Read the exclusive interview of Anurag Tiwari, National Academic Director (Medical), Aakash on how to prepare for NEET 2022 along with deciding the exam strategy and impact on the changes brought in by NTA this year.
NEET 2022 is just two months away from now. At this stage, students tend to think and chalk out the best possible ways of NEET preparation. Having expert guidance and tips not just pave the right way for them, but also boost their confidence level to crack NEET, which is scheduled for July 17. In this article of Shiksha, we bring to you the exclusive interview of Anurag Tiwari, National Academic Director (Medical), Aakash.
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In this interview, Tiwari has delved into multiple aspects of NEET, such as month-wise preparation strategy, balancing NEET preparation with Board exams, and tips for droppers and repeaters among others. He has also shared his views on some policy level decisions such as the removal of the upper age limit, and conducting NEET twice, to name a few.
Commonly asked questions
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.
As many as two candidates have scored full marks of 720 in NEET 2023 result. Out of 20,38,596 candidates who had appeared for the exam, 11,45,976 candidates have qualified. Prabanjan J from Tamil Nadu secured AIR 1 with a full score of 720. Bora Varun Chakravarthi from Andhra Pradesh has bagged AIR 2 with 720 score. Pranjal Aggarwal from Punjab is the female topper of NEET 2023 with 716 score. NEET 2023 result was declared on June 13. NTA released the scorecards along with the list of top scorers in NEET 2023 and the qualifying cutoff scores for each candidate category.
Also Read: NEET 2023 Toppers List
Read the full interview below.
Q: With approximately two months to the exam, how should students prepare for NEET 2022?
A: Indeed this is very important to strategies the upcoming two months and put the best foot forward for utilising the available time in the best possible way. The first thing is to identify your weak and strong areas. Revising the theory and then question practice will help the students cope up with the weak areas while the strong areas can be re-strengthen by practising as many questions as possible. NEET mock tests also need to be attempted at frequent time intervals.
Q: Please provide a brief month-wise preparation strategy and timetable.
A: The month of May can be utilised well in strengthening the weak areas while in June emphasis should be given to test and question practice and once the exam approaches in the month of July, mock tests should be attempted on a daily basis. Seven to eight hours of effective daily study schedule will help students in covering the NEET syllabus and keeping the pace of preparation intact. It is essential to choose the study hours and timings as per the convenience.
Q: How should one balance board exam preparation with NEET?
A: During board exams, students should be focused on that only as the NCERT content is common in both board exams and NEET. Post Board examination, they can dedicate eight to 10 hours for revision and practising the questions through assignments and mock tests.
Commonly asked questions
Q: Now that the Board exam is conducted in two phases, how should students balance it with NEET preparation?
A: The first phase is over and the second phase is going on so there is no such issue as of now. However, conceptually the content to be prepared for NEET and Board exams are similar in nature hence preparing for either exam helps students for other exams also. The major difference arises due to the pattern of examination which a student can make up by regular practising the test papers on the NEET pattern
Q: Is it difficult for NEET state Board students to prepare for NEET? What should be their strategy?
A: Most of the state board syllabus is in line with NCERT only hence there is no such big concern for state board students. However, they are always suggested to read the NCERT books line by line and understand the concepts to crack the questions asked from lines and paragraphs of NCERT. Rest strategy remains common for both CBSE and state board students.
Q: What is your take on the removal of the upper age limit from the NEET eligibility criteria? How would it impact NEET?
A: It's a good move as the students who wish to pursue their education in medicine and could not crack or appear in the NEET before will have another opportunity to pursue their dream career. However, the volume of such students is quite low hence we do not believe that it will enhance any kind of significant competition.
Q: There would be students who would be taking NEET after completing graduation or after a gap of several years, owing to the age limit removal. How should they prepare?
A: No matter how much education you have already completed, you need to start afresh keeping the syllabus and pattern of NEET in mind. The best way to get into the NCERT books of classes 11 and 12 and start practising MCQs as many as possible from each chapter of NCERT. Since the paucity of time is an important factor here hence they must do some analysis and figure out the important chapters of each subject having more weightage in NEET and prioritise such chapters in the schedule of preparation. The final move of strategic preparation for NEET is to attempt multiple part syllabus and full syllabus mock tests on NEET pattern to get oneself well acquainted with the exam pattern and devise his/her exam taking strategy and learn effective time management.
Q: What is your advice to NEET aspirants who had dropped a year for preparation?
A: The students who have dropped a year and prepared for NEET for the last few months, should be more confident in their preparation. Now, this is the time when they should figure out their weaker areas and strengthen such topics and chapters. And the best way to know the weaker areas is to do a post-test error analysis thoroughly which will be a real reflection of one's mistakes and help them to put some remedial actions around those. In the end, practising mock tests shall be mandatory for every aspirant.
Q: Should NEET be conducted twice? Please share your views in detail.
A: Indeed, a well demanded policy. It will help students prepare well and provide opportunities to improve their scores. One chance and three hours of exam journey is deciding the fate of students and mostly it remains the first experience of students. One silly mistake or move ruins their preparation and leaves them behind in one of the most competitive exams of India. Having another opportunity in the same year will help students learn from their mistakes and do better as per their potential and open the door of opportunity to pursue their dream careers.
Q: Any other information/advice you would like to share with the NEET aspirants.
A: Be clear of your goal, plan well, learn from your mistakes, avoid repetition of mistakes and move forward. Also, be prepared for failure as well. NEET is not the end of the journey rather it's just a beginning. You put up your best efforts and rest is your destiny and whatever is destined it's always best for you. All the best for NEET 2022 and as we always say; " Vijayi Bhav"!
Read More:
NEET 2022 Preparation: Expert Tips by Saurabh Kumar on How to Crack the Test
NEET 2022 Daily Practice Questions
NEET Time Management Strategy: How to Best Utilise Extra 20 Minutes Added to Duration

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Student Forum
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