Climb The NEET PG Ladder- How the Marking Scheme Helps You Get Ahead

The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test for the Postgraduate (NEET-PG) admissions, is one of the toughest entrance exams in India. It facilitates the admissions of students to the most prestigious postgraduate medical colleges in India.

The NEET PG 2021 was held on 11th Sep 2021, and NEET PG 2022 will be conducted on 12th March 2022. The exam is conducted across 255 cities in India in the online computer-based mode. The application form releases on its official website, www.nbe.edu.in. You can even find important exam-related information on the E-Gurukul app here. The results are expected on 22nd Sep 2021 and the counseling date is yet to be announced.

NEET PG 2022 Syllabus

The NEET PG Syllabus is very detailed and to score good marks, one must understand topics well. Once that is done, you can start dividing topics as per your expertise and devote the required amount of time to each one. Preparation becomes easy if we plan the study according to the syllabus and design an effective strategy to score good marks.

There are a total of 14 subjects in the syllabus, which broadly fall under 3 categories –  Para-Clinical (Pharmacology, Microbiology, Pathology, Forensic Medicine, and Social and Preventive Medicine), Pre-Clinical (Anatomy, Physiology, and Biochemistry), and Clinical (Orthopaedics, Medicine, Dermatology, and Venereology, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Radiodiagnosis, Surgery, Anaesthesia, Paediatrics, Ophthalmology, and ENT).

While students prepare individual subjects, they are also recommended going through previous years’ question papers, sample papers, and mock exams to get good practice and score higher in the exams. These papers can be accessed on the E-Gurukal portal here.

Understanding the Marking Scheme of NEET PG 2022 exam

The NBE has taken a new decision in terms of the exam pattern. The number of questions has been reduced to 200, as opposed to earlier when it was 300. According to the new NEET PG exam pattern, the 200 questions are divided into 3 sections and the total marks for the same are 800. Students need to create a strategy on how they are going to answer the questions to score maximum in the exam.

The mode of the examination is online and computer-based for 2021. The language for the paper is English. The questions are objective, in the form of multiple-choice questions. The duration of the exam is 3 hours and 30 minutes. There are a total of 200 questions that need to be answered. There are 3 sections in which the different subjects are divided. The total marks for the exam are 800.

The most difficult aspect of marking was introduced in the NEET PG exam in 2018, that is negative marking. Initially, it was easy for students to make assumptions and mark answers if the time ran out. However now with the advent of negative marking, students may get a reduced score in spite of ensuring a bulk of their answers are correct. Hence the marking scheme has to be carefully considered.

One must remember these points in the marking scheme:

• Each correct answer will give you +4 marks
• Each incorrect/wrong answer will give you -1 mark
• Questions that are not attempted will give you a 0 mark 

NEET PG 2022 – Subject-wise Distribution of Marks

The NEET PG exam has 3 sections and each section has a different number of questions to be solved. Subject-wise weightage has not been released by the NBE. However, last years’ question papers can be checked to get a clear idea. The marking scheme has been kept consistent for all the sections, and the paper comprises a total of 800 marks. Prior to the exam, students will receive a 15-minute demo test to understand the marking scheme and become adept at answering the questions. 

The section-wise number of questions from different subjects in the NEET PG 2021 exam is as follows:

• Anatomy- 17
• Biochemistry-16
• Physiology-17

Total number of questions asked in section A- 50

• Social and Preventive Medicine-25
• Pathology-25
• Pharmacology-20
• Forensic Medicine-10
• Microbiology-20

Total number of questions asked in section B-100

• General Surgery Including Orthopaedics, Anaesthesia, and Radio diagnosis-45
• General Medicine Including Dermatology & Venereology & Psychiatry-45
• Paediatrics-10
• ENT-10
• Obstetrics and Gynaecology-30
• Ophthalmology-10

Total number of questions asked in section C-150

NEET PG Cut off marks 2022

The NEET PG cut-off score is the minimum score that the candidate should secure in the examination, in order to get admission to the institution of their choice. Once the results are declared, the cut-off is also declared. Based on the NEET PG results, candidates get admission to various medical institutions throughout the country. The Medical Counselling Committee’s merit list has the names of candidates who score marks more than cut-off. This list is also sent to the medical institutions that consider this score for admission.

Important tips for answering MCQs with Negative marking

In many competitive examinations, negative marking is considered. This is especially added to eliminate a higher number of candidates from a large group while checking a candidate’s critical thinking abilities. Negative marking means that the candidate will lose a mark for an incorrect answer. In the NEET-PG, 1 mark is deducted for each wrong answer. Hence candidates should be careful while guessing answers to tricky questions.

Here are a few tips to be used while attempting these questions, which can also help in reducing the fear of negative marking:

1. Try to answer as many questions as possible, but the approach for your guesswork should be logical. A higher number of questions attempted will enhance the chances of getting more correct answers. If some questions are taking time, try to skip to the next one and solve it at the end.
2. When the last option is “all of the above”, try checking all the options. Even if 2 options seem right, the last one could be the right answer. Multiple choice questions like this should be solved with extra care.
3. The above rule should also be followed in case of “none of the above”.
4. Due to the fear of negative marking, most students leave questions in the exam. This could be correct for 3-4 questions but the same cannot be applied to 20-25 questions. Also, if you have not attempted the questions in the first place, the chances of getting the right answer are zero. Hence, even if you have left the question initially, revisit it and try to find the most suitable answer as per your understanding and then mark it.
5. The question in which you are sure about the answer should be read carefully. Chances are there that due to the ease of question or over-confidence, sometimes we miss the fact that the correct answer is not the best. So, various options should be checked and compared first. The incorrect or less suitable options should be rejected leaving behind the best option which should be selected as an answer.
6. Not all the questions need to be attempted. As there is a negative marking factor, and each mark is going to make a difference in the cut-off, one must not attempt questions that are related to completely unknown concepts. In such a case, leaving a question unanswered may be better than attempting it incorrectly. 
7. If you are confused at some point of time in a question and not able to decide the answer, just skip the question for the time being and move to the next one. After all, questions are done, revisit the question. The time gap will allow you a new perspective of looking at the question and could increase your chances of attempting it correctly. 
8. In case you have some idea of the question but are not confident, try to answer that question logically without looking at the options. Then, find that option that is most close to your understanding. This way, you can attempt the question logically and chances of random guessing are reduced.
9. In case you encounter a question that has a confusing answer, and you struggle between one answer based on your knowledge and the other based on your gut feeling, it is generally suggested to choose the answer based on knowledge. 
10. If there is a question that is negatively worded, always try to answer it in the form of a true or false question. That will help you in clearing any doubts and lead you to the right answer.
11. While answering any objective type question, one must first be sure about the answer before actually marking it. Double-check the answer, and only then, mark it.
12. One last tip can be considered as a golden rule for questions that need guessing. In most cases, the first guess is correct, hence, not getting much confused and selecting that could be one option.

Conclusion

Be it any competitive exam, there is no replacement to the study so, practice all subjects well. There are a number of reputed online platforms available for your guidance. Connect to them here. Candidates are preparing well from these and doing their best in the examinations. NEET PG is an opportunity for students to get admissions in their choice of Medical Institutions. Timely information is the key factor in getting a good score in the exam. Whereas ample studies are required to get a good score, following a few tricks and tips may save your day as well.