NEET 2020 envelops AIIMS and JIPMER exams: What to expect from the examination this year?

By: Snehal Bathe

NEET (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test) will be now conducted for admissions to MBBS and BDS undergraduate courses in all colleges across the country, including All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education & Research (JIPMER) which previously had their own entrance exams.

The admission process in our country is always evolving. This year, yet another change was made by the National Testing Agency (NTA). As announced by the Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan, with the implementation of the National Medical Commission Act (NMC), 2019, a common entrance test- NEET (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test) will be conducted for admissions to MBBS and BDS undergraduate courses in all colleges across the country, including All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education & Research (JIPMER) which previously had their own entrance exams.

This exam, which was scheduled to be held on 3rd May, has now been postponed amidst the pandemic. All these changes surrounding the NEET exam and counselling raises a lot of questions and puts students in a stressful situation. However, it is important that we do not panic and understand the situation fully.

Here are answers to some common NEET related queries in order to help you get going!

Is whatever I’ve studied enough? 

As stated by Vineet Joshi, Director of NTA, there will be no change in the difficulty level or pattern of NEET 2020. The pattern, syllabus, and marking scheme remain the same.

The paper will consist of 180 multiple choice type questions in total, with 45 questions each in Physics and Chemistry and 90 questions in biology. Four marks will be awarded for every correct answer and one mark will be deducted for every incorrect answer. The syllabus covers Physics, Chemistry, and Biology from Class 11 and Class 12 of the NCERT curriculum. General knowledge-based questions as those asked in AIIMS and English and Logic-based questions as those in JIPMER won’t be asked either.

As some speculate, there may be a small increase in the difficulty, as NEET will be the only exam for admission to top-notch colleges like AIIMS and JIPMER. But this, being mere speculation, should not affect your studies and it is better to not worry about such things as they cannot be predicted with certainty. Focus on basics and clearing concepts. Rest assured, your paper will go well. 

Will the competition increase?

The number of students appearing will increase the way it does every year. No extra increase is expected due to the merging of exams, as almost every student who would give AIIMS and JIPMER would appear for NEET too. Common counselling for all colleges eases the admission process, reducing confusion, date clashes, and multiple trips to various counselling centers.

It will also decrease the stress and burnout of having to prepare for multiple exams (trust me, it’s real!). But, on the other hand, you must be in your best form during NEET! Remember to sleep well a day before the exam, have a fulfilling breakfast on the day of the exam, and, most importantly, believe in yourself!

Is the cut-off expected to increase or decrease?

The cut off for any exam depends on the difficulty of the paper, the number of students giving the exam, the performance of the candidates, etc. It is not possible to determine the cut off beforehand. Furthermore, it is your overall rank which matters more during admissions than the score. Ranks and cut-offs may be very surprising at times, so it is best not to worry about those and just give it all you’ve got.

However, the percentile required for qualifying NEET (i.e. minimum required percentile to be eligible to appear for counselling) is fixed, which is as follows:

Again, the marks corresponding to 50th, 45th, and 40th Percentile can be exactly known only after the results have been announced. For NEET 2019 these scores were between 134/720 to 119/720.

But, to apply for some of the top colleges you must expect a minimum of 550+ marks out of 720.

What do I study now?

There is no need to make any changes to your study schedule/material. According to NTS the syllabus for NEET 2020 will not change. Make revising NCERT a priority, especially Biology. With this extra time in hand, you can work on the weaker topics, brush up formulae and practice, practice, practice. Focus on solving previous years’ NEET papers before attempting Physics, Chemistry and Biology questions from AIIMS and JIPMER’s question papers. 

Solving papers is very, very important as it helps you identify your weak areas and get an idea about the type of questions asked. 

One more necessary skill is time management, without which you may not be able to attempt all the questions. This again can be done by timing yourself as you solve papers, not exceeding more than 3 hours total. Identify the subjects which require more time and reduce the time given to other subjects accordingly.

The delay caused by the pandemic may be a boon or a bane, depending on what we make of it. So use this opportunity to the fullest and aim to give your best when the D-day arrives.

All the best!

About the Author:

Snehal Bathe is a third-year MBBS student at Armed Forces Medical College. She appeared for NEET in 2017 and scored 631/720 with AIR 838. She also appeared for AIIMS MBBS 2017 and scored 99.92 percentile and AIR 214.