FMGE vs NExT: What Changes for Graduates from Russia
As of October 2026 NExT, the National Exit Test, has not started and has no notified date. Foreign medical graduates, including everyone from Russia, still take FMGE, which NBEMS now holds three times a year. This post compares the two exams, shows what the NMC has said so far and tells students who join in 2027 how to prepare without waiting for NExT.
In short: FMGE is the screening test that an Indian citizen with a foreign MBBS must pass today: 300 marks, pass mark 150, computer-based, held by NBEMS three times a year since 2026. NExT was meant to replace it, and the NMC's own regulations name NExT as the test for foreign graduates. But NExT is on hold. In August 2026 the NMC published a draft that keeps FMGE for registration until NExT comes into force, and gives no date. Students who join in 2027 should plan for FMGE and treat NExT as a possible change.
FMGE today
The Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE) is the screening test an Indian citizen or OCI cardholder with a primary medical qualification from abroad must pass to get provisional registration and start the 12-month internship in India. It is conducted by the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS).
The key facts from the NBEMS information bulletin of October 2026:
- Format: computer-based test, two parts of 150 questions each, 300 questions in all.
- Pass mark: 150 marks out of 300; no negative marking; no grace marks and no re-evaluation.
- Frequency: three times a year since 2026. The June session was held on 28 June 2026; an additional session was set for 31 October 2026 (applications 11–25 September, results by 30 November 2026); the next is expected in January or February 2027.
- Centres in Kerala: the October 2026 bulletin lists Ernakulam, Kannur, Kollam, Kottayam, Kozhikode and Thiruvananthapuram as tentative cities. City lists change between sessions, so check each bulletin.
- Documents: NEET-UG score card, proof of age and Class 12 PCB marks at the time of joining, and the caste certificate if you claim a relaxation.
FMGE results for Russia are public. In 2025 graduates of Russian universities sat the exam 11,428 times and 2,950 passes were recorded, 25.8%. The December 2025 session had 6,878 candidates from Russia and 2,128 passes, 30.9%. The university-wise table is on the FMGE pass rate page.
What is NExT?
NExT stands for National Exit Test. It was created by the National Medical Commission Act, 2019, as a single national exam that would do three jobs: serve as the final-year MBBS exam, serve as the licence to practise and decide the rank for postgraduate seats. For foreign graduates it was to replace FMGE. The NMC's Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate Regulations 2021 already say that a foreign graduate must pass NExT or another test the NMC prescribes, and until NExT starts that test is FMGE.
NExT has been delayed repeatedly. The NMC published rules in 2023 and a competency-based curriculum calendar that placed NExT Step 1 in February 2028 for the batch that joined in 2023, with Step 2 in February 2029, according to Careers360. After protests from the 2019 batch of students the plan was put on hold. In October 2025, the NMC chairman told the Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) that NExT would not be implemented for at least three to four years and that trial tests would be run first. On 19 August 2026, Medical Dialogues reported on a draft of the NMC's licensing amendment regulations that keeps FMGE as the qualifying test for foreign graduates until NExT comes into force. The draft sets no date.
FMGE vs NExT: comparison
| FMGE (now) | NExT (planned) | |
|---|---|---|
| Status in October 2026 | Held; three sessions a year | Not started; no notified date |
| Conducted by | NBEMS | NBEMS (as planned under the NMC Act) |
| Who sits | Foreign medical graduates | Indian final-year MBBS students and foreign graduates, per the plan |
| Format | 300 questions, computer-based, pass 150 | Two steps in the 2023 plan; the pattern for foreign graduates is not notified |
| Purpose | Screening for registration | Exit exam, licence and, for Indian graduates, postgraduate ranking |
| Syllabus | Indian MBBS syllabus | Expected to follow the Indian competency-based curriculum; not notified for foreign graduates |
Plan your FMGE preparation from year 3
Tell us your intake year; we send a study plan and the exam dates to watch.
What changes for graduates from Russia?
Nothing today
A student who graduates from a Russian university in 2026, 2027 or 2028 takes FMGE. The rules for registration, internship and the 10-year limit are the same as before. The NMC FAQ of 8 June 2026 says that graduates admitted abroad after 2019 must clear the foreign graduate exam within 10 years from the date of admission, whichever name the exam carries.
For someone joining in 2027
The student graduates in 2033. By then NExT may have started, or FMGE may continue. We cannot tell, and neither can anyone who quotes you a date. What we can say is what is in the documents: the NMC has said both that NExT is the destination and that FMGE continues until then. If NExT does arrive, the NMC will have to publish transition rules for students already studying abroad. Ask for those in writing at that time, and follow the NMC's notices.
What does not change either way
The test will examine the Indian syllabus. A graduate who studied only from the Russian textbooks will find it hard. A student who reads Indian textbooks in parallel from the third year has an advantage in both exams. See what is taught in each year in our post on MBBS subjects in Russia.
How to prepare without waiting for NExT
Years 1–2: build the base
Anatomy, physiology and biochemistry are common to every exam. Learn them well and learn Russian: you will need it in the wards.
Year 3 onward: add Indian preparation
Start a weekly routine for community medicine, forensic medicine and Indian guidelines that the Russian course teaches differently. Take mock tests from the fourth year.
Final year: plan the attempt
Decide the session you will sit before the state examination ends, and keep all documents ready for the NBEMS form: NEET score card, mark sheets, the university's internship certificate and the passport.
Check the university's own results
Choose a university by its multi-year FMGE record. See the ranking by FMGE results.
After the exam come the 12 months of supervised internship and registration with the state council; the NMC internship rules are explained in a separate post, and the NMC rules page lists every condition for a Russian course.
FMGE vs NExT: Frequently Asked Questions
Has NExT replaced FMGE?
No. As of October 2026 NExT has not been implemented and has no notified date. FMGE continues to be the qualifying test for foreign medical graduates, and NBEMS now holds it three times a year.
What is the pass mark for FMGE?
The pass mark is 150 out of 300 marks. The test is computer-based with two parts of 150 questions each, no negative marking and no grace marks or re-evaluation, according to the NBEMS bulletin of October 2026.
Will graduates from Russia have to take NExT?
The NMC regulations say foreign graduates must pass NExT or another test prescribed by the NMC. Until NExT starts, that test is FMGE. Whether and when graduates already abroad will be moved to NExT has not been announced.
When will NExT start?
There is no official date. In October 2025 the NMC chairman reportedly said it would not be implemented for at least three to four years, and the August 2026 NMC draft keeps FMGE until NExT comes into force.
Should I wait for NExT before joining MBBS in Russia?
No. Admission depends on NEET and the other eligibility rules, not on the exit exam. Whichever test applies in 2033, the preparation is the same: study the Indian syllabus alongside the Russian course.
Sources: NBEMS FMGE Information Bulletin, October 2026 (format, pass mark, dates, test cities); NBEMS FMGE performance reports 2025; NMC FAQ on FMGL 2021 (including the update of 8 June 2026); NMC Act 2019; Careers360 on the NMC chairman's statement to FAIMA (30 October 2025) and on the NExT schedule in the CBME regulations 2023; Medical Dialogues, 19 August 2026, on the NMC draft licensing amendment regulations 2026. Checked October 2026.