It is exam season, that time of the year when students are making the most of their time and preparing for the upcoming examinations. Be it board examinations or competitive exams, preparation for both necessitates meticulous planning, hard work and the right guidance.
Aspiring candidates must know that there is a long way to go before they accomplish their dream of becoming successful healthcare professionals. The first step towards this rewarding career is successfully cracking NEET.
NEET (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test) is the national level medical entrance test carried out by the NTA (National Testing Agency). NEET exam now stands as the only medical entrance test that must be attempted and cleared in order to pursue medicine in the country.
With this article, students get enlightened about the basics, the important aspects to be known if attempting NEET 2022.
Things to Know if You are a NEET Aspirant
Now that you know your calling, medicine, you must be aware of the essential facts pertaining to NEET, without which foraying into it is being less-informed.
- What is NEET?
Basics first, NEET is a medical entrance test conducted annually by the NTA. It is an offline test (pen and paper), while the registrations for the same are through the online mode only. Lakhs of students participate in NEET every year, seeking admissions to merely 1.6 medical seats available in medical institutes.
The syllabus covered for NEET is vast, and predominantly it covers the NCERT syllabus from Classes 11 and 12.
The process of registration requires students to fill in all the details as asked and upload documents too. Additionally, the examination fee too must be processed. The application fee for different categories is as mentioned below:
| Category | Fees (INR) |
| General | 1500 |
| General-EWS/OBC-NCL | 1400 |
| SC/ST/PwD/Transgender | 800 |
- Format of NEET
NEET is carried out for a total of 720 marks; a total of 200 questions were asked last year as opposed to the usual 180, wherein students were expected to answer 180 questions out of 200. The questions are of the multiple-choice format. 45 questions each must be answered from each of the sections of NEET – Physics, Chemistry, and Biology.
Each question carries 4 marks, and one mark is deducted for each incorrect response. No marks are deducted if a question is left unanswered. The question paper is asked in 13 languages, and the booklet is bilingual if a regional language is selected at the time of registration.
- Multiple tests
NEET now stands as the single, national level medical entrance test, thus scrapping the multiple entrance tests carried out at the state level or in different institutes.
- Transparency
NEET, at all levels, offers transparency. Results are declared in the online mode once NEET is conducted, a few weeks later. Further, the NTA, on the official website, uploads the recorded responses of candidates, the OMR sheets for candidates to cross-check and tally their responses with the officially released NEET answer keys. In the event of any discrepancy, the same can be challenged by following the procedure as specified. It is a chargeable service, Rs. 1000/- per challenge is charged.
- Availability of seats
Once the student successfully clears NEET, they can move towards the counselling process, which one must register for. 85% of the seats are reserved under the state quota, while the remaining 15% is reserved under the All India Quota (AIQ).
- NEET Cut-off
An important fact about NEET that students need to know is that not everyone clears NEET. One can successfully clear NEET only if the cut-off specified for that particular year is cleared. Every year, officials specify a NEET cut-off which is subject to change based on different factors such as the number of applicants, the difficulty level of paper etc.
- Check eligibility
Before you register for NEET, carefully go through the information brochure provided on the official website. There is a lower age limit, minimum qualification and aggregate percentage that a student is expected to have. For instance, one of the eligibility criteria is that candidates must have passed Class 12 with majors in Physics, Chemistry and Biology with a minimum of 50% aggregate. For the complete details on the eligibility criteria for NEET 2022, visit the official website.
These were some essentials that every NEET 2022 aspirant must have cognizance of. If you are seeking guidance in your NEET preparation, consider referring to NEET coaching material at BYJU’S.
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