When it comes to cracking the gateway exam for admission to medical colleges, coaching seems to be the only way to get your foot in. Out of the top 50 rank holders of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET UG) declared by the National Testing Agency (NTA), The Indian Express spoke to 38 and found that all but one had taken coaching to prepare for the exam — additionally, all except one qualified on the first attempt. Most are from schools affiliated with the Central Board of Secondary Education.
When asked if they referred to any specific book for preparation, many mentioned that NCERT is enough to crack NEET and secure seats in their dream colleges. While some showed interest in neurosurgery, most students are yet to decide on their specialization. Edited excerpts.
Number of Attempts: 1
School: Sri Chaitanya Junior College, Vijayawada
Board: Andhra Pradesh Board of Intermediate Education
Board Exam Marks: 98.7%
Coaching or Self Study: Integrated coaching
College Preference: AIIMS, Delhi
All-India Rank: 3 (SC)
School: Kendriya Vidyalaya, IIT Chennai
Board: CBSE
Board Exam Marks: 96%
Coaching or Self Study: Coaching
School: Delhi Public School, Dhuri
Board Exam Marks: 96.60%
All-India Rank: 5 (General)number of Attempts:
School: GR International School, Delhi
Board Exam Marks: 99.4%
Coaching/Self Study: Coaching
College preference: AIIMS, Delhi
All-India Rank: 6 (OBC-NCL)
School: SBOA School and Junior College, Chennai
School Board: CBSE
Board Exam Marks: 97.4%
All-India Rank: 7 (General)
School: Khar Education Society
Board Exam Marks: 89.67%
Rank: 8 (General)
School: SAI International School, Bhubaneswar
Board Exam Marks: 98.6%
All-India Rank: 10 (OBC-NCL)
School: St. Xavier’s School, Jaipur
Board Exam Marks: 90.6%
All-India Rank: 11 (General)
School: Delhi Public School, Jalandhar
Board Exam Marks: 96.6%
All-India Rank: 12 (General)
School: Pathfinder Higher Secondary Public School, Kolkata
School Board: West Bengal Council of Higher Secondary Education
Board Exam Marks: 98.4%
College Preference: IPGMER and SSKM Hospital