Nearly 77% foreign medical graduates fail FMGE screening test

Nearly 77% of foreign medical graduates who took the October 2026 Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE) failed to qualify. Out of 40,893 candidates, only 9,354 passed, resulting in a pass percentage of 22.9%. This examination was introduced as an additional opportunity following protests over the June exam results, which had a pass rate of around 12%. The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences had implemented recommendations from an expert committee to adjust the difficulty of the exam. However, feedback indicated that the October paper was perceived as moderate to difficult, not aligning with the suggested difficulty distribution. The absence of video-based questions, which candidates found challenging in June, may have contributed to the improved pass rate. The results highlight ongoing challenges for foreign-trained doctors seeking to practice in India.