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Unearthing Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE)

unearthing-foreign-medical-graduate
September 19, 2022

Have you also completed your MBBS abroad? Do you also desire to practice medicine in India or pursue your PG studies in the country? If yes, then you have to be well aware about the Foreign Medical Graduate Exam (FMGE).

For all the students who have completed their MBBS abroad and wish to practice in India, the medical licensing exam becomes a compulsion. The exam is conducted by NBEMS (National Board Of Examinations In Medical Sciences) which is a subsidiary of the newly established National Medical Commission (NMC) erstwhile known as Medical Council Of India (MCI) since 2002.

Below is the complete and comprehensive guide for all the students who aspire to work in India after their medical studies abroad.

Some Key Facts About FMGE Dec 2022 (Revised)

Exam Name Foreign Medical Graduates Examination (FMGE)
Competent Authority  National Board of Examinations (NBE)
FMGE June 2022 Dec 4, 2022
Level Licensing examinations 
Frequence of exam  Twice a year 
Mode of Application  Online
Type of questions asked  MCQs
Language English 
Application Fee Rs. 6000 + GST Rs 1080 = Rs. 7080
Duration 5 Hours        
 Part A: 150 minutes; Part B: 150 minutes
Total number of questions asked  300
Negative marking No
Total marks 300
Qualifying Marks  At least 50%
Number of Attempts Allowed for FMGE Unlimited

Topics Discussed Below

What is the significance of FMGE? 

Foreign Medical Graduate Exam (FMGE) is one of the most highly anticipated medical exams for all the medical graduates abroad. Despite being an eligibility and licensing test it is also a deciding factor when it comes to the fate of the students in terms of their career. The exam is conducted by NBEMS but the result declarations and other procedures are directly undertaken by the National Medical Commission (NMC).

The exam is conducted with the intention of maintaining a certain standard among medical students. The purpose of the test is to enable the Indian students who have completed their MBBS abroad and wish to establish their medical career in India. Therefore, if you hold a primary degree from a recognized medical university abroad and want to become registered with the State or NMC (formerly known as the Medical Council of India (MCI)), then you must appear for this exam.

The FMGE is conducted twice a year, once in June and once in December.

Who is eligible to appear for FMGE? 

If you intend to appear for any examination, you must ascertain whether you are eligible. If you intend to appear for any examination, you must ascertain whether you are eligible. The eligibility criteria to appear for FMGE as directed over the official bulletin are as follows:

  • The candidate must be a Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) or a bonafide citizen of India.
  • The candidate must be in the possession of a primary medical degree that is confirmed by the concerned Indian Embassy. It is mandatory that your qualifications are recognized by the country where the institute is situated so that you can enrol as a medical practitioner.
  • You will also have to submit documents as proof to support your educational claims; failure to do so will make you ineligible for appearing in the examination.
  • If you have completed your primary medical qualifications from the UK, USA, Australia, New Zealand or Canada you will not have to appear for the FMGE (Foreign Medical Graduates Examination) as universities of these countries are recognized by the MCI/NMC.

Note: Failure to meet any of the eligibility criteria would mean a cancellation of your application. It is therefore imperative that you follow the steps carefully.

Prescribed Exam Pattern For FMGE 

A thorough understanding of the test pattern for an entrance examination can significantly improve your chances of success. Furthermore, you must obtain at least 150 out of 300 points in the MCQs, i.e., achieve 50 percent in your test in order to qualify it.

Tabulated below is the exam pattern of FMGE.

