Tips to Ace NEET PG Exam with Flying Colours

The National Eligibility - Entrance Test for Postgraduate Studies (NEET-PG) is a national level entrance examination for students interested in pursuing MD/MS/postgraduate diploma courses in government or private medical institutes in India. The exam this year will be held on May 21, 2022. To appear for this exam, candidates must have a recognised MBBS degree or a provisional pass certificate from the same course. They should also have completed or are about to complete a one-year mandatory rotating internship on or before July 2022.

With the admit card in hand already, we recommend aspirants to refer to the following tips to crack the exam:

Follow a Disciplined Last Week Preparation Strategy and Practise PYQs: Make a timetable that ensures that you read all 19 subjects in the last week. This is possible by practising the last 2 or 3-year question papers of NEET PG and INI-CET. Use this practice, only to revise all facts and concepts and not to check your ability to recall, as the latter might demotivate you or make you anxious. Read relevant explanations for every question and learn it conceptually. Do not be in a hurry to revise as it might cause confusion.

Memorise & Revise: Our memory can be fickle. Make sure you frequently read all topics in the 19 subjects during the last 2 days of preparation. Examples for such topics would be Glycosphingolipidosis, Porphyrias, Mucopolysaccharidosis, Formulae, Chromosome numbers, Immune therapy for disorders, Classical signs, and Urine odours.

Set a Clear Goal: It's important to have a clear goal in mind and plan your preparation around it. Keep short-term targets that you can easily be ticked off your list. Create a to-do list every day with goals that can be met realistically. This will speed up your preparation and keep you on track with your progress.

Focus on Sharpening Concepts: The NEET PG exam involves many analytical and image-based questions which require in-depth study. Concept clarity is thus critical for solving these questions. Candidates must focus on building their concepts without any confusion or doubts about any topic. To break the monotony of preparation, you can use a standard textbook like Ganong or Harper or Robbins and read & understand all the images. At all times, stick to one source of information, develop the habit of writing comprehensive notes of every topic that you learn and practice spaced repetition by repeatedly revising your notes.

Time management: Manage your time well as that is essential during your exam. Do not dwell on a question for more than 50 seconds (200 questions in 210 minutes). If you spend too much time on questions that you are not sure about, you won't have enough time to solve the easier ones. Skip if required and come back to them later.

Take sufficient breaks: It is essential to have a good night's sleep the day before the exam so that you are rejuvenated the next day. This further helps in processing and retaining the information learnt. Stay positive, and do not let negative thoughts cloud your mind. Eat healthy and take regular breaks in between your study hours. Don't take too much pressure upon yourself. Remain cool and calm. At regular intervals, alter your timetable so that monotony does not set in.

NEET PG examination is a good opportunity for you to gain admission to a speciality of your choice in a premium medical college in the country. A realistic strategy and a calm mind will help you ace the exam.

The writer Dr C. Shanmugapriya is a top NEET PG Educator at Unacademy and two times winner of the 'Young Scientist Award'