What is the right time to start giving mock tests for NEET Preparation?

Start giving mock tests early. Preparing for the NEET Exam requires strategic planning and careful smart strategies. One major element to include in your NEET preparation is incorporating timely mock tests to boost your preparation and enhance your overall study regimen. The perfect time to start giving a mock test is prior to 6-8 months before the main exam. 

This period will help you analyze your mistakes and make your approach towards the exam a perfect one

• Mock tests are the path to have a clear understanding of the exam pattern, help you to manage time efficiently, and reduce your prior exam stress to a great extent. 
• Mock tests provide you with a real time analysis of your progress, marking  your weaknesses and strengths and guides you for improvement. Starting early with attempting mock tests will ensure that you have sufficient time for practicing different types of questions. 
• You gain an early bird strategy- by giving mock tests repeatedly you gain a competitive edge from others by improving your preparation. This practice will not only familiarize you with the exam pattern but will also build a disciplined study routine. 

Do you have exam phobia? 

Having an exam phobia during NEET Preparation is very common. However there are certain tips and techniques following which, you can avoid prior mock exams anxiety. 

• Organise your study routine: Follow a strict and consistent study regime and allot a dedicated time slot for completing the syllabus on time. 
• Avoid procrastination and stay positive: Aspirants tend to procrastinate a lot thinking about their publication of exam results. Utilise your time in efficient revision rather than thinking about uncertainty. 
• Practice mind-relaxation techniques: Techniques such as practicing various deep breathing exercises and meditation will help you focus and concentrate better in your studies. 

Should you appear in the mock test if you are not fully prepared? 

Yes. You should appear in the mock tests even if you have not completed 100% of your syllabus. Mock tests are preparative improvement tests which helps you identify your progress and preparation and gives you a detailed insight about the actual exam pattern. 

It is recommended to start giving small mock tests  such as DPP (Daily Practice Problem) from day 1, as this will build your habit of solving questions and gain knowledge about the various types of questions that you might face on your actual exam day. 

What are the 4 components of a successful mock test? 

Four components of a successful mock tests are: 
 

• Honesty: Stay honest to yourself. Even if you are attempting the mock test online, never try to peek at answers or take unfair shortcuts. Maintaining honesty during mock tests is crucial as it helps you to take an accurate assessment of your preparation. 

• Prior revision of your mistakes: Prior revision of your mistakes in your mock tests is crucial as this will make you understand the cause of the mistakes and clarify the concepts. Regularly revising these areas will help you to learn from past mistakes and prevent you from repeating them in the future. 

• Post exam evaluation and use of effort mirror: Post exam evaluation is equally important just like prior revision before attempting any mock test. Post evaluation will help you track your current progress and you can put more effort in the difficult  concepts. Use of an effort mirror helps you track the types of mistakes that occur during your mock exams, following which you can maintain your preparation graph. 

• Time management: Mock tests help you to learn effective time management skills. Gradually you will be able to learn how to allocate specific time slots to individual sections of the NEET exam paper. Regular practice will help you to improve your efficiency. 

What type of mistakes occur during your mock test? How to avoid them? 

During the mock tests, various types of mistakes can occur like the bubbling mistake, random silly mistakes and severe calculation mistakes. 

The students need to be aware and careful while marking the OMRs. 

• Fill the OMR bubbles properly. 
• Avoid rushing through the questions. Take time and read properly and then mark the answers. 
• Do rough calculations in physics and physical chemistry. This will prevent you from committing calculation mistakes. 

Why are mock test analysis necessary? 

Mock tests analysis are necessary because: 
 

• It helps you to evaluate your current level of preparation. 

• To maximize your strength and improve your weakness. 

• To formulate an appropriate strategy of answering the questions on the main day. 

• To prevent yourself from repeating the same mistake. 

Preparation strategy overview:

• Analyze your scorecard carefully: Identify your areas of strength and weakness, review patterns in your answers, understand and clarify the mistakes that you make, and note them. This will ensure that you put your effort on improving the weaker areas and reinforcing the knowledge of the major topics. 
• Identify your strengths and weaknesses: Identifying your mistakes and rectifying them is an honest assessment of your skill. Highlight the areas in which you excel and mark those areas that need time and improvement. This balanced approach will help you create an effective study routine. 
• Revise the concept: Revising the concept requires a strategic approach and planning. Revise your text and notebooks, before attempting for the mock test. Create mind maps and diagrams that will help you visualize and retain the concepts easily. Set aside separate time for revision and track your consistent progress in your NEET Preparation journey. 
• Attempt the mock test: Start by setting up an actual exam-like environment and avoid distractions. Learn to manage your time wisely and effectively and allocate sufficient time for your preparation and revision. Practicing mock tests regularly will enhance your time management skills and make you more confident before the NEET Exam. 

Top hidden tricks to improve your mock tests:

• Subject switching: Attend the biology portion at first as it will save your maximum time to complete physics and chemistry later. Test the difficulty level of physics and chemistry and attend the paper on that basis. 
• Time allotment: Allot ½ minute to solve a biology question, so in total you will need 45 minutes to complete biology. Stress equal importance to physics and chemistry as this will decide your rank and score. 
• Number of questions to be attempted: Try to attempt maximum number of questions only when you are sure about the answers as this will increase your marks and overall rank. 
• Bulk Bubbling: Make sure that you bubble one question at a time. Many students have a habit of marking the answers at first on the question paper and then try to bulk bubble on the OMR sheet. This increases the chances of wrong marking of answers. 
• Speed breaker technique: In physics and physical chemistry, if you are stuck in any question, leave that and solve the other ones. When you complete the paper, return back to that question and solve it. This will prevent you from wasting time unnecessarily.