Swayam Shakti Tripathy, a student of SAI International School, becomes the State Topper (Odisha) in NEET (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test) 2023 by securing All India Rank (AIR) 8. Swayam who wants to get into AIIMS, New Delhi shares his preparation strategy of NEET-UG 2023 exam.
Q: Congratulations on your result! What was your reaction when you came to know about your rank?
Swayam: Thank you, and I am elated. I had expected a good score but AIR 8 was a pleasant surprise for me.
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There is a 90% more chance of getting best college recommendations by sharing preferences.Q: When and how did you decide to pursue MBBS?
Swayam: When I came to Class XI at SAI International School, I opted for both Maths and Biology. My biggest source of inspiration is my father who motivated me at each moment and helped me in deciding what I wanted to pursue. He took me to his different doctor friends, made me interact with them and it led me to understand how a big role a doctor plays in serving society. I wish to be a surgeon.
Q: What is the exam pattern of NEET?
NEET or National Eligibility cum Entrance Test is a paper-pencil based test (PBT) of 3 hours and 20 minutes duration. There are a total of 200 multiple-choice questions (MCQs), out of which 180 questions have to be attempted. The syllabus of the exam consists of Physics Chemistry and Biology subjects. The Biology subject is segregated between Zoology and Botany. Each subject will be divided into two sections, Section A and Section B.
Section A carries 35 questions and Section B carries 15 questions. While all 35 questions can be attempted in Section A, in Section B, 10 questions out of 15 have to be attempted. Each question carries four answer options and the correct option has to be marked on the OMR sheet. According to the marking scheme, each correct question carries 4 marks and there is a negative marking of 1 mark for each wrong answer. No marks will be awarded or deducted for unattempted or extra attempted questions.
Q: What is the format of the NEET scorecard?
The NEET scorecard or the NEET result is declared in an online mode. The NEET scorecard is released online in PDF format. Candidates will have to obtain the NEET scorecard by following the steps given below:
1. Visit the official website - neet.nta.nic.in
2. Click on the link indicating NEET scorecard download
3. Enter the NEET application number and date of birth or password
4. Enter the security pin
5. Download the NEET scorecard PDF document
6. Take multiple printouts
Candidates must preserve the hard and soft copy of the NEET scorecard till the admission or counselling process is concluded.
Q: What is the format for the NEET exam?
The format for NEET exam is a total of 180 question with total 720 marks. Four marks will be awarded for a right answer and one mark will be deducted for a wrong answer. The questions will be objective type that is MCQ based. 90 questions will be from Biology including Zoology and Botany both, and 45 questions each from Physics and 45 Chemistry. Each subject will be divided into two sections. The syllabus will be that of Class 11 and Class 12 CBSE syllabus.
Q: Tell us something about your family, schooling, etc.
Swayam: I have my parents and my younger sister. My mother is a homemaker and my father is an electrical engineering Professor in a Govt. College in Odisha.
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In Class X, I scored 99.6% despite being in the COVID batch. And in Class XII I got 98.6%.
Q: When did you start preparing for NEET and what was the strategy?
Swayam: The day I decided I want to become a doctor I started my preparations right then. Class XI & XII are the years consistently studied.
Q: What were your strong and weak areas?
Swayam: There was nothing about the strongest and weakest topics but if I have to pinpoint, then animal and plant kingdom was a bit difficult as it required more of memorization and the easiest was human physiology as I have an interest in it. Rest all were good as I had spent equal time on each subject.
Q: Will NEET 2025 have sectional time limits?
No, there is no time limit to solve a section in NEET. The total duration of the exam is 200 minutes, or three hours and 20 minutes. Hence, on an average, candidates will get around five minutes for each question. Candidates must keep a tab on the timing as NEET is a time-pressed exam.
Before the exam day, candidates are advised to prepare a time management strategy wherein a particular timing should be assigned for each section or subject. They must also note that they will not be given any extra time to complete the exam, nor will they be allowed to take breaks in between or leave before time.
Q: Is there is bonus marking for NEET?
There will be bonus marking or extra marks awarded to NEET candidates only if there is a discrepancy in the NEET answer key. Clarifying the same, NTA has stated:
1. If more than one option is found to be correct then Four marks (+4) will be awarded to only those who have marked any of the correct options.
