Final 3-Day Review Strategy: What to Focus on, What to Ignore (FMGE 2026)

You only have 72 hours left. Your books are disorganized, your notes are scattered, and your anxiousness indicates that you have not studied well. Halt. The last three days are spent recalling what you already know rather than learning new things. The student who studies carefully in the final 72 hours generally outperforms the one who studied hard for six months but became nervous at the end.

QUICK  RESPONSE

Pharmacology, pathology, medication dosages, laboratory values, national initiatives, and your specific weaknesses identified in practice exams—check these things in the last 3 days. Avoid new subjects altogether, steer clear of long textbooks, and refrain from trying new mock tests after Day 2. Aim for over 7 hours of sleep nightly — your brain strengthens memory while you rest.

Download FMGE Last 5-Year PYQs – Subject-wise PDFs

FMGE 2025-26 SIGNIFICANCE

FMGE assesses 300 multiple-choice questions spanning 19 subjects within 5 hours. Since there’s no penalty for wrong answers, every question should be attempted. The final 72 hours will decide if your months of preparation lead to assured recall or nervous guessing. Learners adhering to a systematic last-minute schedule generally earn 15-25 points more than those who prepare randomly.

The Mindset of the Final 72 Hours

The aim of these 3 days is optimization of retrieval. You aren’t inserting new data in your mind. You’re arranging existing materials for quick access during exam stress.

Imagine your preparation as a storage facility filled with containers. You've dedicated months to packing those boxes. The final 3 days focus on clearly labeling them to ensure you can locate what you require when the examiner inquires.

Students who become anxious and attempt to "cram more" in the last moments negatively affect their performance. They generate uncertainty, obscure what they previously understood clearly, and arrive at the exam hall fatigued. Avoid being that student.

The 72-Hour Master Plan:

High-Yield Subject Sweep on Day 3 (72–48 hours prior to Exam)

Today is your day of revision. You are going to cover the topics of revision that people ask about the most. Your enthusiasm for revision is still strong, so you will do a good job of covering these topics of revision.

Morning session (4 hrs): pharmacology and medicine

The medicine section has 33 to 38 questions. When it comes to medicine, we cannot afford to have any gaps in our knowledge. Medicine is a field where gaps can be really bad. So, medicine questions need to be answered.

What needs to be changed:

Cardiology: antihypertensives, heart failure medications, and ECG patterns (MI, arrhythmias, blocks)

Endocrinology: Adrenal diseases, thyroid function testing, and medication classes for diabetes

Neurology: CSF results, stroke regions, and medications for epilepsy

Respiratory: chest X-ray patterns, asthma versus COPD, TB regimens (HRZE)

Nephrology: AKI versus CKI, electrolyte adjustments, and indications for dialysis 

Integration of pharmacology: 30 important illnesses and their preferred medications (one-page list)

Pairs of antidotes (remember 15–20)

Pathognomonic side effects (Amiodarone → thyroid, Bleomycin → pulmonary fibrosis)

Evening Session (3 hours): PSM + Forensic Medicine

Paper Setting Method, which has 15 to 18 questions, is where most students lose marks. The Paper Setting Method is really important. The Paper Setting Method is where students make silly mistakes.

What to revise:

National Health Programs are really important for our country. We have programs like NTEP, NVBDCP, and RMNCH+A. I want to know what the current guidelines are for these National Health Programs. What are the latest rules for NTEP, NVBDCP, and RMNCH+A? I need to understand the guidelines for National Health Programs.

Vaccines: Schedule, storage temperatures, contraindications

Epidemiology: Sensitivity/Specificity calculations (practice 5 problems)

Vital statistics: IMR, NMR, MMR definitions and current national figures

Study designs: Case-control vs cohort vs RCT

FMT (10 questions): Postmortem changes are things that happen to the body after death. The exact timings for things like rigor, which is when the body gets stiff, and livor, which is when the blood settles in the body, and algor mortis, which is when the body gets cold, are important to know.

• Rigor is when the muscles in the body get stiff, and it can start to happen within a hours after death.
• Livor is when the blood in the body starts to settle, and it can start to happen within thirty minutes to two hours after death.
• Algor mortis is when the body starts to get cold, and it can start to happen within two to four hours after death. The exact timings for these postmortem changes can vary depending on things like the temperature of the room and the overall health of the body before death. Postmortem changes like rigor, livor, and algor mortis are important to understand in order to figure out what happened to the body after death.
• Toxicology antidotes are really important. We have fifteen pairs of poison and antidote. These poison-antidote pairs are

1. The first pair is a type of poison and its antidote.
2. The second pair is another type of poison and its antidote.
3. We have thirteen poison antidote pairs like these.

