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FMGE · Exam Pattern

How the FMGE paper is built.

Three hundred questions, two sittings on one day, timed sections that close behind you, and a flat 150 to pass. Knowing the shape of the paper changes how you revise for it.

300Questions
150Marks to pass
0Negative marking
3Sessions a year
The paper

Two parts, one day

ItemDetail
Total questions300, each with four options
Parts2 parts on the same day — Part A (150 MCQs, 09:00-11:30) and Part B (150 MCQs, 14:00-16:30). Each part is further split into time-bound sections; the NBEMS bulletin illustrates 3 sections (A, B, C) of 50 questions and 50 minutes each, and states the actual number of sections may vary with the total number of questions. Once a section's time expires the candidate cannot return to it or change those answers.
Marks1 mark per correct answer; maximum 300 marks. Each question has 4 response options.
Negative markingNone. Wrong answers and unattempted questions both score zero, so a guess costs you nothing.
Duration150 minutes per part; 300 minutes (5 hours) of testing time in total, split across a morning and an afternoon sitting on the same day.
Pass mark150 out of 300 (50%). A fixed statutory qualifying score — not a percentile and not a cohort-dependent cut-off.
ModeComputer-based test (CBT) at NBEMS-designated centres across India.
AttemptsNo limit on the number of attempts and no age limit. A candidate who has already qualified may not re-appear.
The sections matter more than the total. Each part is broken into timed sections of about 50 questions and 50 minutes. When a section's clock runs out it locks, and you cannot go back to review or change those answers. Practise to a section timer, not to a five-hour one: a question you cannot crack in ninety seconds is a question to mark and move past, and with no negative marking there is never a reason to leave one blank.
Subject weightage

Where the 300 questions come from

The distribution below is the pattern that holds across recent papers, and it is the one to plan revision against. Four subjects — Medicine, Surgery, Obstetrics & Gynaecology and Community Medicine — carry about 125 questions between them, which is most of the way to a pass on their own.

SubjectQuestionsShare
Pre-clinical (Part A)51
Anatomy17
Physiology17
Biochemistry17
Para-clinical (Part A)49
Pathology13
Pharmacology13
Microbiology13
Forensic Medicine & Toxicology10
Clinical (Part B)200
General Medicine33
General Surgery32
Obstetrics & Gynaecology30
Community Medicine (PSM)30
Paediatrics15
ENT / Otorhinolaryngology15
Ophthalmology15
Orthopaedics5
Dermatology & Venereology5
Psychiatry5
Anaesthesiology5
Radiodiagnosis5
Radiotherapy5
Total300

Treat these as planning weights rather than a guarantee: the balance shifts a little session to session, and the paper is set from the whole MBBS syllabus.

Sessions

When it is held

Historically twice a year — a 'June' session and a 'December' session. The session name is the notified session, not the exam month: the December session has in recent years been held the following January, and the June session in late June or July. From 2026 NBEMS has moved to three sessions a year, adding an October session.

SessionExam dateResult
December 202412 January 2025Result declared January 2025; scorecards from 27 January 2025
June 202526 July 2025Declared August 2025 (NBEMS undertook to declare by 26 August 2025)
December 202517 January 2026Result declared late January / early February 2026 (reported variously as 29 January and 4 February 2026); scorecards from 6 February 2026; pass certificates issued 23 February to 14 April 2026
June 202628 June 20267 July 2026 (bulletin committed to declare by 28 July 2026); scorecards from 16 July 2026
October 2026 (additional third session)31 October 2026Not announced as of 4 September 2026
December 2026Not fixed. NBEMS's 2026 exam calendar had listed 9 January 2027; the 29 August 2026 notice said this will be moved to a later date in January or February 2027, to be notified separately.Not announced

Application windows have run roughly two to two and a half months ahead of the exam and stay open about three weeks. Check the NBEMS information bulletin for the session you are sitting — it is the document that governs.

Results

Recent pass rates

FMGE is purely qualifying — there is no rank and no cut-off that moves with the cohort. The pass percentage therefore tells you about the paper, not about your competition.

SessionAppearedPassedPass rate
June 202636300463512.77%
December 2025428721026223.95%
June 202536034670718.61%
December 2024432301314929.62%
June 202434608723320.91%
December 202337827778120.57%
June 202324250247410.2%
June 2026 was the hardest paper in years. 4,635 of 36,300 candidates cleared it, a 12.77% pass rate. An NBEMS expert committee reviewed the session in August 2026, declined to award grace marks, and recommended that FMGE be held at least three times a year — which is why an October sitting was added. Plan for a paper that rewards breadth of revision over depth in a few subjects.
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Frequently asked

FMGE pattern — questions

How many questions are there in FMGE and how many do I need right?

Three hundred questions, one mark each, and you need 150 of them right. It is a fixed qualifying score that does not move with the cohort.

Is there negative marking in FMGE?

No. A wrong answer and an unattempted question both score zero, so answer every question.

Can I go back and change an answer?

Only within the section you are in. Each part is split into timed sections of about 50 questions and 50 minutes; once a section's time is up it locks and those answers are final.

How many times is FMGE held each year?

Three times from 2026. NBEMS added an October sitting to the usual June and December sessions after the June 2026 result.

How many attempts do I get?

You may attempt FMGE as many times as you need to, at any age.

Which subjects carry the most questions?

General Medicine, General Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Community Medicine are the four heaviest, together making up roughly 125 of the 300 questions.