NBEMS schedules additional FMGE on Oct 31; January 2027 exam rescheduled

The National Board of Examinations will now conduct the FMGE screening test three times annually. An additional examination is scheduled for October 31, 2026, offering more opportunities. This change follows protests by foreign medical graduates regarding recent examination results. The January 2027 regular FMGE examination has been postponed to a later date. Detailed schedules and application dates for the new examination will be announced soon.

The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) has announced a major change in the schedule of the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE), with the screening test set to be conducted three times a year instead of twice.According to a notice issued by NBEMS on August 28, the board will conduct an additional FMGE on October 31, 2026. The move will provide foreign medical graduates with an extra opportunity to appear for the examination this year.The FMGE is conducted for Indian citizens and certain overseas citizens of India who have obtained their primary medical qualification from a medical institution outside India and seek to practise medicine in the country, subject to applicable requirements.Additional FMGE scheduled for October 31As per the NBEMS notice, the additional FMGE will be held on October 31, 2026. The examination will continue to be conducted through a computer-based platform at various examination centres across the country.NBEMS has stated that detailed information regarding the October examination will be provided through the Information Bulletin, which will be published on its official website in due course.Candidates planning to appear for the additional FMGE should therefore wait for the official bulletin for details regarding the application process, eligibility, examination fee, important dates, examination centres and other instructions.January 2027 FMGE rescheduledThe board has also revised the date of the FMGE that was earlier scheduled for January 9, 2027.According to NBEMS, the January 9 examination will now be rescheduled to a later date in January/February 2027. The exact date has not yet been announced.NBEMS said details regarding the revised January/February 2027 schedule will be notified separately in due course.Information bulletin to be releasedNBEMS has clarified that candidates should refer to the FMGE Information Bulletin for detailed instructions related to the examination. The bulletin will be made available on the NBEMS website before the examination.Candidates are advised to rely on the official notification and Information Bulletin for the application timeline and other examination-related requirements rather than unofficial sources.For queries, clarifications or assistance, candidates can contact NBEMS through its official communication web portal.NBEMS official websiteNBEMS Communication Web Portal