The Golden Rule of Exam Day
Examiners are not your enemies. They were students once too. Write answers you would appreciate if you were the examiner.
Prepare Like a Kid, Execute Like a Pro
Remember how you prepared for school exams as a child? Early to bed, packed bag the night before, favorite pen ready, reaching school early with a calm mind. Somewhere along the way, we forgot these basics. DNB theory exam day needs that same childlike discipline—simple, systematic, stress-free.
📐 The Math of DNB Theory Exam
The Numbers
- Total Time:3 hours (180 min)
- Questions:10 questions
- Expected pages:~4 pages/question
- Total pages:~40 pages
Time Allocation
- Per question:16 minutes
- 10 questions:160 minutes
- Reserve buffer:20 minutes
⚠️ The 20-minute buffer is sacred. Use it for review, completing unfinished answers, or handling unexpected situations. Never eat into it during regular writing.
Day -7One Week Before Exam
What to Study
| Priority | What | Why |
|---|---|---|
| MANDATORY | Last 3 years' papers | Questions repeat. Patterns emerge. This is non-negotiable. |
| HIGH | Only what you've already read | Revision strengthens memory. New topics now will only confuse. |
| MEDIUM | High-yield topics from your notes | Your own notes are faster to revise than textbooks. |
| AVOID | New textbook chapters | Too late. You'll panic and forget what you already know. |
Quick Revision Tip
Use SmartDNB Prep to quickly revise previous year questions by subject. Filter by year, practice writing answers, and identify patterns. It's built exactly for this last-week crunch.
The "Stress Reading Doesn't Help" Rule
Here's a truth many ignore: panicked, stressed reading in the final days does more harm than good. When you're anxious, your brain is in fight-or-flight mode—it's not designed for retention.
- Stressed reading = poor retention = increased anxiety = worse performance
- Calm revision = better recall = confidence = better performance
If you're feeling overwhelmed, close the books for an hour. Take a walk. Your brain needs rest to consolidate what you've learned.
Day -1The Day Before Exam
🏨 If Your Exam Center is Far Away — Stay in the City
If your exam center is more than 1 hour away, book accommodation nearby. This is non-negotiable.
Why Stay Nearby:
- • No travel stress on exam morning
- • No risk of traffic delays
- • Better sleep without early wake-up
- • Time to reach center calmly
What to Do:
- • Book hotel 1-2 days before exam
- • Visit center location today (Day -1)
- • Note parking, entrance, washrooms
- • Find nearby food options
Visit the Exam Center Today
Familiarity reduces anxiety. Visit the exam center on Day -1. Know exactly:
- Where is the entrance?
- Where do you park/get dropped?
- Where are the washrooms?
- How crowded is the area?
- Where can you sit and relax before gates open?
On exam day, you want zero surprises. Everything should feel familiar.
Pack Your Bag Tonight
Checklist: Night Before
⚠️ CRITICAL: People have been DENIED ENTRY on the last day of exam because they forgot their admit card/ID at the hotel. Keep multiple copies. This has happened. Don't let it happen to you.
📋 Your Admit Card is Gospel — Read It 10 Times Tonight
NBEMS outsources exam centers to private vendors (TCS iON, etc.). These vendors are extremely strict about rules, timings, and security checks. They will enforce every instruction to the letter. Don't argue — follow the admit card instructions exactly.
⚠️ People Will Try to Invent New Rules
At exam centers, you may encounter staff making up rules like "no spectacles allowed" or other nonsense not mentioned anywhere. Your admit card is your defense. If something is allowed per admit card, politely but firmly point to it. If genuinely prohibited, comply immediately.
✓ What to Bring (Per NBEMS):
- • Printed admit card with photo pasted
- • Original valid photo ID: PAN/Voter ID/Passport/DL/Aadhaar
- • Pen/Pencil in transparent pouch only
✗ Strictly Prohibited Items:
- • Mobile phones, smartwatches, bluetooth devices
- • Wrist watch/health bands
- • All ornaments (rings, earrings, chains, bracelets)
- • Wallet, goggles, handbags, belt, cap
- • Any eatables (opened or packed)
- • Water bottles (provided at center)
💡 Pro Tips
- • No henna/mehndi on fingers — interferes with biometric
- • Wear simple clothes with no metal
- • Leave ALL valuables in hotel/car — no safekeeping at center
- • Questions appear on screen (tablet/computer), you write on paper
Sleep: The Most Underrated Exam Prep
Sleep Schedule for Night Before
- • Target: 7-8 hours of sleep minimum
- • Bedtime: 10-11 PM
- • No screens: 1 hour before bed—no phone, no last-minute YouTube videos
- • No new topics: Light revision only, then close books by 9 PM
- • Can't sleep? Don't panic. Lying in bed with eyes closed still rests your brain.
