Common National Exit Test (NEXT) for India & Abroad medical students
A common National Exit Test (NEXT) for India & abroad medical students will be conducted by NMC. This is according to to the latest rule established by NMC where all Indian students (Whether from government/private medical colleges of India) will have to appear in a common exam after their MBBS course. Indian students will be granted the permission to practice medicine only after qualifying this exam (50% marks is the qualifying criteria). This proposal by the National Medical Commission (NMC) for a common national exit exam for India & abroad students has been accepted by the central government.
Regarding Indian students who have MBBS degrees from abroad countries, they earlier had to appear in FMGE (Foreign Medical Graduates Exam)/MCI Screening Test. And were required to qualify this exam after which they were granted the permission to practice medicine in India. But now, this FMGE/MCI Screening test is replaced by NEXT (National Test) and Indian students from abroad medical universities have to clear NEXT, so as to be able to get registration as a permanent medical practitioner in India.
The National Exit Test (NEXT) for Indian & abroad students will not only replace FMGE/MCI Screening Test, but also replace the NEET-PG exam in India. This means that NEXT will serve 2 main purposes :
- Qualifying exam for all students (India & Abroad) to get registration as a medical practitioner in India.
- PG (Post-Graduation) seats in India will be allotted to top rank holders in the same exam according to merit.
The first mock test of NEXT (National Exit Test) was scheduled to be conducted in 2023. It was supposed to replace MCI Screening Test/FMGE & NEET-PG to serve it’s full purpose.
But later in July 2023, NMC issued a public notice to announce that NEXT was postponed/deferred in 2023 and further announcement since then is awaited.
We hope that this NEXT will make it easier for all students (India or abroad) to focus on this single exam that will serve all purposes i.e. qualification to practice in India as well as PG entrance (Very similar to the way NEET currently serves as a single exam for admission in MBBS course).
