How to Prepare for NEET along with Class 12 Board Exam

The biggest challenge among medical aspirants is to balance NEET 2025 preparations with Class 12 board exams. NEET aspirants need to perform well in the board exams and obtain a fair score on the NEET exam. This makes balancing between the board and NTA NEET 2025 exam preparations an arduous task.

Aspirants can prepare for the NEET 2025 and board exams together since the syllabus of NEET includes the NCERT curriculum of Class 11 and 12 combined. It is therefore an ideal time to start the preparation of the NEET exam from Class 12 to minimise the pressure of balancing board exams and NEET preparation. NEET eligibility criteria also require candidates to secure a minimum aggregate of 50% (45% for Physically Handicapped and 40% for reserved categories) in the subjects of Physics, Chemistry, Biology/Biotechnology in the Class 12 board examination in addition to qualifying entrance exam by securing the cutoff percentile required for the respective category. Aspirants can check below for important tips on how to prepare for NEET UG 2025 along with the Class 12 board exam.

NEET 2024: Cutoff (OBC, SC, ST & General Category)

NEET 2024 Admission Guidance: Personalised | Study Abroad

NEET 2025: Syllabus | Most Scoring concepts | NEET PYQ's (2015-24)

NEET PYQ's & Solutions: Physics | Chemistry | Biology

Strategies on how to balance board exam and NEET 2025 preparation

Check the strategies for balancing the board exam and NEET preparation 2025 in the given below steps:

How to start preparing for NEET from Class 12 - What to study

Students should start preparing for NEET from class 12 and should study the NCERT books of class 11 and 12 of Physics, Chemistry and Biology. It is essential to have prior knowledge of what to study before a candidate starts preparing for NEET exam or Class 12 board exam. The NEET syllabus comprises both the Class 11 and 12 NCERT curriculum while that of the board exam includes only the part being studied in Class 12. For the reference of the candidates, the Class 12 syllabus for NEET 2024 as well as the board examination has been described in detail below.

Syllabus of Class 12 NEET and board examination

Biology		Chemistry		Physics
Unit	Topic / Chapters	Unit	Topic / Chapters	Unit	Topic / Chapters
VI	Reproduction	I	Solid State	I	Electrostatics
	Chapter-1: Reproduction in Organisms	II	Solutions		Chapter-1: Electric Charges and Fields
	Chapter-2: Sexual Reproduction in Flowering Plants	III	Electrochemistry		Chapter-2: Electrostatic Potential and Capacitance
	Chapter-3: Human Reproduction	IV	Chemical Kinetics	II	Current Electricity
	Chapter-4: Reproductive Health	V	Surface Chemistry		Chapter-3: Current Electricity
VII	Genetics and Evolution	VI	Isolation of Elements	III	Magnetic Effect of Current & Magnetism
	Chapter-5: Principles of Inheritance and Variation	VII	p-Block Elements		Chapter-4: Moving Charges and Magnetism
	Chapter-6: Molecular Basis of Inheritance	VIII	d- and f-Block Elements		Chapter-5: Magnetism and Matter
	Chapter-7: Evolution	IX	Coordination Compounds	IV	Electromagnetic Induction & Alternating Current
VIII	Biology and Human Welfare	X	Haloalkanes and Haloarenes		Chapter-6: Electromagnetic Induction
	Chapter-8: Human Health and Diseases	XI	Alcohols, Phenols and Ethers		Chapter-7: Alternating Current
	Chapter-9: Strategies for Enhancement in Food Production	XII	Aldehydes, Ketones and Carboxylic Acids	V	Electromagnetic Waves
	Chapter-10: Microbes in Human Welfare	XIII	Organic Compounds containing Nitrogen		Chapter-8: Electromagnetic Waves
IX	Biotechnology and its Applications	XIV	Biomolecules	VI	Optics
	Chapter-11: Biotechnology - Principles and Processes	XV	Polymers		Chapter-9: Ray Optics and Optical Instruments
	Chapter-12: Biotechnology and its Application	XVI	Chemistry in Everyday Life		Chapter-10: Wave Optics
X	Ecology and Environment			VII	Dual Nature of Matter and Radiation
	Chapter-13: Organisms and Populations				Chapter-11: Dual Nature of Radiation and Matter
	Chapter-14: Ecosystem			VIII	Atoms & Nuclei
	Chapter-15: Biodiversity and its Conservation				Chapter-12: Atoms
	Chapter-16 Environmental Issues				Chapter-13: Nuclei
				IX	Electronic Devices
					Chapter-14: Semiconductor Electronics

How to Study for NEET in Class 12

All boards provide basic concepts about NEET subjects. However, the CBSE board is the preferred choice of students and is considered best for NEET preparation. Check the important points of how to study for NEET in Class 12 in the below points.

