NBEMS Announces Additional FMGE by October

The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences has announced a significant set of changes to the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination framework, including an additional FMGE by the end of October 2026, following discussions with representatives of foreign medical graduates over concerns arising from the June examination.

The development marks an important shift for thousands of Indian and Overseas Citizen of India medical graduates who obtain their primary medical qualification abroad and are required, subject to applicable regulations and exemptions, to clear the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination before securing registration to practise medicine in India.

NBEMS publicly confirmed on 27 August that the All India Medical Student Association’s Foreign Medical Student Wing had withdrawn its protest following the announcement of what the examination body described as candidate-friendly measures. NBEMS specifically confirmed that an additional FMGE would be conducted by the end of October, providing eligible candidates with an earlier opportunity to take the screening examination.

Additional FMGE Creates an Extra Opportunity in 2026

Until now, the FMGE has generally been conducted twice each year. The additional examination planned for October therefore represents an exceptional third opportunity during 2026.

The exact examination date, application window, eligibility cut-off, test cities and other operational details have not yet been notified by NBEMS. Candidates will therefore need to wait for the formal examination notice before making applications or travel arrangements. NBEMS maintains a dedicated FMGE section on its official website containing information bulletins, application links, notices and results.

The October examination emerged from discussions held at the NBEMS office in Dwarka, New Delhi, between board officials and representatives of foreign medical graduates on 27 August.

The meeting followed sustained protests over the June 2026 FMGE, during which candidates raised concerns relating to the difficulty of the examination, video-based questions, facilities at certain examination centres and the level of transparency surrounding evaluation.

FMGE Could Move to Three Examinations a Year

One of the most consequential outcomes of the discussions concerns the future frequency of FMGE.

According to the minutes of the meeting circulated following the discussions, NBEMS has agreed that from 2027 onwards, FMGE will be conducted three times a year, with examination windows envisaged around:

• December–January
• April–May
• August–September

The change would significantly reduce the waiting period for candidates who narrowly fail an attempt or become eligible shortly after one examination cycle closes.

At present, NBEMS’ official FMGE portal continues to show the existing session-based examination structure, while the detailed calendar for the proposed three-examination system has yet to be formally published.

Question Paper Difficulty to Be More Clearly Balanced

Another major issue addressed during the talks was the composition of the FMGE question paper.

According to the meeting record, NBEMS has agreed to rationalise the difficulty level by increasing the proportion of questions falling within the low and moderate difficulty categories.

The proposed distribution is:

30 per cent low-difficulty questions, 50 per cent moderate-difficulty questions and 20 per cent difficult questions.

This does not mean that the qualifying standard of FMGE is being removed or substantially diluted. Rather, the proposed approach appears intended to create a more predictable distribution of question complexity while retaining the examination’s role as a competency screening mechanism.

A separate expert review constituted following concerns over the June examination also examined questions surrounding examination difficulty and administration. Reporting on its findings indicates that the panel did not recommend retrospective grace or compensatory marks for the June examination.

Greater Transparency Through Candidate Response Data

Perhaps the most important structural reform concerns access to examination-response information.

According to the agreed measures, NBEMS will make available on each candidate’s applicant portal the question ID, correct-answer ID, response ID selected by the candidate and marks awarded for each question.

This represents a substantial change in the information available to FMGE candidates after an examination.

The issue of transparency had become one of the central demands raised by foreign medical graduates following the June session. Candidates argued that access to their response data would allow them to better understand their performance and identify whether technical or evaluation issues had affected their scores.

The new system would stop short of necessarily publishing the entire FMGE question paper in unrestricted form, but it would provide candidates with considerably greater visibility into how their individual responses were evaluated.

Examination Fee to Be Reduced

NBEMS has also agreed to reduce the FMGE examination fee beginning with the next examination.

The revised amount has not yet been officially announced. The reduction is therefore best regarded as a confirmed policy direction rather than a final fee notification until NBEMS publishes the October examination bulletin.

