Candidates who took the second phase of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) on Sunday found the physics questions tough, chemistry slightly easy and biology easier.
The three-part paper had 90 questions in physics and chemistry and 45 questions each in botany and zoology. Each question carried four marks with negative marking for the wrong answers. Students said they spent more time solving physics problems, and typically attempted only 25 to 28 questions.
P. Saithej, a student from Tirupati who took the exam at Kendriya Vidyalaya at Island Grounds, said it was tougher than the Andhra Pradesh common entrance exam. He had taken coaching for the exam in his junior college. S. Swarnamathi of Erode, who has been admitted to B.Sc. Agriculture, said the question pattern was more like that of the civil services exams.
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Despite taking crash courses in coaching centres, D. Dinesh Raj and R. Madan Kumar — with 1,101 and 1,139 marks respectively in Class XII — plan to reappear for the State board exams next year and get into MBBS through the State quota. Both had undergone crash courses and taken the NEET.
Worried about counselling
Parents said they were concerned about counselling method and how the seats would be distributed in self-financing medical colleges. “They say there are 22,000 seats in private medical colleges but will our children get free seats, when they have so far been given away to management quota?” a parent asked.
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“The State government has to fill over 300 seats under the All-India quota. The results will be released only on August 17 and counselling will be held after that. But colleges will start functioning from August 1. It will be difficult for these students to cope with subjects like anatomy, physiology and biochemistry. These are new and students need time to learn the terms,” a physician said.
The first phase of NEET (known earlier as All India Premedical Entrance Test) was held on May 1. A total of 14,500 students took the test from 21 centres in Chennai. A total of 1.75 lakh students took the second phase of NEET, according to Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) officials.