NEXT: Question Paper Pattern & Syllabus
NEXT: National Exit Test
NEXT (more commonly known as National Exit Exam for MBBS) will be a single window examination which will replace NEET-PG exam & MCI Screening exam (FMGE: Foreign Medical Graduate Examination). It will be implemented from 2022.
This exam will be mandatory for Indian and foreign medical graduates. The students who will pass NEXT exit exam will start their internship. Score (rank) in NEXT exam will also allot PG (MD/ MS/ DNB/ Diploma) seats in Government and private medical colleges in India.
NEXT will standardise the medical education in India. It will judge the conceptual understanding and problem-solving skills of last year MBBS students.
Pattern of NEXT exam
NEXT will comprise two parts: Theory (NEXT-1) and practical (NEXT-2). Theory questions will be multiple-choice questions (MCQs). NEXT-1 will be conducted after last year MBBS, before internship. After passing NEXT-1 students will start internship. Those who pass theory (i.e. NEXT-1) will have to clear NEXT-2, the practical test, separately at the end of internship. The score got in NEXT-1 will help you to gain a PG seat after internship. Follow below structure to understand national exit test syllabus strategy.
NEXT-2 will be a pass/ fail type of exam. Marks in NEXT-2 will not contribute to PG seats allocation. Thus NEXT-1 will be a qualifying and competitive exam.
There will be unlimited attempts in NEXT exam. Score of NEXT-1 exam will be valid for 2 to 3 years for PG Entrance ranking.
National Exit Test Syllabus
All 19 subjects in new MCI curriculum will be included in NEXT exit test syllabus for MBBS. But subject-wise marks distribution will be drastically different from what it was in NEET-PG exam or MCI Screening exam (i.e. FMGE: Foreign Medical Graduate Examination). The clinical subjects will carry disproportionately more marks than pre- & para-clinical subjects.
As per a proposal which was discussed in a meeting dated 15 Feb 2020 with Board of Governors (NMC: National Medical Commission), following could be the NEXT-1 question paper pattern:
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)
Among 540 MCQs: • 60% will be problem solving • 30% comprehension & analysis • 10% recall
Above is a proposal which was discussed. The official announcement about NEXT question paper pattern is yet to come from NMC (National Medical Commission), NBE (National Board of Examination) or NTA (National Testing Agency)















