USMLE Step examinations are currently offered year-round. However, the USMLE program will reduce the number of Step exam administrations each year beginning in January 2029. Learn more on the USMLE website. Visit the Prometric website for information on test center locations.

Step 3 is offered in the United States only. 

Test dates are provided on a first-come, first-served basis. The USMLE program cannot guarantee the availability of test centers. Therefore, you should contact, so contact Prometric to schedule as soon as possible after receiving your scheduling permit. You should schedule your test dates early in your eligibility period to provide flexibility in case you need to reschedule.

USMLE application fees are non-refundable and non-transferable from one eligibility period to another or from one application to another. Your application fee can only be paid by American Express, MasterCard or Visa.

2026 and 2027 Fees:
Step 1: $695 (USD)
Step 2 CK: $695 (USD)
Step 3: $955 (USD)

No. As part of the USMLE eligibility requirements, you can only apply for Step 3 after the issue date of your ECFMG Certificate.

FSMB's USMLE portal will not allow you to apply for Step 3 until after we have received confirmation of your ECFMG Certification directly from ECFMG. If you try to apply for Step 3 before this, you will receive a message that you are not eligible for Step 3.

We are unable to expedite verification of your ECFMG Certification. Questions regarding the status of your ECFMG Certification must be directed to ECFMG.

No. Step 3 applicants must have a valid and unexpired ECFMG Certificate at the time of application and on the testing dates for USMLE Step 3. 

You must also meet the following eligibility requirements:

• • Passing scores on Step 1 and Step 2 CK, and
  • An MD degree or the DO degree from an LCME- or COCA-accredited U.S. medical school, or the equivalent of the MD degree from a medical school outside the U.S. that is listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools as meeting ECFMG eligibility requirements and obtain ECFMG Certification which is valid and unexpired at the time of application and testing,
  • All other eligibility criteria as listed in the USMLE Bulletin of Information.

Contact ECFMG with any questions about ECFMG Certification or the status of your certificate.

Yes. When you apply for each Step exam you must select a three-month eligibility period in which to take your exam, such as April-June or September-November.

To change your eligibility period after applying, you will need to:  

For an earlier eligibility period: You must cancel your application and submit a new application and fee. If your application has already been approved, you will forfeit your entire application fee. If your application has not been approved, you will receive a refund of your application fee minus a $100 processing charge.  

For a later eligibility period: You can either 1) submit a request for an eligibility extension, which must be submitted no later than 25 days after the end of your chosen eligibility period, or 2) cancel your application and submit a new application and fee. If you choose to cancel your application, you will forfeit your entire application fee if your application has already been approved. If your application has not been approved, you will receive a refund of your application fee minus a $100 processing charge.

Yes. If you are unable to test within your eligibility period, a one-time contiguous three-month extension to your eligibility period is possible. Note: "Contiguous" means that the start date of the eligibility extension immediately follows the end date of your original eligibility period.

Your request can only be submitted after your original scheduling permit is available and must be received no later than 25 days after the end of your original eligibility period.

There is a $70 non-refundable processing fee for an extension. See the Eligibility Extension instructions.

You can check the status of your application in FSMB's USMLE portal.

If you are unable to keep your testing appointment on the scheduled date(s) or at the scheduled location, you may change your date(s) or center by following the instructions on your scheduling permit for contacting Prometric. You will need to provide your Prometric Confirmation Number when you cancel and reschedule.

A fee may be charged if you change your appointment, depending upon how much notice you provide when making the change. See the appointment change fee information posted on the USMLE website for detailed information.

Your rescheduled test date(s) must fall within your chosen eligibility period.

For Step 3, you can schedule and take your two testing days on consecutive or non-consecutive days. However, Step 3 Day 1 must be taken first, followed by Step 3 Day 2. Your exam days may be no more than 14 calendar days apart, and you must schedule both test dates with Prometric at the same time and at the same center.

When scheduling or rescheduling your test dates on the Prometric website, be sure to enter your information (name, Candidate ID) to see the most accurate test center and date availability. If you search Prometric’s website for open dates without inputting your information, you will see all dates where that center has any availability for testing (that is, you will see availability for any exams, not just USMLE). Just because a center has availability does not mean that it has availability to accommodate Step 3 Day 1 or Day 2 (i.e., a seven-hour test day or a nine-hour test day). Inputting your name and Candidate ID will ensure that you only see dates when that Prometric center can accommodate your USMLE Step 3 Day 1 and/or Day 2 exam.

No. Visit the Prometric website for information on USMLE's test center locations. You will be asked to select your testing region on your Step 1 and Step 2 application. If needed, you can change your testing region after your scheduling permit has been issued.

Step 3 is only administered in the United States and its territories. You can schedule and take your two Step 3 testing days on consecutive or non-consecutive days. However, Step 3 Day 1 must be taken first, followed by Step 3 Day 2. Your exam days may be no more than 14 calendar days apart, and you must schedule both test dates with Prometric at the same time and at the same center.

Yes, but you will lose all or part of your fees. To cancel your application, you must send an email request to usmle@fsmb.org.

If you cancel your application after it has been approved, you will forfeit your entire application fee. If you cancel your application before it has been approved, your fees will be refunded minus a $100 processing fee.

The USMLE program is not affiliated with any external study programs. Sample test questions, interactive testing experiences, and additional information for all USMLE Step exams are available on the USMLE website.

We recommend practicing with the interactive testing experience before testing. Practice time cannot be accommodated on the test day.

