NExT Exam 2025 for MBBS: Dates, Syllabus, Pattern, NMC Latest News

National Exit Test or NEXT exam for MBBS could be implemented from August 2025. The test will be replacing NEET PG, and FMGE exams for admission to postgraduate courses. NExT mock exam scheduled for July 28 was canceled. Read to know more about NMC NEXT 2025 exam and latest updates.

NExT exam Step 1 will be implemented most likely from August 2025. NExT Step 2 will be held in February 2026, sources say. This has been concluded based on deliberations held between Health Ministry and NMC officials. Officially, no date has been provided yet for NMC NExT exam. Earlier some reports said National Exit Test will be implemented from February 2028 for 2024 batch final year MBBS students. Recently on August 1 NMC released Competency Based Medical Education Curriculum (CBME) Regulation, 2023. NExT mock exam scheduled to be held on July 28 was cancelled. Earlier on July 13, NMC NExT exam was deferred for 2019 MBBS batch. Later it was announced NMC NExT exam will be valid for 2020 batch MBBS students.

NMC NExT MBBS exam will be conducted twice a year,  May and November. National Exit Test (NExT) will be conducted most likley by AIIMS, New Delhi. The exam will be held in two steps, theory and practical. Registration for NExT mock exam had started online on June 28. Candidates could register for NExT Step 1 mock exam on the official website, aiimsexams.ac.in. The last date to submit NExT mock application form was July 10. The deadline to generate Exam Unique Code (EUC) and complete the application form was July 14. 

 According to an official release, Step 1 will be a theory-based exam while Step 2 will check the practical knowledge of candidates seeking admission in post-graduate medical courses. NMC NExT exam will be a single gateway to get license and practice medicine in India. It will be replacing existing NEET PG and FMGE exams from 2025 onwards.

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• ‘NExT exam will be easier than NEET PG’

On December 28, 2022, NMC released draft guidelines related to National Exit Test, providing details about eligibility, exam pattern and marking scheme. In its draft guidelines, NMC stated that the objective of National Exit Test is to bring uniformity in the summative evaluation across the country with reference to the minimum common standards of education and training of a medical graduate. Application dates and details for NExT PG exam will be released with the official information brochure most likely in November 2024.

NMC NExT Exam Latest News & Updates

As per NMC NExT latest updates, the exam will be held in August 2025. For 2024 batch MBBS students, the exam will be held in February 2028 most likely. Earlier on July 18, the mock exam was cancelled. Dr Yogendra Malik, an official of NMC has tweeted registration fee of candidates who had applied for NExT MBBS mock practice exam will be refunded. The development has come to the fore, days after National Medical Commission had announced that NExT exam will be deferred for 2019 batch MBBS students. Earlier the Union Health Minister had said 2020 MBBS batch will be the first one which will go for NExT exam.

Also Read: No NExT for 2019 batch, applicable from 2020 MBBS batch: Health Minister

What is NExT?

NExT exam or National Exit Test will be conducted for providing admission to post graduate courses. It is a licentiate exam mandatory for undergraduate medical students to practice in India. Candidates who qualified MBBS from India or abroad will have to clear the exam to register with the Medical Council of India. National Exit Test will be conducted by AIIMS Delhi. Earlier it was presumed that National Medical commission will be the conducting body. But the latest official release has confirmed AIIMS will held the exam twice a year. Dates and other crucial details for NExT exam will be released shortly on the official website. 

NMC NExT Exam 2025 Highlights

Some of the highlights of NExT MBBS exam are enlisted in the table below:

Particulars	Details
Exam name	National Exit Test or NExT
Conducting body	National Medical Commission (NMC) most likely
Exam date	August 2025
Exam level	Postgraduate exam at National level
Objective	Medical License
Eligible candidates	Final year MBBS students, Foreign Medical Graduates
Exam mode	Online
Number of Paper	Paper 1 and 2
Question Type	MCQs LAQs SAQs
How many attempt	No restriction

NExT Mock Exam

AIIMS had started online registration for NExT mock exam on June 28. Candidates had to submit application form for NExT MBBS. The application process starts with registration and basic candidate information, generation of Exam Unique Code (EUC) and completion of application form. The last date to submit application for NExT mock test was July 10. The mock test exam for National Exit Test was scheduled to be held on July 28 but it was cancelled. Dates and schedule for NExT mock exam has been given in the table below:

Events	Dates
Registration and basic candidate information	28-Jun-2023 to 10-Jul-2023, till 5 pm
Status of basic registration and correction of rejected images	11-Jul-2023 to 12-Jul-2023, till 5 pm
Final status of registration and acceptance of basic candidate information	13-Jul-2023, till 5 pm
Generation of Exam Unique Code (EUC)	28-Jun-2023 to 14-Jul-2023
Completion of application	28-Jun-2023 to 14-Jul-2023
Admit card download	21-July-2023
NExT mock exam	28-Jul-2023

NExT Exam (National Exit Test ) Process

National Exit Test will be held in two steps, NExT 1 and NExT 2. NExT 1 will be a theoretical exam while NExT 2 paper will be a practical exam. Candidates who qualify for Step 1 will be eligible for an internship and later Step 2 practical exam. NMC will release the information brochure, explaining the application process and other crucial details regarding NExT PG exam.

