Major decision on FMGE: Exam to be held again in October; three opportunities next year; exam fee to be reduced..

Representatives from AIMSA-FMSW met with officials from the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS), New Delhi, to address issues faced by Foreign Medical Graduates regarding the FMGE. Following the meeting, an agreement was reached to call off the ongoing protest by Foreign Medical Graduates by 4 PM yesterday.

Several issues related to the examination were discussed during the meeting. According to the representatives, the NBEMS agreed on several key points, ranging from conducting an additional exam to modifying the difficulty level of the question paper and adjusting the examination fee.

When will the additional FMGE exam take place in October 2026?
During the meeting, the NBEMS agreed to conduct an additional FMGE exam for Foreign Medical Graduates by the end of October 2026.

This will provide an extra opportunity for candidates preparing for the FMGE or those wishing to appear for the upcoming exam. Additionally, it was announced that the FMGE would be conducted three times a year starting next year.

When will the FMGE be held next year?
As per the agreement reached in the meeting, the exam will be conducted in three cycles starting next year:

December/January
April/May
August/September

This change will offer Foreign Medical Graduates more opportunities to appear for the exam compared to the past.

How will the difficulty level of the question paper change?
A significant decision regarding the difficulty level of the FMGE question paper was also taken during the meeting. It was agreed to increase the number of questions with low and moderate difficulty levels. The proposed ratio of questions will be as follows:

Easy questions: 30%
Questions of moderate difficulty: 50%
Difficult questions: 20%

In essence, questions of low and moderate difficulty will constitute the majority of the question paper.

What changes will be made to the FMGE examination fee?
Another important decision concerning Foreign Medical Graduates relates to the examination fee. NBEMS has agreed to reduce the FMGE examination fee starting from the very next exam.

However, the specific amount of the new fee was not disclosed during the meeting. Therefore, the exact extent of the reduction will only become clear following an official announcement.

How will candidates be able to view their questions and answers?
A consensus was also reached to enhance transparency regarding exam results and candidate responses. NBEMS agreed to make information related to each question available on the candidate portal. This will include:

Question ID
Correct answer ID
ID of the answer selected by the candidate
Marks awarded for each question

This will enable candidates to view their performance more clearly and understand the basis on which marks were awarded for each question.

What was stated regarding video-based questions?
A matter concerning the number of video-based questions in the FMGE June 2026 exam is currently pending before the Delhi High Court. During the meeting, NBEMS agreed to declare that the number of video-based questions for the FMGE June 2026 exam will be 14 in the ongoing court proceedings.

Consideration of an FMG representative in the grievance committee
The NBEMS governing body will consider a request to include a representative of Foreign Medical Graduates (FMGs) in the NBEMS grievance redressal committee for matters related to the FMGE. Interactions between NBEMS and FMGs will also be made more regular.

Improvement of exam center facilities
Instructions will be issued to make facilities at exam centers more candidate-friendly. Necessary directives in this regard will be issued to the NBEMS technology partner.

Additional time for biometrics
An extra minute will be allotted in each section of the FMGE for recording biometric attendance. However, the total additional time per shift will be capped at a maximum of three minutes.

An agreement was reached for AIMSA-FMSW to call off the ongoing protest by Foreign Medical Graduates by 4 PM today.

Disclaimer: This content has been sourced and edited from Amar Ujala. While we have made modifications for clarity and presentation, the original content belongs to its respective authors and website. We do not claim ownership of the content.