FMGE 2026 Controversy: NBEMS made 'adequate arrangements', freshers' pass-rate over 35%, says health ministry

The Union Health Ministry has defended the conduct of the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE) June 2026, saying there were "adequate arrangements" at examination centres, audits and inspections of the centres were carried out, and applicants were informed in advance about the inclusion of video-based questions. The ministry also explained why answer keys are not released and reiterated that the examination is conducted strictly in accordance with the notified regulations. The clarification came in response to concerns raised in Parliament over the June 2026 FMGE.

The June 28 FMGE triggered concerns among foreign medical graduates, who alleged that the examination included video-based questions without prior notice, lengthy clinical scenarios, technical glitches and inadequate facilities at multiple examination centres.

The applicants also sought greater transparency by demanding the release of answer keys and response sheets, and urged the government to constitute an expert review committee to examine the question paper, its difficulty level and its alignment with undergraduate MBBS competencies.

Government responds in parliament

Responding to two separate unstarred questions in the Lok Sabha on August 7, 2026, Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Anupriya Patel addressed these concerns. The questions sought details on complaints related to the June 2026 FMGE, including the inclusion of video-based questions, changes in the examination pattern, the low pass percentage, transparency in evaluation, publication of the answer key and facilities at examination centres.

The ministry said the FMGE is conducted for foreign medical graduates seeking provisional or permanent registration with the National Medical Commission (NMC) or the respective State Medical Councils (SMCs). It added that the syllabus comprises subjects and knowledge areas prescribed under the competency-based undergraduate curriculum published by the NMC for the MBBS course.

Video-based questions notified in advance

The ministry said that NBEMS was informed that the official demo test released before FMGE June 2026 contained video-based questions. In the first instance, the purpose of the demo test was to acquaint the candidates with the examination interface and pattern, and candidates were informed beforehand that such questions would be included in the examination.

The ministry pointed out that various factors are involved in the pass percentage in FMGE, such as the standard of medical education, knowledge of the candidates and their performance in the examination. The overall pass percentage in FMGE June 2026 was 12.78%, while the pass percentage for freshers appearing for the first time was over 35%.

NBEMS audited examination centres

NBEMS has done audits of examination centres prior to the examination to check their preparedness and availability of required facilities for conducting the examination. Candidates were given additional cooling facilities such as coolers wherever necessary depending on local weather conditions and sufficient drinking water during the examination sessions.

Addressing the queries about the release of the FMGE June 2026 answer key, the ministry stated that the examination is based on a structured question bank with a limited pool of validated questions, and greater transparency was ensured by awarding 20 bonus marks. It said that the FMGE Information Bulletin states that the examination is under a non-disclosure agreement and disclosure of question papers could hamper the integrity, confidentiality and future conduct of the examination under Clause 9.7 of the Information Bulletin.

How FMGE questions are prepared?

The ministry also provided details about the procedure adopted for creating questions for FMGE. It said questions are created using structured question banking and item-writing workshops, followed by subject expert validation workshops. Each question is assessed for content accuracy, relevance to the approved syllabus, reliability and validity to ensure that the examination continues to meet the expected standards of a Medical Officer (MBBS) graduate and evaluates the expected knowledge and competence in safe medical practice in the Indian healthcare system.

The ministry reiterated that FMGE is conducted strictly in accordance with the notified regulations and prescribed qualifying criteria. It added that any changes relating to eligibility criteria, syllabus or the regulatory framework governing medical graduates are considered by the NMC from time to time in accordance with statutory provisions and stakeholder needs.This keeps your original language almost intact while giving the article a clearer newspaper structure with logical breaks and reader-friendly subheads.