4 min readNew DelhiJul 29, 2026 11:14 AM IST
Responding to concerns over the low FMGE pass rate, the Centre this week told the Rajya Sabha that the June 2026 results were influenced by multiple factors, including differences in medical curricula across countries. It said the overall pass rate stood at 12.78 per cent, while first-time candidates recorded a pass rate of over 35 per cent. Nearly 88 per cent of applicants, however, were repeat candidates.
The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) has not yet released a similar session-wise breakdown for the June 2026 examination. However, its performance reports for the June and December 2025 sessions offer another perspective — how long candidates typically take to clear FMGE after completing their medical degree abroad.
How long does it take to clear FMGE after an MBBS overseas?
NBEMS groups successful candidates into different time bands based on how long they took to clear FMGE after completing their primary medical qualification. In the December 2025 session, the largest group comprised 6,326 candidates who qualified within six months to one year.
Read | Why foreign medical graduates struggle to clear FMGE? Eco Survey explains
Another 1,156 candidates took between one-and-a-half and two years, while 1,061 cleared the examination within six months.
| December 2025 — Top 3 time bands | Candidates |
| Within 6 months to 1 year | 6,326 |
| Within 1 Year 6 Months to 2 Years | 1,156 |
| Within 6 months | 1,061 |
Together, these three time bands accounted for 8,543 of the 10,264 successful candidates in this session.
Different pattern in June session exam
Switch to the June 2025 session and the pattern flips. Of 6,709 candidates who qualified, the largest cluster, 2,478 of them, took between one year and a year-and-a-half to clear the exam. Only 921 made it within six months, and another 1,012 needed two to two-and-a-half years.
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| June 2025 — Top 3 time bands | Candidates |
| Within 1 Year to 1 Year 6 Months | 2,478 |
| Within 2 Years to 2 Years 6 Months | 1,012 |
| Within 6 months | 921 |
In the June 2025 session, the three largest time bands accounted for 4,411 of the 6,709 successful candidates.
The two sessions show noticeably different qualification timelines. While NBEMS has not explained the reason for this variation, one possible factor is timing: students graduating in summer may sit for the December session with more recent academic preparation, while the June cohort skews toward repeat candidates with longer gaps since graduation — though this remains unconfirmed.
Country-wise trends: Where did successful candidates graduate from?
The country-of-origin numbers add another layer to the curriculum point the Centre raised. Look at which countries send back the most FMGE passers, and the geography shifts session to session too.
| December 2025 | Appeared | Fail | Pass | Total Pass | Pass (%) |
| Female / Male | Female / Male | ||||
| Russian Federation | 6,878 | 1,549 / 3,201 | 855 / 1,273 | 2,128 | 30.94 |
| Kyrgyzstan | 7,437 | 1,475 / 4,459 | 506 / 997 | 1,503 | 20.21 |
| Kazakhstan | 3,655 | 571 / 2,012 | 323 / 749 | 1,072 | 29.33 |
| Georgia | 2,899 | 718 / 1,243 | 480 / 458 | 938 | 32.36 |
| China | 6,537 | 1,964 / 3,641 | 429 / 503 | 932 | 14.26 |
Among the top five countries by successful candidates in the December 2025 session, the Russian Federation accounted for the highest number of passes, with 2,128 candidates qualifying. Georgia recorded the highest pass percentage among the five countries at 32.36 per cent, while China had the lowest at 14.26 per cent.
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| June 2025 | Appeared | Fail | Pass | Total Pass | Pass (%) |
| Female / Male | Female / Male | ||||
| China | 7,115 | 2,113 / 3,959 | 454 / 589 | 1,043 | 14.66 |
| Kyrgyzstan | 6,293 | 1,264 / 4,053 | 290 / 686 | 976 | 15.51 |
| Philippines | 4,655 | 1,407 / 2,364 | 397 / 487 | 884 | 18.99 |
| Russian Federation | 4,550 | 1,142 / 2,586 | 285 / 537 | 822 | 18.07 |
| Georgia | 2,204 | 557 / 1,037 | 294 / 316 | 610 | 27.68 |
Six months earlier, in the June 2025 session, China accounted for the highest number of successful candidates, with 1,043 candidates clearing FMGE. However, its pass percentage stood at 14.66 per cent, the lowest among the top five countries. Georgia once again recorded the highest pass percentage at 27.68 per cent.
The June 2026 Parliament discussion focused on why the overall FMGE pass rate remained low. While NBEMS has not yet released a similar breakdown for that session, its 2025 performance reports add useful context. They show that the time taken to clear FMGE varies considerably after graduation, and that outcomes differ across countries where candidates obtained their primary medical qualification.