Toxicology antidotes are used to treat people who have been poisoned. There are different types of poison, and each one has its own antidote. Toxicology antidotes are very useful in saving lives. We need to know about these poison antidote pairs. Toxicology antidotes can help us learn about the types of poison and how to treat them.

Injuries: Legal definitions, wound age estimation

Medicolegal: Consent types, dying declaration validity

Also Read: FMGE January 2026 Admit Card Out: Download Yours Now!

Night Review (1 hour): One-Liners + Flashcards

Finish the day by going over the list of notes you wrote down. Read each one loud. These are the things that're easy to forget if you do not repeat them, like the amount of medicine to take, laboratory test results, and medical scoring systems.

Sleep by 11 PM. Non-negotiable.

Day 2 (48-24 Hours Before Exam): Clinical Subjects + Weak Areas

On your day, you will be covering the rest of the clinical subjects. This day will also help you work on your weak spots that were found when you took the mock tests. The clinical subjects that are left will be reviewed. Your personal weak spots will be addressed so you can do better.

Morning Session (3 hours): OBG + Pediatrics

OBG contributes a lot of questions 28 to 30. Pediatrics also adds a number, which is 22 to 25 questions. So OBG and Pediatrics together make up your largest chance to get a high score.

OBG priorities:

• Antepartum hemorrhage
• Placenta previa
• Abruption is when the placenta breaks away from the uterus. 
• PIH/Preeclampsia: Diagnostic criteria, MgSO4 regimen
• Labor: Stages, partograph interpretation, abnormal labor
• Postpartum: PPH causes (4 T's), management
• Contraception: Method-specific details, failure rates

Pediatric priorities:

• Immunization schedule: Know every vaccine, every dose
• Milestones: Motor, social, language by age
• Neonatal jaundice: Physiological vs pathological, exchange transfusion criteria
• Pediatric emergencies: Dehydration grades, ORS composition
• Common infections: Measles, mumps, chickenpox features
• Afternoon Session (3 hours): Pathology + Microbiology
• Pathology (18-20 questions) and Microbiology (12-15 questions) are para-clinical pillars.

Pathology priorities:

• Tumor markers: Complete list with malignancies
• Hematology: Anemia classification, peripheral smear findings
• Autoantibodies: Disease associations

Important Topics in Microbiology:

• Culture media: Organism-to-medium matching
• Gram stain: Morphology-based identification
• HIV: Opportunistic infections, CD4 cutoffs
• Hepatitis serology: Window period, markers interpretation

Evening Session (2 hours): Your Personal Weak Areas

Take a look at the results of your practice tests. In your test analyses, you should find out where you are losing marks all the time. This will help you understand where you need to improve. Check your test analyses to see where you consistently lose marks.

Every student has a subject where they tend to lose marks. I think you should use these two hours to focus on those subjects. Do not bother with the subjects that you're already good at because that is just a waste of your time. Spend this time on the subjects where you leak marks, like the 2 or 3 subjects that you struggle with.

Night Session (1.5 hours): Short Subjects Rapid Fire

There are some topics that altogether make up 25 to 30 questions. These minor subjects are very important because they contribute a lot of questions. The minor subjects that I am talking about are the ones that collectively contribute 25 to 30 questions.

• Ophthalmology (30 minutes): types of glaucoma, retinopathy
• ENT (30 minutes): Common conditions, examination findings, emergencies
• Dermatology (20 minutes): Classic lesion descriptions, common conditions
• Psychiatry (10 minutes): Drug classifications, NMS vs. serotonin syndrome

You should go to sleep by 10:30 PM. Sleep is really important tonight because you need rest. Try to be in bed by 10:30 PM so you can get a night of sleep.

Also Read: How PrepLadder Helps FMGs Build FMGE Exam Confidence

Day 1 (24-0 Hours Before Exam): Consolidation + Rest

Morning Session (2 hours): Volatile Topics Only

These are things that people forget if they do not get reminded at the minute: facts that evaporate without last-minute reinforcement, like facts are easily forgotten, so facts need to be repeated, or else the facts will be lost.

