A native of Haryana’s Charkhi Dadri, Divyansh cracked NEET UG 2024, the results of which were declared on June 4. With the dream of becoming a doctor, he went to Rajasthan’s Kota along with his mother and siblings to prepare for the medical entrance examination. He credits the “competitive environment” of the city for his success. “The environment one gets here is incomparable. Students across the country with the same goal and intelligence come here for guidance making the city more friendly for students,” he said.
After the provisional answer key was out, Divyansh knew his NEET result. “I could not believe my eyes while checking the answers. It felt like it was my answer script. I was waiting to see the results as I was confident of securing a good rank in the NEET UG,” he said.
Divyansh shared that as his father and uncle were in the Indian Army, he wanted to join the defense forces. “Our family has a history of serving the nation in the armed forces. Inspired by them, I also wanted to join the Indian Army and was planning to take the NDA exam. When I shared this with my father, he encouraged me to become a doctor and serve society differently,” the topper said. He scored 93.7 percent in Class 10.
When asked what was his plan B, he said: “I was confused about my career choices. My father guided me towards NEET UG and I started my preparation. However, if not NEET, then I would have become a teacher or could have selected between medical or non-medical fields.”
The 17-year-old did not use social media and followed a disciplined schedule. “After attending my Allen coaching classes from 8:30 am till noon, I used to play with my siblings for some time and then self-study. I found coaching material and NCERT books enough for NEET UG preparation,” he said adding that he devoted 10 hours a day during the last phase of preparation.
The Haryana boy found NEET UG’s 2024 exam pattern easy. “Earlier patterns were difficult and the competition was between 15-18 people per seat but with an easy pattern this year the competition is stiff,” he said.
While attempting question paper Divyansh said that he used to start with simple questions first and followed by higher difficulty level questions. Sharing some tips for future NEET UG aspirants, AIR 1 said: “The NEET paper contained at least one question from almost all Biology chapters, especially from biotechnology, and genetics. While from Chemistry, inorganic chapters should not be ignored.”
Despite the competition, he relied on his teachers’ guidance rather than worrying about other students. In his first minor test, he scored a perfect 720 out of 720, boosting his confidence significantly, but later due to dengue and severe lung condition he then scored 686 out of 720. “It demotivated me but then I was determined enough to start fresh. .”
The NEET UG exam was on May 5, and Divyansh completed his syllabus on May 2. “With two days remaining, I listened to my teachers’ advice and did not study on May 3 and 4. Although I was tempted to revise, I reminded myself that if I forgot everything in three days, I wasn’t meant to be a doctor. I played football to relax. On May 5, I attempted the exam with the mindset that whatever marks I get will be by God’s grace.”
“I remember after recovering from the lung condition, I then contracted dengue. I was bedridden for a week due to dengue, and once I recovered, my mother fell ill with dengue. I took care of her and visited the hospital daily. Once everything was sorted, I restarted again and then it took about 10-15 days to get back on track. Other students were far ahead in the syllabus, but I focused on myself and followed my teachers’ guidance.”
For students who were not able to clear the exam he said, “Students should have the purpose that they want to make these marks and should constrain themselves to a few resources or coaching material.