Only 20 Percent Paas FMGE, Why Pass Percentage is so Low?

Only 20 Percent Paas FMGE, Why Pass Percentage is so Low?

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JasmineUpdated on 18 Aug 2025, 11:02 AM IST

Despite having years of medical training, many foreign medical graduates struggle to pass this important exam. According to the FMGE result 2025, a total of 37,207 candidates registered for the exam. Out of those, 29,327 candidates failed FMGE, and 1,168 students were absent. Additionally, the results for 5 candidates who took the exam on July 26, 2025 have been withheld. This means that around 81% of MBBS abroad students failed the FMGE 2025. Moreover, over the past four years, the FMGE passing rate has not exceeded 30%. The reasons why international MBBS graduates fail FMGE include differences in syllabus, limited clinical exposure, insufficient exam preparation and more. These challenges are due to the difference in educational quality and syllabus abroad, which creates a knowledge and skills gap when compared to the Indian medical education system. The Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE) is an important medical licensing exam for Indian students who have earned their MBBS degrees abroad and want to practice medicine in India. This exam is conducted by the National Board of Examinations (NBE) and has a low pass percentage. Read along to understand the common reasons why international MBBS graduates fail FMGE and more.

This Story also Contains

  1. FMGE June 2025 Result
  2. Previous Year’s FMGE Passing Percentage
  3. Reasons Why International MBBS Graduates Fail FMGE
  4. Conclusion:
Only 20 Percent Paas FMGE, Why Pass Percentage is so Low?
Top Reasons Why International MBBS Graduates Fail FMGE

FMGE June 2025 Result

The FMGE result for the June exam has been declared and the following table elaborates on the same.

Particulars

FMGE Result June 2025

Number of candidates appeared

37,207

Number of aspirants qualified

6,707

Number of failed candidates

29,327

Number of absentees

1,168

Number of aspirants with withheld status

5

The above data states that the total passing percentage is around 18.03%. This reflects the difficulty of the FMGE exam.

Previous Year’s FMGE Passing Percentage

It is important to understand the previous year’s FMGE passing percentage to compare the performance. Even though thousands of students appear for the FMGE every year, only a few pass the exam. The table below states the percentage from 2021 - 2024.

Year

FMGE Passing Percentage

2021

24.54%

2022

23.35%

2023

30.77%

2024

25.80%

The table clearly states that over the past four years, the FMGE passing rate has not exceeded 30%. In 2023, the passing percentage increased to 30.77%; however, in 2024, the percentage dropped by 4.97%. These recent trends show that the FMGE is quite a challenging exam.

Reasons Why International MBBS Graduates Fail FMGE

FMGE is an important and challenging exam to clear. The syllabus of the exam is vast and requires time to prepare for it. Moreover FMGE is conducted only twice a year, in June and December. This gives the graduates limited time to prepare and appear for the exam. However, there are multiple reasons why international MBBS graduates fail FMGE. Some of the most common reasons are listed below.

Vast FMGE Syllabus

The FMGE has a vast syllabus that includes around 20 subjects of the MBBS curriculum. With limited time to study, it gets very challenging for medical students to prepare for all 20 subjects. The subjects involved in FMGE are:

  • Anatomy

  • Physiology

  • Biochemistry

  • Pathology

  • Microbiology

  • Pharmacology

  • Pediatrics

  • Ophthalmology

  • Otorhinolaryngology

  • Obstetrics & Gynaecology

  • Community Medicine

  • General Surgery

  • Anesthesiology

  • Orthopedics

  • Forensic Medicine

  • Radiodiagnosis

  • Medicine

  • Radiotherapy

  • Dermatology & Std

  • Psychiatry

Difference in MBBS Curriculum

When it comes to medical universities abroad, the curriculum can be quite different from that taught in India. Subjects such as community medicine, forensic medicine, and preventive medicine, which are crucial for the FMGE, often get limited attention. Additionally, foreign medical schools tend to have their own unique curriculum and teaching styles that differ from those of Indian medical colleges. Many of these institutions might not focus on the specifics of the Indian medical system, which is essential for the FMGE exam.

Also Read:

Lack of Clinical Exposure

Having clinical exposure is mandatory for MBBS graduates abroad to appear for the FMGE as per the NMC guidelines to study MBBS abroad. In some countries, medical students might not have any direct clinical experience with patients, which is important for improving their practical skills. Without enough practical training, students find it difficult to deal with case-based or application-based questions in the FMGE.

