FMGE
The mandatory screening test that Indian citizens and Overseas Citizens of India with a medical degree from a foreign university must pass to obtain provisional registration and practise medicine in India.
Eligibility
Open to Indian citizens and Overseas Citizens of India holding a primary medical qualification (MBBS-equivalent) from a foreign institution, confirmed by the Indian Embassy in that country. Graduates from countries whose qualifications carry direct registration rights under NMC rules are exempt. There is no age limit and no cap on the number of attempts. Candidates must satisfy the Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate Regulations, including the required duration of study and internship abroad.
Age limit: No age limit
Exam pattern
Computer-based test of 300 multiple-choice questions delivered in two parts of 150 questions each, with 150 minutes per part, on the same day. Each correct answer earns one mark and there is no negative marking. This is a qualifying (pass/fail) exam, not a rank-based one: 150 out of 300 (50%) is the fixed pass mark, and a pass is valid for life. After passing, candidates complete any required internship in India and register with the NMC or a State Medical Council.
Syllabus at a glance
The full MBBS curriculum as prescribed for Indian medical colleges: pre-clinical (Anatomy, Physiology, Biochemistry), para-clinical (Pathology, Pharmacology, Microbiology, Forensic Medicine, Community Medicine) and clinical subjects including Medicine, Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Paediatrics and the short specialities. Clinical subjects carry roughly two-thirds of the paper.
Upcoming dates
| Event | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Information bulletin and applications for December 2026 session | Oct–Nov 2026 | expected |
| Application deadline | Nov 2026 | expected |
| Admit card release | About a week before the exam (Dec 2026/Jan 2027) | expected |
| FMGE December 2026 exam | Late Dec 2026 – mid Jan 2027 (tentative; the previous 'December' session was held 17 Jan) | expected |
| Result declaration | Within about 4–6 weeks of the exam | expected |
Expected dates follow the usual calendar; confirm on the official notification before planning.
Free prep material
Standard books
- FMGE Solutions for MCI Screening Examination — Deepak Marwah and Pooja Aggarwal
- Review of Preventive and Social Medicine — Vivek Jain
- Review of Pharmacology — Gobind Rai Garg and Sparsh Gupta
- Complete Review of Pathology — Devesh Mishra
- Self Assessment and Review of Medicine — Mudit Khanna
How toppers play it
- There is no negative marking, so answer all 300 questions — leaving any blank is throwing away marks in a fixed-pass-mark exam.
- You need only 150/300, not a rank: build a safety margin by mastering the highest-yield subjects (Medicine, Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, PSM, Pharmacology) before touching low-yield corners.
- FMGE repeats concepts across sessions more than any other NBEMS exam — solving the last 8–10 sessions' recall papers is the single best predictor of a pass.
- Train stamina for two 150-minute blocks in one day; fatigue in part B is a common reason borderline candidates fail.
- Focus on Indian guidelines and national health programmes (immunisation schedules, tuberculosis and vector-borne disease programmes) — foreign curricula often skip these, and FMGE tests them every session.