The United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) is a three- step examination for Medical Licensure in the United States.

 

For those that are interested in these exams take note of the following information.

 

The following links will help to guide you through the process.

 

Step One

 

This exam is a one-day exam and it includes 322 multiple-choice items divided into 7 blocks of 46 items; 60 minutes are allotted for completion of each block of test items. The minimum passing score is 192.

 

Step one tests the following disciplines:

 

• anatomy,

• behavioral sciences,

• biochemistry,

• microbiology,

• pathology,

• pharmacology,

• physiology,

• interdisciplinary topics, such as nutrition, genetics, and aging.

 

Here is a link with further information about step one, including the content description, content outlines and test question formats.

 

Here is a link to a sample paper of step one.

 

 

Step Two

 

Step two has two parts, Clinical Knowledge and Clinical Skills.

 

Clinical Knowledge (CK)

 

This exam is also a one-day exam. The test items are divided into blocks, and test item formats may vary within each block. However the overall examination will not exceed 355 items. Regardless of the number of items, 60 minutes are allotted for the completion of each block. The minimum passing grade is 209.

 

Step 2 CK includes test items in the following content areas:

• internal medicine,

• obstetrics and gynecology,

• pediatrics,

• preventive medicine,

• psychiatry,

• surgery,

• Other areas relevant to provision of care under supervision.

 

Here is a link with further information about this examination, including the content description, content outlines and test questions.

 

 

Clinical Skills (CS)

 

This pass or fail exam includes twelve encounters with standardized patients (people trained to portray real patients). You will have 15 minutes for each.

 

Key aspects to this examination:

 

• Integrated Clinical Encounter (ICE),

• Communication and Interpersonal Skills (CIS)

• Spoken English Proficiency (SEP).

 

Here is a link with additional information about the standards expected on the test day, exam format and the test centers available for the completion of the exam.

 

 

Step Three

 

Step 3 is a two day examination.

 

The first day of testing includes 336 multiple-choice items divided into 7 blocks of 48 items each. 60 minutes are allowed for the completion of each block of test items. There is a maximum of 7 hours of testing on the first day.

 

The second day of testing includes 144 multiple-choice items, divided into 4 blocks of 36 items. The time limit for each block is 45 minutes. The total time allotted for these blocks is 3 hours.

Testing on the second day also consists of a 15 minute Primum® Tutorial followed by 12 case simulations, for which 4 hours are allotted.

 

The minimum passing score is 190.

 

Click here for further information and details on step three.

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Before applying to any of the USMLE exams, you are urged to become familiar with the Bulletin of Information which contains all vital information regarding the USMLE examinations.