The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) has signaled that it is willing to consider genuine concerns raised by foreign medical graduates (FMGs) over the June 2026 Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE) but has drawn a clear line on the issue of qualifying standards.A senior NBEMS official said examination reforms could be considered to make the process more transparent and candidate-friendly, but there would be no compromise on the minimum competency level expected of doctors seeking to practise medicine in India.The statement comes amid continuing protests by FMGs in Delhi over the June examination. Some candidates have been demonstrating in the Gautam Nagar area, while a section of protesters has also resorted to a hunger strike.
Why the June FMGE has triggered protests
The June 2026 FMGE has faced growing criticism after the examination recorded a particularly low overall pass percentage.Of the 37,448 candidates who appeared for the examination, only 12.38 per cent qualified. The result has fuelled concerns among candidates over the difficulty and pattern of the paper, particularly the inclusion of video-based questions.The National Medical Commission (NMC), however, has defended the use of such questions. Its position is that the video-based format was intended to assess a candidate’s ability to identify and respond to clinical situations rather than simply test theoretical knowledge.The sharp fall in the overall pass rate nevertheless intensified demands from candidates for a review of the examination and, in particular, for relief for those who appeared in June.
Expert panel examines candidates’ concerns
In response to the concerns, NBEMS constituted a three-member expert committee headed by Air Marshal (Dr) Pawan Kapoor (Retd).The panel was tasked with examining the issues raised by candidates and suggesting measures that could improve the examination process.Its recommendations indicate that the focus is more on reforming the examination system than lowering the qualifying benchmark.Among the proposals is an examination paper with a more clearly defined difficulty mix. The committee has suggested that around 30 per cent of questions should be of low difficulty, 50 per cent of moderate difficulty and 20 per cent of high difficulty. It has also recommended that the mean difficulty level of the paper should not exceed 5.5.These recommendations, if implemented, could give candidates greater clarity about the expected structure of the examination.
No recommendation for grace marks in June exam
One of the most important points emerging from the committee’s review is what it has not recommended.The panel has not suggested awarding grace marks or compensatory marks to candidates who appeared for the June 2026 FMGE.According to sources, the committee did not find material evidence establishing that the video-based questions or the overall difficulty of the paper had unfairly affected the examination outcome.This is significant for candidates demanding immediate relief. While NBEMS has indicated that the examination process can be reviewed and improved, it does not currently appear inclined to alter the June result by lowering the competency requirement or introducing additional marks.
Attempt-wise data offers a different picture
The overall pass rate, while striking, does not tell the entire story.Data from the June examination shows a substantial difference in performance based on the number of attempts. About 35.74 per cent of candidates appearing for the first time cleared the examination. The success rate fell to 21.45 per cent among those taking the examination for the second time.For candidates who had appeared more than five times, the pass rate was only 3.29 per cent.A similar pattern was visible in the December 2025 FMGE, although the first-attempt success rate was higher at 47.53 per cent. Among candidates taking the examination after more than five attempts, only 5.58 per cent qualified.NBEMS officials have pointed to these figures while arguing that the overall pass percentage alone cannot establish that the examination was inherently unfair or that the entire cohort faced an unreasonably difficult paper.
What NBEMS wants to change
The committee’s recommendations focus on improving the examination experience without weakening the standard expected from foreign medical graduates.One of the proposals is to examine the feasibility of conducting FMGE three times a year instead of the existing schedule. If implemented, the move could reduce the waiting period for candidates who do not qualify in an attempt and provide them with an earlier opportunity to appear again.The committee has also suggested reviewing the examination fee, upgrading infrastructure at examination centres and exploring ways to allow candidates to access their recorded responses.However, access to recorded responses would be subject to technical and legal safeguards.Together, these recommendations point towards a broader attempt to make the examination process more transparent and predictable for candidates.
The larger question is patient safety
For FMGs protesting against the June examination, the immediate issue is whether candidates affected by the controversial paper should receive some form of relief.For NBEMS, however, the debate involves a larger responsibility.The FMGE is the screening examination through which foreign medical graduates seeking to practise medicine in India are assessed. Any change to its qualifying standard therefore has implications beyond the candidates appearing for the examination.A senior NBEMS official said the objective was to maintain a fair and transparent examination while preserving the competency threshold required to protect patient safety.That position places NBEMS between two competing demands: addressing legitimate concerns about the examination process while ensuring that reforms do not turn into a dilution of the standard required to enter medical practice.
What happens next
The June 2026 FMGE controversy is therefore unlikely to be resolved simply by changing the qualifying marks.The expert committee has opened the door to several structural reforms, including changes to question difficulty, examination frequency, centre infrastructure, fee levels and access to recorded responses.For candidates, the immediate uncertainty remains over whether the June examination itself will receive any special relief. The panel’s decision not to recommend grace or compensatory marks indicates that such relief is not currently supported by the committee’s findings.The larger reform agenda, however, could shape how FMGE is conducted in the future. The challenge for NBEMS will be to make the examination more transparent and candidate-friendly without compromising the competency benchmark that underpins the right to practise medicine in India.(With inputs from PTI)
