Kokshetau State University MBBS: FMGE and NMC Rules

Kokshetau State University, now called Shokan Ualikhanov Kokshetau University, is a public university in northern Kazakhstan that teaches Medicine in Kazakh, Russian and English. Its programme runs five years plus a one-year internship. In the December 2025 FMGE, the screening exam foreign medical graduates sit to work in India, 15.38% of its graduates passed.

Updated on 30 September 2026.

Key Takeaways

• A public university since 1962. It opened on 25 July 1962 as Kokchetav Pedagogical Institute. It became a university in 1996 and a non-profit joint-stock company in 2020 (Ualikhanov University history page).

• Medicine is a young faculty. The licence to teach General Medicine was added on 23 April 2018. The faculty became the Higher School of Medicine in 2021 (Higher School of Medicine page).

• Course length. The current programme, 6B10104 Medicine, runs "5+1": five years of study, then a one-year internship (6B10104 Medicine programme page).

• Low FMGE results so far. Graduates passed FMGE at 13.33% in 2023, 6.90% in 2024, 14.29% in June 2025 and 15.38% in December 2025. Kazakhstan as a whole scored 29.33% in December 2025 (NBEMS FMGE Performance Report 2025).

• Not a futureMBBS partner. futureMBBS works with 23 partner universities in 9 European countries. Kazakhstan is not one of them (futureMBBS partner universities).

What is Kokshetau State University?

Kokshetau State University is the name most Indian families know. The official name today is the Non-profit Joint-stock Company "Shokan Ualikhanov Kokshetau University", shortened to Ualikhanov University. It is in Kokshetau, the main city of the Akmola region, about 300 km from the capital, Astana (Ualikhanov University home page).

The university has about 8,000 students, including about 440 international students. It runs 74 bachelor programmes, 42 master programmes and 10 doctoral programmes (Ualikhanov University about page). Medicine is only one part of a large, mixed university. For the wider picture of studying medicine in the country, see our MBBS in Kazakhstan country guide.

Kokshetau State University at a glance

History of Kokshetau State University

Kokshetau State University did not start as a medical school. It began as a teacher training institute. The founding year and the university year are often mixed up, so the timeline below uses the dates on the university's own history page (Ualikhanov University history page).

So the university is more than 60 years old, but its medical faculty has taught since 2018. That matters for FMGE, because only a few batches have graduated so far.

The Medicine programme at Kokshetau State University

Students and teachers at Kokshetau State University's medical school

As of 22 September 2025, the Higher School of Medicine had 790 students, plus 89 interns in the internship years. It lists 221 students studying in English. India is the largest source country, followed by Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and France (Higher School of Medicine page).

The school has three departments. They are Morphology, Physiology and General Pathology; Clinical Disciplines; and Surgical Disciplines. Teaching is done by 26 full-time teachers, of whom 4 are Doctors of Sciences, 5 are Candidates of Sciences and 2 hold a PhD. Since September 2025 the director has been Yuri Vyacheslavovich Lisitsyn.

This is a small faculty. For a parent, the number to hold on to is 26 full-time teachers for close to 800 students.

Hospitals and clinical training at Kokshetau State University

Kokshetau State University does not own a teaching hospital. Clinical training takes place in hospitals under contract. The Higher School of Medicine names these among its training sites (Higher School of Medicine page):

• Multidisciplinary Regional Hospital, Kokshetau. The main adult hospital of the Akmola region, run by the regional Health Department.

• Multidisciplinary Regional Children's Hospital. Used for paediatrics, the care of children.

• City Multidisciplinary Hospital and City Polyclinic. Used for general and outpatient practice in Kokshetau.

• Heart Centre and the Research Institute of Cardiology and Internal Diseases. Used for cardiology and internal medicine.

• District hospitals. Bulandy, Akkol and Zerenda district hospitals, for rural and general practice.

• Regional ambulance station and Regional Mental Health Centre. Used for emergency care and psychiatry.

The school also lists simulation rooms for anatomy, obstetrics and gynaecology, paediatrics, surgery and intensive care, plus a VR training set.

Kokshetau State University FMGE pass rate, 2023 to 2025

FMGE is the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination, run by NBEMS, the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences. An Indian who studies medicine abroad must pass it to work in India. NBEMS publishes results for every foreign university (NBEMS FMGE page). Read our guide on what the FMGE exam is for the full picture.

Put simply, about one in seven Kokshetau State University graduates passed in each 2025 sitting. In 2024 it was about one in fifteen. Across all four sittings, 23 of 188 candidates passed.

How Kokshetau State University compares with Kazakhstan and India

Kokshetau State University sits below both the Kazakhstan average and the national FMGE average in both 2025 sittings (NBEMS FMGE Performance Report 2025).

Kokshetau State University against other Kazakh universities, December 2025

The spread inside Kazakhstan is wide. The table shows the larger Kazakh medical universities in the December 2025 sitting.

For every country side by side, see our FMGE pass rates for MBBS abroad or the short web story on country-wise FMGE pass rates.

Is a Kokshetau State University degree valid in India under NMC rules?

The NMC, India's National Medical Commission, sets the rules in the Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate Regulations, 2021 (NMC FMGL Regulations 2021, PDF). They were published in the Gazette of India on 18 November 2021 and apply to students who joined a foreign course after that. Each rule applies to the student, not to the country.

