New Delhi: The preparations for implementing the National Exit Test (NExT) are in full swing as the regulations for the test are currently being finalised and will be presented before the apex medical regulator, National Medical Commission (NMC) next month.

NExT, a common exit exam envisaged by the government to standardize medical education across the country, was proposed by NMC as a part of the bill passed in the year 2019.

Section 15 of the NMC Act provides for the conduct of a common final year undergraduate examination, to be known as the National Exit Test (NExT) which shall be the basis for Registration to practice medicine, admission to PG medical courses and Screening Test for foreign medical graduates to practice modern medicine.

The NExT was supposed to be operational within three years from the commencement of the NMC Act, 2019 i.e. 25th September 2022 and conducted through a designated authority and in such a manner as may be specified by regulations. The Act came into force in September 2020. Thereafter, the commission extended the time for implementing the exam by a year through a gazette notification.

Detailed deliberations were held and last year, NMC finally released the proposed draft regulations related to National Exit Test (NExT) and put an end to the speculations regarding the manner of the exam and its other details.

In the Draft, NMC provided all the details related to the NExT exam detailing its objective, applicability, its bifurcation into STEP 1 and STEP 2 and how these two steps examinations be conducted as well as the calculations and validity and the uses of the NeXT scores.

NEXT Steps:

NExT 1, will be theoretical, and NExT 2 will be practical, clinical and oral examination covering seven clinical subjects or disciplines.

According to the draft, NEXT Step 1 scores will be used towards PG entrance and NEXT STEP 2 will be a qualifying exam. The validity of the NEXT STEP 1 score towards PG entrance shall be 3 years and at the same time there is no limit on the attempts at both the exams provided that the candidate has passed both NExT Step 1 and NExT Step 2 Examination within 10 years of joining the MBBS Course

Who Will be eligible for NExT (Applicability of NExt Exam)?

(i) All undergraduate medical students pursuing the degree of MBBS in all Medical Colleges approved by the National Medical Commission through the Medical Assessment and RatingBoard as well as the Undergraduate Medical Education Board

(ii) All Foreign Medical Graduates approved by the National Medical Commission for the purpose of obtaining licence to practice medicine as a registered medical practitioner in India and for enrollment in the State Register or the National Register, as the case may be in such manner as may be specified by regulations.

(iii) Any other person with a Medical Degree for purpose such as pursuing an academic course, observership or any other purposes as may be specified and approved by the National Medical Commission through due notification or regulations from time to time.

Who Will Conduct NExT?

Currently, there are four Autonomous Boards operating under NMC. They are- Under-Graduate Medical Education Board, the Post-Graduate Medical Education Board, Medical Assessment and Rating Board and the Ethics and Medical Registration Board.

As per the proposed amendments, after Section 27 of the NMC Act 2019, Section 27A shall be added and it will specify the powers, functions and duties of the Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (BEMS). The public notice specifying the proposed amendments stated that along with its other responsibilities, BEMS will also "conduct National EXIT test."

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A mock test is also planned before implementing the final exam to test the procedure. With the speculations about the conduction of NExT being over, the delay has certainly potentiated anxiety among the aspirants.

As the NEXT deadline looms, the commission’s academic cell on Friday wrote to medical institutions to know the status regarding the completion of the current batches of final MBBS courses to help finalise the dates for conducting the test. The National Medical Commission will consider the NEXT exam rules which are now being finalised. According to the officials, the regulations will be deliberated upon in a meeting next month.

In a letter written to the Director of Medical Education of all States / UTs, Shambhu Sharan Kumar, Director of UG Medical Education Board of NMC stated, "The National Exit Test (NExT) Regulations are likely to be finalized shortly and would be placed before the NMC in the next meeting to be scheduled in June 2023. In order to finalize the date of the National Exit Test (NExT), the status regarding completion of the current batches of final MBBS professional course. is required... It is therefore, requested that the likely date of the completion of current batches of final MBBS course in the Medical Colleges of your respective States/UTs may be intimated to NMC on or before 31st May, 2023."