What FMGE is and why the pass rate matters

The Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE) is the screening test that Indian citizens with a foreign medical degree must clear before they can register to practise in India. The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) conducts it twice a year, in June and December.

A university’s FMGE pass rate is the closest thing Indian families have to an outcome measure. It reflects how well graduates are prepared for the Indian licensing standard. It is not perfect, but it is far more useful than rankings or brochure claims.

NMC has proposed replacing FMGE with the National Exit Test (NExT). Until that happens, FMGE results remain the best available benchmark.

Country-wise FMGE pass rates: the big picture

Two points stand out. First, pass rates swing sharply from year to year, so a single year proves little. Second, Kyrgyzstan sent more candidates in 2024 (15,135) than any other country, including China. With cohorts that large, the university you choose matters more than the country.

University-wise FMGE pass rates: Russia

The table covers Russian universities with large Indian cohorts. Each figure shows the pass rate with the number passed of the number appeared.

Orenburg, Mari, Kazan and Perm have held up across both years with large cohorts. Stavropol and Tver send hundreds of candidates each year but have posted lower pass rates, especially in 2025. That does not make them unsuitable for every student, but it does mean a student there needs a disciplined FMGE preparation plan from the third year onwards.

We have written an honest review of Stavropol State Medical University that looks at this in detail.

University-wise FMGE pass rates: Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan

What stands out

• KRSU leads Kyrgyzstan in both years. KRSU also operates under an intergovernmental treaty between Russia and Kyrgyzstan, which is relevant after the country’s 2026 accreditation review.
• Fergana had its first sizeable FMGE cohort in 2025 and recorded 51.2%. One year of data is encouraging but not yet a trend; the next two reports will confirm whether it holds.
• Bukhara and Samarkand show reasonable pass rates, yet both were named in NMC’s April 2026 advisory. A good FMGE number does not override a regulatory warning.
• Astana Medical University has the strongest record among the large Kazakh universities in this comparison.

How to read FMGE data without being misled

1. Check the cohort size. A 100% pass rate from 4 candidates means nothing. Look for universities with at least 100 candidates before comparing percentages.
2. Compare at least two years. A single strong or weak year can be a blip. Consistency across years is what matters.
3. Watch for mixed-up years. Some websites add several years together and present the total as one session’s result, or quote the best session only. Ask which report a figure comes from.
4. Remember that repeaters are included. The figures include candidates attempting FMGE for the second or third time, which pulls the rate down for large, older universities.
5. Verify it yourself. NBEMS publishes institute-wise FMGE performance reports free on natboard.edu.in. Search for the university name in the PDF.

What this means for your university choice

Use FMGE data as a filter, not the only deciding factor. A sensible order of checks is:

1. NMC compliance under the FMGL Regulations, 2021, and no current NMC advisory against the university.
2. A consistent FMGE record over at least two years with a meaningful cohort.
3. A full, written six-year cost breakdown that fits your budget.
4. Location, safety, Indian food, hostel and the Indian student community.

Whichever university you choose, the student’s own discipline decides the outcome. Graduates from universities with modest averages clear FMGE every session, and graduates from strong universities sometimes fail. Starting FMGE-focused study in the third year is one of the most reliable habits we see in students who clear it at the first attempt.