NExT to be effective from 2021-2022 batch for Ayush students

Interns who pass the National Exit Test (NExT) before completing their internship can only register with the state or national registration board after finishing one year of internship.

CAT 2024: IIM opens edit window till September 30 at iimcat.ac.in

This year, the CAT 2024 exam is slated to be conducted on November 24 at various exam cities across the country. (Express Photo by Kamleshwar Singh/ representative Image)

Union Minister of State for Ayush (Independent Charge) Shri Prataprao Jadhav on September 5 announced that the National Exit Test (NExT) for Ayush will be effective from 2021-2022 batch onwards. This announcement was made in a press conference being held in the national capital.

This decision has been taken on the recommendation of an expert committee set up to review the concerns of students, Jadhav stated. The committee then suggested that NExT will be applied to students enrolled in the 2021-22 academic session under the NCISM and NCH Acts, 2020, removing any ambiguity in its implementation.

READ | MBBS students confused about new qualifying exam, say ‘try NExT year’

NExT is required for licensing and enrollment in state or national registers after completing a one-year internship. The structure of the NExT is a problem-based examination featuring clinical case scenarios, images, and videos to evaluate practical skills, an official statement read.

Story continues below this ad

Interns who pass NExT before completing their internship can only register with the state or national registration board after finishing one year of internship.

What is NExT?

It was in 2019 when the National Medical Commission Bill 2019 introduced the concept of NExT. The exam is a comprehensive medical postgraduate examination which aims to focus on various purposes in the Indian medical education system.

READ | NMC issues regulations for NExT, all FAQs answered — eligibility, attempts, 10-year rule

The exam will serve as the qualifying exam for final year MBBS students, and it will also provide a license to practice medicine in the country. Additionally, the exam offers a merit-based admission process for students interested in pursuing postgraduate courses. The goal of this merit-based admission process is to ensure that deserving students have a fair opportunity to pursue a specialisation in the medical field.

All India Institutes of Medical Science (AIIMS) is expected to conduct the exam, which will be held for the first time in 2028, as per NMC.