The new draft regulations for the National Exit Test (NExT) were released by the National Medical Commission (NMC) on Wednesday. According to the proposed regulation, the goal of these rules is to ensure consistency in summative evaluations across the nation with regard to the minimal common criteria of education and training for a medical graduate. The NExT will consist of two major examinations called "Steps."
NExT Step 1
It will be a theoretical examination for NExT step 1. One or more MCQ types will be present in the questions. The exam will be taken online and in computer-based mode. A body created by the commission for this purpose will administer the centralised common exam. The paper will consist of six parts and cover topics from the final and third years of MBBS.
All students who have successfully completed the third or final year of an MBBS programme at a medical school recognised by the Commission are eligible to take the exam. The III MBBS (Part 2)/final MBBS exam, which comes before the required rotating internship, will be followed by the NExT step 1 test once a year. There is no limit to the number of attempts as long as the candidate completes both phases within ten years of completing the MBBS.
NExT Step 2
A practical/clinical and viva voce examination covering seven subjects will be part of NExT step 2. The exam will be conducted in person by the corresponding state health universities. The Commission will choose a university in cases where there are no state health universities. Once a year, the exam will be given. 50% of the total marks in each subject in Step 1 must be achieved in order to pass.
NExT Exam Schedule
According to the official draft by NMC, the schedule for NExT is as follows: