3 min readNew DelhiJul 1, 2023 10:46 AM IST
First published on: Jun 30, 2023 at 02:06 AM IST
With the National Exit Test (NExT) — a common examination for MBBS completion, grant of medical licence and PG entrance — scheduled to begin with the batch passing out in 2024, a mock test will be conducted by the AIIMS on July 28. Registration for the examination is already open and will continue till July 10.
The information brochure for the mock examination states: “Final Year students pursuing MBBS courses in Medical Colleges/Institutes in India.”
Around a lakh students are likely to appear for the mock test, according to officials from AIIMS-New Delhi, which has been tasked with conducting the theoretical part of the nationwide test. Centres will be set up across India for the computer-based test.
ExplainedWhat’s NExT?
The National Exit Test will be conducted in two parts — part I will be the theoretical multiple choice test on six subjects from the final year, which will act as the final exam for MBBS. Once students pass the part I exam, they will be granted temporary medical registration for a one-year mandatory internship. Part II practical examination will be conducted after the internship and will be the basis for granting permanent medical registration. If a student passes both exams, the marks of Part I test will be considered for entrance to PG courses.
Even though NExT will have six theory papers, the students will have to appear only for two papers lasting 3 and 3.5 hours in the mock, respectively. The paper on medicine and allied subjects will have 120 questions and the one for surgery and allied subjects will contain 140 questions. There will be 1 mark for each right answer and -1/4 for wrong ones.
“There will only be two papers for the mock test, but the actual test for final-year batch will have six papers. The mock test is just to give them an idea of the format that will be followed. The students should be able to answer the questions if they have studied the text, understood the subject, and have attended practical training. Studying just what came in previous years’ question paper will not help. Memorising the answers to a bank of questions that are being provided by many will not help,” said an official.
The registration fees for the mock test is Rs 2,000 for general and OBC students, Rs 1,000 for SC/ST/EWS students, and nothing for persons with disabilities.
While a lot of concern has been raised by students regarding the fee, an official from AIIMS said: “The registration fee is similar to or lower than what is charged for tests like NEET PG and INICET. It is slightly more than NEET UG which is a paper-pen test. It will cover the cost for hiring the computer-based test centres, getting invigilators and observers, travel expenses for them, setting up live stream for control room monitoring and other logistics.”
As per the NExT regulations 2023 issued by National Medical Commission (NMC), “There is no restriction to the number of attempts to appear in the NExT Step 1 Examination to improve scores provided these examinations for improvement of scores are taken after completion of NExT Step 2. Candidate is not entitled to appear in NExT step I for improvement of score till completion of NExT 2.”
Around a lakh students are likely to appear for the mock test, according to officials from AIIMS-New Delhi. 
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