FMGE exam date announced for foreign medical graduates

New Delhi: The National Board of Examination (NBE) has announced the date of Foreign Medical Gradate Exam (FMGE) for students. The next FMGE will be conducted on December 14, 2018 on computer-based platform at various test centres across the country.

FMGE exam is conducted twice a year in June and December. Foreign medical graduates who are unable to clear the exam in the first attempt, in June, can reappear for it in December. However, with the dissolving of Medical Council of India (MCI), uncertainties were looming over the schedule of this exam. But the notification from NBE has cleared the air for many foreign medical graduates wanting to practice as doctors in India.

Each year, more than 10,000 appear for FMGE exam and June 2018 has seen a spike in the percentage of students clearing it.

“FMGE exam can be taken any number of times until it is cleared. It is not too difficult to crack but you need a lot of revision and at least 3-4 months’ time of focussed preparation. If these two are combined it can be cracked in one go. Clinical part is easy to crack as there is a lot of learning during clinical rotations while the other part of FMGE exam is difficult because it required thorough study to score well.,” says Vijay, a student who cleared FMGE exam in June 2018.

“Post MCI dissolution there was a lot of confusion over the scheduling of this exam, and if there’s any change in the process. Now the announcement of this exam date means that the status quo remains as far as FMGs like me are concerned, which is good news.”, said Srivatsan, a student of caribbean based Texila America University who is about to take the exam in December.

There are many specialized coaching centres across the country that offer a stringent training for clearing this exam. Many foreign medical graduates enrol in these coaching centres for a period of 6 months to clear the FMGE exam.