The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) has announced several changes to make the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE) more transparent, fair and easier for candidates to manage.
One of the biggest announcements is that an additional FMGE exam will be held by the end of October 2026. This will give foreign medical graduates another chance to clear the exam earlier.
The decision was taken after meetings between NBEMS officials and representatives of the All India Medical Student Association, Foreign Medical Student Wing (AIMSA-FMSW). The discussions focused on the concerns raised by students after the FMGE June 2026 exam. Following the assurances given by NBEMS, AIMSA-FMSW has decided to call off its protest.
FMGE to be held three times a year
From next year, FMGE is expected to be conducted three times every year:
- December/January
- April/May
- August/September
This will give foreign medical graduates more opportunities to appear for the exam.
Changes in question paper difficulty
NBEMS has also decided to maintain a more balanced difficulty level in the FMGE question paper. The questions will reportedly follow this pattern:
- 30 per cent easy questions
- 50 per cent moderate questions
- 20 per cent difficult questions
This means most of the paper will focus on easy and moderate-level questions.
Exam fee to be reduced
Another important change is that the FMGE examination fee will be reduced from the next exam onwards.
NBEMS will also make the exam process more transparent. Candidates will be able to see:
- Question IDs
- Correct answer IDs
- Their marked response IDs
- Marks awarded for individual questions
These details will be made available through the candidate portal.
Update on FMGE June 2026 legal case
In the ongoing case before the Delhi High Court, NBEMS will state that 14 video-based questions were included in the FMGE June 2026 examination.
NBEMS will also consider a request to include an FMG representative in its grievance redressal committee for FMGE-related issues. The board has further assured that it will increase its interaction with foreign medical graduates.
Better exam-centre facilities and extra time
NBEMS will issue instructions to its technology partner to improve facilities and arrangements at examination centres.
Candidates will also get one additional minute per section, with a maximum of three extra minutes per shift, to account for the time needed for biometric attendance.
