NBEMS to conduct third-FMGE on October 31; January exam postponed

The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) has announced that it will conduct the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE) three times a year, rather than the two times previously scheduled. This change will take effect starting October 31, 2026, with the additional exam being administered nationwide through computer-based testing.

NBEMS has not yet released the full schedule or application deadlines for the new exam, but candidates will need to consult the Information Bulletin, which will be posted separately on the NBEMS website.

It is also important to note that the January 9, 2027 FMGE exam has been postponed to a later date in January or February 2027. The reasons for this rescheduling have not been disclosed yet. This change provides foreign medical graduates with an extra chance to sit the screening test prior to the next regular examination. The FMGE is a crucial qualifying exam for Indian students and certain overseas Indian citizens who have completed their medical education outside India and wish to practice medicine in India.

To practice in India, candidates must pass the FMGE with the prescribed criteria. The decision to increase the exam frequency followed protests by foreign medical graduates over the June 2026 FMGE results, which had a dismal pass rate of approximately 12.38 percent. The protesters demanded improvements in transparency and qualifying criteria.