 

NExT Step 1

NExT Step 1 will be held in a computer-based mode where a total of 540 multiple-choice questions (MCQs) will be asked. The paper will comprise six papers covering subjects of the third year/final MBBS course, Part 1 and Part 2. Candidates who completed the third year/Final MBBS course from a recognised medical college shall be eligible to appear in the examination. NExT MBBS will be held once a year prior to University Practical Examination for the III MBBS (Part2)/Final MBBS preceding Compulsory Rotating Internship. NMC NExT Step 1 supplementary examinations will be held once a year and candidates who failed in one or more of the 6 subjects can appear in the same. There is no restriction on the number of attempts in NExT exam. The only condition is candidates should have passed NExT Step 1 exam within 10 years of joining MBBS.

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NExT Step 2

NExT Step 2 will be a Practical /Clinical and Viva-based exam. National Exit Test 2 will be held in person /live by the respective state Health Universities / Institutions. Paper 2 will comprise seven clinical subjects/disciplines. NExT paper 2 will be clinical case-based, simulated cases/patients aimed at evaluating practical /clinical skills, clinical decision-making and communication skills.

NExT Exam Eligibility Criteria

The National Exit Test will be valid for undergraduate medical students. Some of the eligibility criteria for NExT exam or National Exit Test as mentioned in the draft guidelines are as follows:

• All undergraduate medical students pursuing MBBS from medical colleges approved by NMC

• All Foreign Medical Graduates approved by NMC for the purpose of obtaining a licence to practice medicine as a registered medical practitioner in India

• Any other person who has a medical degree for purpose such as pursuing an academic course, observership or any other purposes as may be specified and approved by NMC

Also read

• NMC seeks stakeholders' comments on draft regulations related to NExT
• Will NEXT be implemented from 2023?

NExT 2025 Application Form

Though the exam conducting body has not released any official notification regarding the application process, it is believed that NMC will be releasing an online application form for the NExT 2084 exam. Application dates for NExT 2028 will be released on the official website. NExT 2028 registration most likely will begin in the last week of November 2024. Candidates will have to register online to submit the application form for NExT 2028. The application process comprises registration, filling application form, uploading images, and paying registration fee. Candidates are advised to check the eligibility criteria before applying for NExT PG exam. 

NExT Exam Syllabus

NExT Syllabus comprises six subjects, covering clinical, pre and para clinical areas. NExT 1 tests the theoretical knowledge of students in above subjects. Subjects of NExT 1 Syllabus are as follows:

• Medicine & allied subjects

• Paediatrics

• Surgery & allied subjects

• Otorhinolaryngology

• Obstetrics & Gynaecology

• Ophthalmology

NExT Exam Pattern

NMC NExT exam pattern comprises exam mode, medium total number of questions its type and other details. NExT 1, theory exam will be held in online mode while NExT 2, practical or viva will be in offline mode. There will be 540 MCQs question in NExT 1. Those who will clear National exit Test paper 1 will be eligible for internship programme. Candidates will have to score 50% marks to qualify for NeXT paper 1. Candidates will have to clear both NExT 1 and NExT 2 to get admission into PG courses.

NExT Exam Pattern Important points

• The exam will comprise two parts, NExT 1 and NExT 2

• NExT 1 that is theory based will be held in online mode.

• Total 540 MCQ based questions will be asked from 19 subjects in NExT 1

• NExT 2 will be conducted only after the internship

• NExT 2 or paper 2 will be practical exam which will be held by respective state colleges/universities

• Score of paper 1 will be valid for 2 years to qualify Paper-2 practical exam

NExT Exam Marking Scheme

Candidates will have to score minimum marks to qualify for the exam. The marks in NExT 1 shall be calculated as 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 Exam results shall be declared as only Pass / Fail based on the acquisition of appropriate competence that is being evaluated.

NExT Exam Question Pattern

NExT 1 paper will be divided into three parts. The theory based exam will be held in 3-days comprising 6 papers. Out of 540 MCQ based questions in NExT 1, 65% will be based on problem solving and analytical skill, 25 % comprehension type and rest 10% will be recall based. The table given below comprises schedule of NExT 1. It must be noted the schedule given below is tentative, subject to feasibility and logistics.

Days	Subjects	Number of Questions	Allotted Time
Day 1	Medicine & allied subjects	120	180 minutes
	Paediatrics	60	90 minutes
Day 2	Surgery & Allied	120	180 minutes
	ENT	60	90 minutes
Day 3	Obstetrics & Gynaecology	120	180 minutes
	Opthalomology	60	90 minutes
Total		540	810 minutes

NExT Cut Off

Candidates will have to score the minimum cut off marks to qualify for NExT PG exam. Qualifying criteria is different for both NExT 1 and 2. For NExT 1, the minimum marks for passing shall be 50% or half of the maximum possible raw for NExT Step 1.The criteria for passing NExT Step 2 shall be satisfactory demonstration of competencies which will be evaluated and declared as a Pass /Fail result.