What is USMLE?
The United States Medical Licensing Examination ® (USMLE®) is a three-step examination for medical licensure in the United States and is sponsored by the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) and the National Board of Medical Examiners® (NBME®).
The USMLE assesses a physician's ability to apply knowledge, concepts, and principles, and to demonstrate fundamental patient-centered skills, that are important in health and disease and that constitute the basis of safe and effective patient care. Each of the three Steps of the USMLE complements the others; no Step can stand alone in the assessment of readiness for medical licensure. Find out more about the USMLE »
Announcements
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Step 2 CK - Change in number of items and schedule for score reporting
Posted: June 07, 2012
Starting in early August, 2012, the number of items on the Step 2 Clinical Knowledge (CK) examination will change. Although the change will occur quickly at many test centers, there may be some locations where this takes longer to complete.
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Review of USMLE Step 2 Clinical Knowledge (CK) minimum passing score
Posted: April 27, 2012
As stated in the USMLE Bulletin of Information, the level of proficiency required to meet the recommended minimum passing level for each USMLE Step examination is reviewed periodically and may be adjusted at any time. Notice of such review and any adjustments are posted on the USMLE website.
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Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Ruling
Posted: April 13, 2012
On April 13, 2012, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court issued its opinion in the matter of Currier v. National Board of Medical Examiners. We are carefully reviewing the court's opinion. The NBME understands the needs of breastfeeding mothers and does not dispute the merits of breastfeeding. Our first priority continues to be protecting the health of the public by ensuring rigorous and consistent standards for assessing the competence of physicians and other healthcare professionals.
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Update on planned changes to USMLE Step 3 examination
Posted: April 11, 2012
The USMLE Composite Committee and USMLE parent organizations (the National Board of Medical Examiners and the Federation of State Medical Boards) recently approved plans to change the structure of USMLE. Step 3 will be the first examination impacted, with changes to this examination to occur no earlier than 2014.
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Delay in USMLE Step 1 Score Reporting
Posted: March 26, 2012
Most score reporting of Step 1 results occurs within four weeks of testing. However, because of necessary modifications to the test item pool, there will be a delay in reporting for some examinees testing beginning in mid-May 2012. The target date for reporting Step 1 scores for most examinees testing from mid-May through late June will be Wednesday, July 11, 2012.
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Mid-2012 temporary shutdown of Step 2 Clinical Skills (CS) testing; score report delay for examinees testing June 17, 2012 through November 3, 2012
Posted: March 22, 2012
As previously announced, changes to the Step 2 Clinical Skills (CS) examination are scheduled for implementation beginning June 17, 2012. As a consequence of the introduction of these changes, exam scheduling and result reporting will be impacted for some individuals.
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Updated practice and orientation materials for Step 2 Clinical Skills (CS) exam have been posted
Posted: March 22, 2012
As previously announced, a new patient note and redesigned Communication and Interpersonal Skills subcomponent will be introduced into the USMLE Step 2 CS examinations beginning June 17, 2012. Updated practice and orientation materials reflecting these changes have been posted to the USMLE website.
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End of year update: USMLE research; potential structural changes
Posted: December 23, 2011
The USMLE continues to evolve in the manner described previously. Step 2 CS changes anticipated for 2012 have been described. Additionally, new literature interpretation items have already been incorporated in Step 2 and will soon appear in Step 3. Other activities anticipated to occur in 2012 will continue in future years and have the potential to affect USMLE in significant and exciting ways.
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Changes to the Step 2 Clinical Skills (CS) examination
Posted: December 15, 2011
One of the recommendations emerging from the Comprehensive Review of USMLE (CRU) process is that USMLE consider ways to further enhance the testing methods used in the Step 2 Clinical Skills (CS) examination. As previously announced in the 2012 Bulletin of Information, these enhancements are scheduled for implementation in mid-2012. These changes will be introduced in Step 2 CS for examinations delivered beginning June 17, 2012.
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Delay in score reporting for Step 3
Posted: November 30, 2011
Starting in mid-February 2012, a transition period will begin in which the number of Multiple-Choice Questions (MCQs) and Computer-based Case Simulation (CCS) cases in current forms of the Step 3 examination will change.
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Changes to Step 3 examination beginning in mid-February 2012 / Updated Step 3 practice materials available
Posted: November 30, 2011
Changes to both the Multiple-Choice Question (MCQ) and the Computer-based Case Simulation (CCS) sections of the Step 3 examination will occur beginning in mid-February 2012.
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Update on copyright infringement suit against Optima University
Posted: November 16, 2011
As previously announced the sponsors of the USMLE program (the Federation of State Medical Boards [FSMB] and the National Board of Medical Examiners [NBME]) filed suit in the US District Court for the Western District of Tennessee, alleging copyright infringement by Optima University, a provider of USMLE review courses. On February 24, 2009 a US Marshal executed a court order to obtain the Optima prep materials from Optima's offices in McKenzie, Tennessee. In their filin...
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USMLE Bulletin of Information
The Bulletin includes information on all aspects of USMLE, such as eligibility requirements, scheduling test dates, testing, and score reporting. You must review and become familiar with the Bulletin before completing your application for USMLE Step 1, Step 2 (CK and CS), or Step 3. Start reading the Bulletin of Information »
Download the PDF version of the 2011 Bulletin »
Download the PDF version of the 2012 Bulletin »
Comprehensive Review of USMLE (CRU)
The Composite Committee of the USMLE initiated a process to undertake a comprehensive review of the USMLE program in 2004. The Composite Committee establishes policy for the USMLE and is composed of representatives of the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB), National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME), the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG), and the American public.
This multi-year project to review and revise the USMLE sequence is called the Comprehensive Review of USMLE (CRU). Additional information about CRU is available.
Do You Need More Information?
Check out the Frequently Asked Questions. If you still can't find answers, contact us.
The following sites also may help:
- National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME): For students/graduates of medical schools in the US or Canada taking or planning to take Step 1, Step 2 CK, or Step 2 CS
- Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG): For students/graduates of medical schools outside the US and Canada taking or planning to take Step 1, Step 2 CK, or Step 2 CS
- Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB): For any student / graduate taking or planning to take Step 3. Also for students / graduates looking for information about medical licensure.
