Here I’ll be sharing some useful tips and tricks that helped me score 340+ in NEET Biology! These are some of the fastest ways to memorize and revise NCERT Biology which will definitely help you as a medical aspirant. This study plan and revision strategy will help you study Biology and get at least 300 marks in NEET 2023 easily.
As a medical student pursuing MBBS myself, I’ve been in your shoes and know the amount of preparation, stress, and struggle one goes through in that phase. In this eBook, I talk about the strategies aspirants need to follow to crack NEET with flying colours. It’s a natural and human tendency to lose motivation and inspiration from time to time. Throughout this guide, I show you how you can stay focused and consistent in the best possible manner.
There are dozens of NEET MCQ books out there, making it difficult for medical aspirants to decide which one to purchase. To make it easier for you, I’ve handpicked the BEST and MOST RECOMMENDED books:
How to Score 300+ in NEET Biology?
- Read class 11th and 12th NCERT line by line.
- Focus on spaced learning instead of rote learning.
- Pay attention to high scoring chapters that carry more weightage.
- Emphasize on conceptual clarity.
- Summarise better with short notes, flash cards, flowcharts and mind maps.
- Use mnemonics to remember all the examples.
- Take a closer look at diagrams and analyze.
Read NCERT line by line
Make NCERT Biology your base and read every line very carefully. Don’t just read it and leave, learn it! You might find it difficult to understand and memorize at first but you’ll get used to it eventually.
NCERT is the Bible for NEET Biology and must be read with the utmost attention. I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to understand and memorize all the topics thoroughly. Don’t skip anything because questions can be asked from anywhere!
And always start from the basics. Why?
Because the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
Spaced learning
Study NCERT biology on a daily basis, even if you’re studying it for a little while. Do this on a regular basis so that you can retain it in your long term memory. Since it’s a very light subject, you can literally study it anywhere, for example, while you’re commuting on your way back from school/college.
Let me give you two options, you choose which one’s better:
1. A student who studies for half an hour every day for a week (short and frequent sessions).
2. A student who studies for 3 and a half hours once a week (long and extended session).
Both are studying for the exact same duration a week, but for different intervals.
Who do you think will perform better?
The first student will have better memory retention.
This is known as spaced learning or spaced repetition wherein students review their textbooks again and again over a long period of time. This gives your brain a much-needed workout every time you revisit your books. Following such strategies will help you get the most out of your long term memory.
Focus on high scoring chapters
Spend a lot of time and effort on the chapters with very high weightage. NCERT Biology (class 11th and class 12th) has 10 units covering various chapters. The NTA (National Testing Agency) is placing a great deal of emphasis on NCERT.
Some of the chapters with high weightage:
- Human Physiology
- Genetic and Molecular Biology
- Plant Physiology
- Ecology
- Biotechnology
- Cell Biology and Cell Division
Conceptual clarity
Some questions are such that they combine one or more concepts together. This can confuse you if you don’t have clarity in your concepts. Clear your doubts then and there if possible. Either with the help of your teacher or the Internet. Make sure your concepts are crystal clear.
I agree that some chapters aren’t well explained in NEET and you might end up with many doubts. For these chapters, strengthen your concepts with another reference book, it can be your coaching material or from any reputed publisher or you can also watch related videos on YouTube. But make sure you only study topics that are there in NCERT from these books and not go overboard. Only after reading NCERT should you consider reading another reference book or coaching material
Summarise better
The biology section of NEET mostly consists of conceptual and factual questions. Use highlighters to highlight all the important and frequently asked points that are volatile and easy to forget so that it becomes easier for you to revise the next time.
You can also make your own quick and short notes or flowcharts on flashcards and stick it in your textbook for a quick overview of the topic. This helps in revision in the last few days before the exam.
Mnemonics
Chapters like the Plant Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Morphology of Flowering Plants, etc contain hundreds of examples. Create your own funny mnemonics (get creative!) whenever you’re having a problem remembering them.
Take a few A4 sized sheets and write down all the examples along with their features. This will hardly take an hour or so. Go through them on a daily basis and eventually you will have all the examples at your fingertips.
Diagrams
Draw and practice diagrams and don’t forget to label them as well. Practicing diagrams will help you retain it in your visual memory.
If you don’t have time to draw and practice diagrams, go through them frequently so that you don’t tend to forget them. Give special emphasis on labeling.
NEET 2023 Biology Syllabus:
- The Living World
- Biological Classification
- Plant Kingdom
- Animal Kingdom
- Morphology of Flowering Plants
- Anatomy of Flowering Plants
- Structural Organisation in Animals
- Cell – The Unit of Life
- Biomolecules
- Cell Cycle and Cell Division
- Transport in Plants
- Mineral Nutrition
- Photosynthesis in Higher Plants
- Respiration in Plants
- Plant Growth and Movement
- Digestion and Absorption
- Breathing and Exchange of Gases
- Body Fluids and Circulation
- Excretory Products and Their Elimination
- Locomotion and Movement
- Neural Control and Coordination
- Chemical Coordination and Integration
- Reproduction in Organisms
- Sexual Reproduction in Flowering Plants
- Human Reproduction
- Reproductive Health
- Principles of Inheritance and Variation
- Molecular Basis of Inheritance
- Evolution
- Human Health and Diseases
- Strategies for Enhancement in Food Production
- Microbes in Human Welfare
- Biotechnology: Principles and Processes
- Biotechnology and Its Applications
- Organisms and Populations
- Ecosystem
- Biodiversity and Conservation
- Environmental Issues
Is NCERT Enough for Biology in NEET 2023?
The NCERT textbooks are sufficient to score well on the biology section of NEET. There are about 75 questions in NEET Biology that can be answered comfortably by studying only NCERT, which equates to about 300 marks. In order to prepare for NEET 2023, it is recommended that you study NCERT from cover to cover.
The National Council of Educational Research and Training, NCERT books help to build a rock-solid conceptual foundation. Moreover, it’s written in a simple and lucid language which is easy to understand.
If you don’t have the NCERT textbooks you can download it from their official website.
It’s up to you how you test your knowledge through problem-solving on a regular basis.
How to Revise Biology for NEET 2023?
- Solve NCERT exemplar for better understanding of the topic.
- Practice MCQs and attempt mock tests on a daily basis.
- Go through previous year’s questions to know the exam pattern.
- Revise regularly and effectively.
- Stay calm and confident.
Solve NCERT exemplar
NCERT exemplar books (class 11th and class 12th) are very beneficial and have HOTS (higher-order thinking skills) type of questions in MCQ format which will definitely aid in strengthening your basics and fundamentals. Sometimes, these advanced level questions are directly picked from NCERT exemplar and given in NEET.
Practice MCQs and attempt mock tests
Attempt as many mock tests as you can because it helps you to improve your speed and accuracy. Go for mock tests with high-quality questions. Don’t neglect it and don’t get disheartened if you’re scoring low, work on where you’re going wrong and be consistent in your preparation. Practicing biology is as important as practicing physics and chemistry. Mock tests will help you distinguish between gaining knowledge and applying knowledge.
Also, try to finish these mock tests within a given time frame so that you get used to it. The exam is of 3 hours, try to finish the biology section in less than an hour so that you can devote more time to solving chemistry and physics.
Give mock tests, analyze, improve, execute in the exam!
Go through previous year’s questions
Checking the previous year’s questions in both NEET and AIIMS will help you get a grip on the topics which are frequently asked which will eventually help you get get a better understanding of the level and difficulty type of questions asked in the medical entrance examination. Religiously solve at least past 10 years questions papers.
Revise regularly
Don’t leave revision for the last minute. Revise at regular intervals so that you can recollect topics and concepts in a very efficient and effective way. When you’re studying, have a balance between the easy and the difficult topics and try to focus more on the former.
Stay calm
Don’t stress out. It will only decrease your performance. Stay consistent and keep going, that’s the key. Constantly thinking about negative consequences will only downgrade your potential. Stay confident!
Good luck Medicoholics! Until next time.
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