Foreign medical graduates seeking to practise in India have reported frustration after the latest qualifying examination recorded a low pass rate of 12.78%.
The exam, conducted twice a year by the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences, was held in June with two papers. Of 37,428 candidates who registered nationwide, 36,280 appeared.
Results released recently show that only 4,635 candidates passed. Representatives of the Tamil Nadu Medical Students Association’s foreign wing said the second paper included image and video-based questions, which they believe contributed to the high failure rate.
Association secretary Vasanth Philip Abhishek alleged that several centres lacked basic infrastructure and adequate arrangements for candidates, affecting them mentally. He also said video-based questions were introduced without prior notice, leading to time constraints that left some unable to attempt questions worth up to 20 marks.
He noted that the qualifying mark is 150, and 327 candidates reportedly failed by a single mark after scoring 149. Another 1,022 candidates scored 147 or 148, he said, urging authorities to review video length, allotted time and the overall exam format.
