Next: a Two-part Exam? The Nmc Drafted Rules for the Timetable, Duration, Grades, and Papers.
By Mr. Gaurav Tyagi, Founder, Career Xpert
Draft regulations for the National Exit Test (NExT), which is required for admission to postgraduate medical programs and for obtaining a license to practice medicine in India, have been released by the National Medical Commission (NMC). The proposed rules state that NExT will be administered as two distinct tests known as “Steps.” The conceptual exam for Step 1 will take place in the second week of December, and the practical exam for Step 2 will take place in the second week of March. The National Eligibility Entrance Test for Postgraduate (NEET PG) test is planned to be replaced by NExT.
NExT Step 1 will be a theoretical examination with multiple choice questions that will be conducted in computer-based test mode under NMC criteria. In contrast, Step 2 will be a practical and viva voce examination.
NXT Step 1 test Six papers in Step 1 encompassing both Part 1 and Part 2 of the third year of the MBBS final year are as follows:
- Medicine and allied disciplines Surgery and allied disciplines
- Obstetrics and Gynaecology
- Paediatrics
- Otorhinolaryngology
- Ophthalmology
- Applied aspects of all subjects covered under I MBBS and II MBBS
- Applied aspects of all subjects covered under III MBBS /Final MBBS Part l
- All students who have completed the third year of their MBBS program at a medical school accredited by the commission are eligible to participate. The third or final MBBS exam (Part 2), which comes before the mandatory rotating internship, will be followed by a regular NExT Step 1 exam once a year.
If the candidate has passed both the NExT Step 1 and Step 2 exams within ten years of enrolling in the MBBS program, there is no restriction on the number of times they may participate in the NExT Step 1 exam. There is no cap on how many times you can try to raise your score. The exam will take the place of the third- and fourth-year MBBS students’ theory exams.
NExT Step 2 exam
Step 2 will cover seven clinical subjects:
- ● Medicine and allied disciplines
● Surgery and allied disciplines
● Obstetrics and Gynaecology
● Paediatrics
● Otorhinolaryngology
● Ophthalmology
● Orthopaedics and PMR (Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation)
Once a year, the exam will be given in person. The number of times you can take the Step 2 exam is not limited. If a student fails the standard exam at any stage, a supplementary exam will be given for both steps.
NExT wins
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● 50% [50 out of 100] or half of the maximum possible raw for NExT Step 1 will be the required minimum marks for passing.
● To pass the NExT Step 1 test, candidates must receive a minimum of 50% [50 out of 100] or half of the potential raw scores on each of the six papers.
● The requirements for passing NExT Step 2 include a successful demonstration of having acquired the evaluated competencies, which will result in a pass-or-fail decision.
Score calculation
- ● The aggregate of the raw scores in each paper or subject will be used to determine the final grade.
● The sum of all raw scores in each subject/paper from the regular and supplementary exams the applicant passed will be used to determine the candidate’s overall marks or percentage of NExT Step 1 if one or more topics are failed.
● The average or mean of the last three successive scores will be used to compute the total marks % for candidates who took the NXT Step Exam to raise their scores.
● Scores from NExT Step will be valid for three years.
NExT exam day schedule, duration
The anticipated exam day schedule and Step 1 duration are provided below in accordance with the regulations:
Day Subject Duration Break Subject Duration
- Medicine and allied subjects 3 hours 2 hours Paediatrics 1.5 hours
2 No exam
3 Surgery and allied subjects 3 hours 2 hours Otorhinolaryngology 1.5 hours
4 No exam
5 Obstetrics and Gynaecology 3 hours 2 hours Ophthalmology 1.5 hours
The conducting authority will choose the Step 2 timetable.
NExT dates schedule
- The tentative schedule of the NExT exam is:
Event Date of commencement Date of result
Step 1 regular December 2nd week January 2nd week
Step 1 supplementary
Practical, clinical university exam 1st week January 4th week January
Internship February 1 February 28 following year
Step 2 regular 2nd week March 1st week April
Step 2 supplementary
PG admission May-June June 30
Postgraduate course July 1
According to Gaurav Tyagi, founder of Career Xpert says:-
“Only since it’s a centralized exam, medicos students may perform better on the final MBBS. One additional piece of advice: since the exam is also known as a license examination, please focus on your studies more than in previous years. THEY MUST concentrate more on their academics than normal.”
