How Indian Students Should Prepare for FMGE While Abroad?

How Indian Students Should Prepare for FMGE While Abroad?

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FMGE Exam Date:17 Jan' 26 - 17 Jan' 26

Prabhjyot KaurUpdated on 30 Oct 2025, 05:42 PM IST

Aspiring doctors must do consistent and rigor preparation with positivity while pursuing MBBS abroad for FMGE in 2026 is crucial for aspirants to pass the licensure test. It is important for Indian medical graduates to qualify for the FMGE to practice medicine in India. So, how to prepare for the FMGE exam while studying medicine abroad? Ways of FMGE preparation include students creating a long-term academic study plan, understanding the Indian exam pattern, consistent practice, thorough revisions, keeping updated with the FMGE advisories, and much more.

This Story also Contains

  1. How to Prepare for FMGE While Studying MBBS Abroad in 2026?
  2. Best Books For FMGE Preparation While Studying Medicine Abroad
  3. How to Prepare Subject-Wise for FMGE Exam?
  4. Why is it Crucial to prepare for FMGE while studying MBBS abroad?
How Indian Students Should Prepare for FMGE While Abroad?
How Indian Students Should Prepare for FMGE While Abroad?

Around 70 to 80% of MBBS graduates fail the FMGE exam each year. According to the latest FMGE 2025 exam result, 37,207 candidates appeared for the test. Out of the total candidates, 29,327 MBBS graduates failed the FMGE exam, 5 candidates have been put on hold, and 1,168 students were absent for the exam. The overall fail percentage of the FMGE exam for the June 2025 session is 81%. Studying MBBS from a foreign medical college poses many challenges for aspirants, such as the vast syllabus of the screening test, insufficient clinical exposure, new language and cultural barriers abroad, no coaching facilities, lack of preparation, and other hardships.

It is quite challenging for aspiring doctors to clear the screening test in India, with consistently high failure rates. This indicates that intense and goal-oriented preparation while pursuing the MBBS degree abroad is important to clear the FMGE exam. We have created a comprehensive guide on how Indian students must prepare for FMGE exam while studying MBBS abroad in 2026 including all the considerable aspects. Read further for more information on the FMGE preparation tips for IMGs.

Also Read:

How to Prepare for FMGE While Studying MBBS Abroad in 2026?

It is a long-term preparation process to crack the FMGE test. Thousands of IMGs appear for the FMGE exam each year; however, only around 20% pass the exam who use the right strategies. Successfully revising the complete syllabus and having a positive mindset under proper guidance helps candidates succeed in the exam. Let us now check some of the crucial FMGE preparation methods for medical graduates to successfully become doctors in India:

Understanding FMGE Exam Pattern, Syllabus, and Its Requirements

To crack the exams, the first step is to completely understand the exam format, syllabus, and regulations.

The test includes different types of questions, and it is important to be aware of them during preparation. The FMGE exam includes 300 MCQs with clinically based cases.

Let us understand more about the FMGE exam through the table for better understanding:

FMGE Exam: Overview

Particulars

Details

FMGE Eligibility

An Indian citizen or an OCI must have completed a recognised MBBS degree with NEET.

FMGE Format

Total Questions: 300

Type of Question: MCQs (Multiple Choice Questions)

Number of Parts: 2 parts, A and B

Attempt: Twice a year

Time Duration: 5 hours (2.5 hours per part)

FMGE Passing Score

Passing Marks: 150 out of 300 (50%)

Negative Marking: No


FMGE Syllabus

It includes 19 subjects, ranging from pre-clinical to clinical courses.

FMGE Passing Percentage

20%-30%

Creating a Long Term Study Plan

  • An MBBS abroad duration is generally 5.5 to 6 years long. It is important for medical students to start their preparations from the start of their academic degree to keep track of their progress.

  • As the FMGE exam includes the complete standard MBBS curriculum in India, they must start building their core knowledge in preclinical courses. It must be followed to a deep analysis of clinical training courses from 3 year onwards.

  • Even after the completion of the year, they must revise the concept consistently to have a fresh perspective and understanding of the topic.

  • As some of the topics are completed in the first year, students often forget the concepts in the last year.

  • To avoid such academic crisis, it is important to make a long term study plan involving frequent revisions. Self-study is a key to having foundational knowledge.

FMGE Preparation Tips
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Study With Indian MBBS Curriculum

  • The MBBS curriculum abroad is similar to MBBS degrees in India to be recognised under NMC guidelines. However, foreign medical universities often lay out the curriculum in a different way.

  • A few of the subjects, such as community medicine and forensic medicine very important for FMGE, might get limited attention under abroad course structure.

  • Also, different teaching styles in foreign medical colleges tend to produce different conceptual understanding from those of Indian medical colleges.

  • Due to the diverse healthcare system in India, the MBBS course abroad might focus on different guidelines. Students planning to appear for the FMGE exam must follow the Indian medical guidelines.

Proper Time Management

The majority of students prepare for FMGE after completion of their MBBS degree abroad. This gives them limited time for FMGE preparation.

Managing time during the course is, hence, a better option for aspiring doctors to crack the exam.

This gives the students several years to go through the vast FMGE syllabus, revise it, and then appear.

Along with university lectures, students can make use of their time by working part-time and studying for FMGE as well.

Consistent Practice and Attempting FMGE Sample Papers

As international students find it quite hard to find the specialised FMGE coaching institutes abroad, they can consistently practice through the Indian official study material.

Strategising the syllabus in such a way that they can revise it and then appear for multiple sample papers and mock tests can increase the chances of clearing the FMGE exam.

To start slowly, they can practice the 100-150 MCQs per day. Also, solving the previous year's question papers can help students build confidence and aid concept clarity.

