FMGE October 2026 Result: 22.86% Pass Rate, 77% Foreign MBBS Graduates Fail

The news

The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) has declared the result of the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE) for the October 2026 session. Only 22.86 per cent of the candidates who appeared have passed, meaning that nearly 77 per cent of foreign MBBS graduates who took the test failed to clear the mandatory licensing exam to practice medicine in India.

According to NBEMS data, 42,113 candidates appeared for the exam. Of these, 2,843 passed while 31,539 failed. A total of 1,190 candidates were absent and the results of 30 candidates have been withheld. To pass, a candidate must score at least 150 marks out of 300. Individual scorecards will be available for download from the NBEMS website from 20 November 2026 and will remain accessible for only six months from that date. As per National Medical Commission (NMC) rules, foreign MBBS graduates must take the FMGE or NExT exam within 10 years of completing their degree.

When was the FMGE screening test introduced?

The Foreign Medical Graduate Examination was introduced through an amendment to the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956 in the year 2001. This amendment inserted Section 13(4A) which made it mandatory for Indian citizens holding foreign medical qualifications to pass a screening test before they could be granted provisional or permanent registration to practice medicine in India. The screening test regulation was formally notified as the Screening Test Regulations, 2002. The National Board of Examinations, which was established in 1975 as an autonomous body, was entrusted with the responsibility of conducting this examination. The Medical Council of India was the regulatory body that originally framed these regulations before it was replaced by the National Medical Commission through the National Medical Commission Act, 2019.

What is the FMGE and who conducts it?

The Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE) is a screening test mandated by the National Medical Commission (NMC) for Indian citizens who have obtained their MBBS degree from a foreign university. It is conducted by the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS), an autonomous body under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The exam ensures that the medical knowledge of foreign graduates is equivalent to that of Indian medical graduates before they are granted a license to practice in India.

What does the low pass rate indicate?

The extremely low pass rate of 22.86 per cent, with 31,539 out of 42,113 candidates failing, points to a significant quality gap in medical education abroad. The exam acts as a rigorous filter to maintain healthcare standards in India. The NMC rule requiring the exam to be taken within 10 years of completing the MBBS course adds urgency for foreign graduates, as those who delay may lose the chance to qualify altogether.