Attempt limit for USMLE examinations
Posted: June 20, 2012
Examinees who have made six or more attempts to pass a Step or Step component, including incomplete attempts, should be aware that all applications to register for additional attempts will not be processed unless they are submitted on or before December 31, 2012. This limit was first announced in August of 2011.
The effective date for the six-attempt limit depends upon whether an examinee has taken any Step or Step Component (including incomplete attempts) before January 1, 2012.
• Examinees who had NOT taken any Step or Step Component before January 1, 2012
If you did not take any Step or Step Component before January 1, 2012, the six-attempt limit went into effect for all exam applications that you submitted on or after January 1, 2012.
Example 1: On January 15, 2012, Examinee A submits his application for his first attempt at any Step or Step Component. The six-attempt limit is effective at that time for all Steps and Step Components and Examinee A will be allowed to take each Step or Step Component no more than six times, including incomplete attempts.
• Examinees who have taken any Step or Step Component before January 1, 2012
If you have taken any Step or Step Component (including incomplete attempts) before January 1, 2012, the six-attempt limit is in effect for all exam applications that you submit on or after January 1, 2013. After that date, all attempts at a Step or Step Component will be counted toward the limit, regardless of when the exams were taken.
Example 2: Examinee B’s application for a seventh attempt at a particular Step or Step Component is received on December 15, 2012. For this examinee, the six-attempt limit will not prevent the seventh attempt, since the application was submitted before January 1, 2013. However, if Examinee B fails the exam, he will not be eligible to submit an application after January 1, 2013 to retake that Step or Step Component.
Example 3: Examinee C attempts to submit an application for a seventh attempt at a particular Step or Step Component on or after January 1, 2013. The application will not be processed, since all exam applications submitted on or after January 1, 2013 will be subject to the six-attempt limit.
Please refer to the 2012 Bulletin of Information for more complete information on time and attempt limits.
Step 2 CS Rescheduling Fees
Posted: January 06, 2015
Beginning January 1, 2015, the rescheduling fees for the Step 2 Clinical Skills (CS) examination will change. If you have a scheduled testing appointment and are unable to take the exam on your scheduled test date or at your scheduled center, you may cancel your scheduled testing appointment and reschedule for a different date and/or center, subject to availability. You may cancel and/or reschedule at any time through the end of the day before your scheduled test date. However, no canceling is allowed beginning at 12:00 AM, Eastern Time in the United States, on your scheduled test date. The date that you cancel your testing appointment will determine the amount of your rescheduling fee, as described in the list and table below. All dates and notice periods are calculated using Eastern Time in the United States.
- If you cancel more than 14 calendar days before your scheduled test date, you will not be charged a fee when you reschedule.
- If you cancel between 3 and 14 calendar days before your scheduled test date, you will be charged a $400 fee when you reschedule.
- If you cancel 2 calendar days before your scheduled test date, you will be charged a $625 fee when you reschedule.
- If you cancel 1 day before your scheduled test date you will be charged a $1,250 fee when you reschedule.
- If you miss your scheduled testing appointment without canceling, you will be charged a $1,250 fee when you reschedule.
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Example: Step 2 CS Rescheduling Fees
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Scheduled
Test Date
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Cancel Date(s)
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Fee
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July 15
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On or before June 30
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No fee
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July 1 – July 12
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$400
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July 13
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$625
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July 14
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$1250
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If you cancel without rescheduling or miss your scheduled testing appointment, there is no guarantee that testing appointments during your eligibility period will be available when you attempt to reschedule. If you do not reschedule within your eligibility period, you must submit a new application and exam registration fee in order to take the exam.
If you are unable to keep your scheduled testing appointment, we encourage you to cancel your appointment as soon as possible, regardless of whether you are ready to reschedule. When examinees cancel more than 14 calendar days before their appointment, it is more likely that another examinee will be able to fill that testing slot. Avoiding large numbers of unfilled testing slots helps the USMLE Program manage capacity and minimize increases in the cost of the exam.
