Draft Regulation For National Exit Test:
The National Medical Commission (NMC) issued the proposed draft regulations related to the National Exit Test (NExT).
Objective of the Regulation:
- To provide consistency across the nation in the summative evaluation with regard to the minimum common standards of education and training for a medical graduate.
- The objective of the NExT is to improve the quality of healthcare in India by ensuring that all doctors have a minimum level of competency and knowledge before they begin practicing medicine.
- The NExT is a medical licensing exam that is designed to assess the competency of medical graduates.
- Students who received their medical degrees from NMC approved medical institutions and overseas students also will have to qualify the National Exit Test.
- To register for medical practice in India, they must pass the NExT test.
- This centralized common exam will be conducted by a body formed by the commission for this purpose.
- National Medical commission (Amendment) Bill,2022, proposes an autonomous board, ‘Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences’, which, when comes to effect, will be responsible for holding the NExT exam.
- Currently, the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) is responsible for holding exams like NEET PG (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test Postgraduate), Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE).
- NExT will take the place of tests like FMGE and NEET PG.
- The NExT will comprise two separate exams called ‘Steps’.
