NEET 2025 Preparation: Five Common Mistakes that Bring Your Score Down
National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test 2026 ( NEET )
Avoid repeating the mistakes made by NEET aspirants in the past and improve your chances of clearing the exam in the first go. Read on to know the five common NEET 2025 preparation mistakes that bring the score down.
Every candidate who attempts the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) dreams of qualifying for the examination on the first attempt. They work hard to make this dream a reality. However, not everyone succeeds when the results are declared. Those left behind wonder where they had faltered. The problem is not always the commitment or dedication of an individual, sometimes it is a few silly mistakes made during the preparation phase that change the outcome.
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The NEET 2025 exam will be conducted on May 4, 2025, in an offline mode. With less than a month left for the exam, aspirants must have completed preparing for the exam and focussing on revision and practice. Moreover, they should also know the common mistakes during preparation so that they can avoid them. In this article, we have listed five common NEET 2025 preparation mistakes that bring the score down. Aspirants should avoid repeating these mistakes to improve their chances in NEET 2025.
The official website of NEET 2026 will be announced by NTA. The URL of the website in 2025 was neet.nta.nic.in. It was changed from that of 2024, which was neet.ntaonline.in. The website is hosted by NTA.
I will not say, it is impossible. It is possible, but you have work very hard and must give your 200% effort to crack these competitive exams. In my opinion, it is better to take coaching for NEET exam. Coaching makes your exam preparation easier. Sometimes, if you get lots of doubt then you can get it cleared by your tutor who has got subject knowledge.
Students get individual attention at coaching institutes and they focus on learning and development of students as per their requirement. Coaching centers also teach you a lot of tips, tricks and time management that help you to crack NEET exam. But, you have to be careful in choosing a right and resourceful coaching center, as there are many fraud coaching centers that works for money and not for delivering knowledge to students.
Five Common NEET 2025 Preparation Mistakes that Bring the Score Down
The common mistakes for NEET 2025 preparation listed below are not exactly regarding a particular subject or topic but can vary from the method or approach of preparation altogether. Let us know which are such common yet wrong practices followed during preparation that must be avoided to secure a high score in the exam.
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Mistake #1: Disregarding NCERT
NEET 2025 preparation and NCERT books are inseparable. They must go together if one wants to score decent marks in NEET 2024. Neglecting the NCERT books and focusing only on the reference material is one common mistake that many NEET aspirants make. NCERT must always be the first book that you refer to for any topic. Only after completing the preparation of a chapter from NCERT, one should move to another book to study the same chapter. Reference books should be used as supplementary books as they can never replace NCERT for NEET 2025 preparation. According to NEET toppers, they gave priority to NCERT books before other reference books that are available in the market.
Also Read: Are NCERT books enough for cracking NEET 2025?
Mistake #2: Depending too much on mock tests and avoiding analysis
Many students feel that taking NEET mock tests is more beneficial than reading textbooks for NEET 2025 preparation. They focus more on solving NEET mock tests and spend very little time actually reading and understanding the nuances of a chapter. It does help in the beginning when the difficulty level of the questions is low. As the preparation reaches an advanced stage, they find it difficult to attempt the questions which require a thorough understanding of the topic.
Maths is not compulsory for NEET. You have numerical in Physics but you do not required Maths in Class 11 and Class 12 to solve those. If you studied Maths in class 10, then you can solve the numericals in Physics. Since NEET has Physics, Chemistry and Biology subjects, it would be advantageous for you if you are a PCB student. Moreover, in case a candidate has studied PCM and not Biology, even as an additional subject, then he/she will not be eligible to appear for NEET exam. Hence, Maths is not compulsory, rather not required for NEET. But having basic mathematical knowledge and skills would be an added advantage.
While preparing for NEET 2025, students must always read and understand the chapter before attempting mock tests. Only when the base and concepts are clear, they will be able to attempt any question from a topic. Another important mistake students often commit during NEET preparation is avoiding analysing their mock test performances. After each mock test, they should get their mock tests analysed by their mentor to understand the scopes of improvement and the recurring errors. After this, modify your preparation strategy accordingly.
Also Read: NEET 2025: 5 advantages of solving previous years' question papers and mock tests
Mistake #3: Shifting from one book to another
The minute one decides to prepare for NEET, he/she ends up searching for the books that people refer to for NEET preparation. Most of the students end up buying two or more reference books for a subject, apart from NCERT books. These books for NEET preparation usually sit on the shelves until exam day. Another common problem is shifting from one book to another, without completing a chapter from either of them which leads to confusion. To avoid both these issues during the advanced stages of NEET 2025 preparation, students should start by buying only one reference book that they intend to use. They should finish the NCERT books first and then complete the reference book. Only after completing these, they should refer to the third book for better retention of concepts.
Mistake #4: Trying to mug up the answers
While solving the mock tests and previous years' NEET question papers, students may come across many questions that they are unable to attempt. Though mugging up the answers for the Biology section may be beneficial sometimes, doing the same for the Physics and Chemistry sections usually proves to be futile. The approach for such questions must not be cramming all the answers, but reworking the concepts. They should first Identify the weak chapters or topics and then revise them thoroughly before taking the next mock test.
