The Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE) is the screening test that Indian citizens with a foreign medical degree must pass before they can register as doctors in India. It is conducted by the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS), usually twice a year, and has 300 multiple-choice questions with a pass mark of 150. If you are planning MBBS abroad, FMGE is the exam your whole course should be preparing you for.
What Is the FMGE Exam Pattern?
FMGE is a computer-based test of 300 multiple-choice questions, delivered in two parts on the same day. The syllabus covers the subjects of the Indian MBBS curriculum — pre-clinical, para-clinical and clinical. There is no negative marking, and a score of 150 out of 300 is required to pass.
How Many Times Can I Attempt FMGE?
The exam is usually held twice a year, in June and December, and there has been no cap on the number of attempts. Each attempt costs time and money, though, so the realistic goal is to pass within your first one or two sittings.
How Hard Is FMGE, Honestly?
Hard enough that it should shape your choice of university. Historically, most candidates have not cleared FMGE in a given session. The students who pass tend to share three things: a university with genuine clinical exposure, steady self-study aligned to the Indian syllabus through the course, and focused revision in the final year. Low fees mean little if the teaching does not get you through this exam.
Will NExT Replace FMGE?
The National Exit Test (NExT) is provided for in the National Medical Commission Act as a common exam that would serve as the final MBBS exam, the licensing exam and the basis for postgraduate admission — for Indian and foreign graduates alike. Its introduction has been deferred more than once. Until NMC notifies otherwise, FMGE remains the exam foreign graduates take, so check current NMC and NBEMS notices as you approach graduation.
What Happens After I Pass?
After clearing the exam, foreign medical graduates complete a 12-month Compulsory Rotating Medical Internship in India, and then obtain permanent registration. From that point you are on the same footing as any other doctor in India, including for postgraduate entrance exams.
How Should I Prepare While Studying Abroad?
- Follow standard Indian textbooks alongside your university's material from the first year
- Keep subject-wise notes you can revise from, instead of starting again in the final year
- Take clinical postings seriously — clinical subjects carry a large share of the paper
- Practise timed MCQs regularly in the last eighteen months
- Plan your first attempt for soon after graduation, while the material is fresh
How Does Versa Global Help?
We only place students in programs that meet NMC's foreign medical graduate rules, and we talk about FMGE at the counselling stage — not after the fee is paid. See how the full pathway works on our MBBS Abroad page.
Planning MBBS Abroad?
Compare MBBS in Vietnam (from ₹31 lakhs) and Georgia, with eligibility, costs and the FMGE pathway.
