NEET 2023 result has been declared by NTA on June 13 which stated that over 11 lakh candidates have qualified out of 20.38 lakh test takers. Kaustav Bauri has bagged the All India Rank 3 in NEET 2023 by scoring 716 out of 720. Read his exclusive interview with Shiksha.com to know about his success mantras.
NEET 2023 Topper Interview - Kaustav Bauri, AIR 3
NEET 2023 topper Kaustav Bauri bagged the third position in this highly competitive exam with a score of 716 out of 720. Talking about his success, Kaustav gives credit to his parents and teachers who constantly motivated him to aim for a score above 700. Sharing his success mantra to crack NEET, Kaustav said that there is no alternative to hard work and practice.
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Aiming to take admission to AIIMS Delhi, Kaustav aims to pursue the specialisation of Oncology. An avid sports enthusiast, Kaustav suggests NEET aspirants to refer to the NCERT books thoroughly to cover the NEET syllabus and take mock tests frequently. Read the NEET topper interview of Kaustav Bauri where he speaks about his preparation strategy, ways he dealt with stress, future plans and more.
Commonly asked questions
During the preparation period of NEET both sectional as well as full length mock tests are useful. The sectional mock tests have to be taken after completing each subject. This would help you to gauge your preparation level and also help in understanding the areas of improvement. Once the entire NEET syllabus is completed, you should take full-length mock tests. Generally, students tend to take the NEET mock tests three to four months prior to the exam. Hence, when it comes to the final stage of preparation, ideally, students should take full-length mock tests. However, if a student wants to revise a particular section or subject, then it is advisable that they take sectional mock tests or revision or practice purpose.
Candidates must ensure that they take the NEET mock test in a proctored manner within a simulated environment. Hence, ideally students should take mock test in the exam timing, from 2 PM to 5 PM, without any break. This would help them get adjusted to the exam taking environment. Moreover, the test should be taken without any break. It must also be ensured that they take the test in a quite environment either alone or with a group of fellow NEET aspirants. Creating a simulated test-taking experience is important. While a number of students take the NEET mock tests at coaching institutes, some prefer to take it at their home. Irrespective of the location, the above factors must be followed to get the best out of the NEET mock test.
Sometimes due to lack of conceptual understanding, or silly mistakes students tend to choose the wrong option as answer which results in the low scores. Students who get low score in NEET mock tests or question papers should identify the problem or weak areas and work on them for improvement.
The total marks of NEET is 720. Hence, a score above 500 is considered to be good. Ensuring a high score in all the sections will ensure an overall high score. Although there is no sectional cutoff or qualifying marks for NEET a balanced performance would be better than a skewed performance. The mentors or experts evaluating the NEET mock tests often set a high difficulty level question paper to help them prepare for a tough test. Hence, students should not be demotivated if their score is low. They must improve their preparation and be prepared and give their best shot to get a high score in NEET 2024.
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NEET 2023 Topper Interview- Kaustav Bauri, AIR 3
Q: Congratulations on your success in NEET 2023. Were you expecting this result?
A: Thank you. Honestly, I did not expect to be in the top three. I have exceeded my own expectations in the NEET result. I am feeling extremely happy to have achieved this feat.
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Q: Tell us about your family, schooling, etc.
A: I completed my schooling at Kendriya Vidyalaya, IIT Madras. My father is a professor at IIT Madras and my mother is an HR Lead at Accenture. My parents have been really supportive of my goal. My mother really motivated me to prepare hard enough to score 700+. So I can proudly say that along with my own expectations, I have exceeded my mother’s expectations as well, which makes me even happier.
Q: When and how did you decide to pursue Medicine?
A: Science has always been my forte. The main source of motivation and pursuance that led me to pursue Medicine is my mother.
Q: Tell us something about your NEET preparation journey and success strategy.
Commonly asked questions
NEET mock tests must be analysed by the mentors of experts after the tests where they would point out the mistakes and suggest rectifications. They would also help in improving a faster and more effective way to solve a particular question. The analysis will help students identify their strong and weak areas and based on this, a better and improved preparation strategy would be suggested to them by the experts. Abiding the feedback based on the NEET mock test analysis will help improve their performance. At the last month before the test, there is not much scope left for the preparation. Hence, at the last few days before the exam, after the analysis of NEET mock test, aspirants should focus on finalising the test-taking strategy.
NEET mock test should be taken after the basic preparation is over and the entire syllabus has been covered. Taking mock tests after NEET 2026 preparation will help students gauge their preparation level and also guide them on which sections or topics need extra emphasis. There is another pattern of taking mock tests, after completing each subject or chapter. This would help students understand their hold on each subject or section. Generally, students start taking full-fledged NEET mock tests or NEET prep questions around three to four months before the exam, once the complete preparation is over.
The frequency of taking NEET mock test depends on the number of days left for the exam. Two mock tests should be taken three to four months before the exam. When one to two months are left, the number of mocks in a week should increase. Students should dedicate the other days to analysis and preparation.
A: I started my preparation for Class 11. I enrolled on Aakash BYJU's Institute for regular coaching. I did not have any fixed routine or schedule for study. But I ensured that I whatever I studied at a particular sitting, I do with full concentration and did not get distracted. Focus was the key. Initially, there was exam fear, but with regular mock tests, I overcame it.
Q: What were your strong and weak areas and how did you tackle those?