2. If all options are found to be correct then Four marks (+4) will be awarded to all those who have attempted the question.
3. If none of the options is found correct or a Question is found to be wrong or a Question is dropped then all candidates who have appeared will be given four marks (+4) irrespective of the fact whether the question has been attempted or not attempted by the candidate.
Q: Will the NEET 2025 exam pattern change?
The NEET 2025 exam pattern will be announced by NTA in the information brochure, which wll be released tentatively in the second week of February 2025. For the last two years, the exam pattern of NEET has remained the same. Hence, it is expected that the NEET 2025 exam pattern will also remain the same as last year. The NEET exam pattern had undergone changes previously in terms of structure and duration. The continuation of the same exam pattern of NEET will bring a sense of relief among students as they will not require changing their preparation strategy or look for new practice papers. Moreover, the previous years' NEET question papers would suffice for preparation and practice purposes.
Q: What is the basis of the NEET 2024 analysis?
The NEET 2024 analysis is prepared based on the student reactions and reviews by experts. While the student reactions may vary from one to another as each student has a different perspective, the expert review is a more credible source of NEET 2024 analysis.
The difficulty level of NEET 2024 may vary for candidates, based on their preparation level. Based on the expertise and experience, the NEET 2024 analysis by experts will provide a more in-depth overview of the exam for each subject, topics, syllabus coverage and weightage. Expert analysis for NEET 2024 will also act as a basis of preparation for aspirants planning to appear for the exam next year.
However, student reactions give a first-hand impression of the exam which cannot be ruled out. It gives a glance to the NEET question paper and the personal feedback of candidates. NEET 2024 analysis by student reactions help evaluate the overall performance of candidates and the expected cutoff.
Q: Will the NEET 2025 exam pattern remain the same as last year?
The NEET 2025 exam pattern is expected to remain the same as last year. NEET is a paper-pencil-based-test of 200 minutes duration and carries 200 objective type multiple choice questions (MCQs) in total. Out of this, 180 questions have to be attempted. The total marks of the exam is 720. Each question has four answer options. Each correct answer fetches four marks and there is one mark negative marking for each wrong answer. There is no negative marking for unattempted questions or extra attempted questions.
Q: Which books did you refer to for NEET?
Swayam: NCERT is the Bible and of course, whatever study we get from coaching have to practice that.
Q: When did you start taking full-length NEET mock tests?
Swayam: Had started my preparations right after I decided to become a doctor. Tests were a part of my preparation and i did not miss a single one.
Q: How did you balance your NEET preparation along with your school and board exams?
Swayam: My School SAI International was very supportive and the teachers were always there to clear any doubts I had.
Q: How did the lockdown impact your preparation and how did you cope with it?
Swayam: It gave me extra time to focus better. I had my teacher around me to clear my doubts.
Q: The NEET exam pattern changed this year just 2 months before the exam. How did you manage the change?
Swayam: I had studied consistently for 2 years which made me confident and did not bring any kind of stress when the pattern was changed.
Q: What was your exam-taking strategy?
Swayam: I studied 3 to 4 hours for each subject every day with a fail. Took as many mock tests as possible. I made a to-do list every day in the morning and made sure I complete each of it throughout the day before hitting the bed.
Q: During your rigorous preparation journey, how did you unwind?
Swayam: My parents helped me during my stressful time just by talking to me or cracking jokes. I love to spend time with my younger sister, she too is my big stress buster.
Q: Which is your dream medical college?
Swayam: An aspiring doctor's wish is to get into AIIMS Delhi and I am happy to have been able to make it to the top 8 of the country.
Q: What are your plans after completing MBBS?
Swayam: Have to become a surgeon so will go for my MS degree in General Surgery.
Q: Your suggestion for next year’s NEET takers.
Swayam: Consistency is the key. Do not lay back and miss even a day. Make a to-do list and follow it with full dedication. Take the help of your teachers and seniors.
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Abhay an alumnus of IIMC and Delhi University, has over a decade long experience of reporting on various beats of journalism. During his free time he prefers listening to music or play indoor and outdoor games.
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