NExT Exam AYUSH: Stakeholders' Mixed Reactions, Question Applicability of National Exit Test

Union Minister Prataprao Jadhav has recently notified that the National Exit Test (NExT) exam will be implemented for the 2021-22 AYUSH batch under the National Commission for Indian System of Medicine (NCISM) and National Commission for Homoeopathy (NCH) Acts, 2020. With its applicability for the medicos, stakeholders have also raised a few concerns concerning the NExT exam application, implementation, benefits, and repercussions. 

The National Exit Test (NExT) examination is a proposed postgraduate medical exam that aims to have the dual purpose of acting as a qualifying assessment for prospective PG students and also as a licensure examination for students seeking medical practice in India. Apart from these, another implication of the NExT exam is the merit-based admission for candidates willing to pursue postgraduate courses in India. The merit-based admission process further will ensure that deserving students get an adequate chance to pursue a specialisation in the medical field. 

Meanwhile, Union Minister of State for Ayush, Prataprao Jadhav have announced that AYUSH graduates from the 2021-22 batch onwards have to appear for the National Exit Test (NExT) and qualifying the exam in order to get admission in AYUSH PG courses. He further notified that UG students who have not completed their internship but qualify the NExT exam will only be eligible for registration after finishing their one-year mandatory internship.

NExT Exam: Stakeholders' Perspective

Ever since the examination was introduced, it gained numerous feedbacks, both positive and negative concerning the applicability of the examination. While few stakeholders consider the examination as a great opportunity for the students a few of them call it a mockery by the official exam conducting body. 

As per FORDA President Aviral Mathur, the NExT exam will offer a great opportunity for students. He states “Definitely, we have gone through the rules and regulations of the NExT exam. Barring a few points, the National Exit Test has a great scope of offering students the opportunity they deserve. If the National Exit Test is implemented correctly, it will definitely help the PG medicos.”

FAIMA Vice President Sandeep Dagar urges exam conducting authorities to ensure the exam is error-free. He further says “The provision of the NEXT exam has been introduced for postgraduate medical students. Hence, the authorities must take suggestions and views from the students and stakeholders to ensure everything is put in place in the correct manner. Besides, the NEET UG exam has been in controversy due to exam paper leaks, results and grace mark discrepancies. We expect the government will take enough time to ensure nothing goes wrong with the NEXT exam.” 

On the Contrary, FAIMA President Rohan Krishnan does not consider NExT as a suitable alternative to the medical entrance examination at the PG level. He says “ I don't think that national exit test is anything else but another chunk of corruption for the examination conducting body. If there's only one authority which will conduct the exit test, it will conduct it nicely, and the rest of the authorities, the college level or the university level, which are government universities, which are one of the top medical colleges cannot conduct it. I'm a graduate of MAMC Delhi and I don't trust any other college to conduct an examination better than Delhi University or then IP University. So whatever gibberish they are planning, it is just to make more money out of it, and nothing else. It is just a plan for how to earn bigger amounts from medical colleges, from medical students. 

NExT Exam Latest Update

The National Commission for Indian System of Medicine (NCISM) has provided a broad outline of the NExT exam including the exam pattern, and language of the question paper. As per the guidelines, the examination will be conducted in English, Hindi and several regional languages. A total of 120 questions will be asked in the examination with a total marks of 480. 

Students must note that the NExT exam will be a problem-based test conducted to check the clinical competency and the ability to deal with medico-legal cases. The examination will be mandatory for all students who have started their internship on or after December 20, 2023. 

Read more:

• AYUSH Round 2 Seat Allotment Result 2024 Out @aaccc.gov.in; How to Download AYUSH NEET Allocation Letter?
• NExT Exam; NCISM Issues Eligibility Criteria, Exam Pattern, Syllabus
• NExT Exam: BAMS Students Request AYUSH Minister To Hold National Exit Test for 2019 Batch
• NExT Exam Guidelines To Be Out Soon: NMC Officials Affirm 'Requisite Under Process'

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