Language and Cultural Barriers Abroad

In many MBBS universities abroad, particularly in countries where English is not the primary language, students often encounter language barriers during their clinical rotations. Even though the MBBS course is taught in English, the clinical training requires students to deal with real patients in that country. To communicate with these patients, students must be aware of the local language. This can limit their interactions with patients and the hands-on experience they gain.

Poor Time Management

A lot of students start to prepare for the FMGE after they have completed their MBBS degree abroad. This leads to limited time for preparation. As FMGE is conducted only twice a year, students get only a few months to revise and prepare the vast FMGE syllabus. With nearly 20 subjects to revise, a lack of proper planning results in incomplete preparation and is one of the common reasons international MBBS graduates fail FMGE.

Lack of Quality Guidance & Coaching

International MBBS graduates often lack the necessary resources, coaching centers, or study materials designed for the FMGE exam. In contrast to Indian medical students who have proper coaching to prepare for any type of medical examination, international graduates struggle to find specialized FMGE coaching institutes abroad. Without the right strategy, study material, and coaching, several students fail the FMGE.

Conclusion:

It is important to remember that there is no fixed reason as to why international MBBS graduates fail FMGE. It all depends on how prepared they are for the exam. Other reasons include the differences in curriculum and teaching styles compared to their MBBS education abroad, a lack of practical experience, and difficulty adjusting to the Indian exam format. It is highly recommended that those who aspire to study MBBS abroad and practice medicine in India must prepare for the FMGE as they are studying abroad. This will give them enough time to make a strong study plan and prepare well. In addition, aim for countries that follow a curriculum that matches the Indian medical standards. This way, they will be studying the FMGE syllabus with their MBBS syllabus.

Also Read:

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: Which country has the highest FMGE pass percentage?
A:

As per the FMGE 2024 reports, Georgia, Uzbekistan, Russia and Kazakhstan had the highest pass percentage of the FMGE. However, the overall FMGE passing percentage 2024 is 25.80%, which is quite low due to the difficulty of the exam.

Q: Which country does not need FMGE?
A:

There are several countries that do not require FMGE certification to permit students to practice medicine. These countries include:

  • USA

  • UK

  • Canada

  • Australia

  • New Zealand

Q: How many attempts can we give for FMGE?
A:

FMGE does not have a limited number of attempts. This means that students can appear for the FMGE as many times as they require to pass the examination. As FMGE is a difficult exam to crack, the majority of students tend to reappear for the exam at least twice to clear it.

Q: Which country is best for FMGE?
A:

For Indian students looking to study medicine abroad and eventually take the FMGE, Russia, Nepal and Georgia are highly recommended. These destinations are popular because they have higher FMGE passing rates.

Q: What are the options for FMGE failed students?
A:

There are many options for FMGE failed students. Some of the common pathways for international MBBS graduates who have failed the FMGE are as follows:

  • Retake the FMGE 

  • Apply for licensing exams in different countries

  • Opt for non-medical career options

  • Do medical content writing

  • Contribute to medical research 

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Questions related to FMGE

On Question asked by student community

Have a question related to FMGE ?

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!!

Yes, you can completely do MBA in Hospital Management. As FMGE is a licensing exam that is for foreign Medical graduates must need to pass to practice medicine in India.

MBA in Hospital Management is a management degree, not a medical practice licence. For pursuing this course you just need a bachelor's degree in any field with minimum marks 50% above in most Universities.

Without passing FMGE still there are many career scopes after MBA such as:

- Hospital Administrator

- Healthcare project manager

- Medical Coordinator

- Healthcare data analyst

- Pharmaceutical

Hello!

Id you didn’t pass FMGE you can apply for MBA course.You can choose specializations like Hospital & Healthcare Management, Hospital Administration, Pharmaceutical Management, or even General MBA. Give entrance exams like CAT,MAT,XAT,CMAT or SNAP to get top colleges or you can apply to private Universities that accept students without any entrance exam.

Some good colleges for  MBAs are Symbiosis Institute of Health Sciences (Pune), Tata Institute of Social Sciences , KJ Somaiya (Mumbai), Apollo Institute of Hospital Administration (Hyderabad),  Manipal Academy of Higher Education or IIMs etc.