The United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE)

Important Notes: The USMLE co-sponsors are developing plans to centralize all USMLE service functions. As part of these plans, USMLE services currently provided to IMGs by ECFMG will transition to the USMLE co-sponsors for them to provide to IMGs. All applicants should refer to the Important Notices section of this booklet for more information.

Students and graduates of medical schools located in Canada should refer to the Important Notices section of this booklet for information on their eligibility for ECFMG Certification and registration entity for USMLE.

Registration and Test Delivery Entities

Step 1 and Step 2 CK

ECFMG registers international medical students/graduates for Step 1 and Step 2 CK. 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. medical school programs accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) and U.S. medical schools accredited by the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA) .

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 these applicants their scheduling permits via email and makes them available for download in MyIntealth. 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 all applicants, NBME is responsible for scoring USMLE exams and for issuing the score reports. ECFMG sends an email notification to international medical students/graduates when their Step 1 and Step 2 CK score reports are available.

Step 3

The FSMB is the organization that registers all Step 3 applicants. To be eligible for Step 3, international medical graduates must be certified by ECFMG, among other requirements. See Eligibility for the USMLE Steps 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 scoring USMLE exams and for issuing the score reports. FSMB notifies examinees when their Step 3 score reports are available.