The National Exit Test (NExT) will not be implemented for the next three to four years, the National Medical Commission (NMC) has confirmed during a discussion with the Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA). The update comes amid recent directions from the AYUSH Ministry to the National Commission for Indian System of Medicine (NCISM) and National Commission for Homoeopathy (NCH) to prepare for introducing the exam for the 2021–22 batch.
According to the NMC, the NExT exam, which is set to replace the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test for Postgraduate (NEET PG), will only be implemented once the system is fully prepared. The commission plans to conduct mock tests over the next few years to evaluate the feasibility and gather feedback.
“The Hon'ble Chairman informed that the NExT (National Exist Test) will not be implemented immediately. For the next 3–4 years, NMC plans to conduct mock tests, which will fully funded by NMC, to assess feasibility and gather feedback from students and institutions. The final implementation of NeXT considered only after evaluating the outcomes and response from these trial runs,” FAIMA stated.
During the meeting, FAIMA also presented its survey findings and recommendations to strengthen medical education, infrastructure, and the well-being of doctors. The delegation discussed collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) to promote research-oriented learning and the inclusion of research modules and mentorship programmes in the curriculum.
Highlighting rising mental health concerns among medical students, FAIMA proposed setting up mental health support cells, conducting regular counselling sessions, and maintaining structured schedules to ensure a healthy work-life balance.
Other key recommendations included uniform teaching standards, faculty training programmes, and feedback-based evaluation systems. FAIMA also emphasised enhancing the ATCOM (Attitude, Ethics, and Communication) module through AI-enabled learning tools, virtual simulations, and interactive webinars, alongside introducing soft skills, communication, teamwork, and leadership training in medical education.
With these developments, the NMC aims to build a more competency-driven, research-focused, and student-friendly medical education framework before officially rolling out the NExT exam.