10 Study Tips for the Last Days of JEE/NEET Exam Preparation

Considering the mad rush that goes behind the preparation of any competitive exam, JEE/ NEET is no exception. The last few weeks before the JEE/NEET examination play a crucial role in the student's exam plan. They can make or break your exam preparation. Hence, what you read and how you read are essential in helping you fast-track your preparation. 

While leading academic publishers like DISHA Publication have been providing the best exam preparation material for competitive exams like JEE/NEET, it is essential to know how they use these resources in the best way possible when time is of the essence.

This article will tell you what to do and what not to do in the last few days before the exams.

Tip 1: Intense Review

The biggest mistake is to run after more and more new content. Remember, success and failure in JEE/NEET depend on: 

• What you know and not what you don't know. Focus on consolidating all your knowledge.
• Refrain from getting confused in the examination hall due to a lack of revision.
• Under no circumstance should you solve new problems in the last few days. Focus your attention on the main points of revision. Time is very limited, and how you spend it is essential. Focus on the rapid notes and questions marked in the consolidation phase

Tip 2: Practice a Lot of Output

• Success depends on how much you can convert your knowledge (input) into the net score (output). 
• A survey revealed that most students fail not because of a lack of knowledge (input) but because of the inability to convert input into output. So rather than passive revision focus on active recall/making mind maps/practice questions with a time limit. Despite this, it has been frequently seen that the student spends 99% of his energy and time gaining input, i.e. acquiring more and more knowledge and ignoring output.

Tip 3: Attempt as Many JEE/NEET Mock Tests as Possible

• Every student faces situations where they have to solve questions immediately after the exam. The reason for this loss is examination tension and pressure, which mock tests can reduce. The test helps in giving finishing touches and improving output.
• The test should tell you where you are, where you have to be, what the gap is and how exactly that gap can be filled up. The test should act as a tool to improve output.
• The post-test analysis is critical. DISHA Publication's internal research shows that only a few students emphasize post-test analysis, fewer still identify their strong & weak areas & very few of the rest learn how to avoid these mistakes in future. Remember, the key to success is identifying mistakes and avoiding them in future.
• After each test, analyze your performance for at least 1 to 2 hours to find out where you go wrong & what areas of improvement are. For instance, is it the speed, strike rate, or something else? Post-test analysis should clearly identify your strengths & weaknesses so that you can work on your weaknesses before you take the next test.

Tip 4: Finalize the Test-taking Strategy for JEE/NEET 2023 

• Decide the sequence of sections
• Decide the time for each section
• Be ready for surprises

Tip 5: Avoid discussing your preparation with others 

When with friends, try to talk sparingly about how nervous you are, how you will perform and what the final results might be. It will only make you more anxious and take your attention off your preparation.

Tip 6: Post Positive Messages around Your Study Table

Enhance your self-esteem by surrounding yourself with positive messages. Post your family images. Your parents and family give you a lot of strength. Paste pictures where you have won prizes. One of the toppers we interacted with revealed every morning the first thought he used to focus on was visualizing that he was going to CRACK the exam.

Tip 7: Relax the day before the examination 

Do what you like best or what makes you happy or motivates you. Anxiety and excitement are typical on the eve of the examination. Suppress excessive worrying. 

Tip 8: Verify the exact location of your examination center

You should verify the exact location of your examination center at least one day before the exam. Prefer going to the JEE/NEET test Centre with somebody. It can be your parents, uncle, elder brother or friend. Check the exact time of the commencement of your examination. Plan to be there at least half an hour before the scheduled time. If commuting takes half an hour, you shall start at least an hour before the examination begins.

Tip 9: Have a light meal and get good sleep

Listen to some soft music. Go to bed at least by 10.30 p.m., not later. An hour of sleep is more valuable to your performance than an hour of extra cramming. We advise you to go to bed a little earlier than usual. This way, even if you do not sleep well, you will still get enough rest.

Tip 10: Be mentally strong

You have worked hard throughout the year for JEE/NEET 2023 and tomorrow will be your day. As Sachin Tendulkar once said, "Matches are fought and won in mind, not in the field."

This article is written by Avinash Agarwal, the Director of DISHA Publication. As a seasoned Study Skill Coach, he has written various books on improving Student life and simplifying exam preparation, such as Stop Being a Maggu!, Toppers' Study Hacks, The Secret Code of UPSC Toppers, and Bhagavad Gita - The Story Way.