Medical Council of India (MCI) which is also known as the Foreign Medical Graduates Examination (FMGE) is a licensure examination conducted by the National Board of Examination (NBE) in India. MCI Examination is compulsory for those Indian students who have pursued MBBS from abroad. The MCI Screening Test was first brought in the year 2002 for the Indian students who have attained a degree of medicine from a country other than India such as Russia, Ukraine, Kyrgyzstan, China, Bangladesh, Barbados, Philippines, Caribbean countries, etc. The Medical Schools should have been listed in the WHO International Directory of Medical Schools.
The screening test, also known as Foreign Medical Graduates Examination or popularly known as FMGE Screening Test, is a compulsory examination for all aspiring practicing doctors. Over the past few years, FMGE has been known to be one of the more difficult examinations to crack in India. Recent records have shown that less than 20% of the applicants can clear the examination and practice medicine.
5 important factors of the MCI Screening Test:
- For those students who complete their MBBS from abroad and want to further practice in India, it is compulsory to give MCI Examination for them so that they can start their professional life in India as well. Once you clear this exam, you will be equivalent to those who have done their MBBS from India. Only then you are allowed to choose your career in the field of medicine.
- The MCI screening test is conducted to keep a check on basic concepts, common sense, application of concepts, and ability to check time management. This exam is not about every detail of the study material of MBBS. The test is taken just to check if you are familiar with the core data.
- After clearing MCI Screening Test, the students need to carry out 1 year of internship to fulfill the eligibility criteria. If not done, the students will remain unemployed in India.
- There is no bar on the number of attempts for giving this exam. The minimum eligibility criteria to pass the MCI Screening test for a candidate is 50% marks. The aspirants who qualify for the MCI Screening Test can apply to the Medical Council of India, New Delhi, or State Medical Council for his/her permanent or provisional registration.
- MCI Screening Test is known to be a very challenging exam as it needs a lot of practice. Only 19% of the candidates can clear this test if we see this statistically. If we compare the graphic representation from 2005 to 2015, there has been a huge fall from around 80% of the Indian medical students from International Universities passing the mandatory MCI Screening Test.
The key points to remember
- MCI Screening Test is conducted twice a year.
- The Medium of Instruction is English.
- There is a total number of 300 MCQs which are further divided into 2 sections. Each section is 150 marks.
- In MCI Screening Test, there is no negative marking.
- A candidate who has acquired 50% marks in an MBBS degree is eligible to give this examination.
- There are no bars on the number of attempts for the MCI Screening Test.