Day 0Exam Day Morning
Morning Timeline (Exam at 2 PM)
Food & Hydration
| Meal | Do This | Avoid This |
|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | Light, familiar food. Idli, poha, toast, oats. | Heavy parathas, oily food, anything new or spicy |
| Lunch | Light dal-rice, curd-rice, sandwich. Eat by 11:30 AM. | Heavy biryani, fried food, late lunch |
| Hydration | Water, coconut water, light tea/coffee (if you normally drink) | Excess coffee, energy drinks, too much water right before |
Golden rule: Exam day is not the day to try new foods. Stick to what your stomach knows.
12:00 PMArriving at the Exam Center
🕐 Critical Timings (Non-Negotiable)
- • Reporting Time: 12:00 PM — Be there by 11:45 AM
- • Gates CLOSE at 1:30 PM — No entry after this. NO EXCEPTIONS.
- • Exam: 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM
- • Cannot leave until exam ends or 5:00 PM (whichever is later)
Entry Timeline
🔒 What Happens at Entry
- • Admit card + ID verification at gate
- • Photograph capture (biometric registration)
- • Finger biometrics captured
- • You'll be under CCTV surveillance throughout
- • Lab/seat number given individually after verification (not displayed outside)
2:00 PMInside the Exam Hall
The First 5 Minutes
- Read all questions first — Don't start writing immediately
- Identify easy questions — Mark the ones you know well
- Plan your order — Start with confident answers to build momentum
- Note time milestones — At 16 min intervals, you should complete each question
Time Management During Exam
The 16-Minute Rule
- • Set mental checkpoints: Q1 done by 2:16, Q2 by 2:32, Q3 by 2:48...
- • If stuck on a question for >5 minutes, move on
- • Write what you know, leave space, come back with buffer time
- • Never spend 30 minutes on one question — you'll sacrifice 2 others
Writing Strategy
- Use headings and subheadings — Makes answers scannable for examiners
- Draw diagrams where relevant — A labeled diagram = easy marks
- Write legibly — Illegible answers don't get the benefit of doubt
- Attempt ALL questions — Never leave any question blank. Write something.
- Use bullet points — For lists, classifications, causes, etc.
🎓 Think Like an Examiner
Before writing each answer, ask yourself: "Would I give marks to this answer if I were the examiner?"
✓ Examiners Appreciate:
- • Clear, organized answers
- • Relevant diagrams and tables
- • Covering all aspects of the question
- • Practical clinical applications
- • Legible handwriting
✗ Examiners Dislike:
- • Rambling without structure
- • Repeating the same point
- • Irrelevant information padding
- • Illegible scribbles
- • Blank spaces
4:40 PMThe Last 20 Minutes
Your 20-Minute Buffer Checklist
- • Complete unfinished answers — Fill in gaps you left earlier
- • Review for silly mistakes — Units, spelling of key terms
- • Check roll number — On every page, correctly written
- • Count pages — Make sure all are attached and numbered
- • Don't leave early — Use every minute. Add more points to shorter answers.
When the Paper is Genuinely Difficult
Remember This Truth
If the paper is truly difficult, it's difficult for everyone. And when papers are tough, examiners are usually more forgiving in evaluation. They know. They were students too.
• Don't panic if you don't know an answer perfectly
• Write whatever relevant points you know
• Partial knowledge still gets partial marks
• An average answer when everyone struggles = above average result
Examiners are not your enemies. They're senior doctors who went through the same journey. They understand exam pressure. They've seen thousands of answer sheets. Your job is simple: make their job easy. Write answers that are easy to read, easy to understand, and easy to mark.
Quick Reference: Complete Timeline
You've Got This
You've prepared for months. You know your subject. Now trust that preparation. Go in calm, write with confidence, and remember—this is just one exam in a long, successful career ahead of you.
All the best! 🎯