Is NEST better than NEET?

National Entrance Screening Test (NEST) and National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) are two of the important entrance examinations for science students after class XII in India. Every year, thousands of students sit for these entrance exams and get into their dream colleges. However, the aims and purposes of both examinations vary greatly; while one directs you into a research area (BS-MS/BS), the other toward a career in medicine (MBBS). A lot of students remain confused about which test is better for them. Without a doubt, this blog will assist you in resolving your confusion.

In this blog, we will discuss:

• Benefits of NEET
• Benefits of NEST
• Opportunities after exams
• Which is Better- NEET or NEST?

Benefits of NEET:

NEET exam is conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) every year for students aiming to get into colleges like AIIMS, governmental medical colleges in every state (like Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi) and private colleges (like Christian Medical College, Vellore). Every year, around 17-18 lakh students take NEET, while only less than 8 lakh students clear it. It is one of the most competitive examinations in India. Here are a few advantages of taking the NEET exam:

• NEET eliminates the need to appear in multiple exams to become a doctor. 
• You can get admission to 300+ colleges after clearing the exam with good scores. 
• The question paper consists of three sections, physics, chemistry and biology (botany and zoology) and has 180 questions to be attempted within 3 hours and 20 minutes. 
• One of the main factors for its high popularity is no upper age limit to appearing for the exam. Simply put, you can appear for the exam until you clear it.

NEET is considered the best option for the medical profession as it provides many good governmental medical colleges that provide MBBS in various medical fields. If you want to know more about NEET, check out this blog.

Benefits of NEST:

The NEST exam is conducted by NISER (National Institute of Science Education and Research) every year for students interested in fundamental science. It is accepted by NISER and UM-DAE-CEBS (University of Mumbai-Department of Atomic Energy- Centre for Excellence in Basic Sciences), both are prestigious institutes for fundamental research and are funded by the Department of Atomic Energy. Every year, around 50,000 students take NEST, while around 250 students get selected. This is because only two institutes accept NEST hence the number of seats is lower than medical colleges. This makes NEST less popular and less competitive as compared to NEET. Here are a few advantages of the NEST exam:

• The NEST exam, focussing on concepts and aptitude, strengthens your preparation for other exams. It also helps you analyse your preparation for JEE or NEET. 
• The questions asked in the exam are conceptual and require thinking. You can get good marks even if you haven’t read anything but are aware of concepts. This is not possible in the case of NEET.
• You need to attempt only three sections in physics, chemistry, mathematics and biology. The exact weightage differs in every session, but generally, total marks are of 180, and the duration of the exam is three hours.
• This is a gateway to top research organisations like BARC (Bhabha Atomic Research Centre) and ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation).

The minimal number of seats at acceptable institutions makes NEST less popular. The lack of student enthusiasm for research in science is another major problem. But recently, students’ interest in NEST has grown as they have begun to recognise the research outputs of NISER and UM-DAE-CEBS. If you want to know more about NISER, check out this blog.

Opportunities After Clearing NEST and NEET:

There are many opportunities after successfully clearing the exam in both cases. However, the opportunities vary in many aspects. After NEET, you get many good medical colleges, like AIIMS-Delhi, Christian Medical College-Vellore, and National Institute of Mental Health & Neuro Sciences-Bangalore, among others, to be admitted to. You can opt for various medical courses like MBBS (Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery), MD (Doctor of Medicine), MS (Master of Surgery), M.Ch. (Master of Chirurgiae), DM (Doctorate of Medicine). You will be trained to become a medicine practitioner. Check out this blog to learn more about MBBS. 

On the contrary, after NEST, you will get into the above-mentioned two research institutes. They provide five-year integrated BS and MS programs in various fields such as physics, chemistry, mathematics, biology, and earth sciences. After your graduation, you can apply for PhD in top institutes in India (e.g. including IISc, IISERs, etc), or you can also go abroad for better opportunities. Most of the students from NISER, and CEBS pursue PhD Abroad in institutes like University of Oxford, Cambridge, MIT, Harvard, Yale, and so on around the world.

In terms of placements, you will get a better chance of getting placed after MBBS. You can get jobs in hospitals, military or health administrations. However, further education is preferred by graduates for more experience and specialisation. The medical profession is considered one of the highest-paying professions among all other fields. 

Most students after BS-MS opt for a PhD, so there are low placement records in NISER and UM-DAE-CBS.  However, being under DAE, students can get directly placed in premier research institutes after interviews like BARC (Bhabha Atomic Research Centre). Income is usually not a concerning factor for students interested in research.

Which is Better- NEET or NEST?

It must be clear by now that NEET is for students interested in medical practice and jobs, while NEST is for students interested in research in basic science. If you are interested in medical science and want to see yourself as a doctor or surgeon, your primary focus should be NEET, though you can also devote some time to NEST. This will strengthen your preparation while exposing you to various problem sets similar to NEET. If you want to know how to manage studies in a partial drop year, check out this blog. 

However, if you want to devote your life to science and aspire to be a researcher, you should focus on NEST. You might eventually turn out to like other subjects or involve yourself in interdisciplinary research, as has been the case with many students of NISER and IISER. Moreover, it is high time that more and more young minds take research as their career. This option is particularly good for students who aren’t sure whether they want to pursue a career in science or another sector since they will have plenty of possibilities for exploring and choosing their profession after clearing this exam.

Conclusion:

Since these two exams are in different domains, it makes no sense to compare them. Ultimately, it comes down to your own preferences for your ideal life and work. Each has an excellent reputation in their own fields. Before determining which you should prioritise, you should think about your options and your areas of interest. 

Now, if you want to know about a similar examination to get into IISERs and IISc, check out this blog on IAT.

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