The United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE)
About USMLE |
Registration and Test Delivery Entities
|
Applying for Examination
|
Scheduling the Examination
|
Preparing for Examination
|
Taking the Examination
|
USMLE Program and Irregular Behavior
|
Examination Results
|
Reexamination and Reapplication
About USMLE
The USMLE is a three-step examination for medical licensure in the United States. The USMLE provides a common
system to evaluate applicants for medical licensure. The USMLE is sponsored by the
Federation of State Medical
Boards (FSMB)
and the
National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME)
. The USMLE is governed by a committee
consisting of representatives of FSMB, NBME, ECFMG, and the American public. If you apply for examination, you are
required to read the
USMLE Bulletin of Information
for detailed information on the USMLE.
Last updated: September 7, 2017
Copyright © 2017 by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates. All rights reserved.
Page 28
The United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE)
About USMLE
| Registration and Test Delivery Entities |
Applying for Examination
|
Scheduling the Examination
|
Preparing for Examination
|
Taking the Examination
|
USMLE Program and Irregular Behavior
|
Examination Results
|
Reexamination and Reapplication
Registration and Test Delivery Entities
Step 1 and Step 2
ECFMG serves as the registration entity for international medical students/graduates taking Step 1 and Step 2 (CK
and CS). This means that ECFMG processes your exam application and payment, verifies your eligibility, and notifies
you of the outcome of your application. The NBME serves as the registration entity for students/graduates of U.S. and
Canadian medical school programs accredited by the
Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME)
and U.S.
medical schools accredited by the
American Osteopathic Association (AOA)
.
For eligible international medical students/graduates applying for Step 1/Step 2 CK, ECFMG forwards registration
information to NBME, and NBME issues the exam scheduling permits. ECFMG sends an e-mail notification to these
applicants when their scheduling permits are available. Scheduling and test centers for USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 CK
are provided by
Prometric
. Prometric serves as the test delivery entity for all examinees taking Step 1/Step 2 CK. Step
1 and Step 2 CK are delivered at Prometric test centers worldwide.
For eligible international medical students/graduates applying for Step 2 CS, ECFMG issues the exam scheduling
permits and sends an e-mail notification to applicants when the scheduling permits are available. The Clinical Skills
Evaluation Collaboration (CSEC), a collaboration of ECFMG and NBME, is responsible for delivery of the Step 2 CS
exam. Step 2 CS is delivered to all examinees at regional CSEC Centers in the United States.
For all applicants, NBME is responsible for determining the results of USMLE exams and for issuing the score reports.
ECFMG sends an e-mail notification to international medical students/graduates when their Step 1, Step 2 CK, and
Step 2 CS score reports are available.
Step 3
The FSMB serves as the registration entity for all Step 3 applicants. To be eligible for Step 3, international medical
graduates must have passed Step 1 and Step 2 (CK and CS) and must be certified by ECFMG, among other
requirements. See Eligibility for the USMLE in the
USMLE Bulletin of Information
. If you have not met all eligibility
requirements, your application for Step 3 will not be accepted. For detailed information and application procedures for
Step 3, contact the
FSMB
. Scheduling and test centers for Step 3 are provided by
Prometric
, which serves as the test
delivery entity for all Step 3 examinees. USMLE Step 3 is delivered at Prometric test centers in the United States.
For all applicants, NBME is responsible for determining the results of USMLE exams and for issuing the score reports.
FSMB notifies examinees when their Step 3 score reports are available.
Last updated: September 7, 2017
Copyright © 2017 by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates. All rights reserved.
Page 29
The United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE)
About USMLE
|
Registration and Test Delivery Entities
|
Applying for Examination |
Scheduling the Examination
|
Preparing for Examination
|
Taking the Examination
|
USMLE Program and Irregular Behavior
|
Examination Results
|
Reexamination and Reapplication
Applying for Examination
Before applying to ECFMG for examination, international medical students/graduates must:
submit an Application for ECFMG Certification. See
Application for ECFMG Certification
.
read the applicable editions of the
ECFMG
Information Booklet
and the
USMLE Bulletin of Information
.
To apply for USMLE Step 1, Step 2 CK, and/or Step 2 CS, use ECFMG's
Interactive Web Applications (IWA)
. A
complete application
consists of the on-line part, which you complete using IWA; the
Certification of Identification Form
(Form 186) or Certification Statement (Form 183), which you obtain through IWA; and any other required documents.
You should read the detailed
overview
and
instructions
that accompany the application for examination in IWA before
you begin working on the application; these resources will help you plan the timing of your application and outline any
necessary items (such as photographs and official signatures) that require advance planning.
Important Note: You should also consider deadlines imposed by the
National Resident Matching Program
(NRMP)
and graduate medical education (GME) programs. It is solely the responsibility of the applicant to
complete the required exams in time to meet deadlines imposed by the NRMP and/or GME programs.
Since the number of applicants seeking to complete these exams may exceed the spaces available in time
to meet those deadlines, there is no guarantee that sufficient spaces will be available for all applicants to
meet deadlines imposed by the NRMP and/or GME programs. ECFMG assumes no liability of any kind if
an applicant does not complete the exams in time to have results available to meet NRMP and/or GME
program deadlines. See
Examination Results
for information on scoring turnaround times.
Exam Fees
For all exams, there is an examination fee. For Step 1 or Step 2 CK, there is an additional international test delivery
surcharge, if you choose a testing region other than the United States/Canada. You must pay all applicable fees at the
time you apply for examination. For the current exam fees and international test delivery surcharges, see the
Fees
page on the ECFMG website.
Eligibility Periods
When you apply for Step 1 or Step 2 CK, you must select a three-month eligibility period, such as
January-February-March, February-March-April, etc., during which you would like to take the exam. The eligibility
period you are assigned will be listed on your scheduling permit. You must take the exam during the eligibility period
assigned to you.
If you are unable to take Step 1/Step 2 CK during the three-month eligibility period assigned to you, you may request a
one-time, contiguous eligibility period extension (EPEx) using ECFMG’s IWA. Refer to the
EPEx Overview
in IWA for
more information and instructions.
If you do not take Step 1/Step 2 CK during your original or extended eligibility period or if you are unable to
extend your eligibility period, you must reapply by submitting a new application and fee(s), if you wish to take
the exam.
When you apply for Step 2 CS, you are assigned a 12-month eligibility period that begins on the date that the
processing of your application is completed. Your eligibility period will be listed on your scheduling permit.
Once your Step 2 CS eligibility period has been assigned, it cannot be changed or extended. You can schedule a
testing appointment for any available date in your eligibility period, and reschedule a testing appointment within your
eligibility period. See
Scheduling the Examination
for more information. If you do not take Step 2 CS during your
assigned eligibility period, you must reapply by submitting a new application and examination fee, if you wish
to take the exam.
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