A: Chemistry was my strong subject and I did well in this subject throughout my Class 11 and Class 12. On the other hand, Physics was my weak area as compared to the other two. There were a few topics and chapters which I found difficult in Class 11 and I worked rigorously on those areas after completing my Class 12 syllabus.
Q: What was your approach towards covering the NEET syllabus of all subjects?
A: I used to set personal targets or goals to complete a particular chapter or topic. For example, I used to set goals like completing Human Physiology by the end of this month or completing Inorganic Chemistry by the end of this week. I focused on completing those. Along with that, I did regular practice. After completing each topic, I used to solve practice questions on those. That is one foolproof method to learn a topic by heart. Moreover, after solving multiple mock tests, I got a fair idea of the questions to expect and it turned out that way.
Q: Were there any moments when you felt low or demotivated? How did you cope with the stress?
A: Yes, there were moments like this. In some NEET mock tests I scored lower than expected and I felt really dejected. But my parents and teachers at Aakash BYJU's were really supportive and helped me get back my confidence. Even I motivated myself by thinking that there is no alternative to hard work and kept going. And now after the result, all the hard work and pain seems worth!
Q: What are your hobbies and pastimes? How did you unwind during the rigorous preparation phase?
A: I am a sports lover. I play chess regularly. Even during my preparation phase, I played chess to keep myself focused and it also helped me unwind. Apart from that I also love playing football and badminton.
Q: Which medical college do you wish to take admission? What are your plans after completing MBBS?
A: I wish to take admission to AIIMS Delhi. After completing my MBBS, I would like to pursue a specialisation in Oncology. I would like to research about early diagnosis of cancer and also treat patients who are fighting this deadly disease.
Q: What is your suggestion for next year’s NEET aspirants?
A: My suggestion for next year’s NEET aspirants is to prepare each and every subject thoroughly. Complete the syllabus and do not leave out any backlogs. Complete the topics which you are strong in, and after that focus on the backlogs. For initial preparation, refer to the NCERT books thoroughly as these are super important for NEET. Take regular mock tests, even a few days before the test. One advantage of taking mocks is that you will know your mistakes and you can rectify those on time.
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Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered Yesterday
Here is the table below showing some of the top BSc Nursing college without NEET in Delhi NCR, along with their tuition fees.
| Top Colleges | Tuition Fee |
|---|---|
| Amity University, Gurugram | INR 7.52 lakh |
| Sharda School of Nursing Science & Research | INR 11.08 lakh |
| SGT University, Gurgaon | INR 13 lakh |
| Holy Family College of Nursing | INR 2.4 lakh |
| SVSU - Swami Vivekanand Subharti University | INR 9.95 lakh |
T
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 5 days ago
In many cases, yes. Some sources say NEET is not compulsory for BPT in Karnataka. Many private colleges admit students on 12th marks. Government and counselling seats may follow a different process. Rules change every year, so read the latest notice before you apply.
T
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a week ago
Not always. While NEET is common, several Karnataka colleges also accept KCET scores, and some even offer direct admission based on 12th marks. This is different from MBBS, where NEET is compulsory everywhere. So if you missed NEET or didn't score well, you still have other routes into a good nursin
T
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a week ago
The Kerala NEET UG Counselling Round 3 was conducted from September 16 to September 26. The deadline for candidates to report and join their allotted college/seat was October 1.
S
Beginner-Level 4
Answered a week ago
Yes, NEET UG is compulsory for any MBBS admission in India, including Bhopal. There is no other entrance exam or backdoor route allowed legally. After NEET, admission happens either via AIIMS-specific counselling or MP state counselling. Management quota seats also require a valid NEET score first.
T
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a week ago
Hi.
Yes. You can do many paramedical/allied-health courses in Chennai without NEET.
For Tamil Nadu, the Directorate of Medical Education and Research has a separate admission process for Allied and Healthcare (AHS) UG degree courses, distinct from MBBS/BDS admission. The 2026–27 admission notification
h
Scholar-Level 17
Answered a week ago
Students need to attain a rank of at least 1746 in the NEET exam if they belong to the General AI category. The AIIMS Bathinda NEET Cutoff 2026 is released in the form of ranks. Candiates can check the table below to know the maximum rank required for other categories.
| Category | AIIMS Bathinda NEET Cutoff 2026 |
|---|---|
| General | 1746 |
| OBC | 2185 |
| SC | 18819 |
| ST | 28998 |
| EWS | 2928 |
| PwD | 118549 |
N
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a week ago
Most B.Sc Nursing programmes in Uttar Pradesh do require a NEET UG score for admission. Some diploma-level or Post Basic Nursing programmes may accept students through separate state entrance tests instead. Private colleges sometimes have their own entrance criteria too. It's best to check each coll
T
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a week ago
Possibly yes, if your college accepts the separate MH B.Sc Nursing CET exam. Not every student needs to clear NEET to get a nursing seat in Maharashtra. Some private institutes rely purely on this state-level test. So a weak NEET score doesn't automatically close the door on nursing.
T
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 3 weeks ago
Admission to medical and dental courses (like MBBS and BDS) in India is strictly based on your NEET rank and score not on your 12th grade board exam marks.
When you qualify for NEET and attend the counseling process you must carry the following documents in original along with photocopies:
NEET Admit
S
Contributor-Level 10