However, students must avoid using multiple sources of study material. It can make them very confused. Refer to good-quality books for FMGE exam preparations while studying MBBS abroad.

Related Reads:

Best Books For FMGE Preparation While Studying Medicine Abroad

Using good study material, such as books that easily explain complex medical concepts, is important while preparing for the FMGE licensing exam. As students generally lack specialised FMGE coaching help in abroad, these books are handy for prep. Here is a list of the best book that aids in preparing for the FMGE exam while studying MBBS abroad in 2026 for Indian students:

Good Books For Pre-Clinical Subjects in FMGE

  • Physiology & Pathology: Review of Pathology by Dr. Govind Garg & Dr. Sparsh Gupta

  • Biochemistry: Satyanarayan

  • Pharmacology: Review of Pharmacology by Dr. Govind Garg & Dr. Sparsh Gupta

  • Anatomy: ACROSS Book

  • Microbiology & Forensics: Jain/Chaurasia or Arora Book by Dr. Vikas

Good Books For Clinical Subjects in FMGE

  • PSM: Review for PSM by Vivek Jain

  • Medical: Mudit Khanna MCQ Internal Medicine

  • Obstetrics & Gynecology: Review Book by Dr. Sakshi Arora, Review Book by Harmeet Goyal

  • Ophthalmology: Dr. Ruchi Rai for Ophthalmology

  • Surgery: Amit Tripathi and Ashish Gupta Rachna Chaurasia / Arora

Note: You must not refer to a large number of study resources since this will leave you confused. Refer to good quality books and do not change your study material based on someone’s feedback. Remember, the thing which really counts is the way you utilize your limited study resources to your advantage.

Related Reads:

How to Prepare Subject-Wise for FMGE Exam?

It is important for Indian MBBS graduates to prepare for the exam thoroughly by mastering each subject deeply. We have mentioned the strategies to prepare for the FMGE exam according to the subjects concerned below. Students can read it and then start their subject-wise FMGE prep 2026 accordingly:

Note: The crucial tip for IMGs is to focus on topics with high mark weightage in the FMGE exam more than others.

FMGE Subjects

Details (Difficult topics)

General Medicine

Candidates must focus on common diseases, clinical management, and diagnostic investigations.

Obstetrics & Gynecology

Candidates must focus on pregnancy management, labour, and common gynaecological disorders

Paediatrics

Candidates must focus on growth milestones, vaccinations, and common childhood diseases.

General Surgery

Candidates must focus on conditions like shock, trauma, and common surgeries (e.g., appendectomy)

Microbiology

Candidates must focus on infection control, immunology, and antibiotics.

Pathology

Candidates must focus on disease processes, diagnostic methods, and common conditions.

Forensic Medicine

Candidates must focus on medico-legal cases, post-mortem techniques, and toxicology.

Community medicine

Candidates must focus on disease prevention, public health, and biostatistics.

Pharmacology

Candidates must focus on common drugs like antibiotics, antihypertensives, and pain management.

Why is it Crucial to prepare for FMGE while studying MBBS abroad?

As the fail percentage of FMGE is quite high, it shows that the exam is quite tough for IMGs to crack. They require deep knowledge of the concepts and subject to attempt the pre-clinical and clinical parts of the exam. Cracking the FMGE exam in one attempt without thorough preparation is next to impossible. Students face several challenges, including a vast and mismatched FMGE syllabus, a lack of clinical exposure abroad, less preparation, language barriers, cultural barriers, and many more.

Hence, medical graduates tend to clear the exam after multiple attempts. Here comes the benefit of preparing for the FMGE exam along wth MBBS studies abroad. One with early preparation tends to clear the exam more easily in comparison to other candidates.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: Can I practice in India after MBBS from abroad without FMGE?
A:

FMGE is a licensure exam for IMGs to practice medicine in India. No, you cannot practice in India if you have completed your MBS abroad and are planning to return without qualifying for the FMGE exam.

Q: Is 5 months enough for FMGE preparation?
A:

The preparation time for FMGE depends on the candidate’s skills and medical knowledge. However, one can prepare for FMGE with the right approach within 5 months. You must practice daily with the help of study materials, sample papers, and mock tests.

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Questions related to FMGE

On Question asked by student community

Have a question related to FMGE ?

Hello,

If you have an MBBS from Nepal and haven't passed the FMGE, you have several options for further courses abroad, including pursuing a postgraduate degree in countries like the UK, the USA, and Australia, which may not require the FMGE to practice there.

I hope it will clear your query!!

Hello nivedita bm,

For FMGE, passport is the primary form of identification, you must apply using your name exactly as it appears on your passport. If your passport does not have your surname on it and your other documents do, You might face issues during verification.

So, to avoid such problems, you can either prepare a notarized "one and the same person" affidavit linking both names, from your passport and your other documents, or update your passport with your surname to avoid any problems during your FMGE exams.

I hope this will help you.

Hello Aspirant,

Yes, your 54.6% score in the FMGE July 2025 exam is above the required 50% passing mark for the general category. This qualifies you to apply for a provisional medical license from the NMC. To be eligible for INICET and JIPMER , you must have a valid MBBS degree, complete your one-year internship, and possess an NMC registration number.

With NEET PG rank 86,551, MD Psychiatry in government colleges is very unlikely, but you have reasonable chances in private or deemed universities such as JSS Mysore, S.D. Urs Kolar, or MGM Aurangabad, which have witnessed Psychiatry closing ranks in the 50,000–55,000 range; these institutes typically charge 10–25 lakh annually.

Hello,

It's possible for you to pursue an MBA in hospital management in India even if you haven't passed the FMGE exam. To apply for this program, you need to identify colleges that offer this course, and often they require exams like the CAT, MAT, XAT, or CMAT, and sometimes private colleges directly give you admission.

I hope it will clear your query!!