NMC Publishes NExT Regulations 2023; Read Gazette Information

 Now that the National Medical Commission has published the "NMC, National Exit Test Regulations, 2023" in the official Gazette of India on June 28, 2023, the uncertainties and doubts of medical students over the much-speculated National Exit Test (NExT) are expected to be put to an end.

According to the apex medical commission, "These Regulations shall take effect immediately upon being published in the Official Gazette." Using the general authority granted to the Commission by Section 15 read with Section 57 of the National Medical Commission Act of 2019 and in particular, NMC has adopted these regulations.

These recently notified NMC, National Exit Test Regulations, 2023 cover a variety of subjects, such as the goal of NExT and who is eligible to take the test. In addition to these, NMC has covered in these Regulations the broad outline and general characteristics of the NExT, information on NExT Steps 1 and 2, and various aspects of NExT score, such as the nature of scoring, the minimum scores required to pass, the calculation of NExT Step 1 scores, the utility of NExT scores, etc.

New Regulations are as follows:

To view the Full Regulations, Click on the link below:

1. The Commission or an appropriate body or authority or institution as approved by the Commission shall conduct the National Exit Test as specified hereunder.

2. The National Exit Test (NExT) shall form the basis of:

i. Certifying the eligibility of the medical graduate to register to practice the modern system of medicine in India and therefore serve as a Licentiate Examination.

ii. Determining the eligibility and ranking for the purpose of admission of those desirous of pursuing further Postgraduate Medical Education in the country in broad medical specialities and therefore serve as an entrance Examination for admission to courses of Postgraduate Medical Education.

3. The following shall undertake the National Exit Test (NExT)

i. All undergraduate medical students pursuing the degree of MBBS in all Medical Colleges as approved by the National Medical Commission including Institutes of National Importance.

ii. All Foreign Medical Graduates fulfilling the requirement of foreign medical graduate Licentiate Regulation by the National Medical Commission for the purpose of obtaining a licence to practice medicine as a registered medical practitioner in India and for enrollment in the State Register or the National Register, as the case may be in such manner as may be specified by regulations.

iii. Any other person with a Medical Degree for purposes such as pursuing an academic course, observership or any other purposes as may be specified and approved by the National Medical Commission through due notification or regulations from time to time.

iv. All those who have been granted a Licence to practice and are Registered in the National Medical Register / State Medical Register as the case may as per applicable regulation at that time for such practice &who wish to take admission to Postgraduate courses in broad specialities.

4. The Commission shall specify, from time to time, by appropriate regulations and /or notification the applicable manner of utilizing the results of the NExT for the purpose of admission to Postgraduate Courses in broad medical specialties through mechanisms such as common counselling by designated authority.

5. It is implied that whenever the NExT is in force, the corresponding equivalent existing Examinations shall be phased out/cease to be applicable for the purpose for which the NExT shall be appropriate. However, if for previous batches the existing examinations are applicable as may be decided by the Commission, then the existing examinations shall continue for such time as deemed appropriate to the Commission with the understanding that the NEXT shall eventually replace the corresponding equivalent existing examinations. The use of scores and normalization of different examinations and the NEXT, when applicable concurrently, for such purpose as may be appropriate, shall be determined as and when necessary and notified by the Commission.

To view the Full Regulations, Click on the link below:

2 Broad outline and General Features of the NExT

2.1 NExT Step 1

i. NExT Step 1 shall be a Theory Examination.

ii. The Questions shall be one or more than one type of Multiple-Choice Type.

iii. The Examinations shall be conducted through a Computer Based Online mode.

iv. The Commission will specify by regulations and/or by notification the manner of conducting common counselling by the designated authority for admission to the postgraduate broad specialties seats in the medical institutions. The Government of India will decide and notify the agency of counseling of all broad specialties postgraduate seats.

v. The Examination shall consist of Six papers covering subjects of III MBBS /Final MBBS, both Part 1 and Part 2:

▪ 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 1)

vi. All those students who have completed the III MBBS /Final MBBS course from a medical college approved/recognized by the Commission shall be eligible to appear in the examination.

vii. There shall be regular NExT Step 1 Examinations held twice a year in the months of May and November or any other time as may be notified by the Commission. viii. There is no restriction to the number of attempts to appear in NExT Step 1 provided the candidate has passed both NExT Step 1 and NExT Step 2 Examination within 10 years of joining the MBBS Course.

ix. There is no restriction to the number of attempts to appear in the NExT Step 1 Examination to improve scores provided these examinations for improvement of scores are taken after completion of NExT Step 2. Candidate is not entitled to appear in NExT step I for improvement of score till completion of NExT 2.

x. The NEXT Step 1 shall replace the conventional university/institutional Theory Examinations of III MBBS /Final MBBS Part II. III MBBS /Final MBBS Part 1 and III MBBS/ Final MBBS Part II Practical/ clinical examinations shall continue to be held conventionally unless otherwise notified by the Commission.

2.2 NExT Step 2