2002 USMLE Performance Data
As published in the 2002 NBME Annual Report,
Copyright 2003 by the National Board of Medical Examiners®

USMLE Administration, Minimum Passing Scores, and Performance

Continuous test administration of the USMLE is available to all examinees. Prometric, Inc.®, part of The Thomson Corporation, provides scheduling and test centers for the USMLE. The examination is currently administered at more than 300 US/Canadian Prometric test centers and approximately 200 international Prometric test centers. Additional test centers are located at eight medical schools in the United States. The Step 1 and Step 2 examinations are administered worldwide; the Step 3 examination is administered only in the United States.

After completion of the registration process and receipt of certification of eligibility, applicants for Step 1, Step 2, or Step 3 contact the Prometric scheduling network to make an appointment to take the examination at a location and time most convenient to the applicant's schedule. Examination results are processed continuously, and scores are reported weekly. Most Step 1 and Step 2 examinees receive their scores approximately three to four weeks after their test date and most Step 3 examinees, in four to six weeks. Individual score reports are mailed to examinees; medical schools and medical licensing authorities can receive score information by using a secure website. Paper score rosters are no longer provided.

The USMLE program recommends a minimum passing score for each Step of the USMLE. Minimum passing scores are based on achievement of specified levels of proficiency established prior to administration of examinations. Statistical procedures are employed to insure that for each Step, the level of proficiency required to pass remains uniform across forms of the examination. As noted in the USMLE Bulletin of Information and at the USMLE website, the score required to meet the recommended level of proficiency is reviewed periodically and may be adjusted without prior notice. Notice of adjustments is posted at the USMLE website.

Step 1

Details on the performance of examinees taking Step 1 in 2001 and 2002 are provided in Table 1. Data for 2002 are based upon examinees who took Step 1 in 2002 and whose results were reported up through February 5, 2003. In each of these years, there were approximately 16,400 first-time takers from US and Canadian medical schools that grant the MD degree. During the same period, the number of first-time takers from osteopathic medical schools ranged from approximately 700 to 900. First-time takers from non-US/Canadian medical schools numbered approximately 9,800 and 11,800 for the same years. The pass rates for first-time takers from MD-granting US and Canadian medical schools were 91% and 92%, respectively. Because failing examinees generally retake Step 1, the ultimate passing rate across test administrations is expected to increase to approximately 99% for this same group.

TABLE 1 - 2001-2002 STEP 1 ADMINISTRATIONS
Number Tested and Percent Passing
2001 2002*
#Tested %Passing #Tested %Passing
Examinees from US/Canadian Schools that Grant
MD Degree 18,380 88% 18,505 88%
1st Takers 16,368 91% 16,420 92%
Repeaters** 2,012 58% 2,085 59%
DO Degree 774 69% 949 67%
1st Takers 723 72% 892 70%
Repeaters** 51 31% 57 32%
Total US/Canadian 19,154 87% 19,454 87%
Examinees from Non-US/Canadian Schools
1st Takers 9,835 66% 11,821 64%
Repeaters** 4,259 35% 5,298 36%
Total non-US/Canadian 14,094 56% 17,119 55%
* Represents data for examinees tested in 2002 and reported through February 5, 2003.
** ‘Repeaters’ represents examinations given, not number of different examinees.

Step 2

Details on the performance of examinees taking Step 2 in the 2000-2001 and 2001-2002 academic years are provided in Table 2. First-time takers from US and Canadian medical schools granting the MD degree numbered approximately 16,200 and 16,100 for the 2000-2001 and 2001-2002 periods, respectively. First-time takers from non-US/Canadian medical schools numbered approximately 7,100 and 8,500, respectively. The pass rates for first-time takers from MD-granting US and Canadian medical schools were 95% and 97%, respectively, for these two academic years. As noted with Step 1, given the opportunity for members of this same examinee group to repeat the examination, the ultimate Step 2 passing rate across test administrations is expected to increase to approximately 99%.

TABLE 2 - 2000-2002 STEP 2 ADMINISTRATIONS
Number Tested and Percent Passing
2000-2001* 2001-2002*
#Tested %Passing #Tested %Passing
Examinees from US/Canadian Schools that Grant
MD Degree 17,361 93% 17,058 95%
1st Takers 16,205 95% 16,060 97%
Repeaters** 1,156 66% 998 70%
DO Degree 300 91% 332 88%
1st Takers 288 93% 324 89%
Repeaters** 12 42% 8 50%
Total US/Canadian 17,661 93% 17,390 95%
Examinees from Non-US/Canadian Schools
1st Takers 7,131 75% 8,502 80%
Repeaters** 3,223 48% 2,833 54%
Total non-US/Canadian 10,354 66% 11,335 73%
* Data for Step 2 are provided for examinees tested during the period from July 1 to June 30.
** ‘Repeaters’ represents examinations given, not number of different examinations.

Step 3

Details on the performance of examinees taking Step 3 in 2001 and 2002 are provided in Table 3. Data for 2002 are based upon examinees who took Step 3 in 2002 and whose results were reported up through February 5, 2003. First-time takers who were graduates of MD-granting schools in the US and Canada numbered approximately 13,200 and 15,500 for calendar years 2001 and 2002, respectively. First-time takers who were graduates of non-US/Canadian medical schools numbered approximately 5,400 and 6,900 for the same years. For 2001 and 2002, the pass rates for first-time takers who were graduates of MD-granting schools in the US and Canada were 94% and 95%, respectively. Like Steps 1 and 2, the ultimate Step 3 passing rate, accounting for repeat attempts, is expected to increase to approximately 99% for this same examinee group.

TABLE 3 - 2001-2002 STEP 3 ADMINISTRATIONS
Number Tested and Percent Passing
2001 2002*
#Tested %Passing #Tested %Passing
Examinees from US/Canadian Schools that Grant
MD Degree 14,301 91% 16,816 92%
1st Takers 13,177 94% 15,467 95%
Repeaters** 1,124 56% 1,349 65%
DO Degree 79 90% 89 96%
1st Takers 72 89% 87 97%
Repeaters** 7 100% 2 †
Total US/Canadian 14,380 91% 16,905 92%
Examinees from Non-US/Canadian Schools
1st Takers 5,381 61% 6,857 66%
Repeaters** 4,961 40% 5,658 50%
Total non-US/Canadian 10,342 51% 12,515 59%
* Represents data for examinees tested in 2002 and reported through February 5, 2003.
** ‘Repeaters’ represents examinations given, not number of different examinees.
† Performance data not reported for catagories containing fewer than 5 examinees.