NBEMS to Hold Additional FMGE by October 2026 Following Student Protests

Hyderabad: The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) announced that it will conduct an additional Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE) by the end of October 2026.

The decision to organise an additional screening test for MBBS students who completed their medical education at foreign universities comes after more than a week of intense protests and demonstrations. Candidates had voiced serious concerns regarding the low pass percentage and the question paper pattern during the June 2026 session.

The rollout of this third examination cycle for the year is intended to give eligible foreign medical graduates another opportunity to clear the mandatory screening test, sparing them a prolonged wait for the next regular testing schedule.

Alongside scheduling the October examination, NBEMS outlined several structural reforms for upcoming tests. These measures include rationalising future question paper difficulty levels by setting a structured distribution of 30 percent low, 50 percent moderate, and 20 percent difficult questions across the paper.

NBEMS also announced reductions in future examination fees and steps to improve transparency in the evaluation process. Under the new measures, the board will provide candidates with detailed response sheets that feature specific question IDs alongside the correct answers.

However, an expert panel constituted by the board ruled out any retroactive alteration or compensation regarding the June 2026 results. The expert panel maintained that the established qualifying benchmark remains essential to ensure baseline clinical competency for medical practice in India.

According to NBEMS authorities, detailed guidelines concerning eligibility criteria, registration deadlines, and test centre cities for the upcoming October 2026 examination will be published shortly on the official NBEMS website.