Explained: All you want to know about NExT which is replacing NEET

New Delhi: National Exit Test (NExT), a comprehensive single-window exit exam, will replace multiple existing examinations including NEET-PG, INI-CET (AIIMS, PGI, JIPMER, NIMHANS), and the MCI Screening Exam (FMGE: Foreign Medical Graduate Examination).

Indian medical education system is about to undergo a significant transformation with the implementation of the National Exit Test (NEXT) in December 2023.

Students admitted to the MBBS course in 2019 will be the first batch to take the National Exit Test (NExT), for which a mock test will be conducted on July 28.

NExT for the 2019 batch of final-year MBBS students will be held in two phases next year. Step 1 for the final-year batch is likely to be held in February 2024

What is NExT?

Designed as a standardized assessment, NExT aims to evaluate the conceptual understanding and problem-solving skills of final-year MBBS students, streamlining medical education and ensuring uniformity across the country.

It consists of two parts: NExT-1, the theory exam, and NExT-2, the practical exam.

NExT-1, which replaces the final year MBBS exam conducted by universities, will now be conducted centrally at the All-India level.

Students will undertake NExT-1 after completing their final year and before commencing their internship. A pass in NExT-1 will make them eligible to start their internship. Moreover, the score obtained in NExT-1 will also be considered for allocating PG (MD/MS/DNB/Diploma) seats in both government and private medical colleges in India.

The qualifying cutoff for NExT-1 is set at 50%. This means that achieving a score of at least 50% (not percentile) in NExT-1 is necessary to pass and begin the internship. The NExT-1 score will remain valid for three years for the PG entrance ranking. After completing the internship, candidates can utilize the same NExT-1 score within three years to apply for PG programs. Therefore, NExT-1 serves as both a qualifying and competitive exam.

Syllabus:

The syllabus for NExT-1 comprises all 19 subjects in the new Indian MBBS curriculum, incorporating preclinical, paraclinical, and clinical subjects taught from the first to final years.

The question pattern for NExT-1 consists of multiple-choice questions (MCQs) with a single correct answer. Notably, the subject-wise marks distribution in NExT-1 will differ significantly from that of previous exams, placing greater emphasis on clinical subjects compared to pre- and para-clinical subjects.

The major subjects and allied subjects in NExT-1 include Medicine (including Dermatology, Psychiatry, and Pediatrics), Surgery (including Orthopedics, Anesthesia, and ENT), and Obstetrics & Gynecology (including Radiology and Ophthalmology). These subjects will collectively contribute 540 MCQs to the exam.

The MCQ distribution in NExT-1:

-10% of MCQs from each stream will cover basic applied sciences such as anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, microbiology, pathology, and pharmacology.

-An additional 10% of MCQs will focus on Preventive & Social Medicine (PSM).

-60% of the MCQs will assess problem-solving abilities.-30% of the MCQs will test comprehension and analysis.

-The remaining 10% of MCQs will assess recall.

-Regarding attempts, candidates must qualify for the NExT exam (both step 1 and step 2) within ten years from the date of their MBBS admission. However, there are no restrictions on the number of attempts for the NExT exam itself. The ten-year limit only applies to passing the NExT exam, whereas candidates can attempt the NEXT-1 exam unlimited times for PG entrance purposes.

NExT -2:

This will be a practical exam conducted at the university level, unlike the all-India level of NExT-1.

Students will appear for NExT-2 after completing their internship, providing them with one full year to prepare for it.

NExT-2 will be a pass-or-fail exam, carrying no scores or marks. It solely serves as a qualifying exam and does not contribute to PG seat allotment.