NExT exam deferred for few years till NMC perfects the model

New Delhi: The proposed common exit-licentiate examination, the National Exit Test (NExT), may not see implementation for the next couple of years till the National Medical Commission (NMC) perfects the model for the exam.

Speaking to Medical Dialogues in this regard, the Chairperson of NMC, Dr Abhijat Sheth, said, "We need to work on this. Yes, this is a novel idea, but we must ensure that we have an adoptable model and that the model is long-term and sustainable."

"A lot of work has been done by my predecessors and the Ministry, mainly on the technical aspects. A lot of work still has to be done on the stakeholder level," he added.

When asked about the issue of mock tests for the NExT exam, Dr. Sheth informed that doctors were concerned about the mock tests and related costs. Explaining that mock tests are usually conducted for a year to gather data, Dr. Sheth added, "If mock tests are conducted for a pilot evaluation, NMC has to take the responsibility."

However, the NMC Chief also confirmed that no official decisions regarding this have been taken by the NMC yet.

Recently, the Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) issued a release in a similar matter, pointing out that the NMC has no immediate plans to implement the proposed National Exit Test (NExT).

After a meeting of the FAIMA delegates with the Chairperson of NMC, the association announced, "The Hon’ble Chairman informed that the NEXT (National Exit Test) will not be implemented immediately. For the next 3–4 years, NMC plans to conduct mock tests, which will be fully funded by NMC to assess feasibility and gather feedback from students and institutions. The final implementation of NEXT will be considered only after evaluating the outcomes and response from these trial runs."

Commenting on the matter, Dr. Akshay Dongardive, the National President of FAIMA, told Medical Dialogues, "FAIMA welcomes the NMC’s decision to delay its immediate implementation and instead conduct mock tests for the next 3–4 years. This step will allow sufficient time to address legal, structural, and infrastructural challenges, ensuring that the system is fair, transparent, and beneficial to both students and institutions."

"We appreciate the constructive dialogue held between the Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) and the National Medical Commission (NMC) regarding reforms in medical education and doctors’ welfare. FAIMA’s evidence-based approach and nationwide survey findings were well received by the NMC leadership. We are glad that the Commission has assured a thorough review of our recommendations for inclusion in future policy discussions," he further added.

Also Read: Is NExT exam happening? NMC says Implementation, Preparedness being examined

NExT has been a matter of concern and worry for the medical students due to the lack of clarity regarding the examination. Now, with the inputs from the Commission, the candidates have a much better understanding of the plans for implementing the NExT examination.

Ever since its first announcement, the issue of the NExT exam has been making waves in the medical fraternity. Although back in 2023, NMC released the NExT regulations and announced conducting the exam for the 2019 MBBS batch, it was ultimately put on hold for an indefinite time.

NMC NExT Regulations, 2023, were published in the official Gazette on June 28, 2023, and a mock test for the NExT exam was scheduled to be held on July 28, 2023, by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi. The application fee for the test was fixed at Rs 2,000 for the candidates belonging to the General and OBC categories. For the applicants belonging to the SC, ST, and EWS categories, the application fee was Rs 1,000. Meanwhile, the Persons with Disabilities were not charged any fees for appearing in the mock test.

NMC had deferred the exam after the Ministry intervened following the protests in this regard by the 2019 MBBS batch, who had termed it a violation of the NMC Act, 2019. After announcing the postponement of the NExT exam, NMC had also cancelled the mock test for NExT and decided to redund the fees collected from the students for appearing in the NExT Mock Test.

Amidst the debate and uncertainty regarding the conduct of the NExT exam, NMC made the issue open to all the stakeholders. Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that the stakeholders were asked to submit their opinion on whether the NExT exam should replace the conventional MBBS final year exam, held separately in addition to the MBBS final year exam, or be conducted in any other manner.

Further, the stakeholders were asked to share their opinions on various aspects, such as the time and manner, exam pattern, way of conducting the exam, syllabus of NExT, and several other issues.

Earlier this year, NMC Chairperson, Dr. Sheth, had pointed out that the proposed licentiate-entrance test, National Exit Test (NExT), would take time to roll out as several key questions remained unanswered.

Terming the NExT exam a 'novel concept', he had highlighted the need for consensus among all stakeholders before implementation. The main questions include the transition from state university exams to a central model, the difficulty level of the test, and the need to create a positive perception among students and faculty.

He had also informed that the Health Ministry had been working on this for the past few years, but students' concerns must be addressed first. Fear needs to be allayed, confidence built, and awareness created that the exam will be a fair, uniform national assessment.

Also Read: NExT exam 'novel concept', Key Questions unanswered: NMC