Schools teach one thing, NEET and JEE test another: Coaching gap exposed

A government panel has flagged a major mismatch between school education and the demands of NEET-UG and JEE, finding that both exams have been testing students beyond their level of preparedness. NEET Physics emerged as a particular concern, with the panel saying the difficulty gap may be pushing students towards private coaching.

The panel has recommended aligning NCERT and board curricula with entrance exams, creating at least a six-month gap between board and entrance tests and holding entrance exams twice a year. The proposed changes aim to reduce coaching dependence and make classroom learning more relevant to competitive exams.

NEET Physics emerges as key concern

The panel examined NEET-UG papers from 2023, 2024 and 2025 and found that the overall difficulty was consistently higher than the preparedness level of candidates. Physics was identified as a particular concern, with the subject found to be especially difficult across all three years.

The report noted that the growing difficulty of Physics compared with Biology could significantly affect students' overall scores and rankings in an examination where even a few marks can make a major difference.

JEE shows a similar gap

The panel's analysis of JEE 2025 also found a mismatch between question difficulty and candidate preparedness. Ten shifts held in January were examined, with student scores largely concentrated towards the lower end while only a small proportion of candidates achieved very high marks.

The findings suggest that the issue extends beyond individual papers or shifts and reflects a broader gap between classroom learning and competitive examination requirements.

Why students turn to coaching

According to the panel, school curricula generally do not fully prepare students for the conceptual understanding, application, higher-order thinking and complex problem-solving required by entrance exams.

This gap pushes students towards specialised coaching institutes, making external coaching an important part of preparation for highly competitive examinations such as NEET and JEE.

What has the panel recommended?

The committee has recommended closer alignment between NCERT, board curricula and entrance examinations. It has also called for greater harmonisation between different school boards so students across the country have a more comparable academic foundation.

Another key recommendation is to maintain a gap of at least six months between board exams and entrance tests. The panel has also suggested conducting entrance examinations at least twice a year.

The recommendations shift the focus from simply expanding coaching opportunities to addressing the underlying mismatch between school education and competitive exams. The panel's argument is that students should be able to build much of the knowledge and skills needed for NEET and JEE through regular classroom learning.

If implemented, curriculum alignment, multiple exam opportunities and more time between boards and entrance tests could reduce pressure on students and potentially lessen their dependence on expensive private coaching.

However, the recommendations are proposals from the panel and do not by themselves change the existing NEET or JEE examination system.