NMC to conduct National Exit Test NExT from 2023

Recently, the National Medical Commission (NMC) released NEXT recommendations. The National Exit Test (NEXT) will be administered to validate medical graduates' ability to register and practise India's contemporary medical system. It will act as a licence test.

As planned, the National Exit Test (NEXT) will be held to validate medical graduates' ability to register to practise India's contemporary medical system. It will act as a licence test. The class expected to graduate in 2024 will mark the start of the NEXT. The NeXT Exam is reportedly divided into two sections, with the first portion focusing on theoretical and the second on practical, oral, and clinical examinations for the seven clinical disciplines and subjects. The exam is set to replace the NEET PG and FMGE exams.

With the introduction of NEXT, medical students will have a single exit exam that serves as both an admission exam and a licence exam. Candidates must pass the NEXT test in the first and second phases within 10 years after enrolling in the MBBS programme.

It will also act as an entrance test for postgraduate medical education programmes in India and assess students' qualifications and ranking for admission to those programmes.