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

INTRODUCTION

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.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

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.

RESULTS

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.

CONCLUSION

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.