New Delhi: The National Medical Commission (NMC) has said that only the marks scored by candidates in Step 1 of the proposed National Exit Test (NExT) for final year MBBS students in the country will be considered for admissions to medical post-graduate (PG) courses.

According to the final gazette notification issued on NExT by NMC, the total marks will be based on the performance of the students in all the six subjects in Step 1 of the test.

The marks secured in Step 1 will be valid for five years for PG admission, the notification added. If the students make another attempt at NExT during this period, the score of the second exam will be considered for PG admissions.

The notification includes details on breaking a tie, number of chances and various subjects for the test.

Clearing NExT is also mandatory for Indian students pursuing medical courses abroad as well as foreign medical students to undergo compulsory internship in India.

Two steps for NExT

NExT will be conducted in two phases and in Step 1, students have to take a test of six papers covering the curriculum in the third and final years of the MBBS course. Step 2 includes practical exams and a viva based on clinical subjects. Students who clear Step 1 can make any number of attempts to pass Step 2.

Step 1 will have precise scoring and students should secure a minimum of 50 per cent marks for a pass. Each of the six papers in this step will have maximum marks of 100. Meanwhile, in Step 2, there is only one criterion – pass or fail.

The notification also says that the old system of exams will continue for a few more years even after NExT is implemented to enable students to clear them. However, the notification adds that the NMC would decide when to cease this arrangement.