Exam Medium English
Exam Mode Online
Question Type Objective (MCQs)
Paper Set  2 (Part A & B)
Duration 5 hours (2.5 hrs for each part)
Total number of Questions 300
Maximum Marks Rewards  300 (1 mark per correct answer)
Negative Marking Nil

FMGE 2022- Marking Scheme & Blue Print 

Each correct answer at the exam awards you with 1 mark where unanswered questions as well as those marked wrongs add 0 to your score. The paper pattern is issued by the Medical Council of India with the approval of the Government of India. The following table elucidates the syllabus, topics, and marks weightage of the FMGE exam:

Pre and Para Clinical Subjects Marks Number of Questions 
Biochemistry 17 17
Forensic Medicine 10 10
Pathology 13 13
Physiology 17 17
Anatomy 17 17
Microbiology 13 13
Pharmacology 13 13
Total 100 100

Medicine and Allied Subjects Marks Number of Questions 
Psychiatry 5 5
Radiotherapy 5 5
Medicine 33 33
Dermatology and STD 5 5
Total 48 48

General Surgery and Allied Subjects Marks Number of Questions
Anaesthesiology 5 5
Radiodiagnosis 5 5
General surgery 32 32
Orthopaedics 5 5
Total  47 47

Other Clinical Subjects Marks Number of Questions
Community Medicine 30 30
Ophthalmology 15 15
Paediatrics 15 15
Otorhinolaryngology 15 15
Obstetrics and Gynaecology 30 30
Total 105 105

FMGE 2022- Important Dates 

As per the announced schedule the FMGE would be conducted on 4th June 2022 and 17th December 2022. The students, once completing the eligibility criteria, can appear on either FMGE in June or December 2022.

 Also Read: NBEMS Declares Tentative Date Sheet 2022 For All Exam

Here is a list of all the important dates, the candidates appearing for FMGE 2022 must take a record of:

FMGE June 2022- Final Dates

Release of information brochure 15th March 2022
Online registration 15th March 2022
Last date to fill out the form 4th April 2022
Edit window 8th April 2022 to 12th April 2022
Final edit window for the photograph,signature and left-hand impression 6th May 2022
Admit card to be available from 27th May 2022
Examination date 4th June 2022
Declaration of result 20th June 2022

FMGE Dec 2022- Important Dates (Revised)

Release of information brochure 9th September 2022
Online registration 9th September 2022
Last date to fill out the form 29th September 2022
Edit window 5th October to 10th October 2022
Final edit window for the photograph,signature and left-hand impression 1st November to
6th November 2022
Admit card to be available from 28th November 2022
Examination date 4th December 2022
Declaration of result By 30th December 2022

How To Apply For FMGE? 

The application process for both June and December sessions is the same. The NBE releases application forms separately for both the sessions. If the students who have filled the application to appear in the June session wish to appear in December, they are required to again apply in the similar manner. This would be counted as the 2nd attempt if the student’s first attempt was in June. All in all the students are allowed to appear for the FMGE 3 times.

The students are advised to keep checking the website from April for the details about the June session and from October for the December session.

 Also Read: Online Applications Invited To Obtain Eligibility Certificate Required For FMGE 2022

How to fill FMGE Application Form?

To fill the application form of FMGE in either of the sessions, the students have to simply follow the instructions listed below:

  • Click on FMGE Application Form 2022 on the official website
  • Register with your phone number and email address
  • You will receive login credentials at your email address
  • Log in using your User ID and password
  • Submit your personal information, qualification and communication details
  • Fill the city of your choice
  • Upload scanned images of photo, signature and left thumb impression
  • Agree to the declaration and make payment
  • The confirmation page will appear where you must recheck all your details

The students are requested to kindly take the note of the following documents and their specifications that are required at the time of application for FMGE 2022.

  • Class X certificate and mark sheet
  • Class XII certificate and mark sheet
  • Address proof
  • Internship certificate
  • Photo ID Proof (Aadhar Card/ Voter ID/ PAN Card/ Driving Licence/etc)
  • MBBS Pass Certificate
  • Copy of the passport
  • Eligible certificate issued by the National Medical Commission (NMC)
  • Passport size photographs
  • Digital signatures

Document Specifications of FMGE Application Form
Document Size Format Dimension
Passport Size Photograph Less than 80 KB JPG/JPEG 35 mm x 45 mm
Signature 20-100 KB JPG/JPEG 3.5 cm X 1.5 cm
Left-hand Thumb Impression Less than 80 KB JPG/JPEG 1.5 cm X 3.5 cm

How to download an FMGE Admit Card? 

