Hello future doctors. When I look back at my NEET preparation, I feel that there was one thing I could’ve done better.
The 2021 NEET paper was a moderate-high level difficulty paper with a very lengthy Physics section. I, like many other aspirants, panicked and made a lot of silly mistakes. Although I did manage my time, I still feel like I could’ve done better. This made me regret not having practiced mock tests a certain way.
To make sure that you do not feel the same regret, I decided to write this blog. It contains all the ignored rules of mock test practice. It has been compiled after taking into account the mistakes that I made and the ones that my friends made.
Here are the best strategies and tips-
1) Practicing with OMR Sheets:
One of my friends made a very big error in OMR sheet bubbling. She wrote down all the answers on the rough sheet and bubbled the OMR at the end. But, while doing so, she skipped one question accidentally. This led to her filling every answer on the question above it. She filled 121 on 120, 122 on 121 and so forth.
Two years worth of preparation was all for nothing, she could not get a seat that year. This was the worst thing that happened to her, it also messed with her confidence so much that she did not take a drop either.
To make sure that this does not happen to you, always practice questions with OMR sheets. Long time of practice with OMRs will help you have a good bubbling speed and accuracy. It won’t be rejected in the machine and you will not face a problem like the one mentioned above.
2) Using a limited space for calculation.
You do not get extra rough sheets during the NEET paper. You are expected to complete all your calculations in the given amount of space only which is 3 sheets.
It is clearly mentioned in the exam guidelines, that you are not allowed to write anywhere except for the rough space. Even though most invigilators are not very strict about this rule, do not take a chance. Put yourself in the habit of solving the questions only in a separate rough space instead of the question space.
3) Staple your rough papers to the question booklet.
This is another inconvenience that you must be prepared for. The rough pages are attached to the end of the question booklet during the NEET exam. This makes it difficult to read the question and solve simultaneously. Be prepared by creating a similar booklet at home.
To solve easily: You can fold the question papers in half such that you can see half of the rough sheet while solving each page. This helps save time and is more convenient. Always make sure that you are copying the values correctly. Keep double checking everything that you copy to the rough sheets. Every question answered wrong is 5 marks lost, remember.
4) Inkpad?
In the middle of the NEET paper you are asked to put your thumb print on one of the attendance sheets. And do you know that you are not provided with an alternate OMR sheet in any condition. If you smudge the ink on your OMR sheet then it will be rejected.
To make sure that I did not mess up my OMR, I just wiped the ink on my top. I did spoil the top, but I saved my paper. It was a split second decision that I did not know about before. To make sure that you are prepared for this thumbprint rule, sit with an ink pad for the mock test. Put a thumbprint on another sheet in the middle of the mock test. Do this once or twice. Make sure that you are not touching your OMR sheet with dirty hands. This is an important step to avoid rejection of OMR sheets.
5) Write the question number next to the rough work for each question.
Most students fill the OMR sheet for each subject at once. So, while filling the OMR sheet, if you are unsure about a question you have to cross check it from your calculations. If your calculations are disorganized, you won’t be able to find them on time and will start panicking.
To avoid this panic and to cross check your answers smoothly, make sure that your rough work is very organized. Write down the question number in the start and after the calculations write down the option letter.
Try to follow the sequence of the questions too, this will help to go back to your answers faster.
6) Timing yourself.
Never practice a mock test without a clock in the room. Always time yourself to analyze your speed. Also, note down the time after completing each subject, so that you have a better understanding of your time management.
Pro tip: Try to complete the extra questions from Section B within 3 hours 20 minutes too. This will help you gain a better speed and be prepared for a lengthy paper.
7) Guesswork not allowed
You should absolutely not guess answers during practice mock tests. It will not only lead to an unsteady mock test score pattern but will also give you a false sense of confidence. You will feel like you are good at solving NEET mock tests and you will dismiss the low marks as just ‘bad days’. Guesswork is dependent on luck.
You cannot just depend on luck for your NEET exam. Even if you are guessing correctly during mock tests, there is no guarantee that you will have the same luck during the paper. There is a lot of stress in the actual NEET exam, it does not give you enough mental space to take good guesses. You do not want to live in a false sense of safety by scoring high due to guesswork.
Be honest to yourself and think about what actually matters: mock test score or NEET paper score.
8) Try to solve difficult questions by smart tactics.
If you come across a question that seems a little difficult, don’t give up in the first try. Try to solve it using strategies such as elimination of options which are surely not the right answers, Using units and dimensions too deduce an answer, substituting random values and checking for the answer (in certain questions). Afterall, mock test marks play an important role in maintaining your confidence level.
I am asking you to use these methods just to boost your confidence and give you an idea of how many questions you can solve even when you don’t really know the answer. Just be honest with yourself and do make sure that you are marking these questions as ‘mistakes’ while analysing your paper.
9) Try to pick out the best paper attempting strategy for yourself.
Mock tests are the time for trial and error. This is where you get to experiment with strategies and choose the one that works the best for you. If you stick to one strategy from the start, a strategy that is not getting you results, you are wasting the effort of giving so many mock tests.
Try out different strategies. Experiment all you want. You can try out our fool-proof strategy too, see if it works for you.
10) Handling difficult questions.
Keep a sign or a small symbol that you make next to the questions that are very difficult. The questions that you want to look at later are thus differentiated from the ones that you are solving immediately. This helps keep everything organized and avoid panic.
Always lookout for this symbol when you are cross checking your paper.
11) Feedback by mock test analysis.
One of the only reasons to attempt mock tests is to get feedback on your preparation. What are you lacking? Are you lacking a good exam attempting strategy? Is it practice? Is it study? Is it the amount of focus? All these questions are answered by good mock test analysis.
Do not skip this part if you want to make the most of your mock test practice. It is the most important step of attempting mock tests.
12) Attempt mock tests during the NEET exam time slot.
This means that you must try to give mock tests at 2 PM. Try to give it at this time slot to develop a habit of being alert during 2pm to 5:20 pm. Most of us have our afternoon naps during these hours. This leads to sleepiness during the NEET exam.
To avoid this, try to give mock tests in the recommended time slot, especially during the last 2 months.
13) Simulate the exam hall environment.
We have a lot of things that you can do to simulate the exam hall environment. These are seemingly idiotic tips, but trust us, they will be very useful for you.
Some of these tips are: Learn to control your bathroom urges for 3 and a half hours as you are not allowed to go to the washroom. Sit in a place full of distractions as your exam center might be close to a construction site. Sit in a hot place as the exam will be in the middle of the hottest months and there are high chances that there might not be an AC or a fan in your exam hall.
For more such tips go to: How to give NEET mock tests at home?
After all, it is the small things that make or break your preparation.
14) Solve extra questions too
We would recommend solving the extra questions of section B too. You cannot just leave out questions during practice. Who knows, maybe one of the questions that you left might just appear in the NEET paper. Be smart about this.
You can try to solve them in the given time slot. This will help you increase your speed and get better at time management. If not possible, solve them after the mock test is over. But do not skip them.
Conclusion
As per all the points listed above, we are just trying to be prepared for anything that comes our way. As they say ‘Hope for the best, prepare for the worst.’ Try to make sure that mock test practice benefits you in every way except for just study and speed. Be as smart as you can be about your preparation. If you have any more tips that have helped you, please do add them in the comment section. Do not feel hesitant to reach out and ask for any other help, we are here for you.
That is all, if you follow all these strategies, you will be a little closer to achieving your NEET dreams. All the best, dear aspirant.
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