NEW DELHI: The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) on Wednesday rejected demands to lower the qualifying marks of the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE), saying there can be no compromise on the minimum competency required to practice medicine in India.
The rejection has come even as the FMG students’ hunger strike has entered its seventh day. One of their key demands is the grant of grace marks for the June 2026 exam due to difficult and lengthy question paper, including video questions, and reported problems at some exam centres. The pass percentage of the June FMGE exam was 12%.
A senior NBEMS official said the Board is open to genuine concerns, but qualifying standards cannot be diluted.
“The NBEMS is willing to address genuine concerns of FMGs, but there can be no compromise on the minimum competency required to practise medicine in India,” the official said.
A three-member panel, headed by Air Marshal (Dr.) Pawan Kapoor (Retd.), which was formed to look into the issue, has proposed a series of measures to make the examination more transparent and candidate-friendly.
They have suggested more transparency, easier access to examination information and a possible third annual attempt.
“The panel has recommended examining the feasibility of holding FMGE three times a year, reviewing the examination fee, improving examination-centre infrastructure and allowing candidates access to their recorded responses, subject to technical and legal safeguards,” the official said.
“The committee, however, did not recommend grace or compensatory marks for the June examination, finding no material evidence that the video-based questions or overall difficulty had affected the outcome,” the official added.
FMGE is held to serve as a mandatory licensing test ensuring that Indians who earn medical degrees abroad meet the clinical and educational standards.
Officials said the attempt-wise results provide a significant context to the debate.
In June 2026, 35.74% of first-time candidates cleared FMGE, compared with 21.45% among second-time candidates and just 3.29% among those appearing after more than five attempts.
In December 2025, the first-time pass rate was even higher at 47.53%, while it fell to 5.58% among candidates with more than five attempts.
The senior official said the figures underline why the overall pass percentage alone cannot be used to argue that an entire examination cohort was subjected to an unfair paper.
“The issue is to ensure a fair and transparent examination while retaining the competency threshold necessary for patient safety,” the official said, while stressing that NBEMS remains open to legitimate candidate concerns.
FMGE is a screening examination for medical graduates trained outside India, not a competitive entrance test, the official added.
The minimum qualifying standard exists because doctors must be competent to handle potentially life-threatening situations such as myocardial infarction, stroke, sepsis, complicated pregnancy and paediatric emergencies.
The expert panel has proposed a more balanced question paper structure, with 30% low-, 50% moderate-, and 20% high-difficulty questions, while recommending that the mean difficulty level not exceed 5.5.
The FMGE exam, held on June 28, was taken by 37,448 candidates. The pass percentage was 12.78%.
Among the other demands of protesting students is the introduction of video-based questions, which they said was a new format and they were not informed beforehand.
They said that the video-based questions were lengthy, giving them less time to attempt all 300 questions.
Students also complained that some examination centres lacked adequate infrastructure, such as poor ventilation and inadequate cooling systems, making it difficult for candidates taking the exam in the sweltering heat.
The students have sought complete transparency in evaluation and answer keys.
Seeking redressal of their demands, the students started their protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi on August 3.
Various student bodies, such as the All India Medical Students’ Association-Foreign Medical Students’ Wing (AIMSA-FMSW) and the All FMGs Association (AFA), took up the issue with NBEMS.
During the talks, the protest was discontinued. However, the aspirants resumed their protest, including a hunger strike, after their key demand for compensatory marks was not met. Among those who are on hunger strike is Dr Jaswant Singh, a vocal FMG advocate.
“Day 7 of my hunger strike. My voice is still strong, and your support gives me the strength to continue. We will not stop until we receive our result and justice. Stay strong, everyone. Together, we will win,” posted Dr Singh on X.
Various resident doctors’ associations, including FAIMA, have sought fairness, transparency and relief for FMGE aspirants, saying that they "deserve a fair review."
