MBBS students to now shift to NExT pattern

The National Medical Commission (NMC) has released a notification for the National Exit Test (NExT) on June 27 via a webinar to address the details of the proposed exam for final-year MBBS students. All medical colleges and final-year MBBS students were instructed to join the webinar revealing various details about the examination.

NExT will now replace the current exams Foreign Medical Graduates Exam (FMGE) and the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test Postgraduate (NEET-PG). The exam will be conducted in two stages, Step 1 focusing more on theory parts, and Step 2 focusing more on oral, practical, and clinical assessments. The combined results of both Steps 1 and 2 will be considered for qualifying for the MBBS, merit-based distribution of PG seats, and the license to practice medicine in India.

The All India Institute of Medical Sciences will be the conducting body for NExT exam, and Step 1 will be conducted in May and November. Students will be allowed to appear for Step 2 after completing their internships, and the exam will be held in June and December.

The NMC released all information for the exam including the schedule, modes, and pattern of the exam which will be conducted for the first time in 2024. The mock tests for students will be held on the 28th of July. Only the final-year students will be eligible to appear for the mock tests as per NMC. The test will be held to familiarize students with the process of the examination and software interface.

Step 1 of NExT will have six subject papers and applied parts of other MBBS subjects like forensic medicine and toxicology and community medicine. In each paper, 10% content will have reference to applied parts of the related subjects. While Step 2 will be a clinical examination that will evaluate the competence of the candidate in clinical diagnosis, patient examination, and clinical decision-making. Seven subjects will be included in this exam like, medicine, pediatrics, surgery, orthopedics, and ophthalmology.

Reacting to the latest updates by NMC, Rohan Krishnan, national chairman of Federation of All India Medical Association, said, “India need not go the way medical exams are undertaken in Western countries and, more time should have been given for those taking the test for the first time.” He also added, “There must be more clarity to the types of questions and pattern of the examination.”