[Posted May 31, 2007]

A small number of multiple-choice items with associated audio and/or video clips will be introduced into the USMLE Step 2 CK Examination beginning in early August 2007. No more than 5 items with associated media clips will appear in a single examination. The 2007 USMLE Orientation Materials include a small number of multiple-choice items that contain exhibits involving audio and/or video clips. Instructions for practicing with items with associated media clips on Step 1, Step 2 CK, and Step 3 are provided in the Tutorials for each Step examination in the orientation materials.

Items with associated media will be introduced in Step 1 and Step 3 during 2008. An announcement will be posted to the USMLE website approximately 2 months before any items with associated media clips appear on Step 1 or Step 3 examinations. Additional information will be posted to the USMLE website as it becomes available.

[Posted April 17, 2007]

Current USMLE policy states that if you fail or do not complete a Step or Step Component and wish to retake it, you may do so no sooner than 60 days after your previous test date.

At its recent meeting, the USMLE Composite Committee reviewed this policy and determined that the 60-day waiting period would be discontinued. Therefore, effective May 1, 2007, the 60-day waiting period between attempts at the same USMLE Step or Step Component will be eliminated.

Other than the 60-day rule change, all other requirements to retake a Step or Step Component remain the same; this includes the restriction that you may take a Step or Step Component no more than three times in any 12-month period. Please refer to the USMLE Bulletin of Information for complete information on retaking USMLE Steps.

[Posted March 23, 2007]

The USMLE program recommends a minimum passing level for each Step. Medical licensing authorities may accept the recommended pass/fail result, or they may establish their own minimum passing requirements. The recommended requirements to pass USMLE Step 1, Step 2 Clinical Knowledge, and Step 3 were originally identified in the early 1990s, and the Step 2 Clinical Skills standards were first identified in November 2004.

The USMLE Step Committees are responsible for the design and development of the Step examinations, as well as establishing and monitoring standards. These committees are made up of physicians and scientists who bring educational, licensing, and practice perspectives to this process. Every three to four years a Step Committee is asked to complete an in-depth review of standards.

The Step 2 Committee is scheduled to assess the minimum passing score for both USMLE Step 2 Clinical Knowledge (CK) and Clinical Skills (CS) at its meeting on June 14, 2007. In its review of the minimum passing score, the Step 2 Committee will consider information from multiple sources, including: 1) recommendations from independent groups of physicians who have participated in content-based standard-setting activities in 2007; 2) results of surveys of various groups (e.g., state licensing representatives, medical school faculty, samples of examinees) concerning the appropriateness of current pass/fail standards for Step examinations; 3) trends in examinee performance; and 4) score precision and its effect on the pass/fail decision. The decision of the Step 2 Committee will be posted at the USMLE website. If the Committee determines that a change is appropriate for either component of Step 2, the new recommended minimum passing score will become effective for all examinees who begin their Step 2 CK examination on or after July 1, 2007, and for examinees who begin their Step 2 CS examination on or after July 15, 2007.

[Posted December 12, 2006]

As stated in the USMLE Bulletin of Information, unauthorized possession of personal items while in the secure areas of the testing centers may lead to a finding of irregular behavior and permanent annotation of your USMLE transcript. During administration of Steps 1, 2 CK, and 3, examinees are able to access personal items during an authorized break, and are expected to return these items to their assigned lockers before returning to the secure area of the testing center. A reminder of this policy is being added to the screen where examinees enter their Candidate Identification Number (CIN) to enter or re-enter their examination (see screen capture below for an example). This update to the examination will appear in examinations beginning in mid-December 2006, and will be phased in over several months.

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[Posted November 21, 2006]

It has come to our attention that some Step 2 CS registrants have offered to exchange their scheduled testing appointments with those of other registrants who must take Step 2 CS by specific deadlines. The exchange of testing appointments between applicants is not consistent with the "first-come, first-served" basis on which Step 2 CS testing appointments are offered. It is also highly unlikely to be successful. If you are registered for Step 2 CS, you should know that:

• The Step 2 CS Scheduling system does not allow an applicant to reserve his/her scheduled testing appointment for another applicant, nor does it allow the transfer of a testing appointment from one applicant to another. When an applicant cancels a scheduled appointment, the appointment returns to the pool of available testing appointments where it can be claimed by other registrants.
• At any given time, there are many applicants registered for Step 2 CS who may be attempting to schedule or reschedule testing appointments. It is common for appointments that become available to be claimed immediately by another applicant.
• The Step 2 CS Scheduling Email Notification System allows registered applicants to indicate their preferences for test dates and centers. When a testing appointment is canceled, all applicants participating in the email notification system who have expressed a preference for this date/center are notified immediately by email.

The best way for registered applicants to monitor the availability of testing appointments is to indicate their preferences for dates/centers using the pilot Step 2 CS Scheduling Email Notification System. To indicate your preferences, access Step 2 CS Scheduling from your registration entity's website, and follow the link "Add/Edit Scheduling Email Notifications."

For detailed information on policies and procedures related to Step 2 CS scheduling and rescheduling, refer to the USMLE Bulletin of Information.