NExT 2025 Latest News Updates - NExt Exam in August 2025 For MBBS Students

The National Exit Test (NExT) is a forthcoming regulation that aims to replace the final MBBS exams, the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test for postgraduate seats (NEET PG), and the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE) for foreign medical graduates to practice medicine in India. As per the latest update, NMC has invited comments from the stakeholders on the preparation for bringing in this exam.

Earlier NMC cancelled the NExT mock test 2023 which was to be held on July 28, 2023. According to the NExT (National Exit Test) Regulations 2023 issued in June last year, the NMC said the exam will be held in two phases with the NExT Step 1 and NExT Step 2 exams being held twice a year. NExT Step 1 will be a theory examination and will have six subject papers, each having different weightage of items and time allocation. While the marks from NExT Step 2 would be considered to prepare a merit list for admission into broad speciality PG seats.

NExt Exam in August 2025 For MBBS Students

NExT exam Step 1 will be most likely implemented from August 2025 while the NExT Step 2 will be held in February 2026. However, no official announcement has been made related to this and these are mere speculations. Read the full article to get the latest news regarding NExT 2025 exam.

NExT 2025 latest news and updates

January 29, 2024: The NExT exam has been paused as of now till further update, with the National Medical Commission (NMC), which regulates medical education and medical professionals, seeking comments on the preparation for bringing in this exam.

August 1, 2023: NMC CBME regulations regarding NExT exam released.

July 17, 2023: NExT mock test 2023 cancelled. Registration fee will be refunded.

July 13,2023: NMC issued a notice regarding postponement of NExT exam.

July 10, 2023: Registration for NExT mock test 2023 will close today by 5 PM.

June 28, 2023: AIIMS, New Delhi has started the registrations for NExT 2023 mock test at aiimsexams.ac.in.

June 27, 2023: A mock/practice test will be conducted on July 28, 2023, the registrations for which will start from June 28, 2023.

June 27, 2023: As per the webinar conducted by the authority, the NExT Step 1 exam will have six subject papers while Step 2 exam will be clinical exam which will be conducted after the completion of internship.

June 7, 2023: NMC clarified that the notice regarding NExT exam to be conducted in second half of 2023 is fake. Candidates must rely on the official notices to verify the genuineness.

June 7, 2023: A notice stating that NExT exam is finalised to be conducted in second half of 2023 is said to be issued by NMC.

May 26, 2023: NMC issued a notice to medical colleges regarding completion date of current batch of final MBBS professional course.

January 4, 2023: NMC revised the deadline for medical colleges to provide information of students enrolled in the first year of MBBS program for the academic session 2022-23.

January 3, 2023: While some individuals expressed support for the proposed changes, others criticised it as a premature and ill-prepared decision.

December 28, 2022: NMC issued draft guidelines on the NExT exam for admission to postgraduate medical programmes and for licence to practice medicine in India.

September 29, 2022: The government invoked the NMC Act, extending the timeline for the NExT exam till September 2024.

August 22, 2022: The absence of clear guidelines resulted in confusion among MBBS students, leaving them vulnerable to rumours and speculations.

Who can apply for NExT 2025 exam?

The proposed regulations will apply to the following categories of individuals:

• All undergraduate medical students enrolled in MBBS program in Medical Colleges approved by the National Medical Commission, NMC. These approvals are granted through the Medical Assessment and Rating Board as well as the Undergraduate Medical Education Board.

• All Foreign Medical Graduates who have been approved by the NMC. This approval is necessary for obtaining a license to practice medicine as a registered medical practitioner in India and for enrollment in either the State Register or the National Register. The specific manner for this process will be specified by regulations.

• Any other person holding a Medical Degree who wished to pursue an academic course, observership or any other purposes as approved and specified by the NMC through notifications or regulations from time to time.

NExT 2025: What to expect in NExT exam?

While all the details of NExT exam are not available as of now, we can anticipate certain aspects based on the general expectations of a medical certification and screening exam.

• Comprehensive coverage: The NExT 2025 exam will be covering a wide range of medical disciplines to assess candidates' overall knowledge and understanding of medical concepts. The exam will be covering Medical & allied subjects, Surgery & allied subjects, Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Paediatrics, Otorhinolaryngology and Ophthalmology.

• Theoretical concepts: The exam will aim to test candidates’ theoretical knowledge by including high-quality multiple-choice questions (MCQs). These questions will require students to demonstrate their understanding of medical concepts, principles and guidelines.

• Clinical skill assessment: As per the guidelines issued by the authority, the NExT exam will incorporate components to assess a candidate's clinical skills and their ability to apply medical knowledge in practical scenarios. This will include competencies in clinical diagnosis, patient examination and clinical decision making, practical and communication skills necessary to practice modern medicine.

• Standardised scoring: The exam will follow a standardised scoring system to objectively assess candidates' performance. The NExT 2025 exam will comprise of actual cases, Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) and simulations (if possible). By evaluating candidates on these parameters and depending on the ability of the result, there will be only two types of grading namely Competent or Pass/ Non- Competent or Fail.