What is the best time to start preparing for NEET MDS?
National Eligibility cum Entrance Examination for MDS admissions 2026 ( NEET MDS )
Exam On - 2 May '26
Want to pursue an MDS degree and wondering what is the best time to start preparing for NEET MDS? Read on to get the answer to your question.
The minute you enter the classroom on the first day of college, you start thinking about the next step. Many have their goals clear, they know that they want to pursue a master’s degree and start planning their approach. Others take their time to figure out what they want to do next. After they have decided, they try to figure out if it is the right time to start preparing for the entrance test.
Such is the case with many who seek admission to MDS degree courses. They wonder, if it is the best time to start preparing for NEET MDS. The answer to this question is very simple, the best time to start preparing for NEET MDS is the minute you realise the dream of pursuing a master’s degree course. You may be at any stage, but you can always start your preparation form that very moment and succeed. However, starting early does have a few advantages. Read on to know about the preparation strategy for NEET MDS.
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What is the best time to start preparing for NEET MDS?
First Year BDS
When you have your goals set, and you know for sure that you will apply for a master’s degree upon completion of your BDS, you can start preparing from the next minute.
During the first year of BDS, you will learn the basics such as Anatomy (both oral and general), Physiology and Biochemistry. The first year will also have introductory chapters for Prosthodontics. The second-year will introduce Conservative Dentistry and you start attending the pre-clinics. Apart from these, you study Pharmacology, Microbiology and Pathology (both oral and general). These two years are crucial for building a foundation for the more complex subjects that unfold in the years to come. Understand the basics and prepare notes for all these subjects. Revision notes for subjects like Anatomy and Pharmacology will help you in the long run.
There are a total of 17 topics which are covered under the NEET MDS exam syllabus. The topics are listed below.
- General Anatomy including embryology and histology
- General Human Physiology and Biochemistry
- Dental Anatomy, Embryology and Oral Histology
- General Pathology and Microbiology
- General and Dental Pharmacology and Therapeutics
- Dental Materials
- General Medicine
- General Surgery
- Oral Pathology and Oral Microbiology
- Oral Medicine and Radiology
- Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry
- Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics
- Periodontology
- Prosthodontics and Crown and Bridge
- Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics
- Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
- Public Health Dentistry
NBE, or the exam conducting body states, "The syllabus of the above topics shall be as per the latest Regulations for BDS courses notified by the Dental Council of India with prior approval of the Govt. of India."
Third Year BDS
Many NEET MDS aspirants start their preparation in the third year of BDS. In the third year of BDS you are introduced to the major dental subjects such as Orthodontics, Periodontology and Pedodontics. However, this year majorly covers General Medicine and General Surgery. These two subjects will require a thorough understanding of everything that has been taught until date. Aim to finish the curriculum of first to third year by the end of this year. During the last year of BDS, you will be dealing with all the major dental subjects. Focus on understanding the concepts and their clinical aspects. The final year can be overwhelming due to the number of subjects, but, make sure you revise the curriculum of the previous years on weekends.
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During the Internship
If your basics are clear, you can start preparing for NEET MDS during the internship as well. You can utilise this time to clarify the doubts if any. Revise every day and make a time-table for NEET MDS preparation. You can also utilise the time that you get during the postings for your preparation. Internship is the perfect time to start attempting mock tests for NEET MDS. By this time, you have covered every topic and mock tests will highlight the areas that need more work.
After the Internship
This is the trickiest time to start preparing for NEET MDS. To prepare thoroughly for NEET MDS, you need to revise the syllabus at least twice before you attempt the examination. You also need to focus on attempting as many mock tests during this period. On an average, aspirants of NEET MDS who have dedicated all their time for the preparation, require 8-10 months to complete their preparation after the internship.
However, if you are working during the preparatory phase, you might need up to a year to complete the revision and attempt enough mock tests. You will also have to stick to a strict time table which will ensure that you get enough time to study each day. Reserve the weekends for mock tests and sample papers.
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Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered 4 days ago
The MUHS Nashik NEET MDS cutoff 2025 was published for admission to the MDS course specialisations for multiple categories under the All India quota.
For the General AI category, the last round cutoff rank fell between the ranges of 604 and 37, wherein the top two the hardest courses for admission w
N
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a week ago
DY Patil Pune NEET MDS Cutoff 2025 was released for admission to the MDS courses for all rounds. The cutoff was released in the form of opening and closing ranks for students belonging to the All India quota.
Going by the last round cutoff for the General AI category, the ranks fell between 4598 and
N
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 weeks ago
The Utkal University NEET MDS Cutoff 2025 was released for admission to the MDS course and its various specialisations for all rounds and categories under the All India category. For the General AI category, the cutoff ranged from 39 to 268, according to the first and last round closing ranks. Among
N
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 3 weeks ago
The DU NEET MDS Cutoff 2025 was released for all categories under the AI quota for admission to the MDS courses. For the OBC AI quota, the cutoff ranged 33 in the first round to 423 in the last round. Students can refer to the table below to know the first and last round closing ranks for various MD
N
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 3 weeks ago
Th HPU NEET MDS Cutoff 2025 was released for all categories under the All India quota. For the OBC AI quota, the closing cutoff ranged from 333 to 524 in the last round. Among all the MDS course specialisations, the hardest was MDS in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, with a cutoff rank of 333 for thi
N
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 3 weeks ago
The HPU NEET MDS Cutoff 2025 has been released for admission to MDS course via the NEET MDS entrance examination for all rounds and categories for the students belonging to the All India quota. For the General AI category, 290 was the closing cutoff rank in the last round for MDS in Conservative Den
N
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 4 weeks ago
The Bharati Vidyapeeth NEET MDS Cutoff 2025 was released for admission to the MDS courses for all categories under the All India quota. The top two most competitve courses were MDS in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, with the cutoff in the last round being 2795. In 2024, the cutoff for the same cours
N
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 4 weeks ago
The Bharati Vidyapeeth NEET MDS Cutoff 2025 has been released for admission to the MDS programme. According to the cutoff in 2025, the last round closing ranks were between 2795 and 19481 for the General category candidates under the All India quota. The hardest course for admission in the last roun
N
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
The Manipal University NEET MDS Cutoff 2025 has been published branch and round-wise for admission to the MDS course. For the General AI category, the last round cuotff ranged from 2623 to 16716 rank, wherein, MDS in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery was the toughest course for admission, and the easie
N
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
The Gujarat University NEET MDS Cutoff 2025 was published for all categories and rounds under the All India category. According to the NEET MDS Cutoff 2025, for the General AI category, the cutoff range was 38 to 530, wherein the most competitive specialisation was MDS in Conservative Dentistry and
N
Contributor-Level 10
NEET MDS Notifications
Oral Pathology & Oral Microbiology and Oral Medicine & Radiology are the two chapters/topics which carry the highest weightage of approximately 15 marks each in the NEET MDS entrance exam. Candidates must note that this is based on previous years' analysis. For the upcoming NEET MDS exam, the weightage may differ. Hence, students must give equal emphasis to all subjects or topics.