NEXT: A Detailed Analysis of Pattern and Syllabus

The National Commission Medical Bill (NMC) introduced a bill in 2019 that was approved by the cabinet ministry. NEXT is a single-window test that will replace some key examinations in India: NEET-PG and the Foreign Graduate Medical Examination (FMGE). The first class of 2017 MBBS graduates to take the exam will be in 2022. It is required for all MBBS final-year students and will be held in two stages.

Learn about NMC: https://www.medicalmantra.co.in/blog/everything-you-need-to-know-about-medical-council-of-india-mci/

PATTERN

NEXT will be divided into two phases: NEXT 1 and NEXT 2.

NEXT 1

· NEXT-1 will take place over the course of three days.

· It is a theoretical exam that is mandatory for MBBS final-year students

· It will consists of 2 phases, where one will be pre-lunch that is 3 hours long and another will be post lunch which is comparatively shorter. The post-lunch phase will be 1.5 hours long.

· There will be 540 MCQs in general.

· The NEXT 1 score is valid for two to three years.

· Students will not be permitted to participate in internships unless they have received clearance.

· Students who fail NEXT 1 must repeat the exam.

· PG Seats will be assigned based on their performance in NEXT 1.

NEXT 2

· NEXT 2 will be held following the completion of internships.

· NEXT Exam 2 is used to assess students' practical knowledge.

· Students will be granted a medical practitioner licence following NEXT 2

· Clearing NEXT 2 is required for medical practise in India.

ELIGIBILTY CRITERIA FOR NEXT.

Medical students who intend to take NEXT must meet the following criteria:

· Medical aspirants from abroad who seek to obtain a licence to practise medicine in India.

· NEXT is open to final-year MBBS students who wish to pursue PG seats or internships in India.

SYLLABUS

All 19 subjects in the new MCI curriculum will be included in the NEXT MBBS exit test syllabus. However, the subject-wise mark distribution will be vastly different from that of the NEET-PG exam or the MCI Screening exam (i.e. FMGE: Foreign Medical Graduate Examination). Clinical subjects will receive much higher marks than pre- and para-clinical subjects.

According to a suggestion addressed at a meeting with the Board of Governors (NMC) on February 15, 2020, the following could be the NEXT-1 question paper pattern:

Day of exam	Major subjects	Allied subjects	No. of MCQs	Time	Minor subjects	No. of MCQs	Time	Total MCQs
1	Medicine & Allied	Dermatology, psychiatry	120	3 Hours	Paediatrics	60	1.5 Hours	180
2	Surgery & Allied	Orthopaedics, anaesthesia	120	3 Hours	ENT	60	1.5 Hours	180
3	Obstetrics & Gynaecology	Radiology	120	3 Hours	Ophthalmology	60	1.5 Hours	180

Out of the 540 MCQs:

· 60% will be problem solving

· 30% comprehension & analysis

· 10% recall

· 10% MCQs from each stream will be from basic applied sciences (anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, microbiology, pathology & pharmacology)

· 10% MCQs will be from Preventive & Social Medicine (PSM)

Students from India must pass the exam if they want to obtain a licence and practise in India. NEXT ensures that medical practitioners are held to a high standard. It will aid in the testing of medical students' theoretical and practical expertise. Students who have completed medical courses in another country will also be required to take the test for licensure and practise in India. It will also be utilised to gain admission to MBBS and PG programmes. After passing the exam, students must complete a 3-year internship in rural/tribal parts of India, and PG students must complete another 3-year internship based on their academic concentration.