Mistake #5: Not taking breaks and making no time for hobbies
Spending time with family and friends helps relieve stress during the preparation phase. The same applies to your hobbies. However many students stop interacting with their friends and spend little or no time with their families while preparing for NEET. The result is demotivation towards the end. Moreover, the current situation of uncertainty can cause anxiety and stress but aspirants must not get bogged down with numerous news, discussions and deliberations on the impending NEET 2025 schedule and NEET application process. Remain focused on preparation and unwind from time to time to maintain composure and balance.
Read More:
- How to Complete NEET 2025 Syllabus on Time
- NEET Study Material for 2025: Check Subject-wise Study Material
- How to Prepare for NEET Without Coaching
FAQs Regarding NEET Preparation Mistakes
Q: When should I start preparing for NEET?
A: Generally, aspirants start preparing for NEET around two years prior to the exam. Even if it is not possible for candidates to start preparing two years in advance, they should give at least one year for dedicated NEET preparation.
Q: Are NCERT or school text books enough to prepare for NEET?
A: Although NCERT or school text books will help you understand the concepts and complete the NEET syllabus, to get an edge over others in this highly competitive exam, students should refer to other top books for NEET preparation.
Q: Should I take NEET mock tests in online mode?
A: Although there are a lot of online NEET mock tests available in the internet and students may refer to those, but they must stick to the traditional method of solving those. This means, even if they refer to the questions online, the mock tests should be solved in offline or paper-pencil-based mode (PBT), which is the original mode for three hours and twenty minutes to get yourself accustomed to the test.
Q4: Which subject in NEET should I give maximum preference to?
A: Each subject has equal number of questions. Hence, students should give equal attention and prepare for all the subjects equally. Among the three subjects, one must give extra attention to the weak areas.
Q: Physics is my weakest section. Can I leave out the entire section?
A: It is not advisable for candidates to leave out an entire subject in the NEET question paper. This would affect the overall score and rank and would minimise the chance of qualifying for the exam. It is best to identify the weak areas soon after starting the NEET preparation and work towards improving the concepts to get a good score in the exam.
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Student Forum
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Have a look at the NEET cut off 2025 for AIIMS for categories- General, OBC, SC, ST and PwD.
College Name | GN | OBC | PWD | SC | ST |
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AIIMS, Delhi | 48 | 207 | 351802 | 644 | 1405 |
AIIMS Bhopal | 634 | 1142 | 116405 | 7030 | 11713 |
AIIMS, Bhubaneswar | 785 | 1481 | 22426 | 6034 | 23884 |
AIIMS Patna | 4952 | 2705 | 221737 | 17167 | 111319 |
AIIMS Raipur | 1376 | 2016 | 194869 | 96012 | 22885 |
AIIMS Rishikesh | 816 | 1104 | 151827 | 8240 | 33497 |
AIIMS Raebareli | 3736 | 4282 | 327221 | 34668 | 51396 |
AIIMS Bathinda | 1798 | 2482 | 174486 | 19371 | 42487 |
AIIMS Gorakhpur | 2602 | 3595 | 294578 | 31853 | 46911 |
AIIMS Hyderabad | 1874 | 3464 | 221694 | 17480 | 45033 |
AIIMS Deoghar | 9475 | 12393 | 305719 | 36880 | 61580 |
AIIMS, Bilaspur | 6483 | 3549 | 241346 | 30304 | 41195 |
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How do I prepare for the NEET during a BSc Preparation of NEET UG with your on going BSc Degree. There are two things involved and I'm going to give the answer in two fragments. SEE if you are going to do your BSc From a government college where you have to study and pass your sem/annual exam with practicals then it will be lil tough for you, then remember one thing don't make a mistake of studying in last month to take exam of your college bc it will only waste your time of one month which might be very crucial from perspective of NEET and it will be a hazard if sem/annual exam falls near your NEET exam. So study for college solely by attending lecture of your teachers in college and make their notes and you can bunk your college to prepare for NEET don't waste your time in making frnds in college and make a habit of studying for college BSc In only study hours of your college and rest of the time for NEET and make sure you dedicate your focused I repeat focused 5-6 hour of time for NEET and increase it gradually. And for college exams don't take stress you have your notes just revise them before one week and you are good to go If you are doing your B.Sc. From private college then boom don't take any tension just talk to administration and you won't have to attend the college ( if they ask pay them if it's a small college they will accept the offer for 5-6k ) you don't have to attend the lecture and practicals too just go and take the exam and may be they will arrange something for you in exams too like cheating and all you will pass it without any tension. Although you can buy notes of subjects from market notes are available in market and study them before 2 weeks of your exam and you can study for your NEET exam. It would be tough to manage both of them but over-all it is rewarding so do it and ha! Don't take any pressure everything comes from practice and studying is a practice dude! Make a habit of doing meditation you will SEE the benefits within 30 days start with 5 minutes and gradually increase upto 15 minutes for first 30 days it will surely help in your studies. Don't fall for the trap that I can revise something in that 15 minutes or can chill by listening songs or watching videos nope don't do that mediation can ease your journey of preparation.