NEXT: National Exit Test
NEXT (more commonly known as National Exit Exam for MBBS) will be a single window examination that will replace the NEET-PG exam & MCI Screening exam (FMGE: Foreign Medical Graduate Examination). It will be implemented in 2022.
This exam will be mandatory for Indian as well as foreign medical graduates. The students who will pass the NEXT exit exam will start their internship. Score (rank) in the NEXT exam will also be used to allow PG (MD/ MS/ DNB/ Diploma) seats in Government and private medical colleges in India. NEXT will standardize medical education in India.
It will judge the conceptual understanding and problem-solving skills of final-year MBBS students.
The pattern of NEXT exam
NEXT will comprise two parts: Theory (NEXT-1) and practical (NEXT-2). Theory questions will be multiple choice questions (MCQs). NEXT-1 will be conducted after the final year of MBBS, before the internship. After passing NEXT-1 students will start internships. Those who manage to pass theory (i.e. NEXT-1) will have to clear NEXT-2, the practical test, separately at the end of the internship. The score obtained in NEXT-1 will help you to gain a PG seat after the internship. Follow the below the structure to understand the national exit test syllabus strategy NEXT-2 will be a pass/ fail type of exam. Marks in NEXT-2 will not contribute to PG seat allocation. Thus NEXT-1 will be a qualifying as well as a competitive exam.
There will be unlimited attempts in the NEXT exam. The score of NEXT-1 exam will be valid for 2 to 3 years for the purpose of PG Entrance ranking.
National Exit Test Syllabus
All 19 subjects in the new MCI curriculum will be included in the NEXT exit test syllabus for MBBS. But subject-wise marks distribution will be drastically different than what it was in the NEET-PG exam or MCI Screening exam (i.e. FMGE: Foreign Medical Graduate Examination). The clinical subjects will carry disproportionately more marks than pre- & para-clinical subjects.
As per a proposal that was discussed in a meeting dated 15 Feb 2020 with the Board of Governors (NMC: National Medical Commission), the following could be the NEXT-1 question paper pattern:
| DAY OF EXAM | MAJOR SUBJECTS | ALLIED SUBJECTS | NO. OF MCQS | MINOR SUBJECTS | NO. OF MCQS | TOTAL MCQS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Medicine | Dermatology, psychiatry, | 120 | Pediatrics | 60 | 180 |
| 2 | Surgery | Orthopedics, anesthesia, | 120 | ENT | 60 | 180 |
| 3 | Obstetrics & Gynecology | Radiology | 120 | Opthalmology | 60 | 180 |
| Total MCQs | 360 | Â | 180 | 540 | ||
Among above 540 MCQs:
- 10% of MCQs from each stream will be from basic applied sciences (anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, microbiology, pathology & pharmacology)
- 10% of MCQs will be from Preventive & Social Medicine (PSM)
Among above 540 MCQs:
- 60% will be problem-solving
- 30% comprehension & analysis
- 10% recall
Above is a proposal that was discussed. The official announcement about the NEXT question paper pattern is yet to come from NMC (National Medical Commission), NBE (National Board of Examination) or NTA (National Testing Agency)