enough opportunities. Grab them, and do your best !

Best Wishes.