United States Medical Licensing Examination
| Acronym | USMLE |
|---|---|
| Type | Computer-based, three-part sequence, standardized test |
| Administrator | Federation of State Medical Boards, National Board of Medical Examiners |
| Skills tested | STEP 1: Application of scientific principles basic to the practice of medicine STEP 2: Application of medical knowledge, skills, and understanding of clinical science essential for supervised patient care STEP 3: Application of medical knowledge and understanding of biomedical and clinical science essential for the unsupervised practice of medicine |
| Purpose | Medical licensure in the United States |
| Year started | 1992 |
| Duration | STEP 1: 8 hours STEP 2: 9 hours STEP 3 (Day 1): 7 hours STEP 3 (Day 2): 9 hours |
| Score range | STEP 1: pass/fail STEP 2: 1-300 (218 to pass) STEP 3: 1-300 (200 to pass) |
| Offered | Year round |
| Regions | Globally at a Prometric centers for Step 1 and Step 2 CK; at a U.S. Prometric centers for Step 3 |
| Languages | English |
| Annual number of test takers | More than 100,000 medical school students and graduates (2020) |
| Fee | STEP 1: US$680.00 STEP 2: US$680.00 STEP 3: US$935.00 |
| Used by | State medical boards in the U.S. and U.S. Territories |
| Website | www |
The United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) is a three-step examination program for medical licensure in the United States, sponsored by the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) and the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME). Individuals with a Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree are required to pass the USMLE for medical licensure. Those with a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree (DO) may take either the COMLEX-USA or the USMLE for medical licensure, while the COMLEX-USA is required for osteopathic licensure.
It is a standardized test that assesses a medical student's knowledge of basic science concepts and their application to clinical medicine. The exam is divided into three components required for medical licensure in the United States and is typically taken by students after their second year of medical school. States may enact additional testing and/or licensing requirements.