The National Exit Exam (NExT) has yet again been postponed for a couple of years. As per reports, the exam is being deferred until the National Medical Commission (NMC) develops a perfect model for holding the exam. NExT will be implemented after NMC evaluates and gathers feedback on the exam by conducting mock tests.
NMC Chairman Dr Abhijat Sheth had said earlier, “The National Exit Test will not be implemented immediately. For the next three to four years, NMC plans to conduct mock tests, which will be fully funded by the commission to assess feasibility and gather feedback from students and institutions. The final implementation of NEXT will be considered only after evaluating the outcomes and responses from these trial runs.”
NMC first announced conducting the exam in 2023 for the 2019 batch. The decision was, however, deferred, for indefinite time following protest from the 2019 batch who called it violation of NMC Act 2019. Due to the uncertainty looming over the exam, NMC invited stakeholders to submit their opinion on whether the NExT exam should replace the conventional exam. The stakeholders were asked to submit their opinion on various matter regarding the exam pattern, mode of conducting the exam, syllabus of NExT exam. Since the stakeholders are yet to answer these questions, the NMC has put a hold on the roll out of the exam.
NMC is introducing the NExT test to replace the MBBS final exam and postgraduate entrance test NEET PG. Once implemented, it will also act as a licentiate exam for granting registration to practise medicine.
NExT had to be conducted within three years of the National Medical Commission act coming into force in 2020. The deadline was extended to 2024 by a gazette notification. The deadline is yet again extended for three-four years.