Develop an effective approach

Candidates are often caught up in the dilemma of how to balance NEET preparation 2025 with the board exam, as there is a difference in the exam pattern of both. The pattern of questions asked in NEET 2025 is entirely objective of Multiple choice questions whereas the Class 12 board exam consists of both objective and subjective type questions. To develop an effective approach, aspirants must ensure that they have a thorough understanding of the basics, a method that will help in answering both type of questions.

Referring to the right books

NCERT books are to be regularly followed to balance the board exam and NEET 2025 preparation. As suggested by experts as well as NEET toppers, aspirants must go thorough the books as much as they can. NEET aspirants are also required to have a complete understanding of the Class 11 NCERT and can also refer to the best books for NEET.

Planning the daily study schedule

Aspirants striving to balance board and NEET preparations will need to prepare a study schedule which includes time for regular classes and self-study. Candidates also need to put in a rigorous effort in terms of studying for both exams.

What to Practice

Class 12 board examinations require candidates to elaborately depict diagrams, and solve numerical, and equations. NEET, on the other hand, asks questions based on schematic diagrams, formulas, and numerical. Aspirants must practice all such questions regularly in addition to studying the theory while preparing for NEET along with Class 12.

Self-analysis

The most important aspect of how to balance board and NEET preparation 2025 is self-analysis. The approach of self-analysis for the Class 12 board exam will differ from that of NEET. While preparing for Class 12 boards, candidates must try and solve full-length sample papers and question papers from previous years. In NEET 2025, however, it is essential that candidates also take up mock tests in addition to solving previous year NEET question papers.

Topper tips on how to balance NEET preparation with board exams

Vatsa Ashish Batra, AIR 2, NEET 2022 said, "I gave self-study a great deal of importance from the day I began preparing. Despite my coaching institute's schedule, I used to study on my own for four to five hours a day in Class 11. Gradually, I increased the duration and made it a point to study for 6 to 7 hours in class 12. NEET exam preparation reached its peak during the last six months when 8 hours were the minimum and sometimes more than that".

Tanmay Gupta, AIR 1, NEET 2021 said "Actually, I think NEET preparations include board exam preparations also. What you learn in NEET exam, you have to write in an elaborated form in the boards. If you understand the NEET concepts carefully then I think it won’t be a big task for anyone."

Juggling between NEET and Class 12 boards was never a tough task for NEET 2019 AIR 10, Raghav Dubey who said, “I have been preparing for NEET exam from last two years. The three major subjects for Class 12 and NEET are Physics, Chemistry and Biology, which were completed within a year. Then, I just had to focus on English and other additional subjects. The board preparations strengthen my NCERT concepts for NEET."

Sharing his preparation strategy for balancing board exams and NEET preparation, Krishna Ashish Agrawal, NEET 2018 AIR 7, shared, “Physics was a little tricky for me so I tried to pay more attention to this section. I had a prepared schedule for each section and I tried to closely follow it until the last days. I studied for 6-7 hours each day and believed in my teachers whatever knowledge they imparted me I followed it. Although, I had to halt the NEET preparation while taking the board exams for a month. After Class 12 boards, I studied for NEET with more vigour and hard work”.

How to balance NEET 2025 preparations and board Exam – Expert opinion

"The future medicos currently studying in class 12 have to deal with conflicts of priorities at this juncture. The students have to focus on the board exam as well as continue to maintain steam for NEET. Based on the board exam schedule published, for the majority of the boards, a student can expect a gap ranging from 3 to 5 days between exams for all core subjects.

During the intervening period between exams for the core subjects, the first 2 days need to be spent on strengthening all the weak areas. During the remaining period, an end-to-end complete revision of all the topics needs to be done. The study sessions should include a good mix of theory, problem-solving and revising all the questions which have appeared in the last 5 years' board paper. The problem-solving sessions will help the student to sustain the NEET preparation, especially in Physics and Chemistry", says academic expert, Anand Nagarajan, academic head of school division, T.I.M.E, Chennai.

Time gap between board exam and NEET

Board exams are usually conducted a month before the NEET UG exams. Candidates should prepare for both exams. Throughout the year, students should take classes for NEET UG. Meanwhile, there should be 2 to 3 months gap between the exams. The gap will help candidates to focus on both exams. After finishing the board exams, students can prepare for NEET effectively.