NEET crash coaching for government school students ends; aspirants stress need for more preparation time

Students attend NEET coaching at the Government Girls Higher Secondary School, Ashok Nagar, in Chennai on Wednesday.
| Photo Credit: B. Jothi Ramalingam

With the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) around the corner, coaching for 299 students by the School Education Department in Chennai concluded on Wednesday (April 30, 2025).

The one-month crash course, offered since 2018 to students of government and government-aided schools in Tamil Nadu, helps NEET aspirants prepare for the competitive exam, by covering both the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) and National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) syllabi. This time, the coaching was conducted at five centres across the city.

Speaking about the initiative, Narmatha Devi, NEET coordinator from Jaigopal Garodia Government Girls School, said that the coaching has been effective, and over 40 students had come to attend classes every day since it began on April 1.

Each subject was taught for an hour and a half, and students also took a mock test held on Saturdays to familiarise themselves with the exam pattern. While the coaching classes were beneficial for many, some students said it was difficult to manage preparation for both public exams and competitive exams.

P. Sharvesh, a Class 12 student from Jaigopal Garodia Government Higher Secondary School, Choolaimedu, said, “The coaching has been very beneficial. Though I wanted to begin preparing from Class 11, I couldn’t manage the level of portions. I have started preparing for NEET only now.”

V. Varsha, a Class 12 student of the Government Girls Higher Secondary School in Ashok Nagar, said, “One month is not enough to prepare for the competitive exam, as there is a difference between the SCERT and NCERT presentations. One month is not even enough to prepare for Biology alone.”

A teacher from a government school added that the State board syllabus students have to adjust to writing competitive exams. “While the syllabus is largely the same in both boards, the presentation of answers requires time and more learning, which the students often miss,” the teacher said.