Foreign medical graduates targeting the next screening test have a fixed window: online applications for FMGE October 2026 opened at 5:00 PM on 11 September 2026 and close at 11:55 PM on 25 September 2026. The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) Information Bulletin schedules the examination for 31 October 2026 as a computer-based test.
NBEMS notes that FMGE is now conducted three times a year. The previous June 2026 session was held on 28 June 2026. Applications are accepted only through natboard.edu.in. The examination fee is Rs 4,650, which the bulletin fee table splits into Rs 3,940.68 plus Rs 709.32 in GST.
Edit windows, documents and admit cards
A general edit window for payment-success applications runs on 29 and 30 September 2026, with name, nationality, email, Aadhaar, mobile number and test city locked. A selective edit window for photograph, signature and thumb impression, and a deficient-document portal for primary medical qualification papers, open from 3 to 19 October 2026, with the deficient-document portal closing at 11:55 PM on 21 October 2026.
Test city intimation is listed for 20 October 2026. Admit cards are scheduled for 27 October 2026. Candidates declared ineligible before the exam forfeit the fee; prior-session admit cards do not guarantee eligibility for October 2026.
Test day and result pathway
FMGE October 2026 will run at centres engaged by NBEMS. Candidates must carry a coloured printout of the admit card from natboard.edu.in and follow test-day identity checks. The bulletin warns against multiple applications; NBEMS will retain one application sequence and forfeit fees on duplicates.
Answer keys and results will be published on the NBEMS site after the exam.
Paper pattern and pass mark
The bulletin describes FMGE as one computer-based paper of 300 multiple-choice questions with four options each, in English only. It is delivered in two parts on the same day, each of 150 questions. Part I is scheduled from 9:00 AM to 11:30 AM and Part II from 2:00 PM to 4:30 PM, with a break in between. Each part is split into time-bound sections, and candidates cannot go back to a section once its time is over.
A candidate passes only with at least 150 marks out of 300. Results are published as pass or fail, marks for the two parts are not released separately, and there is no re-totalling, re-evaluation or grace marks.
Who must take it
Under the Screening Test Regulations 2002, Indian citizens and Overseas Citizens of India with a primary medical qualification from outside India, obtained on or after 15 March 2002, must pass the screening test to register with the National Medical Commission or a State Medical Council. For October 2026, the bulletin requires candidates to have passed the final examination of their MBBS or equivalent on or before 31 August 2026 and to submit proof while applying. The foreign degree must be attested by the Indian Embassy or apostilled by the competent authority in the country concerned.
There is no limit on the number of attempts. Passing FMGE is a condition for registration, and registration itself follows the National Medical Commission Act, 2019 and the relevant regulations.
For planning: apply by 11:55 PM on 25 September 2026, use the September and October edit windows, collect the admit card from 27 October, and sit the CBT on 31 October 2026.
The full details are in the NBEMS website.
