Whatever NEXT? Exit exam in medical education

The proposal of a National Exit Test as an exit examination for MBBS graduates to ensure a minimum quality standard is desirable in a country with large gaps in healthcare. However, in its current form it could be reduced to just another examination that can be gamed and one that does not ensure basic skills. Sound designing, increased investment in testing infrastructure, and phased planning and implementation are needed to ensure that NEXT serves as a panacea to the lack of standardised medical graduate output in the country.