NExT Exam Status — What NMC Has Notified (as of 30 September 2026)

The National Exit Test comes up in every NEET-PG conversation, usually with a rumour attached. This page sticks to what the National Medical Commission has actually published in the Gazette and its public notices, and what that means for your preparation right now.

Start Free NEET-PG PracticeView Plans

Last verified: 30 September 2026 against NMC, National Exit Test Regulations, 2023, NMC public notice of 13 July 2023, NMC Rules & Regulations page and NEET-PG 2026 Information Bulletin.

Quick Answer

As of 30 September 2026, NExT is deferred. NMC notified the National Exit Test Regulations on 27 June 2023, then announced on 13 July 2023 that NExT was deferred on the Health Ministry's advice “till further directions”. No later NMC notice changes that. NEET-PG remains the PG entrance exam: NBEMS ran NEET-PG 2026 as the single entrance for the 2026-27 session.

What has NMC officially notified about NExT?

DateDocumentWhat it says
27 June 2023NMC, National Exit Test Regulations, 2023 (F. No. CDN-19012/15/2022/Coord.-NMC; Gazette of India, 28 June 2023, CG-DL-E-30062023-246874)Framework for NExT Step 1 and Step 2, pass marks, score validity and use of scores for licensing and PG admission. Made under Section 15 read with Section 57 of the National Medical Commission Act, 2019.
13 July 2023NMC public notice No. Cdn.19012/15/2022/Coord-NMCNExT “is deferred on the advice of the Ministry, dated 11 July 2023, till further directions from the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.”
30 September 2026NMC Rules & Regulations pageLists the 2023 NExT Regulations and the deferral notice; no later NExT notice is listed.

What would NExT look like under the 2023 Regulations?

The Regulations describe two steps. Nothing below is scheduled; it is the framework NMC notified before the deferral.

  • Step 1 (theory): computer-based, multiple-choice, 6 papers — Medicine and allied disciplines, Surgery and allied disciplines, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Paediatrics, Otorhinolaryngology, Ophthalmology — including applied aspects of first- and second-year subjects. Regular exams twice a year, in May and November. It would replace the final-year university theory exams.
  • Step 2 (practical): in-person, objective structured clinical exam and viva in 7 clinical subjects, conducted by state health universities to NMC standards; result is pass / fail.
  • Passing: at least 50% in each Step 1 paper; both steps to be cleared within 10 years of joining MBBS.
  • PG merit: the sum of raw scores in a single Step 1 sitting, valid for 5 years; only the latest attempt counts. Ties go to fewer attempts, then to higher marks in Medicine, Surgery, OBG, Paediatrics, ENT and Ophthalmology in that order.
  • Who takes it: Indian MBBS students, foreign medical graduates seeking a licence, and registered doctors who want PG admission.

The Regulations also say that when NExT comes into force, the equivalent existing exams would be phased out, and NMC would notify how scores from different exams are used during any overlap. No such notification has been issued.

How does NExT compare with NEET-PG as it runs today?

AspectNEET-PG (conducted)NExT (2023 Regulations, deferred)
StatusHeld every year by NBEMSDeferred since 13 July 2023
PurposeEntrance / ranking for MD, MS, PG Diploma, DNBLicence to practise + PG entrance
When you take itAfter MBBS, with internship done by the cut-offStep 1 at the end of final-year MBBS
Format180 MCQs, 5 sections of 36 questions, 42 minutes each, +4 / −1Step 1: 6 MCQ papers; Step 2: practical in 7 subjects
FrequencyOnce a yearStep 1 twice a year
Legal basisSection 61(2) of the National Medical Commission Act, 2019 read with Chapter IV of the Post Graduate Medical Education Regulations, 2023Section 15 read with Section 57 of the National Medical Commission Act, 2019

What does this mean for NEET-PG aspirants?

  • Plan for NEET-PG. It is the exam that is conducted and that counselling uses. Watch for the next NEET-PG notice.
  • The syllabus overlaps. NEET-PG draws on the whole MBBS curriculum; NExT Step 1 would test the same final-year clinical subjects. Strong clinical subjects help either way — see which ones carry the most questions in our exam analysis.
  • Ignore unsourced dates. A real change will come as an NMC notice or a Gazette notification with a number and date. Until then, treat NExT timelines in the news as speculation.
  • Final-year students: with NExT deferred, no NExT-based change to final-year university exams or internship eligibility has been notified.

We re-check nmc.org.in and update this page when NMC publishes anything new on NExT. The date at the top shows when it was last checked.

Keep going: Kinase covers all 19 MBBS subjects with NEET-PG previous-year questions, image-based questions and full mocks in the current five-section pattern — useful preparation whichever exam you end up taking.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is NExT happening?▼
As of 30 September 2026, the last public notice from NMC on NExT is dated 13 July 2023. It says NExT is deferred on the advice of the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, until further directions from the Ministry. NMC's rules and regulations page lists no later notice changing that.
Has NExT replaced NEET-PG?▼
No. The NEET-PG 2026 information bulletin describes NEET-PG as the single entrance examination for MD / MS / PG Diploma admission for the 2026-27 session, under Section 61(2) of the NMC Act, 2019. NBEMS conducted NEET-PG 2026 on that basis.
What is NExT supposed to do?▼
Under the NMC, National Exit Test Regulations, 2023, NExT would serve two purposes: a licentiate exam for registration to practise modern medicine in India, and the basis of merit for admission to postgraduate broad-specialty courses.
What would the NExT exam pattern be?▼
The regulations describe NExT Step 1 as a computer-based theory exam of 6 multiple-choice papers on final-year MBBS subjects, held twice a year (May and November), and NExT Step 2 as an in-person practical / clinical and viva exam in 7 clinical subjects. No question count, marking scheme or date has been notified for an actual NExT exam.
Should I prepare for NEET-PG or NExT?▼
Prepare for the exam that is actually conducted: NEET-PG (and INICET for AIIMS-type institutes). Both test the same MBBS curriculum, so solid clinical-subject preparation carries over whatever happens to NExT. Change course only when NMC or the Ministry notifies a NExT date.
Where do I check official NExT updates?▼
On the National Medical Commission's website, nmc.org.in (Rules & Regulations, Public Notices and E-Gazette sections), and the Gazette of India. Treat news reports and social-media claims without an NMC notice number as unconfirmed.
Status as of 30 September 2026
Only NMC-notified facts
Sources linked

Ready to Start Practicing?

NEET-PG is the exam being conducted — keep your preparation on track.

Start Free Practice

No credit card required