Racing against time: NEET aspirants flock to coaching centres

Bengaluru: Ajay A, 21, grew anxious when he learnt that he won't be able to write the ComedK test for a medical seat. The only way Ajay can now fulfill his dream of becoming a doctor is by clearing National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET). With little time on hand, many distraught students like Ajay are making calls to coaching centres, wanting to enrol for special training for NEET-2, scheduled for July 24.
"I had spent days preparing for ComedK and then it got cancelled. Now I'll have to prepare additionally for NEET, which I hadn't planned on writing earlier. I desperately need additional guidance, apart from the regular reference books that helped me prepare for ComedK" said Ajay, who will begin a two-month training course for the upcoming exam at BYJU's Learning Center from next week.
Coaching centres too are fast gearing up to train students, especially with crash courses in physics, chemistry and biology.
With CET scores becoming invalid and cancellation of ComedK for medical aspirants, coaching centres like BYJU's, BASE, ACE Creative Learning Pvt. Ltd and Excel Academy, among others received hundreds of calls from aspirants looking for a helping hand.
Pravin Prakash, co-founder, BYJU's Learning Center said, "Having one entrance test through the country is a welcome move. BYJU's will begin its two-month crash course along with app-based courses for students appearing for NEET."
The 720-mark test will accord equal weightage to physics and chemistry (50%), biology will account for 50% of the marks. Candidates will have to answer 180 questions, all multiple choice. While every right answer will fetch 4 marks, 1 mark will be deducted for every wrong answer.
Said Kiran Kumar, course co-ordinator, Excel Academy: "It's not a very difficult test to crack. Students are worried because they think they have little time. However, with good training and right strategies, a student can easily score between 600 and 650." Excel Academy is offering six sessions per day of one-hour-twenty-minute each. Additionally, students are given assignment sheets as homework.
"Since this is an application-based test, students must learn to apply basic knowledge and logic while solving the paper. In the biology section, 16 marks are allotted for labelling diagrams. These are areas where students can score," added Kumar.