FMGE Pass Rate of Russian Medical Universities: Year-Wise Data

Prepared by the Edumapple admissions team, Kakkanad, Kerala· Updated 15 October 2026· How we check facts

In the December 2025 FMGE session, 2,128 of 6,878 graduates from Russian universities passed: 30.9%. Below is the pass rate for every Russian university we cover, year by year, taken from the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS).

The Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE) is the screening test an Indian citizen with a foreign medical degree must pass before internship and registration in India. NBEMS ran it twice a year until 2025 (June and December sessions) and from 2026 three times a year: the June 2026 session was held on 28 June, an additional session is on 31 October 2026 and the next is planned for January or February 2027. NBEMS publishes how many candidates from each country and each foreign university appeared and passed. Those reports are the only official source for FMGE results by university. Everything on this page comes from them.

Russia's FMGE pass rate by year

Two things stand out. First, the number of Russia graduates sitting the exam has almost tripled since 2020, from about 4,300 to more than 11,000 a year. Russia is now one of the largest sources of FMGE candidates. Second, the pass rate swings between sessions. The June session usually has more repeat candidates and a lower pass rate; December 2025 was the best Russian result in the period.

For comparison, across all countries 23.9% of candidates passed in December 2025 (10,264 of 42,868) and 18.6% in June 2025 (6,709 of 36,037). Russia was seven points above the overall average in December 2025 and half a point below it in June 2025 (18.1% against 18.6%). The gap is small either way.

FMGE pass rate of every Russian university we cover

The table lists the universities on this site that had at least 20 FMGE candidates over the period. The default order is by the number of candidates in December 2025, so the largest Indian cohorts are at the top. Click a column to sort by pass rate.

Some universities appear under slightly different names in different NBEMS reports (for example, Perm State Medical University named after Academician E. A. Wagner). We combined those rows. A few institutions that NBEMS lists under Russia are not covered on this site; they are left out of the table but included in the national totals above.

Universities with fewer than 20 candidates in all reports combined, so that a percentage means little: Russian University of Medicine, Omsk State Medical University, Tyumen State Medical University, Petrozavodsk State University. Universities on our list with no candidates in the 2020–2025 reports: Novosibirsk State Medical University, Novosibirsk State University, Krasnoyarsk State Medical University, South Ural State Medical University, Kirov State Medical University, Ural State Medical University. That usually means few Indian graduates so far, not a bad result.

Which Russian universities had the best results

Looking only at universities with at least 100 candidates in a session, so that one strong or weak batch does not decide the ranking:

• December 2025: Orenburg State Medical University 45.3% (309 appeared), Smolensk State Medical University 43.3% (430), Privolzhsky Research Medical University 37.5% (120), Tambov State University 35.9% (145), Penza State University 34.3% (169), Rostov State Medical University 34.0% (106) and Mari State University 33.8% (639).
• 2024, full year: Privolzhsky 44.6% (213), Orenburg 43.4% (447), Smolensk 42.9% (748), Penza 36.5% (277), Ulyanovsk State University 31.7% (366) and Mari State University 31.4% (930).

Orenburg, Smolensk and Privolzhsky are above the Russian average in every year from 2021. Small cohorts can look better: Kazan Federal University had 87.5% in December 2025 and Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University 53.3%, but with 24 and 45 candidates.

At the other end, a few universities stayed far below average for years. North-Western State Medical University named after I. I. Mechnikov had between 0% and 9% in every report from 2020. Belgorod State University fell to 2.4% in June 2025 and 4.7% in December 2025. Tver, Stavropol and Dagestan were below the Russian average in every report from 2020 to December 2025.

How to read these numbers

• They describe graduates of earlier years. Someone who sat FMGE in 2025 typically started the course in 2018 or 2019. Teaching, the share of English-medium groups and the student mix may have changed since.
• They count attempts, not people. A candidate who sits twice in a year is counted twice. Universities with many repeat candidates look worse than their first-attempt rate.
• Small numbers mislead. A university with 10 candidates can move from 0% to 50% because of three people.
• The exam tests the student. The same university produces both toppers and repeat candidates. How much a student studies for FMGE during the course matters as much as where they studied.

Why the FMGE pass rate is low for foreign graduates

NBEMS does not publish reasons, so this is our reading of the pattern rather than an official explanation. The exam follows the Indian MBBS syllabus, including subjects such as community medicine and forensic medicine that are taught differently abroad. Clinical exposure in Russian hospitals often happens through an interpreter, because patients speak Russian. Students who did not learn Russian well get less from clinical years. Many graduates also start serious FMGE preparation only after returning to India. Students who prepare from the third year onward and keep their Russian good enough for the wards tend to do better.

FMGE and NExT: what is changing

The National Exit Test (NExT) is meant to replace FMGE as the licensing exam for both Indian and foreign graduates. It has not happened yet. In October 2025 the NMC chairman told doctors' associations that NExT would not be implemented for at least three to four years and that mock tests would come first. A draft NMC regulation reported in August 2026 still requires foreign graduates to pass FMGE "until the NExT exam is implemented". As of October 2026 there is no notified date for NExT.

For a student joining a Russian university in 2027, this means planning for FMGE while following NMC notices about NExT. The NMC rules for foreign medical graduates explain the other conditions a degree from Russia must meet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the FMGE pass rate for students from Russia?

In 2025, 25.8% of FMGE candidates with a Russian degree passed (2,950 of 11,428 across the June and December sessions). The December 2025 session alone had 30.9%; in 2024 the figure was 29.5%. These are NBEMS figures for all Russian universities combined.

Which Russian medical universities have the highest FMGE pass rate?

Among universities with large cohorts, Orenburg State Medical University, Smolensk State Medical University and Privolzhsky Research Medical University have been above the Russian average in every year since 2021, with 37–45% in December 2025. Smaller cohorts such as Kazan Federal University show higher rates, but with few candidates.

Why is the FMGE pass percentage low for foreign medical graduates?

The exam follows the Indian MBBS syllabus, clinical training abroad is often limited by the local language, and many graduates start preparing only after they return. The counts also include repeat attempts, which pull the percentage down.

Will NExT replace FMGE for students who studied in Russia?

That is the plan, but as of October 2026 NExT has no notified start date and the NMC has said it will take at least three to four years. Until then, graduates from Russia take FMGE.

Where can I take the FMGE exam in Kerala?

The NBEMS information bulletin for the October 2026 session lists six test cities in Kerala: Ernakulam (Kochi), Kannur, Kollam, Kottayam, Kozhikode and Thiruvananthapuram. The list is marked tentative, and you choose cities in the application form, so check the bulletin for the session you plan to take.

Sources: NBEMS FMGE performance reports for June 2025 and December 2025 and the annual country-wise and institute-wise reports for 2020–2024, published at natboard.edu.in/stats. NExT status: NMC statements reported by Careers360 (30 October 2025) and Medical Dialogues (19 August 2026). Checked on 15 October 2026.