• The drug doses that you have flagged
• Lab normal values
• Scoring systems (APACHE, Child-Pugh, Bishop, etc.)
• program targets and current statistics
• Enzyme deficiencies and their diseases

Use only your own notes or one-page summaries. No textbooks. No new material.

Late Morning (1 hour): Image Review

• Review the things you have to remember for the Foreign Medical Graduates Examination
•  Look at lots of pictures and diagrams for the Foreign Medical Graduates Examination
• See if you can recall the information for the Foreign Medical Graduates Examination without reading it.
• ECG patterns
• X-ray findings (chest, abdominal, orthopedic)
• CT/MRI classic appearances
• Dermatology lesions

Afternoon: Complete Rest, Stop studying by 1-2 PM. Seriously.

Use this time for:

• I like to take a walk outside. The fresh air is really nice when I go for a walk outside. It is great to get out and do a walk outside every day.
• Watching something relaxing (not medical dramas)
• Talking to family or friends about non-exam topics
• Organizing your exam day materials

Evening: Logistics Preparation

Get ready for tomorrow by preparing everything you will need for the day. Make sure you have all the things that are required for tomorrow. 

• Admit card (printed copy)
• Valid photo ID
• Passport photos (extras)
• Blue/black pens (multiple)
• Water bottle (transparent)
• Light snacks
• Simple watch (no smartwatch)
• Know your exam center location. Plan your travel. Check traffic patterns for your reporting time.

Dinner by 8 PM. Keep it light. Nothing heavy, spicy, or unfamiliar.

The final review will take thirty minutes. First thing to do is read the one-liner sheet once. Then close everything. Sleep by 9:30-10 PM. You need 8 hours tonight. Your cognitive function tomorrow depends on it.

Hour-by-Hour Schedule Summary

What to Read: The Non-Negotiable List

These topics have appeared consistently across FMGE papers. If you revise nothing else, revise these:

Medicine

• ECG interpretation (MI patterns, arrhythmias)
• Diabetes management (OHA classes, insulin types)
• Hypertension drugs (first-line by comorbidity)
• TB treatment regimens
• Stroke (types, territories, management)

Surgery

• Acute abdomen differentiation
• Hernia anatomy and complications
• Thyroid nodule management
• Gallstone disease spectrum
• Trauma protocols

OBG

• APH differentiation (previa vs abruption)
• Preeclampsia criteria and MgSO4
• PPH management
• Contraceptive methods
• Ectopic pregnancy

Pediatrics

• Immunization schedule (complete)
• Developmental milestones
• Neonatal jaundice
• Dehydration assessment
• SAM management

PSM

• National Health Programs (current guidelines)
• Epidemiology calculations
• Vaccine schedules and cold chain
• Study design identification
• Vital statistics definitions

Pharmacology

• Drug of choice (50 conditions)
• Antidote list (20 pairs)
• Side effect associations
• Drug interactions

Pathology

• Tumor markers
• Anemia classification
• Autoantibodies

Forensic Medicine

• Postmortem changes timing
• Toxicology antidotes
• Injury definitions

Also Read: Country-Wise FMGE Pass Rate Reality: Russia, Ukraine, China, Philippines & More

What to Skip: The Liberation List

Skipping strategically is as important as revising strategically. These areas offer poor return on investment in the last 72 hours:

Skip Entirely:

In-depth theoretical ideas 

This is not the time to comprehend molecular processes. Remain focused on information that is clinically relevant.

New subjects that you have never read 

72 hours won't make up for a topic you haven't covered in your whole preparation. When you try to learn anything new, you become confused and lose sight of what you already know.

Harrison's, Bailey & Love's, or any other common textbook's

 Lengthy chapters ought to be closed. Only make use of your notes or quick review resources.

Contentious subjects with several theories

For last-minute modification, anything where the "answer depends" is low-yield.

FMGE often evaluates common illnesses as well as extremely unusual ones. There won't be more than one or two inquiries about exotic zebras.

Cut Down on Time Spent

Subjects you are already confident in Don't spend three hours studying anatomy if you routinely get good grades. A 30-minute look is plenty.

Radiotherapy, in-depth anesthesia pharmacology, and esoteric biochemistry pathways are examples of topics with little question contribution that seldom have more than one or two questions.

