NEET UG 2026 toppers’ tips: AIIMS Delhi student shares exam insights, says ‘make a list of questions you got wrong’

NEET UG 2026 Toppers’ Tips: The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET UG) will be held in May 2026, following the usual examination cycle, with the National Testing Agency (NTA) set to start the registration in the coming weeks. Every year, over 20 lakh candidates appear for NEET, competing for a limited number of MBBS seats across government medical colleges, AIIMS institutions, and a handful of top private colleges in the country.

Among those who cracked NEET in the first attempt is Shashank Sinha, who secured All India Rank (AIR) 20 with 712 marks in 2023, at the age of 18 years. Hailing from Katihar, Bihar, he is currently pursuing MBBS at AIIMS, New Delhi. Speaking to indianexpress.com, he offers insight into how disciplined preparation, effective revision, and stress management can help aspirants succeed in one of India’s most competitive exams.

Growing up in a household closely associated with healthcare played a key role in shaping his career choice. “My mother is a nursing superintendent. That motivated me to choose a path where I can have a career and also treat the public,” he says.

He studied at Scottish Public School, Katihar, scoring 98.8% in Class 10 and 97.4% in Class 12. Despite these strong results, he approached NEET with a realistic mindset and a defined backup plan. “I thought of giving NEET a try for a maximum of two years, after that I would have done some plain graduation and would have prepared for Civil Service Exams,” he says.

He emphasised that starting early was not about rushing through the syllabus but building familiarity with concepts. “I used to study the topic before it was covered in class so that it acted as a revision,” he says.

With online coaching, classes were scheduled between 2 pm and 8.30 pm. “In the morning, I would wake up, have breakfast, and study the topic that was going to be taught in class,” he shares.

After coaching hours, the focus was on consolidation rather than learning new material. “I would revise the same topics from the modules and study for a few hours. I also made sure to take some recreational breaks in between,” he says.

On effective study time, he stressed quality over quantity. “Apart from the coaching hours, I studied for about four to five hours effectively,” he says.

One of the most critical aspects of his strategy was never skipping tests, regardless of preparedness. “Give every coaching test even if you are under-prepared; it doesn’t matter, even if you score less. You get an idea of what kind of questions are asked more from a particular topic and then effectively study the same,” he says.

Avoiding the backlog was another non-negotiable rule. “Try not to create any backlogs. Whenever you get free time like Sundays, try to finish them,” he advised.

Equally important was allowing the mind to rest. “Have breaks in the middle of studies. It’s fine if you can’t sit for long hours. Having multiple breaks can increase your overall effective studying,” he added.

As the syllabus progressed, revision became more streamlined. “I made notes for every chapter, and so towards the end I just revised the same,” he says. Over time, familiarity with self-made notes helped him pick up the pace.

Test-based revision played a major role as well: “I used to mark important questions from a topic after giving a test so that I don’t miss them,” he said.

According to him, NEET UG leaves little room for selective study. “You can’t afford to leave any topic in this exam, as even one mark difference can make a drastic change in your results,” he said.

He also flags the nature of questions that test attentiveness. “NEET tends to give questions where people tend to make silly mistakes by missing a ‘not’ in the question,” he noted. These issues, he says, were handled through repetition rather than shortcuts. “All these things I managed by repetitive note revision and giving more tests,” he adds.

Time management, according to him, was sharpened during mock tests. “Whenever I saw a hard question, I just left it without doing an ego fight, as you approximately get just one minute for every question,” he says.

This approach helped him maximise attempts. “Without wasting time on one question, I can solve the other easier ones first and then come back to it again. This used to save a lot of time,” he adds.

Maintaining an error log also proved useful. “Making a list of questions you did wrong is very important,” he says, adding that repeated testing significantly reduced silly mistakes.

Acknowledging the mental toll of NEET preparation, he stresses the importance of stepping back when required. “Whenever I felt low, I used to talk or go out with my friends, have a break, and watch some shows,” he says.

He cautions against guilt around breaks: “NEET journey is a long process and it’s fine to have little breaks in between.”

He further outlined three quick ways aspirants can manage stress. “Just leave your textbook for a while and have some recreational time, indulge in your hobbies, or just have a walk outside with music on,” he says.

He also encourages social interaction. “Go hang out with your friends; it’s fine to go out occasionally, but not to such an extent that your studies are being hampered,” he adds.

Above all, communication matters. “Always and always share your problems with friends and family. Sharing things will give a way for them to give you some advice to solve them.”

Currently an MBBS student at AIIMS Delhi, his course will conclude in December 2028. “I want to pursue MD in clinical medicine,” he adds.