How to Prepare for NEET & Board Exams at the Same Time?

Preparing for the NEET Exam and board exams at the same time is not easy, but if you follow the right approach, the process will be much easier for you. It is normal to feel clueless and intimidated when you are aiming to score good marks in the board exams as well as preparing for NEET. The good news, however, is that there are many common topics between the two exams. Smart strategies and time management skills will help you get ready for both crucial exams and alleviate your stress. 

To simultaneously target both board and NEET exams, you need to utilise all the available help and resources. This discussion is aimed at guiding you with exam preparation and providing you with some effective tips and tricks to ace the NEET and board exams. 

12 Useful Tips to Prepare for NEET and Board Exams

Pay Attention to the Topics That Are Common Between Neet and Your Board Exams

There are many topics in the board exam syllabus that are included in the NEET Syllabus as well. It would be best if you studied those topics thoroughly to make the most productive use of your time. Shifting your focus to revising the common topics from the syllabi of both crucial exams will make your preparation much easier. Also, after the board exams are over and you are preparing for the NEET Exam in full force, you will thank yourself because some topics will already have been covered with the board exam preparation. 

Prioritise Topics of the NEET Syllabus

During board exam preparation, you will attend lectures in school and tuition on the topics included in the NEET Syllabus. Your teacher may have explained those well in the class, but it is likely that with time you may not be able to recall the entire explanation provided by the teachers. To solve this problem, you must look for video lessons to recapitulate the topics and brush up on the concepts. This will make you feel more confident during your NEET Exam preparation later. 

Utilise the Question Banks Effectively

After studying the theory part of the topics for board exams, solve multiple choice questions based on those topics to tackle the NEET Exam preparation at the same time. You can also solve NEET sample papers during your free time to increase your skill set and get an idea about the exam pattern. Practise numerical-based and calculation-based problems for Physics. It will also help you get outstanding results in the board exams. 

Be Attentive in the Class

Many students attend classes just for the sake of doing it. Due to laziness and lack of motivation, they do not pay attention to what the teacher is explaining. Some students even think it is okay to be absent-minded in class as they can make up for it during self-study sessions. While self-study forms the core of your preparation, being attentive during classes is equally important. 

Your teacher might discuss some points that might not be in the textbooks or even provide you without shortcuts and mnemonics for hard-to-remember information out of personal experience and expertise. Such information will be beneficial both for your board and NEET Exam. To get tips to help in being attentive in class, check out this blog Tips to Improve Concentration and Performance in Classroom

Set Realistic Study Goals

While setting your study goals, be realistic. There is a lot of study material available in the market and online. It would be best if you acknowledged the fact that you can not study it all. You may plan to study from several books, and when you aren’t able to accomplish it, you might feel demotivated. The NEET Exam is indeed very competitive, and the more you study, the better results you will be able to achieve. But, studying the same topic from more than one source will confuse you.

It would be best to hold one to only one resource apart from the NCERT textbooks. Also, move on to that other resource only after you are extremely confident that you know the NCERT questions and answers. In fact, you might not need books other than the NCERT textbook for Biology. For Physics and Chemistry, it is indispensable to study additional reference books. 

Make Productive Use of Your Time

Even though studying smart is important and will help you make the most out of your time, learning time management skills is equally important. Do not fall prey to procrastination and distractions, and try to cover the syllabus as soon as possible to make time for revisions. Instead of blindly following the syllabus, try to determine which topics you need to prioritise. Checking out previous year’s papers for both exams and consulting with seniors and teachers will help you in this regard. If you are unable to make productive use of your time lately, checking out this blog will help you How To Manage Your Time Effectively For Success.

Identify Your Strengths and Weaknesses

Everyone is good at something and average at something else. Knowing what you are good at increases your confidence while knowing your weaknesses makes you face them and try to change them into strengths. After solving the previous year’s question papers or giving mock tests, you must check the paper and analyse your mistakes. Note them down on a piece of paper and revisit the topics they are based on. 

You can also mark the topics and revise those at a later date. This will ensure that you do not repeat the same mistakes in the exam. Knowing your strengths is also important as it gives you confidence and lets you decide which topics you are good at so that you do not waste your time revising them. 

Be Flexible With Your Academic Schedule

It might not be possible to accomplish your academic targets on all days of the week. There are days when you are not motivated enough or have other engagements that prevent you from hitting the target. If you miss a target, do not feel discouraged. Just pick up where you had left and continue with your schedule. 

If you stress over the lost time, it will lead to unnecessary wastage of time. Alleviate your stress by remembering that your study plan is flexible, and you can alter it on occasions if you have other commitments. Just work harder on the subsequent days to compensate for the missed chapter or topic. 

Solve NEET Previous Year Question Papers and Sample Papers

Start solving NEET Previous Year Question Papers and attend NEET Mock Tests during free time. It will help you understand what kind of questions are asked in the exam and the NEET Exam Pattern so that the next time you read a topic, you can do so from the NEET point of view. Also, you will get acquainted with the difficulty level of the paper and study accordingly. This will help you prepare for both exams simultaneously. Upto around one month before the board exams, studying for the NEET Exam must be your priority. 

Common Chapters Between NEET and Board Exams

Biology

Chemistry

Physics

Conclusion

Preparing for your NEET and board exams simultaneously can be very stressful, and you will find yourself doubting your abilities at certain points of the preparation. However, you need to remember that this is the right thing to do and will reap great rewards at the end of the day. All the best!

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