Biology is the most scoring section in the NEET exam. It constitutes 50% of the question paper. One can score high marks in this section easily due to the theoretical nature of the subject. But one must remember that biology is not just mugging up the facts but understanding the process and the concepts.
To guide the aspirants, we have provided a few tips on how to start preparing for biology for the NEET exam.
- Know and divide the syllabus: Candidates should thoroughly know the entire syllabus of Biology. Keep in mind that you have to cover a vast syllabus that requires deep understanding. There are around 38 chapters from both class 11 and 12 combined. Around 40-42 questions will come from Class 11 and the remaining 48-50 questions will come from Class 12. Your preparation becomes more effective if you divide the syllabus based on the marks weightage of Biology in NEET. Start with the chapters that have high weightage and then complete the remaining chapters to increase your score in the exam.
- Plan a Schedule: Make a proper schedule in which you allot time to all the topics covered in the syllabus. Divide your preparation time into small portions. This will help your mind relax as well as you will not get bored. You should strictly follow the timetable and complete the daily targets. Do not try to skip any target for the next day. Give importance to the difficult topics and spend extra time studying those.
- Give priority to the important topics: Even though it is a must to read all the chapters from the syllabus, you should pay extra attention to the important chapters to score well in the biology section. It is a very bad idea to read anything and everything. Focus more on Plant Physiology, Ecology, Cell Biology, Morphology of plants, Human Physiology, Molecular Basis of Inheritance, Genetics, Biomolecules, and Biotechnology. You should have strong knowledge of all these chapters as so many questions are asked from these units only.
- Choose the Right Books: Your preparation gets more complicated if you study too many books. Your first priority should always be NCERT of classes 11 and 12 as it provides strong conceptual knowledge. You should study the entire NCERT book line by line thoroughly and perfectly as approximately 68-70 questions are directly asked from them. They can be answered easily if you have in-depth knowledge of all the topics. Just reading and memorizing is not enough as around 8-10 questions will be of advanced level. You are required to apply the knowledge that you have on the topics. Only after completing the NCERT books, you are advised to refer to other standard materials like Objective NCERT at your fingertips – MTG, NCERT Exemplar, Trueman’s biology, Arihant, and finally Cengage.
- How to study Biology from NCERT and other sources:
- First reading: When you start a chapter, try to understand that chapter. Don’t highlight the important points.
- Second reading: Now, when you read the chapter again, highlight all the important lines. By now, you will have a clear idea of what you have read. Now, start making notes in the NCERT book itself using sticky notes, etc making the revision process easier. Reading each chapter at least 3-4 times will help you to remember most of it until the next revision. Don’t forget to read the “summary” section given at the end of each chapter as it has some extra points to know.
- Prepare Small Notes: It is a tough task to memorize and remember everything due to the huge syllabus. It is impossible to read and revise everything again from the book before the exam. This is why you should make your own notes, charts, and tables as it will aid you during your revision time. It is advised not to take very long notes. Just try to summarize whatever you read and feel important. This way you will be able to remember a lot of information as well as quickly recall them at a single glance after some period of time.
- Practice previous year and sample papers: Students should practice the last 10 previous year’s papers mandatorily along with sample papers. Without proper and efficient practice, it becomes tough to ace the biology section. This is the best way to know how thorough you are with the concepts. You will also get familiarized with the exam pattern and type of questions. It is important to practice these papers well as 8-10 questions will be asked either directly or with little modification from the previous years’ question papers. It will also help you know the most repeated questions from various topics. You should practice a lot of MCQ questions to perform better in the exam.
- Mock Tests: Attempt as many Mock Tests as you can as it is the best way to evaluate your overall understanding of the subject. You will get to track your preparation level as well as help to boost your confidence. You can practice mock tests for free on the NTA website. Analyze where you are not able to perform well. Focus more on strengthening those areas you are weak. This will help to enhance your preparation and performance. It will also help you to improve your time management skills as time is a crucial factor in the NEET exam. Along with answering correctly, you should know to solve them within the time limit.
- Revise Regularly: Students should continue revising at regular intervals. This will help them not to forget what they have studied before the exam. The entire syllabus must be revised at least 3-4 times. You should also do revision daily as it will help you to memorize all the theoretical parts of the topic. Revise all the notes and mind maps you made to save your time from reading the entire book again.
Hope the above tips are useful and make you understand the strategy to prepare for the biology section in the NEET exam. All the Best!!!
