NExT Exam Postponed Again: Implementation Deferred for 3–4 Years New Delhi: The National Exit Exam (NExT) — planned to replace the MBBS...
NExT Exam Postponed Again: Implementation Deferred for 3–4 Years
New Delhi:
The National Exit Exam (NExT) — planned to replace the MBBS final exams and NEET PG — has been postponed again. According to reports, the National Medical Commission (NMC) will defer the exam for the next three to four years to refine the model and gather feedback through mock tests.
NMC Chairman Dr. Abhijat Sheth told NDTV that the NMC will conduct fully funded mock exams over the next few years to assess feasibility and collect feedback from medical students and institutions. Only after evaluating these results will the commission decide on the final implementation of NExT.
Initially planned for the 2019 MBBS batch, NExT faced opposition from students, who argued it violated provisions of the NMC Act, 2019. The commission later sought stakeholder opinions on aspects like the exam pattern, mode, and syllabus, but since responses are still pending, the rollout remains on hold.
Once implemented, NExT will serve as:
-
The final MBBS qualifying exam,
-
The entrance test for postgraduate courses, and
-
A licentiate exam for registration to practice medicine in India.
Although the NMC Act (2020) required NExT to be held within three years, the deadline — first extended to 2024 — has now been pushed back by another 3–4 years.
