Medical Council of India Screening Test

Medical Council of India (MCI) Screening Test is also known as Foreign Medical Graduates Examination (FMGE). It is a national level licensure examination conducted by the National Board of Examination (NBE) twice a year. This is an important exam for the candidates who have studied medical courses in abroad, i. e., outside India and want to start their career here in India.

However, there is another requirement for their smooth practice of medicine in India. They also have to practice an year's internship from a teaching hospital or medical college in India. It must be taken into consideration that the hospital from where the candidate is taking internship in India must be recognized by the Medical Council of India. This internship can be done outside India also. However, the relevant internship certificate must be attested by the Indian Mission Embassy or Consulate office present in that country.

The system of Screening Test was introduced in 2002. It is a kind of qualifying examination for the students who pursued their medical degree from the countries outside India. These countries include Soviet Union, Nepal, China, Eastern European countries, Philippines, Caribbean countries, and many more. This Screening test is highly compulsory for the Indian doctors holding any basic medical degree from outside India. However, the medical institution from where you obtained the degree must be listed in the WHO International Directory of Medical Schools.

Note— The students who took admission in abroad on or after 15. 03. 2002 must have to obtain an “Eligibility Certificate” from the Medical Council of India. However, this is not required for the Indian students who took admission before 15. 03. 2002.

Key Points

• This examination is done in English only.
• There is no negative marking in this examination.
• The centre of the examination is New Delhi.
• The examination occurs twice a year in the months of June and December. And that too on the last Sunday of these months.
• There are 300 multiple choice questions in the exam sheet divided into two sittings of 150 questions each. Obviously, these MCQs are single response type answers.
• The qualifying marks is 50% or more. This means that for passing this examination you have to gain at least 50% (or more) of the total marks.
• The results are displayed in the official website of NBE can also be obtained from the office of NBE. There is no any provision of rechecking or retotalling or re-evaluation of the marks obtained in the test.
• However, there is no limits or restrictions to the number of attempts in the test. You can apply again and again, if did not get success in your previous tests.

Mandatory Documents

There are some mandatory documents that must be submitted. These documents must be self- attested and also attested by the Gazette Officer. These important documents include:

• Proof of Date of Birth (like birth certificate).
• Copy of Passport as a proof of the applicant’s nationality.
• 10+2 Passing Certificate and Mark sheet of students from their respective and recognized Board of Education.
• Equivalent certificate from the Association of Indian Universities for 10+2 (if they had e-done from abroad).
• Passing certificate and Mark sheet of Primary Medical Qualifications such as MBBS or equivalent medical certificate. It is duly noted that the copies of the degree certificates must be attested by a Gazetted Officer. You should also self-attest these documents. At the same time, the degrees must be attested by the Embassy of India or apostilled by the appropriate authority having great significance. For apostilled documents, following things are necessary—
• Internship certificate (if any).
• Eligibility certificate issued by MCI, if available (issued for the students joined on or after 15. 03. 2019.
• If the certificates are issued in a language other than Hindi or English, then these documents must be translated into Hindi or English. Thereafter, the certificate is submitted in the end.