After Day 2, mock exams. If you do poorly on a complete mock exam the day before, it undermines your confidence. The practice is not worth the anxiety.

Important Errors to Avoid:

Introducing New Content

You are going to want to quickly read the chapter you skipped. Do not do it. When you have a test in 48 hours, trying to learn things can be tough on the things you already know. The new material will challenge what you already learned. You will start to feel confused about the things that you already understood about the material.

Talking with Other Students

The fear of people taking the test is really scary. Every time you talk to someone, they will bring up something that you have not talked about before. This does not help you all, and it only makes you feel anxious. For the three days before the test, it is a good idea to stay away from talking about the test with other people.

Putting on All-Nighters

Not getting enough sleep really affects how well you can think and learn. It can make you do 20 to 30 percent worse. This is a deal when you have a huge test with 300 questions.

You need to be sharp. A student who gets seven hours of sleep and studies for ten hours will probably do better than a student who only gets four hours of sleep and studies for fifteen hours. Sleep is really important for a student, and the student who sleeps seven hours will do better than the student who sleeps four hours.

Taking Mock Exams on the First Day

When you get a score from a practice test the day before, it can really hurt your confidence. If you want to judge how you are doing, it is better to do it at the beginning of the day.

Modifying Study Materials

Keep using the materials you used when you were getting ready. The brain has a time getting used to new patterns from a new PDF or a new video series, or a new way of taking notes when you have only been using them for a few days, like the last 72 hours.

Disregarding Physical Requirements

Consume frequent meals. Drink plenty of water. Take brief pauses. When your body is under stress, your brain is unable to solidify memories.

High-Yield Points for FMGE Last 72 Hours

• Day 3 = High-yield subjects (Medicine, Surgery, PSM, Forensic); Day 2 = Clinical subjects + weak areas; Day 1 = Volatile topics + rest
• Stop all studying by 1-2 PM the day before the exam — your brain needs consolidation time
• Sleep 7-8 hours every night of the final 3 days; this is when memory consolidates
• New topics in the last 72 hours harm more than help — skip what you haven't read
• Focus 70% of revision time on Medicine, Surgery, PSM, Pharmacology, Pathology — they contribute 60%+ questions
• One-liners and flashcards work better than lengthy notes in the final stretch
• Image-based questions have increased — spend 1 hour on visual review on Day 1
• Don't attempt full mock tests after Day 2; the anxiety from a low score isn't worth it
• Prepare all exam day materials on Day 1 evening — last-minute searches create panic
• Trust your preparation; these 72 hours are about recall, not learning

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I study the night before FMGE?

A light 30-minute review of your one-liner sheet is acceptable. Intensive studying the night before disrupts sleep and impairs next-day performance. Your goal is rest, not last-minute cramming. Sleep by 10 PM and trust your months of preparation.

What if I haven't completed the syllabus?

Focus on what you know rather than panicking about what you don't. High-yield subjects (Medicine, Surgery, PSM, Pharmacology, Pathology) contribute 60%+ of questions. Revising these well matters more than superficial coverage of everything. You need 150 marks, not 300.

Can I skip short subjects in the last 3 days?

Not entirely. ENT, Ophthalmology, Dermatology, and Psychiatry collectively contribute 25-30 questions. Dedicate at least 1.5-2 hours to rapid-fire revision of these on Day 2. The questions from these subjects are often straightforward recall.

How many hours should I study in the last 3 days?

Day 3: 10-11 hours of active revision. Day 2: 8-9 hours of revision. Day 1: 3-4 hours maximum, stopping by early afternoon. Quality matters more than quantity in the final stretch.

Should I take a mock test in the last 3 days?

Only on Day 3 morning, if you feel the need to assess yourself. Avoid mock tests on Day 2 and Day 1. A poor score close to the exam creates unnecessary anxiety and self-doubt that hurts actual performance.

What should I eat before the exam?

Light, familiar foods. Avoid heavy meals, excessive caffeine, spicy foods, or anything you don't normally eat. Have a proper breakfast with complex carbohydrates and protein. Stay hydrated, but don't overdo it — bathroom breaks during the exam waste time.

CLINICAL PEARL

The last 72 hrs dont determine how much you know —they determine how much you can recall. Your preparation is already complete. These three days are about organizing your knowledge for rapid retrieval. Revise smart, sleep well, stay calm. You've done the work. Now trust it.