Bulletin of Information The Bulletin of Information includes information on all aspects of USMLE, such as eligibility requirements, scheduling test dates, testing, and score reporting.
Content Description The USMLE Content Description contains information regarding the subject areas covered during examination.
USMLE Step 3 Updates — 2010
December 2010
Effective January 1, 2011: New Fees for Changing Appointments at Prometric Test Centers
Effective January 1, 2011, Prometric will charge a fee if USMLE examinees change testing appointments (e.g., reschedule, cancel, change test center location) at Prometric Test Centers thirty or fewer days before their scheduled test date. No fee is charged for changing testing appointments 31 or more calendar days prior to the first day of the scheduled test.
The date that you change your appointment, using local time at the Regional Registration Center for the Prometric Testing Region, will determine whether you pay a fee and the amount of this fee:
If you change your appointment 31 or more days before (but not including) the first day of your scheduled test date, there is no fee.
If you change your appointment fewer than 31 days but more than 5 days before (but not including) the first day of your scheduled test date, there is a $50 fee.
If you change your appointment 5 or fewer days before (but not including) the first day of your scheduled test date, there is a higher fee. This fee varies by Prometric Testing Region and by exam.
A schedule of fees is provided in the table below. As stated in the USMLE Bulletin of Information, appointments may be changed by following the instructions on your Scheduling Permit for contacting Prometric. You will need to provide your Prometric Confirmation Number when you change your appointment. If you reschedule, your rescheduled test date(s) must fall within your assigned eligibility period.
This policy applies only to appointments for USMLE Step 1, Step 2 Clinical Knowledge (CK), and Step 3. For information on the fees associated with changing testing appointments for Step 2 Clinical Skills (CS), refer to the USMLE Bulletin of Information.
Appointment Change Fees for Computer Based Examinations
Fees (listed in US dollars) effective January 1, 2011 through December 31, 2012
All appointment change fees are paid directly to Prometric
The date that you change your appointment
Prometric Testing Region
Step 1
Step 2 CK
Step 3*
31 or more calendar days before (but not including) the first day of the scheduled test date
All testing regions
No Fee
No Fee
No Fee
Fewer than 31 calendar days and more than 5 business days before (but not including) the first day of the scheduled test date
All testing regions
$50
$50
$50
31 or more calendar days before (but not including) the first day of the scheduled test date
US and Canada
$104
$117
$207
Africa, Asia (including Hong Kong and Pakistan),
Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Latin America,
Middle East (including Egypt), Thailand
$252
$283
N/A
Europe (including Israel), Korea, Taiwan
$286
$321
N/A
Japan
$461
$519
N/A
*Step 3 is administered in the US only
Updated software for Primum® Computer-based Case Simulations (CCS) component of Step 3 examination
Practice materials for the USMLE Step 3 examination have been updated to include a new version of the software used to deliver the Primum® Computer-based Case Simulations (CCS) component of the Step 3 examination.
The new software is scheduled to be incorporated into USMLE Step 3 examinations beginning in mid‐February 2011; please monitor the announcements section of the USMLE website for more detail. If you plan to take the Step 3 examination in mid‐February 2011 or later, you should familiarize yourself with both the current test delivery software for the Primum CCS component of the exam and the new version.
Orientation and practice materials using both the current and new versions of the software are available for downloading here.
An animated demonstration of the features of the new software can be viewed here.
Effective January 1, 2011: New Fees for Changing Appointments at Prometric Test Centers
Effective January 1, 2011, a fee will be charged to USMLE Step 1, Step 2 CK, and Step 3 examinees who change testing appointments at Prometric Test Centers thirty (30) or fewer calendar days before their scheduled test date. No fee is charged for changing testing appointments 31 or more calendar days in advance of the test date.
Additional information regarding the fee schedule will be posted to this website later in December.
October 2010
Announcement Regarding the Premium Beta Test
The National Board of Medical Examiners® (NBME®) is developing updated software for delivery of the Primum® Computer-based Case Simulations (CCS). The updated software is scheduled to be incorporated into USMLE Step 3 examinations beginning in late winter 2011.
NBME is conducting a beta test of the new Primum software. Individuals who are interested in participating in the beta test may download and run the sample Step 3 CCS cases using the new software. Participants in the beta test will then have the opportunity to provide feedback via a brief survey. In order to analyze the functionality of the new software and identify any technical problems, NBME will collect information in two ways:
1. As in the USMLE Step 3 examination, the Primum software creates a record of all of the transactions you order while running each case (e.g., diagnostic tests or therapies). This transaction log will be transmitted to the NBME. If you experience any errors while running the software, an error log will also be created and transmitted to NBME.
2. In order to assist with identifying any problems experienced while running the software, NBME will collect certain basic information about the kind of computer you are using (e.g., computer type, memory, processor speed).
There is no charge for downloading the beta version or providing feedback to NBME.
No results will be reported to beta test participants. In addition, results from this beta test cannot be substituted for USMLE Step scores for the purpose of Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG®) Certification or medical licensure in the United States.
Any information obtained from running the beta version will be strictly confidential; results will not be reported to any third party.
These materials are intended to expose a broad range of individuals to the beta version of the new Primum driver software and collect feedback from users. You can access the Primum beta test software at http://www.usmle.org/PrimumFieldTest/index.html.
Availability of USMLE 2011 Bulletin of Information / Application Materials
It is anticipated the USMLE 2011 Bulletin of Information will be available on this website during the second half of September. The USMLE 2011 application materials are also expected to be available at this time.