Once the NBE releases the admit cards for the FMGE, the students can proceed as instructed below:

  • Open the website of NBE FMGE
  • Click on the Application Login section
  • Fill your User ID and password
  • Your admit card will be mentioned on your screen
  • Verify the details on your admit card
  • Download and print the FMGE Hall ticket
  • Documents to Carry to FMGE 2022 Exam Centre

Where to take FMGE Mock Test? 

  • Open the website of NBE FMGE
  • Click on the Application Login section
  • Fill your User ID and password
  • You will find a mock test available for you
  • Read the instruction for practice tests
  • Click on ‘I am ready to Begin’ to start the mock test
  • Each question has four options with only one right answer
  • Click the correct answer and click save and next

Authorised Exam Centre for FMGE 

NBE in the official information bulletin available on its website has listed the names of all the cities where it conducts the FMGE exam. As per the bulletin, the authority conducts the exam in all these states:

Visakhapatnam Mumbai City
Guwahati Nagpur
Patna Pune
New Delhi Shillong
Ahmedabad Bhubaneswar
Faridabad Mohali
Jammu Jaipur
Srinagar Chennai
Ranchi Hyderabad
Bengaluru Lucknow
Kozhikode Noida
Thiruvananthapuram Dehradun
Bhopal Kolkata

 When you report to your FMGE exam centre remember to carry the document listed below that you might need:

→ PAN card

→ Voter ID

→ Passport

→ Driving Licence

→ Aadhaar Card

FMGE Result 2022 

FMGE 2022 Qualifying Marks/ FMGE 2022 Cut-Off Marks

As specified by the National Board of Examinations, a student must obtain 150 points out of 300 in the FMGE exam to qualify. Therefore, the cutoff mark for FMGE is 150 points, otherwise, a student must retake the test.

FMGE exam results are generally published shortly after the exam. You can view the results on nbe.edu.in. The results will be announced in PDF format. The FMGE result will be made available in PDF format. The candidates would be able to download their score card by logging into their applicant’s login portal. The scorecard would contain details like roll number, marks scored, etc.

How to check your FMGE 2022 result?

  • Visit the official website of NBE .
  • Click on the link provided in the website to check the result.
  • Now students will be redirected to a window where they will be asked to enter their login details.
  • Enter the login credentials as asked and click on submit.
  • Verify the details on your Result
  • Download and print the FMGE Result for further reference

Issuance of ‘Passing Certificate’ by NMC 

The qualified candidates would then have to collect their “Passing Certificate” from the head office of the NMC. The commission issues the notice to all the qualified students inviting them to book a slot and collect the passing certificate. This certificate acts as a licence for all the students to practice medicine as a professional in India.

 Also Read: NBEMS Announces Distribution of FMGE Dec 2021 Passing Certificates

What After FMGE? 

After qualifying the FMGE the students have the following options:

  • Opt for Provisional Registration and look for internships
  • Pursue MD/MS or Diploma courses in Medicine
  • Appear for Combined Medical Services (CMS) exam or Civil Services exams
  • Masters in Health Administration (MHA)
  • Make a career in Clinical Research

NExT and FMGE- Similarities & Contrasts 

As per the National Medical Commission Bill 2019, all the medical graduates of India or of abroad must appear and qualify the National Exit Test (NExT) in order to attain their medical licence. The test would be replacing the FMGE (which is only for the medical students of abroad, who have completed their graduation and wish to pursue their medical career in India).

The test is scheduled for a model run in 2022 but will be conducted as a mandate from 2023 onwards. Therefore, all the graduates from the year 2022 onwards would be required to appear for the NEET exam.

Unlike for FMGE, the students are required to clear the NExT exam in 2 years. The exam would be conducted in two phases as NExT-1 and NExT-2. For a student to qualify the exam, the student must qualify both the exams. If the students passed NExT-1 but failed NExt-2. They are required to once again appear for NExT-1 in the coming year. Also unlike FMGE which requires an internship at the end, the students are required to undergo 1 year of internship in between the conduct of two phases of NExT provided they qualify the first one.

