KOCHI: While no student from Kerala could make it to the top 50 of the National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test (UG) - 2018, the state made amends registering the maximum number of eligible aspirants. Around 1,14,214 had registered for the examination from Kerala. And of the 1,08,907 candidates who appeared for the exam, as many as 72,682 candidates qualified for admission to MBBS seats in the colleges all over India.
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) had conducted the NEET– 2018 for admission to MBBS and BDS courses in medical and dental colleges run with the approval of the Medical Council of India and the Dental Council of India under the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, except for the institutions established through an Act of Parliament, eg AIIMS and JIPMER.
According to Santhosh Kumar B, director, Brilliant Study Centre, though the candidates from Kerala didn’t come in the first 50, it is really heartening to see there has been an increase in the number of candidates who made the cut. “The candidates from Kerala who cleared the exam come to around 12 per cent of the total eligible aspirants. It is a notable achievement. It’s only a very who failed to clear the examination,” he said. But this doesn’t mean all those who have cleared the exam will be able to bag a seat, said Santhosh.
“They are the candidates who have managed to get the cut-off mark of 119 marks out of 721. To get admission to various government medical colleges in the state, the candidates will have to score at least 560 marks. Last year, it was 580 marks,” he said. According to him, those who had scored 555 marks last time got admission to medical colleges in the all-India quota.
“This year, the candidates who have scored 540 out of 721 marks might be able to land themselves a seat in the all-India quota. In the case of self-financing colleges, the benchmark was 475 for normal allotment last year. This year, those who have scored 465 marks might stand a chance,” he said. Santhosh said when it comes to scoring high in competitive examinations, calibre matters. “You need to have an aptitude for a particular subject to be able to crack the questions. Rote learning is not the answer.”
Systematic study will lead to success: Samreen
Samreen Fathima R, who bagged the 89th rank in NEET-2018, said systematic study and solving maximum number of questions papers helped her a lot while appearing for the examination. Samreen, who did her Plus-Two from Christ Nagar, Tiruvalla, was also the school topper. “I hope to get a seat in Thiruvananthapuram Medical College. I am awaiting the result of JIPMER. It is my first preference,” she said.
Solving question papers the key: Jes Maria Benny
Jes Maria Benny, who came 56th in the all-India ranking, was ecstatic over the result. An alumnus of St Antony’s School, Kanjirapally, Jes’ mantra for success is solving previous years’ question papers. “Work out as many as possible. The more question papers you solve, the more are your chances of cracking competitive examinations. You get a hang of the style and pattern of questions asked. Then there is time management. You need to be quick and precise. Spending a lot of time on a single question eats into the precious minutes needed for others,” said Jes who scored 664 out of 721 marks in the exam.