National Exit Test

National Exit Test

News: Recently, the National Medical Commission (NMC) issued the proposed draft regulations related to the National Exit Test (NExT). 

About:
• 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’.

Who can appear for the test?
• All the students who have completed the final MBBS course from a Commission-recognized medical college would be eligible to appear in the exam.
• There is no restriction in the number of attempts provided that the candidate passes both the steps within 10 years of joining MBBS.
• Just by clearing the NExT exam the foreign medical graduates will get licentiate to become practicing doctors.

What is NMC?
• The National Medical Commission (NMC) is a statutory body in India that was established in 2019 by the Indian government to replace the Medical Council of India (MCI).
• The NMC has been constituted by an act of Parliament known as National Medical Commission Act, 2019
• The NMC is a regulatory body for the medical education sector in India.
• Headquarters – New Delhi.