FMGE June 2026 row: NBE to form panel after medicos flag tough exam, poor centres
Medicos
New Delhi: The candidates who appeared for Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE) June 2026 alleged that poor infrastructure at examination centres and a sharp increase in the difficulty level of the exam affected the performance of thousands of medicos.
Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that while appearing for the examination on June 28, several medicos allegedly faced poor infrastructure and uncomfortable conditions during high heat at their examination centres in Noida, with many alleging a lack of basic facilities.
Students who appeared for the examination at the exam centre, ION Digital Zone, Sector 62, Noida, said that there was inadequate ventilation and cooling despite extremely high temperatures exceeding 40°C. They reported experiencing discomfort, including nausea, dizziness, tremors, and symptoms consistent with heat exhaustion during the examination.
The Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE) is a screening test conducted by the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) for students who have obtained their primary medical qualification from institutions outside India and wish to obtain provisional or permanent registration to practise medicine in India, or to appear for the National Eligibility-Entrance Test - Postgraduate (NEET-PG) to enrol in Indian medical institutes.
The examination is conducted under the Screening Test Regulations, 2002, and is held twice every year. FMGE June 2026 was conducted on June 28, in a computer-based mode, and the results were declared on July 7, 2026.
In a recent post on X, the All FMGs Association (AFA) said that while the FMGE is an eight-hour-long examination, the biggest concern this session was the drastic increase in its difficulty level. The association alleged that instead of serving as a screening test to assess minimum competency, the exam was made more difficult than NEET PG and INI-CET, effectively turning it into a highly competitive examination.
As a result, the association said that nearly 88% of candidates failed, and the passing percentage dropped to around 12%, one of the lowest in recent sessions. According to data from AFA, a total of 37,448 candidates registered for the nationwide screening test. However, only 4,635 of them managed to qualify. Consequently, the overall pass rate was very low at 12.4%, with 31,645 candidates failing the mandatory medical licensing exam. 1148 candidates were absent during the exam and 20 results were withheld.
Following the FMGE results, the All FMGs Association (AFA) and the Foreign Medical Students' Wing of AIMSA held a protest outside the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) office in New Delhi on July 10.
The organisations said the protest was organised to raise concerns over the sudden increase in the difficulty level of the FMGE, poor facilities at exam centres, and the low pass percentage.
They demanded that the authorities take responsibility for the issues faced by candidates. They also sought a reduction in the FMGE passing marks and called for a more transparent, fair, and student-friendly examination system.
After the protest, representatives of the organisations met officials of NBEMS. During the meeting, the organisations demanded transparency in the FMGE examination process, accountability for the issues faced by candidates, and a one-time reduction in the qualifying marks considering the exceptional circumstances. They also raised concerns regarding the poor facilities provided at various examination centres.
In response, NBEMS informed them that it will constitute a three-member committee to examine the concerns related to the examination. They also stated that they will coordinate with TCS, review the available evidence, including CCTV footage and reports from examination centres, and take appropriate steps to ensure that such issues do not recur in future FMGE examinations.
Regarding the demand for one time reduction in the FMGE qualifying marks, NBEMS stated that such a decision is beyond its authority and can only be taken by the Hon’ble Supreme Court.
The results of the examination drew sharp reactions from medical students over an extremely low pass percentage of around 12 per cent. This led the student representative organisation to strongly criticise the pass percentage decline of approximately 50% from past trends.
The organisation further cautioned NEET PG aspirants, stating that if such unexpected changes in the examination pattern could occur in FMGE, similar changes could also happen in future NEET PG examinations.
Commenting on this, Dr Samar Kumar, Vice President, AIMSA FMSW & AFA told Medical Dialogues, "It is important to note that concerns regarding poor examination centre facilities have been raised previously as well by organizations including FAIMA and AIMSA-FMSW & AFA. On behalf of the FMG community and the associations representing them, we once again request NBEMS to address these issues seriously, improve transparency, and ensure that no future FMGE candidate has to face similar hardships."