Once qualifying the NExT, the student gets a licence to practice in India as well as secure a seat for the post-graduate studies.

 Also Read: What’s NEXT for FMGs After The New NMC Draft 2021?

Frequently asked questions about FMGE 

1. Is the FMGE exam difficult?

As it is a medical licensing exam to practice medicine in India, which on the large part is detrimental to the health and medical safety of Indian citizens, the exam can certainly not be a cake-walk. Having said that, a good number of candidates qualify the exam as well. Therefore, with dedication, profound understanding of concepts and practice one can easily qualify the exam.

2. What is the purpose of FMGE?

FMGE (Foreign Medical Graduates Examination) is conducted by the National Board of Examinations in India to test the abilities of overseas Indian students and residents of India who wish to pursue medical careers abroad. In order to qualify for provisional and permanent registration with the State Medical Council or the Medical Council of India, you must pass the FMGE test.

3. How can I contact NMC or NBE for any query?

The complete details of the steps and process are already elaborated in the issued information bulletin available at the website. However, the students can contact the official student helpline number (NBEMS) 022 – 61087595, visit their office between working hours or write to them at helpdesknbeexam@natboard.edu.in. for NMC, the helpline number is 1800111154, write at usregn@nmc.org.in or visit their official website.

4. Is FMGE conducted in pen-and paper format?

No, the exam is conducted strictly in an online mode. The FMGE was previously a paper and pencil test. The format has now changed to a computer-based examination. The switch was made in June 2014. Candidate must read the questions on the computer, click on the correct answer, and then read the answers from a paper booklet and fill out OMR sheets.Candidate must read the questions on the computer, click on the correct answer, and then read the answers from a paper booklet and fill out OMR sheets.

5. What is the 15-minute tutorial in FMGE?

As part of the FMGE transition to computer-based testing, a 15-minute tutorial was introduced to guide candidates through taking the test. As the candidate navigates through this tutorial, he or she will encounter questions, reviews, select and deselect options, and mark responses. We advise candidates to go through this tutorial before taking the actual test. Prior to the exam, the candidate must acknowledge a non-disclosure agreement.

6. What to do after FMGE?

Once you clear the FMGE and attain the passing certificate from the NMC, you have various options to choose from.

  • Apply for a provisional registration and look for internships
  • Obtain a MD/MS or diploma in medicine
  • Take the Combined Medical Services (CMS) exam or the Civil Service exam
  • Pursue a master’s degree in health administration (MHA)
  • Become a clinical researcher

7. When do I have to register for FMGE?

You can register for FMGE once NBE or NBEMS releases notification announcing to do so. For FMGE june 2022, the expected time of registration is during April and for FMGE Dec 2022, the forms are usually open for application in the month of October.

8. How to prepare for FMGE while studying MBBS abroad?

What is always advised by the experts is to focus on basics and application of the knowledge rather than the theoretical knowledge. When the students study MBBS abroad in countries like Russia, the Russian medical universities also assist by providing FMGE coaching during their course of study.

9. Which country has the highest FMGE/MCI passing rate?

A majority of medical graduates of Russia, Ukraine and Bangladesh show good performance in FMGE/MCI therefore have some of the highway passing rate. It is because with MBBS in Russia the students get coaching for the MCI/FMGE exam, for Ukraine, the much acclaimed KROK test prepares the student for MCI/FMGE and MBBS in Bangladesh is very similar to that of MBBS in India.

10. What are career choices for me if I do not qualify FMGE?

Foreign Medical Graduates who have utilised all their attempts but still were unable to clear the FMGE exam can pursue various fields like Gastroenterology, Diabetes, Radio Diagnosis, Oncology, Clinical Embryology & assisted concepts, Dermatology, Orthopaedics, etc.

With Rus Education, MBBS abroad in countries like Russia has become a lot easier than before. We facilitate MCI/FMGE/NExT coaching along with many top medical universities of Russia for Indian students as well as on their return to India.