Introduction: In 2019, the National Medical Commission (NMC) implemented the Competency-Based Medical Education (CBME) curriculum, altering teaching, learning, and assessment methods. Internal assessment marks, once contributing to final grades, now only serve as eligibility criteria. This study, conducted at the Department of Anatomy, HIMS, Safedabad, examines the impact of excluding internal assessment from MBBS 1st year students' final Anatomy marks.

Materials and Methods: This study assessed the performance of MBBS 2019 (CBME) and MBBS 2018 (old) batches in Anatomy. Parameters examined included: 1) first attempt exam clearance rates, 2) passage via grace marks, and 3) distribution of scores (students who scored >70%, between 60-70% and between 50-60%). Statistical analysis employed chi-square tests.

Results: In the MBBS 2018-19 batch, 86 out of 100 students passed Anatomy, compared to 94 out of 99 in the MBBS 2019 (CBME) batch. In the MBBS 2018 batch, excluding internal assessment would have resulted in 44 failures, reduced to 14 with inclusion. Chi-square tests demonstrated significant differences in scores and failure rates.

Conclusions: Excluding internal assessment markedly affected Anatomy exam outcomes, highlighting its pivotal role in MBBS 1stProfessional success.

Keywords: Competency-Based Medical Education (CBME), Internal assessment, Anatomy, Medical education, MBBS curriculum, Student performance