The journey doesn’t end with the exam for lakhs of NEET aspirants in India. In fact, the most crucial and often overlooked phase begins right after the post-exam period, leading up to medical counseling. This stage is not about studying anymore; it’s about strategy, awareness, and timely action. Yet, many students enter it with little guidance, making decisions based on panic or misinformation.

If you’ve just taken NEET or are about to, here’s what you should actually be tracking—from the exam hall to the counselling desk—without falling into common traps or relying solely on rank-based instincts.

Your score is just the beginning—understand the context

Once the exam is over, the immediate focus is on the answer keys. But beyond checking your correct answers, it’s important to:

l Estimate your raw score carefully using official keys

l Compare your performance against expected cut-offs

l Track changes in the difficulty level and overall student feedback

l This isn’t just about numbers—it’s about gauging your standing in a dynamic pool of candidates.

Track official counselling authorities

Counselling processes in India are conducted by multiple authorities. You’ll need to stay updated on:

l MCC for AIQ and central institutions

l State-specific counselling boards

l Deemed university admission portals

Each has its timelines, documentation rules, and portal updates. Bookmark the official websites, and check them directly.

Documentation is not last-minute work

Start preparing your documents early. Common pitfalls include:

l Name mismatches across certificates

l Category certificates are not in the right format or are not valid for the current year

l Lack of proper domicile proof for the state quota

l Photos not matching those used in the NEET application

6. Track your own decision-making process

This may sound unusual, but during the counselling phase, your clarity and emotional control are as important as your marks. Many students:

l Freeze up when their first choice isn’t allotted

l Panic and drop out of the process entirely

l Accept a far-off seat they could’ve avoided with better research

The shift from tests to admissions is a mirror rather than a procedure. It shows how you deal with uncertainty, how you make choices when there is little clarity, and how you react when things don’t go as planned. These characteristics—adaptability, research-mindedness, and emotional stability—are what will make you stand out as a future doctor as well as a student. Counselling should therefore be viewed as your first true exam in the medical field, where wisdom is more important than concern and clarity is more important than confusion, rather than as the last obstacle.

(The author is Founder, Career Xpert)