How to Submit a Request for Test Accommodations
If you have a documented disability covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and require test accommodations, you must notify the USMLE in writing each time you apply for Step 1, Step 2 CK or Step 2 CS.
New Requests
Submit a completed Step 1 and Step 2 CK Applicant's Request for Test Accommodations or Step 2 CS Applicant's Request for Test Accommodations to the appropriate address in the table below, at the same time you submit your examination application.
Subsequent Request for Test Accommodations
If you received test accommodations for a previous USMLE Step (Step 1, Step 2 CK, and Step 2 CS) and would like the identical accommodations, please submit the following form(s) to the appropriate address in the table below, at the same time you send your examination application. This form constitutes your official notification.
Form for Requesting Subsequent Test Accommodations (Step 1 and Step 2 CK only)
Form for Requesting Subsequent Test Accommodations (Step 2 CS)
If you are requesting a change in accommodations or are previously approved for Step 1 or Step 2 CK but have not been approved for Step 2 CS, follow the instructions for New Requests above.
Certification of Prior Test Accommodations
If you received test accommodations in Medical School submit a completed Certification of Prior Test Accommodations to the appropriate address in the table below, along with your Step 1, Step 2 CK and Step 2 CS Applicant's Request for Test Accommodations.
Step 3 Requests
All guidelines can be found in this document: What to Do (USMLE STEP 3)
DO NOT SUBMIT:
- Original documents; keep the original and submit a copy
- Research articles, resumes, curriculum vitas
- Handwritten letters from physicians or evaluators
- Documentation previously submitted to Disability Services
- Documentation previously submitted to your registration entity
- Previous correspondence from Disability Services
- Multiple copies of documentation (i.e., faxed and mailed copies of a document)
- Staples, clips, binders, page protectors, folders, or similar items
Please note that submitting duplicate documentation and/or bound documentation may delay a decision regarding your request as all documentation must be processed.
DO SUBMIT:
- Legible copies
- All documents in English. You are responsible for providing certified English translations of foreign-language documentation
- Typed or printed letters and reports from evaluators
- Documentation from childhood if you are requesting accommodations based on a developmental disorder, i.e. LD, ADHD, Dyslexia
- Documentation of your functional impairment in activities beyond test-taking
- Documentation of your functional impairment beyond self-reports
Addresses:
TO PROTECT YOUR CONFIDENTIALITY, ALWAYS SEND YOUR REQUEST AND DOCUMENTATION TOGETHER TO THE ADDRESS ABOVE. Do not include these materials with your examination application.
Address all requests and inquiries to the appropriate registration entity:
| Examination: | Type of applicant: | To request test accommodations, contact: |
|---|---|---|
| Step 1 or Step 2(CK or CS) | Students and graduates of medical schools in the United States and Canada | Disability Services National Board of Medical Examiners 3750 Market Street Philadelphia, PA 19104-3190 (215) 590-9509 |
| Step 1 or Step 2(CK or CS) | Students and graduates of medical schools outside the United States and Canada | Test Accommodations Coordinator Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates 3624 Market Street Philadelphia, PA 19104-2685 USA (215) 386-5900 |
| Step 3 | All medical school graduates who have passed Step 1 and Step 2 | Coordinator of Special Examination Services Federation of State Medical Boards Federation Place 400 Fuller Wiser Road, Suite 300 Euless, Texas 76039 (817) 868-4041 |
TO PROTECT YOUR CONFIDENTIALITY, ALWAYS SEND YOUR REQUEST AND DOCUMENTATION TOGETHER TO THE ADDRESS ABOVE. Do not include these materials with your examination application.