Process Overview
Begin by reviewing the USMLE Bulletin.
- Begin the application process on-line via the NBME Application website; fill out the on-line application information
- During the application process, select an eligibility period during which you prefer to test
- Once your application is complete, the NBME will send you an email notifying you that your scheduling permit is available. Your scheduling permit will allow you to sign up for a test location and time.
- Visit the Prometric website to schedule your test date.
Recommendations
It is strongly recommended that students keep a permanent (PDF) copy of the USMLE score reports from the NBME website once they become available. Your score report, once released to you, will be accessible from the NBME website for approximately 365 days. After this time, your scores will only be provided to you in the form of an official transcript ($70 fee) from the NBME.
Students can use the score report for important future verification purposes. The School Of Medicine Registrar's Office does not provide verification of USMLE scores. Additional information is available on the "Scores and Transcripts" section of the NBME website.
Most students independently start the Step 1 application process around November or December of their second year. If you have any questions about your schedule, or the best time to take your Step 1 exam, please contact the School Of Medicine Registrar's office for assistance or talk with your Society Dean or Physician Advisor (CCLCM).
Unlike the SAT/ACT/MCAT/GRE, signing up for the USMLE Step 1 is not a registration so much as an application (involving both an online and a mail component) and cannot be completed in a day (or likely even a week).The NBME then takes time to review your application and verify your eligibility, so you must allow a few weeks for processing.
When you apply, all you need to select is an eligibility period during which you prefer to test.
Prometric, the company that runs the test sites, only schedules testing slots 6 months in advance. The earlier you schedule, the more likely you are to get your preferred test date and location. Anyone with an eligibility period over six months away will need to put a reminder on their Google calendar to check back later.