For foreign medical graduates who may need to make repeated attempts while also bearing expenses associated with overseas medical education, travel, documentation and internship requirements, even a moderate reduction in examination charges could ease part of the financial burden.

Additional Time for Biometric Attendance

The meeting also addressed complaints that biometric attendance procedures can consume examination time.

Under the new arrangement, candidates are expected to receive one additional minute for each section, subject to an overall maximum of three extra minutes per shift, to compensate for time used during biometric attendance procedures.

NBEMS has additionally agreed to instruct its technology partner to improve examination-centre conditions and make facilities more conducive for candidates.

The move follows complaints from some June 2026 candidates concerning centre infrastructure and examination-day conditions.

Earlier, responding to questions raised in Parliament, the Union Health Ministry had stated that NBEMS had conducted audits and inspections of examination centres before the June examination and had made arrangements including drinking water and additional cooling equipment where necessary. The ministry also said candidates had been informed about the examination interface and the possibility of video-based questions through the official demonstration test.

June FMGE Included 14 Video-Based Questions

Video-based questions were another prominent point of contention following the June examination.

According to the meeting minutes, NBEMS will place before the Delhi High Court, in an ongoing matter, that the June 2026 FMGE contained 14 video-based questions.

Candidates had argued that the introduction and number of such questions created uncertainty about the examination pattern.

The Health Ministry had earlier maintained that the official demonstration test released before the examination included video-based questions and that candidates had therefore been given advance indication that such questions could form part of the examination.

Demand for FMG Representation to Be Examined

Foreign medical graduate representatives also sought representation in the NBEMS grievance-redressal mechanism for matters specifically related to FMGE.

The board has not yet formally accepted such representation. Instead, the request will be placed before the NBEMS Governing Body for consideration.

At the same time, the discussions envisaged more frequent engagement between NBEMS and representatives of foreign medical graduates, potentially creating a more structured channel through which recurring examination concerns can be raised.

Why FMGE Remains Important

The Foreign Medical Graduate Examination is the statutory screening mechanism used for eligible medical graduates who obtain their primary medical qualification outside India and seek registration with the National Medical Commission or State Medical Councils.

NBEMS describes FMGE as the Screening Test for Foreign Medical Graduates, introduced under the Screening Test Regulations, 2002. Its official portal provides examination bulletins, application facilities and session-wise results.

The examination is designed to ensure that foreign-trained medical graduates demonstrate a minimum level of medical knowledge before entering India’s clinical system.

That regulatory purpose remains unchanged despite the latest reforms.

NBEMS has indicated that the additional examination and procedural changes are intended to address legitimate candidate concerns while preserving the competency threshold expected from doctors seeking registration in India.

Reform Without Altering the June Result

An important distinction is that the latest measures concern future examinations and examination procedures.

They do not amount to cancellation or revision of the June 2026 FMGE result.

NBEMS officially declared the June session result on 7 July 2026, and its current notice board continues to list that result along with subsequent pass-certificate distribution arrangements.

The expert review of grievances did not recommend broad compensatory marks or retrospective alteration of the result. The focus has instead shifted towards preventing similar disputes by changing the structure, transparency and administration of subsequent examinations.

A Significant Change for Foreign Medical Graduates

Taken together, the decisions represent one of the more substantial operational changes to FMGE in recent years.

An additional examination by October means candidates do not have to wait for the next normal cycle. Moving towards three examinations annually could substantially shorten the time between attempts. Publishing candidate-level response and marking information introduces greater transparency, while a defined difficulty distribution could make examination design more predictable.

The reduction in examination fees, additional time to compensate for biometric procedures and promised improvements to examination-centre conditions address several practical concerns that had accumulated around the screening process.

The most immediate next step will be the formal NBEMS notification for the October 2026 FMGE, which is expected to specify the examination date, eligibility conditions, application period, fee structure and test-centre arrangements.

For thousands of foreign-trained Indian medical graduates waiting to qualify for medical registration, that notification will now become the key document to watch.

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Reference:
National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS), Government of India — Official announcement, 27 August 2026
FMGE Official Portal: National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences

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