diff --git a/apps/backoffice/src/app/features/exam/pages/ExamPage/index.tsx b/apps/backoffice/src/app/features/exam/pages/ExamPage/index.tsx
index 34039328c..1bdf2c247 100644
--- a/apps/backoffice/src/app/features/exam/pages/ExamPage/index.tsx
+++ b/apps/backoffice/src/app/features/exam/pages/ExamPage/index.tsx
@@ -79,21 +79,44 @@ function ExamForm({
   const [status, setStatus] = useState<string | null>(editing?.status ?? null);
   const [activeTab, setActiveTab] = useState<string | null>("basic");
 
-  const handleSubmit = (e: React.FormEvent) => {
-    e.preventDefault();
+  /**
+   * Split per tab so "Next" can check just the tab in front of the user.
+   * Submitting from Basic Info used to complain about Settings fields the
+   * user had not been shown yet — the error was correct and unactionable at
+   * the same time. Each returns the message key for what is missing, or null.
+   */
+  const validateBasic = (): string | null => {
     if (!certificationId || !titleEn || !titleAm || !date || !venue) {
-      setActiveTab("basic");
-      notify.error(t("exam.form.fillRequiredBasic"));
-      return;
+      return "exam.form.fillRequiredBasic";
     }
     if ((directionEn || directionAm) && !(directionEn && directionAm)) {
-      setActiveTab("basic");
-      notify.error(t("exam.form.directionBothLanguages"));
+      return "exam.form.directionBothLanguages";
+    }
+    return null;
+  };
+
+  const validateSettings = (): string | null =>
+    !type || !form || !adminMethod || !evalMethod || !cuttingPoint
+      ? "exam.form.fillRequiredSettings"
+      : null;
+
+  const goNext = () => {
+    const error = validateBasic();
+    if (error) {
+      notify.error(t(error));
       return;
     }
-    if (!type || !form || !adminMethod || !evalMethod || !cuttingPoint) {
-      setActiveTab("settings");
-      notify.error(t("exam.form.fillRequiredSettings"));
+    setActiveTab("settings");
+  };
+
+  const handleSubmit = (e: React.FormEvent) => {
+    e.preventDefault();
+    // Still checks both: the tabs are clickable, so a user can reach Settings
+    // without going through Next.
+    const error = validateBasic() ?? validateSettings();
+    if (error) {
+      setActiveTab(error === "exam.form.fillRequiredSettings" ? "settings" : "basic");
+      notify.error(t(error));
       return;
     }
     onSubmit(
@@ -337,9 +360,26 @@ function ExamForm({
           <Button variant="default" onClick={onCancel} size="sm">
             {t("exam.cancel")}
           </Button>
-          <Button type="submit" size="sm" loading={isSubmitting}>
-            {editing ? t("exam.update") : t("exam.create")}
-          </Button>
+          {activeTab === "basic" ? (
+            /* Not type="submit": Basic Info is not the last step, so the
+               primary action advances rather than saves. */
+            <Button size="sm" onClick={goNext}>
+              {t("exam.form.next")}
+            </Button>
+          ) : (
+            <>
+              <Button
+                variant="default"
+                size="sm"
+                onClick={() => setActiveTab("basic")}
+              >
+                {t("exam.form.back")}
+              </Button>
+              <Button type="submit" size="sm" loading={isSubmitting}>
+                {editing ? t("exam.update") : t("exam.create")}
+              </Button>
+            </>
+          )}
         </ModalFooter>
       </form>
     </Modal>
diff --git a/apps/backoffice/src/app/i18n/locales/am.ts b/apps/backoffice/src/app/i18n/locales/am.ts
index c8e51193d..9bdb4e114 100644
--- a/apps/backoffice/src/app/i18n/locales/am.ts
+++ b/apps/backoffice/src/app/i18n/locales/am.ts
@@ -271,6 +271,8 @@ export const am: Translations = {
       cuttingPointPercentageHint: "የመቶኛ ግምገማ — ከ100 አይበልጥም።",
       fillRequiredBasic: "በመሠረታዊ መረጃ ውስጥ ያሉ አስፈላጊ መስኮችን ይሙሉ።",
       fillRequiredSettings: "በቅንብሮች ውስጥ ያሉ አስፈላጊ መስኮችን ይሙሉ — ዓይነት፣ ቅጽ፣ የአስተዳደር ዘዴ፣ የግምገማ ዘዴ እና የማለፊያ ነጥብ።",
+      next: "ቀጣይ",
+      back: "ተመለስ",
       directionBothLanguages: "መመሪያ በሁለቱም እንግሊዝኛ እና አማርኛ ጽሑፍ ያስፈልገዋል፣ ወይም ሁለቱንም ባዶ ይተዉ።",
       status: "ሁኔታ",
       statusPlaceholder: "የፈተና ሁኔታ",
diff --git a/apps/backoffice/src/app/i18n/locales/en.ts b/apps/backoffice/src/app/i18n/locales/en.ts
index 7152067ce..ceb6e6c38 100644
--- a/apps/backoffice/src/app/i18n/locales/en.ts
+++ b/apps/backoffice/src/app/i18n/locales/en.ts
@@ -271,6 +271,8 @@ export const en = {
       fillRequiredBasic: 'Please fill all required fields in Basic Info.',
       fillRequiredSettings: 'Please fill all required fields in Settings — type, form, administration method, evaluation method, and cutting point.',
       directionBothLanguages: 'Direction needs text in both English and Amharic, or leave both empty.',
+      next: 'Next',
+      back: 'Back',
       status: 'Status',
       statusPlaceholder: 'Exam status',
       pending: 'Pending',