You can download and print your permit by going to FSMB's USMLE portal. A copy of the permit is also included in the email FSMB sends to you when your scheduling permit becomes available; you must scroll down to the bottom of the email to see the permit.

On your test day(s), you can present a printed or electronic (e.g., via your smartphone) copy of your scheduling permit. We recommend you print your permit before your testing day(s) and bring it with you, in case you are unable to access your email or FSMB's USMLE portal on your testing days and/or have technical problems accessing or printing the permit the day of testing.

If you do not bring your scheduling permit and acceptable identification on each day of your exam, you will not be admitted to the test, and you will be required to pay a fee to reschedule your test. Your rescheduled test date(s) must fall within your eligibility period.

Carefully read the “Unanticipated Testing Conditions” section in the USMLE Bulletin of Information for information and instructions for reporting testing day issues. The Bulletin of Information serves as the official agreement and instructions between you and the USMLE program.

In brief, you must: 1) notify test center staff immediately, and 2) send an email at testadmin@nbme.org within 10 calendar days following the day of your exam. You can also include usmle@fsmb.org on your email to Test Admin.

Prometric may need to cancel and reschedule appointments at testing centers closed for reasons such as extreme weather, natural disaster, power outages, technical issues, or other circumstances.

For Step 1 and Step 2 CK:
Follow the instructions contained in the cancellation email to reschedule your examination.

For Step 3:
You must send an email with your full name, USMLE ID, test center location, brief summary of the issue (e.g., center closed due to inclement weather), and the ticket number from Prometric, if provided, as follows:

• If you have not opened the exam, at all (not yet taken Day 1 of Step 3), you should first try to reschedule your test date(s) by contacting Prometric; you will be required to wait 24 hours after receiving the closure/cancellation notification from Prometric so that the system has time to reset. If you are unable to reschedule after waiting the required 24 hours or have other issues, please email usmle@fsmb.org.

• If you have opened any part of the exam (started or completed Day 1 of Step 3), send an email to USMLE Test Admin at testadmin@nbme.org.

The test center closure will be verified directly with Prometric and can take several business days. Once the closure is verified, you will be contacted via email with detailed information for rescheduling your test date(s). An extension of your eligibility period can be provided, if needed, to allow you time to reschedule.

Scores are typically released within four weeks after completing your exam. However, in rare cases, various factors may delay score reporting. When selecting your test date and inquiring about results, you should allow at least eight weeks to receive notification that your score report is available.

If you do not receive an email regarding your score report within eight weeks of your last test day, you should check the FSMB's USMLE portal or contact us at +1 (817) 868-4041 or usmle@fsmb.org to determine the status of your score report.

Scores are released each Wednesday. However, there are occasions when USMLE scores are not released (e.g., during major holidays).

When your score is available, you will receive an email at the address you provided on your application. Follow the instructions in the email for accessing your USMLE score report from the FSMB's USMLE portal.

Log into the FSMB's USMLE portal. Once logged in you will be able to view, download, and print your score report. If you do not receive an email regarding your score report within 8 weeks of your last test day, contact us at +1 (817) 868-4041 or usmle@fsmb.org to check the status of your score report.

Your score report will remain available for 365 days (until midnight, Eastern time zone) from the date of your email notification. After 365 days, the score report is removed from the website, and your scores will be provided to you only in the form of an official USMLE transcript. The graphical performance profiles included on your original score report are not included on USMLE transcripts.

Yes. If you would like to request a score recheck, you must submit a request and service fee. Your request must be received no later than 90 days after your result was released to you.

For all Step exams, a highly rigorous process is used to ensure the accuracy of scores, including a parallel scoring method involving independent scoring systems. Because of this, a recheck is unlikely to change your score or pass/fail outcome. To date, the score recheck process has not resulted in a score change.

The score recheck process does not include a manual review of the questions or your answers. When a request for a score recheck is received, the original response record is retrieved and rescored using a system that is outside of the normal processing routine. The score calculated during the recheck is then compared with the original score. You will be advised in writing whether the original score and/or pass/fail outcome was deemed accurate. No additional information will be provided in the letter.

All requests for a change of name, address, and email must be made through FSMB's USMLE portal. You will be provided with an opportunity to update this information as part of each Step application, or you can log into the portal at any time to update your information.

For a name change, you must include both:

• Evidence that substantiates the name change/correction (e.g., copy of a marriage certificate, divorce decree, or court order) and
• Evidence to demonstrate that the new name is being used consistently. (e.g., copy of a non-expired, government-issued form of identification bearing the new name, signature, and photograph).

We strongly recommend providing name change/corrections to ECFMG as well.

We will use the email address you provide on your applications to notify you of your application processing status (e.g., incomplete documents), approval, scheduling permit availability, and score report release.

Please make sure that you allow emails from usmle@fsmb.org to be received by your email address. 

Non-receipt of emails will not be accepted to request free eligibility extensions, refunds of your application fees, or free transcripts of your USMLE scores.

You can check the status of your application, permit, or score by logging into FSMB's USMLE portal at any time.

The Federation Credentials Verification Service (FCVS) is a fast and convenient way for physicians and PAs to store core credentials that can be used for multiple state medical boards. State medical boards rely on this centralized, uniform process for obtaining primary-source verified, education information for those applying for licensure. Core credentials verified by FCVS can be used for state licensure, hospital privileges, employment, and professional memberships. FCVS is accredited by NCQA and meets the requirements of The Joint Commission’s 10 principles for a primary source verification.