New Delhi: Similar to last year, a significant number of candidates who appeared in the Foreign Medical Graduates Examination (FMGE) for the June 2024 session did not pass the screening test. According to the results released by the National Board of Examinations (NBE), over 27,000 candidates, or around 81.7%, failed the FMGE exam, while only 21.6% cleared it.

NBE declared the results of FMGE June 2024 on July 16, 2024. According to the data shared by the NBE, a total of 35,819 medical graduates from abroad registered for the exam. Out of these, 2,422 candidates were absent from the test. Consequently, 33,397 candidates appeared for the screening test. The data revealed that only 7,233 candidates successfully cleared the exam, which is a mandatory requirement for FMGs to register as doctors in India and commence practice.

According to NBE data, a total of 27,297 candidates failed the exam. Given that 33,397 candidates appeared for the test this year, the pass percentage for the FMGE exam is around 21.6%, and approximately 81.7% failed the test. Meanwhile, NBE "withheld" the results of 78 candidates. Addressing this, NBE mentioned in the notice dated July 16, 2024, "The results of 78 candidates have been kept 'WITHHELD' due to pending clarification from the National Medical Commission/outcome of the Exam Ethics Committee."

For the June 2023 cycle of the Foreign Medical Graduates Examination, more than 87% of the candidates failed the exam. Only 2,474 medical graduates from abroad cleared the FMGE June 2023 test. This failure rate shocked everyone, as 21,180 candidates out of 24,269 failed the exam, resulting in a failure rate of over 87%.

Similarly, in the December 2023 cycle of the screening test, 78% of candidates failed, and only 20% managed to pass.

According to the latest media report by the Pune Mirror, medical education experts and parents have urged authorities to lower the difficulty level of the FMGE to a moderate level. Speaking to the Daily, career counselor Durgesh Mangeshkar highlighted, "The central government increased the difficulty level of the qualifying examination, which was necessary. Medical care is a crucial subject, and there should be no room for laxity. Parents must consider the pass percentage when opting for medical education abroad, as students' lives could be at stake."

Parents and experts believe that many students who fail to clear the test will remain just 12th-pass in their academic careers. They have urged authorities to reduce the difficulty level and suggested that students study for the exam while pursuing their medical education abroad. A higher education counselor told Mirror, "I advise all parents and students aiming to enroll in foreign medical colleges to prepare for the FMGE syllabus alongside their studies. Unfortunately, Indian medical education is theoretically oriented, making it difficult for students from foreign universities to pass this eligibility test. Some students spend six to eight years in this process."