June 2010
Change in Minimum Passing Requirements for Step 2 CK As stated in the USMLE Bulletin of Information and as explained in a previous posting to the USMLE website, 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 the review and any resulting adjustments are posted at the USMLE website.
May 2010
Expanded Testing Capacity at Philadelphia CSEC Center Beginning in July 2010
Beginning in July 2010, the Philadelphia Clinical Skills Evaluation Collaboration (CSEC) Center will have expanded capacity to deliver Step 2 CS examinations. Additional testing sessions will be held in an adjacent building located at 3700 Market Street. Examinees who schedule a testing appointment at the Philadelphia CSEC Center will be assigned to either the existing or new location. The confirmation notice that examinees receive after scheduling will indicate to which address the examinee should report for his/her testing session.
Test Center:
Philadelphia 3624
Test Center Address:
Science Center 3624 Market Street, 3rd Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19104
USA
OR
Test Center:
Philadelphia 3700
Test Center Address:
3700 Market Street, 2nd Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19104
USA
Important Announcement Regarding Fifth Pathway Certificates and USMLE Step 3
Currently, the USMLE program accepts either a valid Standard ECFMG Certificate or a valid Fifth Pathway certificate (issued through December 31, 2009) from international medical graduates for purposes of meeting Step 3 eligibility requirements. The governing committee of the USMLE program and the USMLE parent organizations (the Federation of State Medical Boards and the National Board of Medical Examiners) have determined that the USMLE program will cease acceptance of Fifth Pathway certificates for the purpose of meeting Step 3 eligibility requirements, effective January 1, 2017. Individuals who hold valid Fifth Pathway certificates, and are otherwise eligible, may use their Fifth Pathway certificates to meet Step 3 eligibility requirements, and may apply for Step 3, through December 31, 2016.
Individuals holding Fifth Pathway certificates that are not accepted by the USMLE program for purposes of meeting Step 3 eligibility will be required to obtain ECFMG certification in order to be eligible for Step 3.
If you hold a valid Fifth Pathway certificate but have not completed the full USMLE sequence, you should remain mindful of the December 31, 2016 deadline, after which use of your Fifth Pathway certificate to meet Step 3 eligibility requirements will not be permitted.
Information on Step 3 eligibility requirements is found at the USMLE website www.usmle.org.
The Step 2 Committee is scheduled to assess the minimum passing score for the USMLE Step 2 CK examination at its meeting on June 9, 2010
The USMLE program recommends a minimum passing level for each Step. Medical licensing authorities may accept the recommended pass/fail result, or they may establish their own minimum passing requirements. The USMLE Step Committees are responsible for establishing and monitoring these standards. These committees are made up of physicians and scientists who bring educational, licensing, and practice perspectives to this process. Every three to four years the Step Committees are asked to complete an in-depth review of standards.
The Step 2 Committee is scheduled to assess the minimum passing score for the USMLE Step 2 CK examination at its meeting on June 9, 2010. In its review of the minimum passing score, the Step 2 Committee will consider information from multiple sources, including:
Results of content-based standard setting exercises conducted with two independent groups of physicians in 2010;
Results of surveys of various groups (eg, state licensing representatives, medical school faculty, samples of examinees) concerning the appropriateness of current pass/fail standards for Step examinations;
Trends in examinee performance;
Score precision and its effect on the pass/fail decision.
The decision of the Step 2 Committee will be posted at the USMLE website. If the Committee determines that a change is appropriate, the new recommended minimum passing score will become effective for all examinees who take a Step 2 CK examination on or after July 1, 2010.
April 2010
USMLE Fees Adopted for the 2011 Test Cycle
The United States Medical Licensure Examination (USMLE) Budget Committee adopted the following fees for the 2011 test cycle at its April 16, 2009 meeting: Step 1, $530; Step 2CK, $530; Step 2CS $1,130 and Step 3, $740. (Note: Some variation in fees may occur based on the registering entity and the location where the USMLE is administered.) For more information, please contact FSMB's Examination Services department at (817) 868-4041 or by e-mail at usmle@fsmb.org.
February 2010
USMLE® Eligibility Period Extension Fee Waiver Discontinued, Effective June 1, 2010
Beginning in April 2009, the sponsors of the USMLE program agreed, in response to concerns about the spread of pandemic novel H1N1 influenza, to waive their fees for eligibility period extensions. This temporary fee waiver was intended to give examinees flexibility in scheduling examinations during the influenza outbreak. Learn more.
New Message added to Step 3 Break Screens if Break Time is Exceeded
Beginning with Step 3 examinations in March 2010, if an examinee uses all of the allotted break time in an examination day, enhanced warning text will appear on the screens that display between exam blocks. The warning is displayed in two red boxes, each containing a "counter" to display how much break time has been exceeded. However, if the warning message appears and the “counter” does not appear to be moving or shows "0", examinees should rely on the Day Time Information and Exam Overview provided to manage their time. Additional information can be found by clicking on this link: http://www.usmle.org/examinations/step3/Step_3_break_time_exceeded_announcement_final.pdf.
January 2010
Delay in USMLE Step 3 Score Reporting
Most score reporting of Step 3 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 late February 2010. The target date for reporting Step 3 scores for most examinees testing from late February through early April will be Wednesday, April 28, 2010. It is possible that scores will be available earlier than this date; please check this website for updates.
