AIIMS likely to conduct National Exit Test (NExT) for MBBS students

The National Exit Test (NExT), a two-part exam that will serve as a prerequisite for granting doctors registration as well as the basis for post-graduate admissions, is anticipated to be administered by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi.

Teachers associated with different departments of AIIMS are currently working on developing multiple-choice questions for the first part of the test (or NExT 1), which will focus on assessing clinical learning.

For MBBS students, the new two-part NExT will take the place of the current final theory paper. The first section, also known as NExT 1, will take the place of the university finals. The foundation for NExT 1 will be the provisional registration with medical councils required for the one-year required internship. This exam will consist of multiple-choice questions covering topics in ophthalmology, ENT, paediatrics, obstetrics, and surgery.

“The examination will be oriented towards judging the clinical skills of the students; this is to resolve the problem of students skipping classes to study for NEET-PG. Attendance in final-year courses in many institutes is abysmal because of this. But the NExT pattern will ensure that students will not be able to answer if they do not have practical knowledge gained by attending classes,” said an official from the health ministry.

After the students have finished their internships, they will take the second section (also known as NExT 2), which is a practical paper. A practical test will be utilised to evaluate clinical abilities as well.

The NExT exams will serve as the basis for postgraduate programme admission. However, since NEET-PG 2023 has already been held and counselling is slated for later in the year, it seems unlikely that the new exam would be utilised for PG admissions this year.

The National Medical Commission Act of 2019 recommended the exit test to compare the competency levels of doctors across the nation. The test has to be done three years after the act's 2020 effective date. The dates were advanced by a year by the National Medical Commission through a gazette notification.