The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) has announced that the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE) will now be conducted three times a year instead of twice. As part of the revised schedule, an additional FMGE will be held on October 31, 2026.The examination will be conducted in computer-based mode at various examination centres across the country.NBEMS has not yet announced the detailed schedule or application dates for the additional examination. Candidates will have to wait for the Information Bulletin, which will be released separately on the official NBEMS website, natboard.edu.in.
January 2027 FMGE postponed
The board has also revised the schedule for the next regular FMGE examination.The examination that was earlier scheduled to be held on January 9, 2027, has been postponed. NBEMS said the examination will now be conducted on a later date in January or February 2027.The revised examination date and other details will be announced separately.With the addition of the October examination, eligible foreign medical graduates will get another opportunity to appear for the screening test before the next regular session.
What is FMGE?
The FMGE is a screening examination for Indian students and certain overseas Indian citizens who have obtained their primary medical qualification from medical institutions outside India and want to practise medicine in the country.Candidates are required to qualify the examination and meet other prescribed requirements before proceeding with registration for medical practice in India.
Why did NBEMS add a third FMGE attempt?
The decision comes after protests by foreign medical graduates over the FMGE June 2026 results.Candidates had protested in Gautam Nagar, New Delhi, for several days, raising concerns over the low pass rate and seeking greater transparency in the examination and evaluation process. The protest later included a hunger strike.According to the June 2026 FMGE results, around 12.38 per cent of candidates qualified the examination. A total of 4,640 candidates cleared the test out of 37,448 candidates who appeared.Candidates had also sought changes to the qualifying criteria. NBEMS, however, maintained that the standards of the examination needed to be preserved.The additional FMGE in October 2026 will give eligible candidates an earlier opportunity to take the examination. Going forward, the screening test will be conducted three times a year.Candidates are advised to keep checking the official NBEMS website for the Information Bulletin, application schedule and other updates related to the October 31 FMGE.
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