Will NExT replace FMGE for China graduates?

For Indian students who earn a medical degree in China, NExT has not replaced FMGE. The National Medical Commission (India) deferred the National Exit Test by a public notice of 13 July 2023 until further directions from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, while NBEMS continues to conduct FMGE, with a bulletin for the October 2026 session. The notice of 13 July 2023 sets no new date for NExT; follow the Commission's notices for any change.

For the examination and registration steps in India and the other home countries, see the licensing exams section.

What the 2021 licentiate regulation says about the test

The National Medical Commission (Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate) Regulations, 2021 (Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Part III, Section 4, 18 November 2021), in regulation 4(d), states that no foreign medical graduate shall be granted permanent registration unless he has cleared the National Exit Test or such other mandated test or tests conducted by the Commission. The Commission's FAQ (Q8) explains this as: foreign medical graduates have to clear the National Exit Test or such other mandated test or tests conducted by the National Medical Commission.

Under regulation 5 of the same regulations, these regulations do not apply to foreign medical graduates who acquired a foreign medical degree or primary qualification before 18 November 2021, to candidates already pursuing education in a foreign institution before that date, or to those specifically exempted by the Commission or the Central Government; such persons are governed by the earlier applicable regulations (per Q2 and Q4 of the Commission's FAQ).

What the 2023 NExT regulations provided

The National Medical Commission (National Exit Test) Regulations, 2023 (Gazette notification, New Delhi, 27 June 2023) state that the National Exit Test (NExT) shall form the basis of certifying the eligibility of a medical graduate to register to practice the modern system of medicine in India. Regulation 3(ii) states that all foreign medical graduates fulfilling the requirement of the foreign medical graduate Licentiate Regulation by the National Medical Commission shall undertake NExT for the purpose of obtaining a licence to practice medicine as a registered medical practitioner in India.

The same regulations state that a medical student who has completed undergraduate medical education overseas and fulfilled the applicable requirements of the Foreign Medical Graduate Regulations shall be eligible for Compulsory Rotating Internship provided the student passes each of the six theory papers of NExT Step 1 (as provided in Section 2.3(2)).

What happened to NExT

The National Medical Commission (India), Coordination & Vigilance Division, issued Public Notice No. Cdn.19012/15/2022/Coord-NMC of 13 July 2023. The notice states that the National Exit Test examination is deferred on the advice of the Ministry, dated 11.07.2023, till further directions from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The notice sets no new date for NExT.

The current test for China graduates: FMGE

The FMGE (Screening Test) October 2026 Information Bulletin, version 2.2, published by the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS), states that the FMGE-Screening Test was introduced through the Screening Test Regulations 2002, and that NBEMS has been entrusted with conducting the screening test. The bulletin states that NBEMS's role is limited to conducting the test, publishing the result and handing the result to the National Medical Commission and all State Medical Councils.

NBEMS states in chapter 2 of the bulletin that the previous session (June 2026) was conducted on 28-06-2026, that NBEMS shall now conduct FMGE three times in a year, and that the next screening test is scheduled for 31-10-2026.

Important dates listed for the FMGE October 2026 session:

Step	Date
Online submission of application form	11-09-2026 (from 05:00 PM) to 25-09-2026 (till 11:55 PM)
Issue of admit cards	27-10-2026
Examination date	31-10-2026
Declaration of result	by 30-11-2026

The application window for the October 2026 session closed on 25-09-2026. Each session has its own bulletin with its own dates.

Related questions

Is there a time limit to finish the course?

Yes. The FMGL 2021 Schedule I, paragraph 2(iv), sets that the total duration of the foreign medical graduation course shall be completed within ten years from the date of joining the course. The Commission's FAQ (Q10) states this.

Can part of the internship be done in India?

No. The FMGL 2021 Schedule I, paragraph 2(iii), requires that the entire course, training and internship be done outside India in the same foreign medical institution throughout, and that no part of medical training and internship be done in India or in any country other than the country from where the primary medical qualification is obtained. The Commission's FAQ (Q11) states this.

Sources

• National Medical Commission (Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate) Regulations, 2021 — National Medical Commission, India
• National Medical Commission (National Exit Test) Regulations, 2023 — National Medical Commission, India
• Public Notice No. Cdn.19012/15/2022/Coord-NMC of 13 July 2023 (National Exit Test deferred) — National Medical Commission, India (Coordination & Vigilance Division)
• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): FMGs covered by National Medical Commission (Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate) Regulations, 2021 — National Medical Commission, India (Undergraduate Medical Education Board)
• FMGE (Screening Test) October 2026 Information Bulletin, version 2.2 — National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS), India

Checked 11 October 2026.

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