Students aspiring to get into MBBS and PG courses in medical colleges will not have to appear for numerous entrance tests from next year with the Union Health Ministry clearing a proposal of Medical Council of India (MCI) for common entrance test.

A single entrance test would substantially reduce the stress level of the students, who, under the current system, have to sit for more than seven tests for getting admission in medical colleges.

S K Sarin, the head of Board of Governors of MCI, today said the Health Ministry has cleared its proposal for a common entrance test for under-graduate and post-graduate courses in medical colleges across the country.

The Board, which was reconstituted after dissolution of the corruption-hit Medical Council of India, earlier approached private medical colleges with the proposal which in turn have agreed to it.

It had also earlier approached the CBSE to formulate the details for conducting such a test, replacing all other exams that are conducted for admission into government as well as private medical colleges in the country.

Admission tests are conducted annually for nearly 32,000 undergraduate seats and 13,000 post graduate seats in medical colleges across the country.