In Karnataka, freshers lose out as 'repeaters' double

BENGALURU: The number of repeat NEET-UG candidates seeking entry into medical and dental colleges in Karnataka nearly doubled from 28,064 in 2023 to 53,616, reflecting the direction provided by last year’s results when those repeating the test outperformed first-time aspirants.
Of the 11,000 MBBS and BDS seats at stake in the state in 2023, repeat candidates filled 7,012.
Unlike JEE for technology courses, there is no bar on the number of attempts an aspirant can make to clear NEET. Data suggests strong competition, with nearly 24 candidates for every medical seat.
“Repeaters land more seats because they are dedicating more time exclusively to cracking the entrance test,” said H Prasanna, executive director of the Karnataka Examinations Authority that oversees admission to undergraduate professional courses in the state.
The number of students who registered for NEET this year included 11,111 from the 2023 batch and 10,658 who cleared their Class 12 exams in 2022. Two students from 1997, too, appeared for NEET-UG this year, along with aspirants from 1999, 2000 and 2002.
Successful repeaters in NEET-UG 2023 included a candidate each from the 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2014 batches. At 4,600, the highest number of repeat candidates to land MBBS or BDS seats were from the 2022 batch. Another 1,640 were from the 2021 batch.
“Around 24 lakh students are vying for a lakh seats this year. Writing NEET is becoming like the civil services, and cracking it at first attempt is becoming harder each year. Many bright first-timers lose seats to those who would have spent an extra year or two preparing for the test,” said Sridhar G, founder of a coaching centre that is starting a batch exclusively for repeat candidates.