National Exit Test (abbreviated as NExT) is a proposed examination for all MBBS students in India that is required to pass the final year and obtain a license to practice medicine. Admissions to postgraduate courses will be based on the merit of a candidate in NEXT. Introduced by the National Medical Commission Bill 2019, NEXT will also serve the purpose of

Screening Test Screening, in medicine, is a strategy used to look for as-yet-unrecognised conditions or risk markers. This testing can be applied to individuals or to a whole population. The people tested may not exhibit any signs or symptoms of a disease, or t ...

for Foreign Medical Graduates who are now required to qualify

Medical Council of India The Medical Council of India (MCI) was a statutory body for establishing uniform and high standards of medical education in India until its dissolution on 25 September 2020 when it was replaced by National Medical Commission. The Council grante ...

Screening Test (Foreign Medical Graduates Examination or FMGE) and will for admission into postgraduate medical courses. In January 2020, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare also introduced the draft National Dental commission Bill that also called for National Exit Test after BDS for dentists in India.

History

The very first amendment to the NMC bill was in February 2018, then again in March 2019. A lot of debates and discussions regarding these came up from medical practitioners and medical aspirants. On January 7, 2019, The National Commission for Indian System of Medicine Bill, 2019 (abbreviated as "National Medical Commission Bill" or "NMC Bill") was introduced in

Rajya Sabha The Rajya Sabha, constitutionally the Council of States, is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of India. , it has a maximum membership of 245, of which 233 are elected by the legislatures of the states and union territories using si ...

Shripad Yesso Naik Shripad Yesso Naik (born 4 October 1952) is an Indian politician serving as the current Minister of State for Tourism and Ports, Shipping and Waterways of India in office 7 July 2021 (in Second Modi ministry). He was the former Union Minister o ...

, Minister of State for

AYUSH The Ministry of Ayush, a ministry of the Government of India, is responsible for developing education, research and propagation of traditional medicine systems in India. Ayush is a name devised from the names of the alternative healthcare syste ...

. On July 17, 2019, The Union Cabinet approved the Bill with a purpose to unify all the medical entrance examinations and setting uniform standards for Indian System of Medicine. Among other reforms, NMC Bill sought to introduce the National Exit Test in the Indian System of Medicine. In year 2020 the Medical Council of India was replaced with a new authority that is called National Commission for Indian System of Medicine (abbreviated as

National Medical Commission National Medical Commission (NMC) is an Indian regulatory body of 33 members which regulates medical education and medical professionals. It replaced the Medical Council of India on 25 September 2020. The Commission grants recognition of medic ...

or NMC). The

released draft regulations in 2021 on foreign medical graduates (FMGs) that amends the requirement for the Foreign Medical Graduate Exam. Starting in 2022, overseas graduates will be required to qualify the new National Exit Test (NExT) in place of the Foreign Medical Graduate Exam (FMGE). Candidates intending to practice in India will have to clear NExT, within two years of completing their medical studies abroad. The draft regulation is expected to become official when published in the next gazette.

Criticism

A lack of provision for repeaters and failures of the test was cited as a concern. However, it was clarified that the exam will have no cap on the number of attempts.

References

{{Reflist Medical education in India