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FMGE Rules Changed, 3 Year And 6 Attempts In Future, New NMC Guidelines

FMGE exam will have 3 years and 6 attempts limit in the future. New NMC guidelines set attempt limits on taking the FMGE exam.
authorImageDr. Nivedita19 Dec, 2023
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FMGE

FMGE exam format is all set to be changed with new NMC guidelines. The National Medical Commission has issued new rules for the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE) setting the attempt limit on the exam. Now candidates will have a maximum of 6 attempts to qualify for the FMGE exam in 3 years.

Students gearing up for FMGE June 2024 are left puzzled by new NMC regulations further demanding clarity over the National Exit Test (NExT) that is expected to replace FMGE in the future. Read on to understand the new changes and their impact on medical graduates.

About FMGE Exam

Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE) is a screening test cum licensing exam that is a must for international medical graduates with an interest to practice medicine in India. NMC has entrusted the National Board Of Examinations In Medical Sciences (NBEMS) to conduct this exam twice yearly in June and December. Indian Students and OCI who have completed primary medical education equivalent to MBBS from an institute outside India need to take the FMGE exam and score 50% marks to be eligible for provisional or permanent registration with NMC/State Medical Council. As of now, there is no cap on attempts to take this exam . FMGE June 2023 is completed and candidates can collect their FMGE Pass Certificate till February 28 from the designated centre. FMGE December 2023 will be held on January 20th in computer-based test mode at 45 centres in India.

What Are New NMC Guidelines?

The National Medical Commission (NMC) recently published a public notice regarding the FMGE exam. In this notification, it was stated that there will be a time limit for appearing in the FMG Examination and students must complete their internship in India within 10 years of the date of joining their Foreign Medical Institutions. Further, this notice mentioned the NExT exam but needed to give more clarity over the same. The National Exit Test (NExT) is expected to replace the FMGE and NEET PG exam by 2025. This has left students confused over upcoming changes in the medical examinations.

FMGE Eligibility Criteria Changed?

NMC is the authority for determining the FMGE eligibility criteria . As per the FMGE December Notification candidates with Indian or OCI citizenship who have completed their MBBS or equivalent degree verified by the Indian Embassy in the concerned country can apply for the FMGE exam. Candidates need to submit document proof of their eligibility including the Internship certificate. New NMC rules have set a time limit for completing the internship within 10 years of the date of joining the Foreign Medical Institutions. However, candidates from these 5 countries are still exempted from taking the FMGE exam:
  • Australia
  • Canada
  • United Kingdom
  • United States of America
  • New Zealand

FMGE New Attempts Limit

As per new guidelines, students will be required to qualify for FMGE in a maximum of 3 years and 6 attempts. The new NMC rules mandate students to complete the internship within 10 years of enrolling for the MBBS course in their respective foreign institution. The duration of the MBBS course in foreign medical institutes is usually 6 years and students must complete the 1-year internship to appear in the FMGE exam . This leaves medical graduates with only 3 years to take the FMGE exam. Since the FMGE exam is conducted twice a year, students will be left with a maximum of 6 attempts to clear it. FMGE attempt limit could be further reduced to 2 years and 4 attempts if the term ‘internship’ refers to an internship completed in India. This is because students need to complete a 1-year internship after clearing the FMGE exam and the deadline is set for 10 years from enrolling in the respective foreign institutions.

FMGE Cut Off

Candidates need to score a minimum of 50% marks to clear the FMGE exam as per current pass criteria. The FMGE question paper is worth 300 marks and candidates must score 150 marks to qualify. Even if the candidate scores 49.5% the authorities will disqualify the candidate and he or she must take the exam again. This makes it further challenging for students to clear the exam. New guidelines, if applied will make passing the FMGE exam a humongous task. To address this concern of students our experts at PW Med Ed are providing the best guidance for the upcoming FMGE exam shaping their preparation to match new changes.

NExT Exam To Replace FMGE 2024

The NMC Notice does mention the NExT but it has not given any clarity over the same. Students are speculating that the NExT exam might replace the FMGE 2024 but according to our experts, the NExT will not be conducted in 2024. NExT 2025 is highly anticipated and NMC will soon issue a notification for the same. The FMGE June 2024 exam date is already announced confirming our expert's analysis. The FMGE June 2024 exam will be held on June 30th as per the previous exam pattern. Students should start gearing up for the upcoming exam by downloading PW Med Ed and staying one step ahead. Think no more, Download the app now and succeed in FMGE on the first attempt!

FMGE New Rules FAQs

What is the age limit to take the FMGE exam?

There is no age limit to take the FMGE exam.

How many times one can take the FMGE exam?

As of now students can take the FMGE exam unlimited times till they pass the exam.

What will be the new attempt limit in the FMGE exam?

New rules limit the number of attempts to 6 in the upcoming FMGE exam.

Will the FMGE 2024 exam be impacted by new rules?

There is no clarity on the same, the FMGE Notification 2024 will give a clear idea of the number of attempts.
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