Overview
NEXT (National Exit Test) will be another milestone in the history of medical education. This will become a reality in 2024 (speculation). Its apex, the National Medical Council (NMC), will implement the scheme for final-year MBBS students to enable them to validate their degrees for practice in India.
It introduced this bill in 2019 to replace NEET PGs and university professorships. Later, in 2020, the Department of Health and Family Welfare also submitted a draft. In the current scenario, there will be a single exam for Indian and foreign medical graduates.
The next exam replaces the existing FMGE and NEET PG exams and is considered the final qualifying exam for MBBS students. This is an entrance exam for medical students in India and a gateway to graduate school.
The first next exam, a joint qualification examination to replace the National Eligibility and Entrance Examination PG (NEET-PG), the final university-level MBBS examination, and the FMGE, will be administered. The next exam 2024 is scheduled to be held in May 2024.
According to the Ministry of Health, the main purpose of the next exam trial is to improve the country’s health insurance system and produce more qualified doctors, as mentioned above. This is also a first step towards the government’s goal of ensuring that every student in the country has an exam plan.
It ensures an equitable and standardized education system across the country. This is because it is a central exam that all states, including those with comparable medical school curricula, are required to take. Rather, we also need to ensure equal and uniform educational standards. Medical colleges in Karnataka, Punjab, and Delhi are currently considered the best, but thanks to the next exam, other states will be on par.
Registration
The candidate must submit the next exam application form. The application process begins with registering and providing basic candidate information, generating an Exam Unique Code (EUC), and completing an application form.
Eligibility Criteria
NEXT Exam Eligibility Criteria:
- To be eligible for the next exam, candidates must have a Bachelor of Medicine degree from an accredited university.
- They must have completed at least 50% of the MBBS course.
- Additionally, it should be noted that students are required to complete a 12-month clinical internship after passing the next exam, Paper 1.
- Please note that only students who meet this criterion will be admitted to the next exam Paper 2.
Exam Pattern
The NMC NExT exam template includes exam mode, average total number of questions, question types, and other details. NExT 1 (theoretical exam) will be held in online mode, while NExT 2 (practice or exam) will be held in offline mode. NExT 1 provides 540 MCQs. Those who pass the National Exit Test 1 are eligible to participate in the internship programme. Candidates must achieve 50% marks to qualify for NeXT Paper 1. Candidates must pass both NExT 1 and NExT 2 to be admitted to the PG course.
- The exam consists of two parts, NExT 1 and NExT 2.
- Theory-based NExT 1 will be held in online mode.
- NExT 1 presents a total of 540 MCQ-based questions across 19 subjects.
- NExT 2 only after completion of the internship
- NExT 2, or Paper 2, is a practical exam administered by the respective state university.
- Exam Part 1 scores are valid for two years to qualify for the Exam 2 practical exam.
Candidates must achieve a minimum score to be eligible for the exam. NExT 1 grades are calculated as integers that act as raw scores with appropriate decimal places. If desired, the corresponding percentages (grades out of a maximum of 100 points) can be calculated using the appropriate decimal places. NExT 2 exam results are declared pass or fail only based on the achievement of the relevant competencies being assessed.
The NExT 1 paper is divided into three parts. The theory test lasts 3 days and includes 6 test tasks. Of the 540 MCQ-based questions for NExT 1, 65% are based on problem-solving and analytical skills, 25% are based on understanding types, and the remaining 10% are based on recall. The table below contains the schedule for NExT 1. Please note that the schedule below is provisional and subject to feasibility and logistics.
Exam Syllabus
Exam Date
The NExT will be conducted for the first time in 2024. However, there will be a practise exam on July 28, for which registration is open from June 28 to July 10, 2023.
The exam is scheduled to be computer-based in May 2024. It will be held twice, in May and November. The National Exit Test (NExT) is most likely administered by the AIIMS in New Delhi. The exam is conducted in two steps: Step 1 and Step 2.
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