NEET 2023 Topper Interview: NCERT Books and Mock Tests Are Keys To Success, Says AIR 3 Kaustav Bauri
National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test 2026 ( NEET )
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 2023, 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.
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.
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.
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.
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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AIIMS Bhopal | 634 | 1142 | 116405 | 7030 | 11713 |
AIIMS, Bhubaneswar | 785 | 1481 | 22426 | 6034 | 23884 |
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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.