How many attempts are allowed for FMGE?

For Indian students, the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) sets no cap on the number of FMGE attempts. Chapter 5 of the FMGE (Screening Test) October 2026 Information Bulletin, version 2.2, published by NBEMS, states: "There are no restrictions on number of attempts that can be availed by a candidate." However, FMGE being a qualifying examination, once a candidate qualifies the FMGE, he or she shall not be eligible to take the FMGE again; any examination taken by a candidate in violation of this clause shall be treated as void and as cancelled.

This page answers one question about the Indian licensing exam. For the exam and registration steps in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal, see Licensing exams.

How often is the FMGE held?

Chapter 2 of the FMGE (Screening Test) October 2026 Information Bulletin, published by the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS), India, states that NBEMS shall now be conducting FMGE (Screening Test) three times in a year. The bulletin is for the October 2026 session (examination date 31-10-2026); each session has its own bulletin.

Is there a time limit to qualify?

The documents set more than one time point. Each is printed with its own wording and date below; they are not one rule.

Document	Publisher and date	What it says
FMGL Regulations 2021, Schedule I, paragraph 2(iv)	National Medical Commission, India, 18 November 2021	"The total duration of the foreign medical graduation course shall be completed within ten years from the date of joining the course."
Public Notice No. U-15024/9/2023-UGMEB, item 5	National Medical Commission (Under Graduate Medical Education Board), 7 December 2023	"All FMGs shall have to complete their internship within 10 years from date of joining their Foreign Medical Institutions to procure qualification equivalent to MBBS in India."
FAQ No. U-15024/15/2024-UGMEB(Pt), Q12 (last sentence)	National Medical Commission (Under Graduate Medical Education Board), 8 June 2026	"the FMG who has taken admission in medical course outside India after year 2019, they are required to clear the FMG examination within 10 years from the date of admission."

The FMGL Regulations 2021 wording above is a condition of those regulations. Under regulation 5 of the FMGL Regulations 2021, those regulations do not apply to foreign medical graduates who had acquired a foreign medical degree, or candidates already pursuing education in a foreign institution, before the regulations came into force on 18 November 2021 (per Q2 and Q4 of the Commission's FAQ on the regulations). Such candidates are governed by the earlier regulations.

Related questions

What is the pass mark for FMGE?

Chapter 5 of the FMGE (Screening Test) October 2026 Information Bulletin, published by NBEMS, states that a candidate shall be declared as having passed only if he or she obtains a minimum of 150 marks out of 300 in the examination. There shall be no negative marking.

Sources

• FMGE (Screening Test) October 2026 Information Bulletin, version 2.2 — National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS), India
• Public Notice No. U-15024/9/2023-UGMEB of 7 December 2023 — National Medical Commission, India (Under Graduate Medical Education Board)
• Frequently Asked Questions No. U-15024/15/2024-UGMEB(Pt) of 8 June 2026 — National Medical Commission, India (Under Graduate Medical Education Board)
• National Medical Commission (Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate) Regulations, 2021 — National Medical Commission, India
• Frequently Asked Questions: FMGs covered by National Medical Commission (Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate) Regulations, 2021 — National Medical Commission, India (Undergraduate Medical Education Board)

Checked 11 October 2026.

This page is an unofficial summary, is not legal or professional-licensing advice, is not published by the bodies named, promises no admission, examination or registration outcome, and the official text and the regulator's own instructions prevail if they differ.