MBBS attendance, assessment, examinations and time limits

Three conditions for sitting a university examination

The CBME 2024 guidelines make eligibility for each subject’s university examination depend on attendance, internal assessment and certifiable competencies (pages 39–42).

1. Attendance

• 75% in theory and 80% in practical or clinical work, for each subject. Where a subject is taught across more than one phase, the percentages apply in each phase.
• Where one examination covers several subjects (for example General Surgery with its allied branches), 75% in each subject and 80% in each clinical posting.
• 75% in AETCOM, and 80% in family visits under the family adoption programme.
• 75% in electives, for eligibility to the Phase III Part II examination (or NExT, when in force).

2. Internal assessment

• Internal assessment is continuous and does not add to the university examination marks; it is shown in a separate column on the marks card.
• It is out of 100 for theory and 100 for practical in each subject — 200 each in General Medicine, General Surgery and Obstetrics & Gynaecology.
• To be eligible, a student needs at least 50% of internal assessment marks combined, and at least 40% separately in theory and in practical. For subjects taught over several phases, the cumulative marks are used.
• Colleges must hold at least three theory and practical internal assessments in each Phase I and II subject (including a pre-university examination), and at least two in each Phase III subject. Log book assessment makes up 10–20% of internal assessment. Results are to be shared with students at least once every three months.

3. Certifiable competencies

The competencies required for that phase must be completed and recorded in the log book.

If a student falls short

• During the phase: students and parents are to be told early about the risk of detention, and remedial teaching and tests offered.
• At the end of the phase: a student who still does not meet the criteria is detained from the regular university examination of that batch, but may be offered remedial work for the same batch’s supplementary examination.
• Attendance shortfalls can be remedied only if attendance is above 60% in each component. Students below 75% theory or 80% practical who attend the remedial classes between the regular and supplementary examinations may sit the supplementary examination.

University examinations

• To pass a subject: at least 50% combined in the university theory and practical examinations, and at least 40% separately in theory and in practical. In subjects with two theory papers, at least 40% across both papers together.
• No grace marks (page 45).
• MCQs carry at least 20% of each theory paper’s marks. Practical and clinical examinations use common conditions a first-contact physician would meet, and at least four examiners per student, half of them external.
• Ophthalmology and ENT are examined separately, not combined with other subjects.

The final examination is described as “Phase III Part 2 / National Exit Test (NExT) as per NExT regulations”. NExT was deferred by the Commission’s public notice of 13 July 2023 “till further directions from the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare”, so the university’s final examination continues.

Supplementary examinations and moving between phases

• A student who fails the regular examination sits the supplementary examination, which universities must hold and declare within 6–8 weeks of the main results so that those who pass rejoin their batch (page 28).
• Phase I: a student who fails the supplementary examination joins the junior batch for teaching and examinations. There are no separate supplementary batches. A student cannot join Phase II until every Phase I subject is passed.
• Phase II: a student who fails may join Phase III Part I training, but may not sit the Phase III Part I university examination.
• Phase III Part I: a student who fails may join Phase III Part II training, but may not sit its university examination (pages 28–29).
• Not appearing at all in a subject’s examination (theory and practical) is not counted as an attempt. Appearing in only the theory or only the practical counts as an attempt.

Attempts and the maximum time to finish

Both documents cap the first year at four attempts, but they state the overall ceiling differently:

GMER-23 is the notified regulation (Regulation 21). The guidelines’ ten-year figure expressly includes the internship year; the Regulation’s nine years is measured to continuation of the “undergraduate medical course”. Neither document reconciles the two, and this page records both as published.