The licence rule, clause 4(b) of the regulations, is the one to read closely. It asks for registration with the body that grants a licence to practise in the country of study. The university states that its graduates practise independently only after a residency. Read clause 4(b) next to the university's own wording before deciding. Our guide on how to check NMC and WDOMS recognition explains the listing checks. NMC keeps all its regulations on its NMC rules and regulations page.

How to apply to Kokshetau State University

The international office lists these steps and documents for foreign applicants (Ualikhanov University admission process page):

1. Interview. An interview with a representative of the faculty you choose.

2. Online application. Filled in on the university website, with a scan of the passport, school certificate with mark sheet, academic transcript, a 3x4 cm photo, and any academic awards.

3. NEET result. Needed only for the Medicine bachelor programme. NEET UG is India's national medical entrance exam.

4. Nostrification. The official recognition of your school certificate in Kazakhstan.

5. Medical examination. A health check before enrolment.

6. Visa. After admission, the international office guides the student through the student visa.

For the Indian side of eligibility, including NEET and Class 12 subjects, see our guide to eligibility for MBBS abroad.

What to weigh before choosing Kokshetau State University

• FMGE results. The pass rate has stayed between 6.90% and 15.38% across four sittings, below the Kazakhstan average each time.

• Language track. The programme runs in three languages. NMC requires the whole degree in English, so the student must stay on the English track for every year.

• Licence rule. Graduates practise independently in Kazakhstan only after residency. Read this against NMC clause 4(b).

• Size of the faculty. 26 full-time teachers for about 790 students, in a faculty that has taught Medicine since 2018.

• Other options in the country. Several Kazakh universities scored higher in December 2025. Our list of disadvantages of studying MBBS in Kazakhstan sets out the wider constraints.

Conclusion

Kokshetau State University is a 60-year-old public university with a medical school that has taught since 2018. Its Medicine programme is accredited in Kazakhstan until 2030 and runs five years plus a one-year internship. The FMGE record is the fact that matters most for an Indian family. In each 2025 sitting about one in seven graduates passed, below the Kazakhstan and India averages. Read the licence rule and the language rule carefully before deciding.

Frequently asked questions about Kokshetau State University

Is Kokshetau State University good for MBBS for Indian students?

Kokshetau State University has a small and young medical school, licensed for General Medicine only in 2018. In the December 2025 FMGE, 15.38% of its graduates passed, against 29.33% for Kazakhstan as a whole and 23.94% nationally. Families should weigh this record, the language track and the NMC licence rule before choosing.

What is the FMGE pass rate of Kokshetau State University?

According to NBEMS, 10 of 65 Kokshetau State University graduates passed FMGE in December 2025, a pass rate of 15.38%. In June 2025 it was 14.29%, or 5 of 35. In 2024 it was 6.90%, or 4 of 58, and in 2023 it was 13.33%, or 4 of 30.

How many years is MBBS at Kokshetau State University?

The current programme, 6B10104 Medicine, is listed as 5+1 years. That is five years of study followed by a one-year internship. NMC asks for a course of at least 54 months plus a 12-month internship in the same foreign university, so the length meets that part of the rule.

Is Kokshetau State University taught in English?

Kokshetau State University teaches Medicine in Kazakh, Russian and English. The Higher School of Medicine lists 221 students studying in English, with India the largest group. NMC requires the whole foreign degree to be taught in English, so an Indian student must stay on the English track in every year.

What is the new name of Kokshetau State University?

The official name since 2020 is the Non-profit Joint-stock Company Shokan Ualikhanov Kokshetau University, often shortened to Ualikhanov University. It was called Shokan Ualikhanov Kokshetau State University from 2001. NBEMS still lists its graduates under the older name, Shukan Ualikhanov Kokshetau State University Faculty of Medicine.

Is NEET required for Kokshetau State University?

Yes. The university's admission page asks for NEET results for the Medicine bachelor programme. Other documents are a passport scan, school certificate with mark sheet, transcript, a 3x4 cm photo, nostrification of the school certificate, and a medical examination. An interview with the faculty is also part of the process.

Which hospitals do Kokshetau State University students train in?

Kokshetau State University trains students in contracted hospitals rather than its own. These include the Multidisciplinary Regional Hospital and the Regional Children's Hospital in Kokshetau, the City Multidisciplinary Hospital, a Heart Centre, district hospitals in Bulandy, Akkol and Zerenda, and the Regional Mental Health Centre.

Is Kokshetau State University accredited?

Yes, in Kazakhstan. IAAR, the Independent Agency for Accreditation and Rating, accredited the 6B10104 Medicine programme from 30 May 2025 to 29 May 2030. The older 6B10101 General Medicine programme is accredited from 16 June 2023 to 14 June 2028. Accreditation in Kazakhstan is separate from India's NMC licensing rules.

Sources

• Ualikhanov University, about page and history timeline

• Ualikhanov University, Higher School of Medicine page

• Ualikhanov University, 6B10104 Medicine programme page

• Ualikhanov University, 6B10101 General Medicine programme page

• Ualikhanov University, accreditation page

• Ualikhanov University, admission process for international students

• NBEMS, FMGE Performance Report 2025 (June and December 2025)

• NBEMS, country and institute-wise performance in FMGE 2024

• NBEMS, country and institute-wise performance in FMGE 2023

• NBEMS, FMGE exam page

• NMC, Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate Regulations, 2021 (PDF)

• NMC, rules and regulations page