National Exit Test (NeXT) for medical practising licenses to start from 2023
As reported earlier, NBE is likely to conduct the National Exit Test (NeXT) exam for final year Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) students from 2023.
NeXT (National Exit Test) is expected to commence in 2023 for final year Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) students. The online exam is likely to replace the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) PG and serve as an entrance test for admission to PG medical degree programs.
Apart from being a common qualifying final year MBBS exam, it will also be mandatory to get a practising licence in India. It will be a bridging exam for foreign medical graduates wanting to practice in the country and also criteria for merit-based allocation of postgraduate seats in broad specialities.
“The exit exam is most likely going to start from the batch of students that is going to graduate in 2023. The modalities are being worked out,” said a senior central government official, as reported by Hindustan Times.
“If NExT is introduced in the education system then it will do away with the need to conduct NEET-PG (national eligibility-cum-entrance examination). It will be a common test for multiple purposes that is meant to be implemented across the board,” this person added.
As per reports, a mock test is planned before implementing the final exam. The examination is most likely to be conducted by the National Board of Examinations but there is a possibility of outsourcing the process to a third party.
To have a common standard for the medical education sector in the country, NeXT will also be applicable to institutes of national importance such as the All India Institutes of Medical Sciences.
Not everyone welcomes NeXT
“How can one single exam decide all three? ” said Dr RV Asokan, former secretary general, Indian Medical Association.
“The methodology to assess has to be different, as for PG entrance you have to look for the best among medical professionals who you send for further specialisations as opposed to assessing those who want to be able to practice medicine. You cannot use the same benchmark, which is why we raised concerns regarding the way NExT has been envisaged,” he added.
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