Who will conduct NEXT exam? This body..as per Health Ministry

New Delhi: Putting an end to the confusion regarding the authority in charge of conducting the National Exit Test (NEXT), the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has proposed constituting a new autonomous Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (BEMS) under the National Medical Commission which will handle this responsibility.

Proposing amendments to the existing National Medical Commission (NMC) Act 2019, the Health Ministry has decided to incorporate the Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (BEMS) as the Fifth Autonomous Board under the National Medical Commission (NMC), which is the apex medical education regulatory body.

Along with its various other responsibilities, BEMS will also conduct the National Exit Test (NEXT) that will serve as both a licentiate exam for the purpose of practice of modern medicine for both Indian Medicos and Foreign Medical Graduates and also as a gateway entrance Examination for admission to courses Postgraduate Medical Education.

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that 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.

Also Read: NMC releases draft gazette on NEXT with details, invites comments

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.

Earlier, there were speculations that the NEXT set to be implemented in 2023 will be delayed by one year. Officials in the Union Health Ministry and the NMC had pointed out that the Commission is not yet fully prepared for introducing NEXT because several decisions regarding the conduction of the test are yet to be taken.

Later, giving the final stand on whether MBBS pass-outs will be appearing for NEET PG 2023 or the NExT exam as a gateway to Postgraduate Medical courses, the National Board of Examinations (NBE) gave its verdict stating that it will be conducting the NEET PG exam next year.

Recently, 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.

Although the draft 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, it did not specify which body will conduct the exam.

Finally, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has offered some clarifications in this regard with its proposed amendments to the NMC Act 2019. The Union Government has proposed to dissolve the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS), and replace it with Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (BEMS) as the Fifth Autonomous Board under the NMC.

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."

Apart from this, the new proposed NMC Board will also accredit medical institutions for conducting Diploma, Diplomate and Fellowship post graduate and Diplomate and Fellowship super-speciality courses, determine the minimum requirements and standards for conducting Diploma, Diplomate, and Fellowship Postgraduate and Diplomate and Fellowship Super-speciality courses and their examinations in medical institution, in accordance with the regulations made under the Act, conduct exit examinations for award of Diploma, Diplomate and Fellowship qualifications, conduct any such examinations of any institution as assigned to it by the Commission or by the Central government, and grant degree and diploma for Diplomate and Fellowship qualifications.

"The Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences may, in the discharge of its duties, make such recommendations to, and seek directions from, the Commission as it deems necessary," stated the public notice in this regard.

To view the notice, click on the link below:

https://medicaldialogues.in/pdf_upload/nmc-act-amendment-bill-196116.pdf

Also Read:Breaking: Health Ministry Moves to Abolish NBE, establish New Board under NMC itself