Ultimate NExT/NEET-PG Exam Study Material
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Everything You Need to Know About NExT Exam
You can now put an end to all the doubts and confusions that were there in your mind related to the much talked about NExT (National Exit Test).
NMC, on June 27th, conducted a webinar on NExT with all medical colleges. As per the webinar, 2019 will be the first batch to appear for NExT!
AIIMS Delhi will be the conducting body for the NExT Step 1 examination, which will be conducted twice a year, in May and November.
All the important details about the NExT exam implementation shared during the webinar are listed in this article below.
NExT will replace all the existing medical entrance examinations like NEET-PG, INI-CET (AIIMS, PGI, JIPMER, NIMHANS) and FMGE.
NOTE: Detailed information about the NExT exam will be notified by NMC through a regulation separately. So, all the updates received through the NMC webinar will be superseded by the regulation as and when it will be posted.
NExT Exam Pattern
The NExT exam pattern is totally different from traditional NEET PG/FMGE exams. It will comprise two separate exams, which will be called “Steps”
NExT Step 1 Details
NExT Step 1 will be a theoretical examination which will have one or more than one type of multiple-choice questions. The exam will be a computer-based test (Online Mode). This will be a centralized common All India Examination conducted by AIIMS Delhi.
The examination shall consist of six papers covering subjects of III MBBS /Final MBBS, both Part 1 and Part 2:
1. Medicine and allied disciplines
2. Surgery and allied disciplines
3. Obstetrics and Gynecology
4. Pediatrics
5. Otorhinolaryngology
6. Ophthalmology
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Applied aspects of all subjects covered under I MBBS and II MBBS
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Applied aspects of all subjects covered under III MBBS /Final MBBS Part l
Important Points
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2019 will be the first batch to appear for NExT.
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There shall be regular NExT Step 1 Examinations held twice a year in May and November.
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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.
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There is no restriction to the number of attempts to appear in the NExT Step 1 Regular Examination to improve scores provided these examinations for improvement of scores are taken at least after one year of completion of NExT Step 2
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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.
Division and Types of Questions in NExT
The NExT MCQs of all subjects shall be distributed approximately as follow:
However, you can expect variations in the distribution.
The level of Knowledge related to the acquisition of competencies shall be approximate:
NExT Step 2 Details
Unlike Step 1, NExT Step 2 will be a Practical/Clinical and Viva Voce examination. It will cover the below-mentioned seven subjects/disciplines:
1. Medicine and allied disciplines
2. Surgery and allied disciplines
3. Obstetrics and Gynaecology
4. Paediatrics
5. Otorhinolaryngology
6. Ophthalmology
7. Orthopaedics and PMR (Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation)
NExT Step 2 - Evaluation Method
Each exam will consist of the following-
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Actual cases
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Objective structured clinical examination (OSCE)
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Stimulations if possible
There shall be only two grading levels "competent" or "pass" and "non-competent" or "Fail".
Important Points:-
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The examination shall be Objective, Structured, Clinical Case Based, Simulated Cases/Patients aimed at evaluating Practical /Clinical skills, clinical decision-making and communication skills expected of an Indian Medical Graduate.
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The examination shall be held in person /live and shall be conducted by the respective state Health Universities / Institutions following the standards and guidelines provided by the Commission. Where state Health Universities do not exist the Commission shall decide on the University/ Institution authorized to conduct NExT Step 2 for respective colleges.
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There shall be a Regular NExT Step 2 Examination once a year.
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A NExT Step 2 Supplementary Examination shall be held once a year and is restricted to only those candidates who have failed in one or more (upto 3 Subjects) of the seven subjects and are required to repeat particular subjects.
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Those who do not pass both the NExT Step 2 Regular and the Supplementary Examination of a particular year shall be able to appear for the NExT Step 2 Regular Examination only in the following year.
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There is no restriction to the number of attempts to appear in NExT Step 2 provided the candidate has passed both NExT Step 1 and NExT Step 2 Examination within 10 years of joining the MBBS Course.
This is all about the NExT exam pattern. Now let's move on to the types of questions that will be asked in the NExT exam.
Papers and Distribution of Subjects
The NExT Step 1 examination will have six subject papers with respective weightage in items and time allocation.
Applied aspects of all other subjects of MBBS including Forensic Medicine and Toxicology (FMT) and Community Medicine will be mainstreamed into the relevant clinical subjects. In each paper, 10% of items will pertain to applied aspects of Anatomy, Physiology, Biochemistry, Microbiology, Pathology, Pharmacology, and Forensic Medicine relevant to the subjects evaluated
In each paper, 10% of items will pertain to applied aspects of Public health / Community Medicine relevant to the subjects evaluated.
NExT Scores
The marks in NExT Step 1 shall be calculated as the whole number which shall serve as the Raw Scores with appropriate decimals and subsequently, corresponding Percentages [marks out of a maximum of 100] with appropriate decimals may be calculated if required
NExT 2 Examinations results shall be declared as only Pass / Fail based on the acquisition of appropriate competence that is being evaluated
Minimum Scores for Passing
The minimum marks for passing shall be 50% [50 out of 100] OR half of the maximum possible Raw for NExT Step 1
For the NExT Step 1, in each of the six papers, a minimum of 50% [ 50 out of 100] OR half of the maximum possible Raw Scores r should be scored to pass the examination
The criteria for passing NExT Step 2 shall be a satisfactory demonstration of having acquired the competencies that are evaluated that shall be declared as a Pass /Fail result
NExT Exam Schedule
The exam schedule will look like the following as per the draft regulations:
Important Note: The information in this article is as per the NMC's draft regulation and the recent webinar on NExT. We will update the article with the most recent and accurate information as soon as the official regulation is released.
Frequently Asked Questions for NExT Exam
What is the NExT exam after MBBS and who has to attempt this?
NExT or National Exit Exam is an exit cum licensing exam for all MBBS students in India. Moving forward, all medical graduates will be required to pass this exam to complete their MBBS degree and obtain a license in order to practice medicine independently. In addition to that, all admissions to postgraduate courses will be based on the merit list from the NExT exam.
How is NExT different from NEET PG?
NExT (National Exit Test) is a standardized exit cum licensing exam for MBBS students and it will be replacing the NEET-PG exam. NEET-PG is a national level exam that is currently used to determine eligibility for admission to postgraduate medical courses in India, such as the MD (Doctor of Medicine) and MS (Master of Surgery) programs. The format of the NExT exam is also broader as it will be thoroughly testing your clinical skills.
Is NExT exam MCQs based?
NExT exam will be conducted in two parts - Part 1 and Part 2. Part 1 exam will be computer based exam featuring multiple choice questions while in Part 2 students will have to give a practical/clinical and viva voce examination.
What will happen if you fail the NExT exam ?
Upon failing the NExT exam, a candidate will not be able to pursue his/her internship or complete his MBBS degree. However, candidates are eligible to attempt the exam again next year.
What is the number of NExT PG attempts allowed if we didn't get our desired branch in the first attempt?
There is no restriction on the number of attempts for NExT step 2. However, a candidate must pass the NExT Step 1 and Step examination within 10 years of joining the MBBS course.