Perception of Indian Medical Students Towards University Exams and Proposed Licensure cum Post-Graduate Specialty (Residency) entrance examination (National Exit Test)

The National Entrance cum Eligibility Test for postgraduate medical studies (NEET-PG) in India is destined to be replaced by the National Exit Test (NExT). We assessed the perception of Indian medical students towards the change in examination patterns.

We undertook a cross-sectional study by collecting responses of students from medical colleges all over India through a pre-validated questionnaire using a Google form. The data were collected through representatives of various national-level medical student organisations and appropriate analytical tests were applied.

In total, 729 responses were collected from different parts of the country, with 69% believing that NExT Step 1 shall serve as a PG entrance exam. A total of 70% wanted NExT Step 1 to be conducted every 6 months, with most agreeing on a 1-day exam (41.7%) lasting 3 h (67%). Most students (60%) preferred having no attempt limits. A majority of the students (93.6%) wanted mock tests to be conducted. In total, 81% believe that conducting university theoretical examinations as 100% MCQ-based will improve preparation for NExT Step 1. A majority of the students (69%) wanted NExT Step 2 to be considered as final year university practical examination.

We found that medical students prefer NExT Step 1 to be conducted every 6 months in the form of a 1-day exam of 3-h duration. Regular feedback from all stakeholders, including students, is necessary for proper implementation of the new exam, and real-time modification of the exam pattern must be undertaken in the long run once the exam is rolled out.