What the delay of NExT means for MBBS students

When the National Medical Commission (NMC) announced that the National Exit Test (NExT) would be postponed, it reshaped preparation timelines, changed academic strategies, and disrupted the mental roadmap many students had carefully built. NexT, originally designed to replace NEET PG and the final-year MBBS exam, was meant to serve as a uniform licensure and postgraduate admission test. With the new update that several rounds of mock exams will be held over the next three to four years before full implementation, students now have an unexpected window of time to pause, re-evaluate, and plan for the future with greater clarity. Let’s look at how this decision affects students across batches.

First-year students: Their immediate priorities — building strong conceptual foundations in anatomy, physiology, and biochemistry — remain unchanged. With no pressure of an immediate format shift, they can focus on absorbing fundamentals thoroughly, which will ultimately benefit them regardless of the examination model.

Second- and third-year students: They face the most complex challenge. They must now prepare with two possibilities in mind: university exams based on traditional patterns or a shift toward clinical reasoning, which will eventually define the NExT model. This means adjusting study strategies, incorporating more case-based understanding, and staying updated on changing guidelines. It requires careful balance and time management.

Final-year students and interns: For this group, the postponement brings both relief and disruption. Many had reworked their revision cycles, internship schedules, and PG preparation plans. Now they must realign their timelines once again, especially with NEET PG still defining postgraduate entry for the foreseeable future. Their biggest requirement right now is clarity on timelines and a predictable roadmap.

Why multiple mocks

The NMC’s decision to conduct mock NExT exams over three to four years is intended to prevent a rushed rollout. This allows students to familiarise themselves with the exam structure and gradual improvement in question patterns and clinical reasoning evaluation; institutions to identify gaps in teaching and adjust curricula; and policymakers to refine scoring methods based on real data. Mock exams will also help standardise assessment across medical colleges and highlight disparities in clinical exposure and teaching quality. Over time, this could lead to stronger integrated teaching, better case discussions, and more consistent practical training.

Student support

However, students may feel pressure to perform well even when the results are not officially binding. Managing stress and pacing preparation will be crucial in this phase. Medical colleges have to guide students through this period of uncertainty. Support mechanisms such as bridge courses focusing on applied clinical reasoning; peer-learning groups for collaborative study; counselling services to manage exam-related anxiety; and dedicated preparation pathways aligned with evolving patterns can make a difference.

Over the next few months, students can expect clearer communication from the NMC on aspects such as scoring conversion methods and weightage, the exact nature of the mock exams, timelines for different batches and how the rollouts will happen. The postponement is not a setback; it is a chance to strengthen academic grounding, improve teaching systems, and transition toward an exam model that evaluates competence rather than memorisation.

The writer is the CEO and founding chairman of Transworld Educare