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FMGE attempts and the result: what the bulletin and the Commission's documents say

Sources checked · Unofficial summary

The Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE), which the bulletin also calls the Screening Test, is run by the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS, India). Chapter 5 of its October 2026 information bulletin states the pass mark as a minimum of 150 marks out of 300, and it states that there are no restrictions on the number of attempts. The time limits for completing a foreign medical course come from documents of the National Medical Commission (India), and those documents address foreign medical graduates who seek a licence to practise in India.

This page sets out what each document says, in its own words and with its own date. For the home-country rules that apply to practising, see this register's section page on practising back home. This page does not say whether any particular Chinese university or course meets these conditions. The Indian authorities decide that case by case.

The examination in chapter 5

Chapter 5 (Scheme of FMG Examination) of the FMGE (Screening Test) October 2026 Information Bulletin, version 2.2, describes the paper as follows.

  • The examination consists of one paper of 300 multiple choice questions, administered using computer network.
  • Each question has 4 response options, in English only.
  • The paper is delivered in two parts, taken in a single day, with 150 questions in each part.
  • The bulletin gives 153 minutes in total for each part. This includes up to 3 additional minutes, given at one minute per section, to compensate for time lost during attendance and verification.
  • The question paper for each part is divided into time-bound sections. The bulletin's example uses three sections of 50 questions each, with 50 minutes for each section and 1 minute for attendance and verification.
  • A candidate may not proceed to the next section until the allotted time of the previous section has ended, and may not review or modify responses in a section after its time has ended.
  • Candidates may mark any question for review within a section before its time ends.
  • The chapter states: "There shall be no negative marking."

Attempts

Chapter 5 is the only part of the bulletin cited here for attempts. The chapter states:

  • "There are no restrictions on number of attempts that can be availed by a candidate."
  • "once a candidate qualifies the FMGE, he or she shall not be eligible to take the FMGE again."
  • "Any examination, taken by a candidate in violation of this clause shall be treated as void and as cancelled."

The result

Chapter 5 and chapter 10 of the same bulletin give the result rules, and each is set out separately below.

Chapter 5 states:

  • "A candidate shall be declared as having passed only if he / she obtains a minimum of 150 marks out of 300 in the examination."
  • Results (Pass / Fail) for eligible candidates "will be displayed on NBEMS website."
  • "Marks obtained by a candidate in individual parts i.e. Part I and Part II shall not be published."
  • "There is no provision for re-totaling / re-evaluation / award of grace marks in FMGE."

Chapter 10 (Result) states:

  • "A candidate shall be declared as having passed in FMGE only if he / she obtains a minimum of 150 marks out of 300 in the examination. Result is declared as Pass / Fail."
  • "Result of a candidate may be kept withheld for reasons informed to concerned candidates by NBEMS."
  • "Qualified candidates shall be issued Pass Certificates after in-person document and identity verification tentatively within four weeks of declaration of results, however, due to unforeseen circumstances, this period may vary."

Time limits in the Commission's documents

The time limits below come from three documents of the National Medical Commission (India). Each row keeps its own date and scope.

Document Date Text on time
National Medical Commission (Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate) Regulations, 2021, Schedule I, paragraph 2(iv) Gazette of India, 18 November 2021 "The total duration of the foreign medical graduation course shall be completed within ten years from the date of joining the course."
Public Notice No. U-15024/9/2023-UGMEB, item 5 7 December 2023 "All FMGs shall have to complete their internship within 10 years from date of joining their Foreign Medical Institutions to procure qualification equivalent to MBBS in India."
FAQ No. U-15024/15/2024-UGMEB(Pt), Q12 8 June 2026 "the FMG who has taken admission in medical course outside India after year 2019, they are required to clear the FMG examination within 10 years from the date of admission."

The December 2023 notice begins by stating that it is "In supersession to the Public Notice dated 22.11.2023". Its meeting date is given as 30.11.2023. The notice's other items are not reproduced here.

The June 2026 FAQ answers queries raised by foreign medical students and State Medical Councils about the Public Notice issued on 18.03.2026. The text of that 18 March 2026 public notice is not reproduced on this page. In Q12, the FAQ states that the ten-year requirement "shall be construed in consonance with the provisions of the Graduate Medical Education (Amendment) Regulations, 2019, which first prescribed that the MBBS course must be completed within 10 years from the date of admission."

The 2021 regulations and their scope

Regulation 5 of the 2021 regulations states that they do not apply to foreign medical graduates who acquired a foreign medical degree before the regulations came into force, or to candidates who were pursuing their education in foreign institutions before that date. Q2 and Q4 of the Commission's 2021 FAQ give that date as 18 November 2021. Under regulation 5(2), those people are governed by the earlier applicable regulations.

Q8 of the 2021 FAQ states that foreign medical graduates "have to clear the National Exit Test or such other mandated test or tests conducted by NMC [Reg. 4 (d) of FMGL. 2021]." The FAQ's own disclaimer says the FAQs "cannot be upheld in a court of law" and that the gazette notifications govern legal validity.

What this page does not cover

This page covers the October 2026 bulletin only. It gives no examination fee, no application dates and no list of centres. The bulletin's own fee chapter is not summarised here.

Questions people ask

What pass mark does the FMGE use?

Chapter 5 of the October 2026 bulletin states that a candidate passes with a minimum of 150 marks out of 300. Chapter 10 of the same bulletin states the same minimum and states that the result is declared as Pass or Fail.

Does chapter 5 set a limit on attempts?

Chapter 5 states that there are no restrictions on the number of attempts that a candidate can avail. The same chapter states that once a candidate qualifies the FMGE, he or she shall not be eligible to take the FMGE again. It also states that any examination taken in violation of this clause shall be treated as void and as cancelled.

What time limit do the Commission's documents set for completing the course?

Schedule I, paragraph 2(iv) of the 2021 regulations states that the total duration of the foreign medical graduation course shall be completed within ten years from the date of joining the course. Item 5 of the Public Notice dated 7 December 2023 sets a ten-year limit for completing the internship, counted from joining the foreign medical institution. Q12 of the FAQ dated 8 June 2026 states that a foreign medical graduate who took admission outside India after 2019 is required to clear the FMG examination within 10 years from the date of admission. These three provisions differ in wording, and each applies within the scope of its own document.

Sources

Checked 11 October 2026.

This page is an unofficial summary. It is not legal, medical or professional-licensing advice, it is not published by the bodies named, and it promises no admission, examination or registration outcome. The official text and the regulator's own instructions prevail if they differ.

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