Monitoring and Notification of Application Status You are responsible for monitoring the status of your Step 3 application via the Candidate website. Use the Candidate website to also monitor the availability of your scheduling permit and score report.
Scheduling Permit We will send you an email letting you know when your application has been approved. Within 3-5 business days, a subsequent e-mail will be sent with instructions on how to obtain and print your electronic scheduling permit. If you do not receive the subsequent e-mail, go to the Candidate website to obtain your scheduling permit.
It is your responsibility to obtain and print your scheduling permit. Your permit will remain available until you test or your eligibility expires. If your permit is misplaced or destroyed, you can reprint it from the Candidate website. You must present your scheduling permit on each day of the exam in order to sit for Step 3. Inability to do so may require you to cancel your current test date and reschedule your appointment. You may also incur a fee from Prometric. If there is insufficient time remaining in your eligibility period to reschedule (or request and pay for an eligibility extension), you risk forfeiting your Step 3 exam fee.
Scheduling Once you have your Scheduling Permit, contact Prometric to schedule your exam on two consecutive days. Test dates are provided on a first-come, first-served basis. Schedule test dates early in your eligibility period to provide flexibility in case you need to reschedule. If you have to reschedule, you must provide Prometric with a minimum of five business days notice in order to avoid a rescheduling fee. Rescheduling only allows you to select another testing date within your eligibility period; it is not an extension of your eligibility period. Consult the Eligibility Extensions section below for more information.
Exam Preparation You should engage in a comprehensive review of the material covered by the examination as outlined in the USMLE Bulletin of Information, the USMLE sample test materials, and the Step 3 Content Description and General Information, all of which are available on USMLE website. It is essential that you completely review the testing software and the CCS orientation materials available on the USMLE website prior to your test dates. Failure to do so will not be an acceptable explanation for poor performance during the examination. The sample test questions provided on the USMLE website are only available for Windows (PC) operating systems because the exam is administered on a PC--only platform at test centers. The questions may run on a Mac that has PC-emulation software installed, such as Virtual PC; however, we do not test the installation or the application running with PC-emulation software, and cannot advise you about Mac applications.
If you wish to practice the entire computer-based testing experience, a practice exam is available through Prometric for an extra cost. The sample questions shown during the practice session are identical to those provided on the USMLE website. You must have your scheduling permit to be eligible for the practice session. To access a practice session, first visit the USMLE website to register for the practice exam. Once registered, a permit will become available on the Candidate website. Scheduling and payment of fees is done through Prometric.
Eligibility Extensions If are unable to test within your eligibility period, contact us to inquire about a one-time contiguous 90-day extension. We must re-verify your eligibility prior to approving your extension request; therefore, your request must arrive no later than ten days after the end of your original eligibility period. A fee of $65 is charged for this service. To request an eligibility period extension, complete and mail the Eligibility Extension Form.
Score Reporting You will be notified by email that your score report is available. Score reports are usually made available within three to four weeks after your test date; however, delays are possible for various reasons. Allow at least eight weeks to receive notification that your score report is available. You will be required to access and print your score report through the Candidate website. Scores are only available for 120 days from the release date. After 120 days, you must submit a transcript request and appropriate fees. The transcript will not contain the performance profile provided on the original score report.
Retakes The USMLE program limits all individuals to three (3) attempts per Step within a 12 month period. Your fourth and subsequent attempts must be at least 12 months after your first attempt at that exam and at least six months after your most recent attempt at that exam. Attempts at that examination (complete and incomplete) prior to January 1, 2012 will be counted in determining whether these rules apply.
If you pass a Step or Step Component, you are not allowed to retake it except to comply with the time limit of a medical licensing authority for the completion of all Steps or a requirement imposed by another authority recognized by the USMLE program for this purpose. See the USMLE Bulletin of Information for further details.
Licensure Disclaimer In the United States and its territories a license to practice medicine is a privilege granted only by the individual licensing authorities (i.e., "state boards") of the various jurisdictions. All decisions regarding acceptance of USMLE results and/or licensure eligibility are made by the individual state boards. Eligibility to sit for the Step 3 for a specific state board does not automatically signify your eligibility for medical licensure in that jurisdiction. Contact the state board to obtain complete licensure information.
Forms The following forms can be used to amend your application:
