NExT (planned)National Exit Test
About NExT (planned)
The National Exit Test is a legislated but not-yet-operational examination intended to unify medical licensing and postgraduate selection. Under the NMC Act, NExT is envisaged as a single test that would serve as the final-year MBBS examination and licensing exam, the entrance for postgraduate (MD/MS) admission, and the screening test for foreign medical graduates.
As of 2026, NExT has not been implemented. Its rollout has been repeatedly deferred, with the NMC reported to be running a design, mock-test and pilot phase over a multi-year window before any formal launch. Key parameters — exam blueprint, number of questions, marking scheme and exact timeline — have not been finalised and should be treated as provisional.
Because NExT is not yet live, the existing examinations remain fully in force: NEET-PG and INI-CET continue to gate postgraduate admission, and FMGE continues as the foreign-graduate screening test. Students should follow official NMC notifications for any confirmed changes rather than assume a fixed implementation date.
Accepted by: Proposed to serve as the final MBBS licensing exam, the common PG-entrance exam (replacing NEET-PG and INI-CET) and the foreign-graduate screening exam (replacing FMGE) — once notified and implemented
Official websiteNExT (planned) eligibility
Intended for final-year/graduating MBBS students as a common licensing and postgraduate-entrance examination, and as the screening route for foreign medical graduates, once implemented.
NExT (planned) exam pattern
Sections
- Proposed two-step structure: a theory step (NExT Step 1) and a practical/clinical step (NExT Step 2), across the major MBBS subjects
Marking scheme: Not finalised as of 2026
NExT (planned) syllabus outline
- Broad MBBS curriculum — pre-clinical, para-clinical and clinical subjects (per NMC proposals)
- Practical and clinical skills assessment in the proposed Step 2
- Exact blueprint to be notified by the NMC before rollout
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