Chennai: Medical aspirants in Chennai will appear for the NEET re-exam on Sunday, June 21, less than two months after the first exam was canceled due to a question paper leak. A total of 1,42,489 candidates are expected to take the test in Tamil Nadu, the sixth-highest number of candidates nationwide.
Challenges for Aspirants
Some candidates said regathering focus to prepare with high intensity was the biggest challenge. “The biggest challenge was tuning myself mentally from relax mode to exam mode again,” said Nidhi Nagarajan, a medical aspirant from the city.
Others are stressed over expectations of a tough question paper. The National Testing Agency has allotted 15 minutes extra time, but students said this has fueled rumors that the re-test will be harder. “We are also worried about falling behind as other courses have closed admissions before medical admissions,” Nidhi added.
Expectations and Preparations
Avani Tripathi, another aspirant, said expectations are higher for the re-exam. “We expect the physics paper to be tough. The ban on Telegram is a measure that boosts the confidence of students,” she said. Some students are using the re-exam to focus on subjects like physics and chemistry.
Many schools reported a decline in the number of students preparing for the re-exam compared to the first exam. “In our school, there were 50 students preparing for NEET. Now the number has come down to 15 as many enrolled in other courses,” said V Ezhilarasi, a teacher from Government Girls Higher Secondary School at Ashok Nagar.
At MCC Higher Secondary School in Chetpet, the number of NEET aspirants dropped from 58 to 42. “Many students who did not perform well chose other streams such as arts, science, or engineering courses. We are revising subjects with revision tests to prepare students,” said G Jebadoss Thinakaran, headmaster.
