Studying from NCERT Books and Practicing Mocks Helped Me Crack NEET: Karthika G Nair, AIR 1, NEET 2021

NEET 2021 Topper Karthika G Nair - AIR 1

Karthika G Nair scored a perfect 720 in NEET 2021 and secured an All India Rank 1 in the medical entrance exam taken by over 15 lakh candidates across India and abroad. Karthika is also the state topper of Maharashtra and the highest scorer among female candidates. A student of DAV Panvel, Karthika aspires to study in AIIMS Delhi and pursue a specialisation in Oncology or Neurology. According to Karthika, the preparation phase of NEET was stressful owing to the uncertain situation but her passion for singing and the support of her family consisting of parents and younger sister helped her sail through.

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In this exclusive interview with Shiksha, Karthika shares her preparation strategy, future plans and suggestions for future NEET takers. Read the full interview below.

NEET 2021 Topper Interview

Q: When and how did you decide to pursue MBBS?

A: Being a doctor was my aspiration from childhood. I worked towards my goal with full determination.

Q: When did you start preparing for NEET and what was your strategy?

A: I started preparing for NEET from Class 11 by joining a coaching institute. The first step was to go through the basics of the exam pattern and syllabus followed by practising.

Q: How did coaching help you?

A: Taking coaching was immensely helpful for me. They provided me with a lot of mock tests, discussion and doubt clearing sessions and study modules which helped me a lot. Apart from these, my coaching institute also provided me video recordings of the lectures I had attended earlier and whenever I faced any doubts, I could go through the videos and get my queries clarified.

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Q: Which books did you refer to for NEET?

A: I strictly followed the NCERT textbooks, which are a must if you want to crack NEET. Apart from the NCERT books I also referred to the study materials and modules which were provided to me by my coaching institutes.

Q: How did you balance your NEET preparation along with your school and board exams?

A: Since I studied in a CBSE school, it was a boon for me since the syllabus was the same and I did not have to make any extra effort apart from practising along the lines of NEET. Since NEET carries objective-type multiple-choice questions and CBSE Board exam questions are descriptive types, that is where regular and separate practice comes into play. Apart from that, a common preparation strategy sufficed for both.

Q: Which were your strongest and weakest areas?

A: My strongest subject was Biology, especially Zoology. Physics was my weakest area since it was calculation intensive and I am not good with numbers. However, with regular practice, I tackled this section.

Q: NEET 2021 exam pattern change was announced just two months prior to the exam. How did you manage at such short notice?

A: Yes, the number of choices to attempt questions from was increased. Even though we had to attempt the same number of questions, we had to go through all 200 questions and select the ones to attempt wisely. This was a time-consuming affair. Initially, it was a challenge to get mock tests in this pattern but eventually, my coaching institute could provide mock tests and practise papers in the new pattern. The key is to manage the time judiciously which comes with regular practice and follow different methods until finding out the one that suits you perfectly.

Q: How was your exam-taking experience?

A: I was in a very cool and composed mindset on the day of the exam and did not face any trouble whatsoever before or during the exam. However, I was a little nervous while marking the answer options on the OMR sheet. I did not want to make any mistake in marking the correct answer options after solving the questions correctly. Apart from this, I was very comfortable with the questions.

Q: NEET this year was marred with controversies and uncertainties. How did you cope with the situation?

A: There was a little stress with all the controversies that were going on. The exam was postponed by six weeks and there were further demands to postpone the exam by students. I did not want NEET to get postponed further since more the delay, the more difficult it would have been for me to crack the exam. I stayed away from social media since it was full of such speculations and rumours which caused distractions. This really helped me focus on my studies and get updates from authentic and credible sources only.

Q: The preparation phase must have been tough. How did you manage to maintain your calm?

A: The preparation phase was stressful but I practised my hobby of singing regularly which helped me calm my mind. Moreover, due to the lockdown, my parents were working from home and they supported me immensely.

Q: Which is your dream medical college?

A: My dream medical college is AIIMS Delhi.

Q: What are your plans after completing MBBS?

A: I wish to pursue MD with a specialisation in either Oncology or Neurology.

Q: What is your suggestion for next year’s NEET takers?

A: My suggestion to future NEET aspirants is to take as many NEET mock tests as possible and attend all the classes to never miss understanding any topic or subject.

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