USMLE FAQ

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.

Yes. 

When you apply for each USMLE Step you must select a three-month eligibility period in which to take your exam, such as April – June or September – November. A scheduling permit with instructions for making an appointment at a Prometric Test Center to take your exam will be issued to you after we process your application and verify your eligibility. 

Scheduling permits are not available more than 6 months prior to the start of your eligibility period. This is because Prometric will not allow you to schedule your exam more than six months in advance of the start of 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, and
• 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. 

If you are unable to test within your eligibility period, a one-time contiguous 3-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 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 found here. 

Yes, but you may incur a change fee from Prometric. 

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) in order 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 7-hour test day or a 9-hour test day). Inputting your name and Candidate ID will ensure you are only seeing dates where that Prometric center can accommodate your USMLE Step 3 Day 1 and/or Day 2 exam. 

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. 

You can download and print your permit by going to the FSMB USMLE site. A copy of the permit is also included in the email we send 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 your scheduling permit either on paper (a printed copy) or electronically (e.g., via your smartphone). It is recommended that you print your permit before your testing day(s) and bring that copy with you, in case you are unable to access your email or the FSMB USMLE site 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.

If your test center is closed and you are not able to test, 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 (or 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 before doing this so that the Prometric system has time to reset. If you are unable to reschedule after waiting the required 24 hours or have other issues, please email FSMB at usmle@fsmb.org.  

If you have opened any part of the exam (or 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. This takes 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.

Via email. 

When your score is available, the FSMB will send an email to the email address you provided on your application. Follow the instructions in the email for accessing your USMLE score report from the FSMB USMLE site. 

Yes. 

For all Steps, a highly rigorous process is used to ensure the accuracy of scores, including a parallel scoring method involving independent scoring systems. Therefore, a change in your score or in your pass/fail outcome based on a recheck is an extremely remote possibility. 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.

If you wish 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.

We will use the email address you provide on your Step 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. Examinees that provide email addresses ending in an .edu and some free accounts will either reject the email notifications altogether or will send the email to your spam or junk email folders. 

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 Step application, permit or score by logging into the FSMB USMLE site at any time.