In June 2026, the United States Medical Licensing Examination® (USMLE®) program will implement two nutrition-related enhancements that will further highlight the importance of nutrition to health and chronic illness prevention. These updates include:

• Content measuring knowledge and application of nutrition science will be enhanced across all three Step exams.
   
• Performance feedback on the nutrition content area will be included in USMLE score reports for both examinees and medical schools.  

As with other important content, the USMLE has long tested nutrition content through questions across multiple bodily systems and medical disciplines.  

The USMLE program is committed to ensuring that the Step exams reflect evidence-based standards for core competencies and principles needed to provide safe and effective patient care. The program regularly reviews and modifies its content outline and test questions in response to evolving evidence and practice guidelines, as well as ongoing curricular changes at U.S. medical schools.    

Please continue to monitor USMLE.org for program updates. 
 

FAQs 

• What nutrition competencies will be measured in the USMLE Step exams?  
  Nutrition content included in the USMLE Step exams will be enhanced to better align with the competencies outlined in the 2024 consensus statement Proposed Nutrition Competencies for Medical Students and Physician Trainees published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). While not all topics listed will be included in each USMLE Step exam, overall nutrition content coverage is comparable among the various exam forms that will be taken by different examinees for each Step.
   
• When will the enhanced nutrition science content appear on the Step exams? 
  The enhanced content measuring the knowledge and application of nutrition science will appear across all three Step exams starting in June 2026. 
   
• When will score reports include performance feedback on the nutrition content area?  
  USMLE score reports will include performance feedback on the nutrition content area starting on the dates below. Please note that individuals passing Step 1 will not see content area feedback, consistent with current USMLE reporting for individuals passing Step 1. 
   
  • Step 3 score reports: after June 9, 2026 
  • Step 2 CK score reports: no later than July 1, 2026 
  • Step 1 score reports: no later than July 8, 2026 
     
• How will the nutrition content for the Step exams be generated? 
  All USMLE content is generated by members of Test Material Development Committees (TMDCs) which develop and review test questions and cases that form the Step exams. The USMLE program is working closely with these individuals, who teach at U.S. medical schools and serve on state medical boards, to generate nutrition content for the Step exams.
   
• How will these enhancements influence my preparation for the Step exams? 
  As the USMLE program enhances its emphasis on nutrition, you should not change how you study for the Step exams. Please continue to prepare for each Step exam by studying the content and materials provided by your medical school, and by using the content outlines, content weighting specifications and interactive testing tutorials on USMLE.org. 
   
• Will these enhancements affect when I receive my score report? 
  No. Exam results will continue to be available two to four weeks after your test date. However, various factors may impact score reporting timelines. As always, when selecting your test date and inquiring about results, you should allow at least eight weeks to receive notification that your score report is available.
   
• What is the reason for these enhancements? 
  The upcoming enhancements reflect the evolving emphasis in medical education and clinical practice on the importance of nutrition’s role in chronic disease prevention and its importance to patient health. The USMLE program is committed to ensuring that the Step exams reflect evidence-based standards for core competencies and principles needed to provide safe and effective patient care.
   
• How will I interpret my score report with this update? 
  This change includes an additional category on the score report for nutrition content. For more information on interpreting your score report, please visit the USMLE website and review the notes and guidance reported on your score report.
   
• Will nutrition questions affect my Step exam score more than before? 
  No. The overall scoring of the Step exams is not changing. Nutrition content does not receive separate weighting that can disproportionately affect your score. It remains integrated into system- and discipline-based questions, however, just as it is currently.
   
• Is the content outline changing with these enhancements?  
  As with other important content, the USMLE has long tested nutrition content through questions across multiple bodily systems and medical disciplines. Nutrition-related knowledge and skills will continue to be assessed within questions across body systems and medical disciplines, allowing examinees to demonstrate their knowledge of how nutrition influences health, disease, and clinical decision-making in medicine.  
  
  The USMLE Content Outline is an important resource that includes a complete description of the concepts and principles examinees are responsible for knowing for the USMLE Step exams. The USMLE Content Outline will not change with these enhancements. Content weighting for each Step exam can be found on USMLE.org and is represented on your score report.
   
• How will these changes affect USMLE co-sponsor NBME’s Subject Examinations and Self-Assessments? 
  As is standard practice, NBME’s Comprehensive Subject Examinations and Self-Assessments—which are designed to help examinees prepare and assess readiness for the USMLE—are continuously revised to remain consistent with the Step exams. Exam content and reporting on these assessments and tools will be updated to reflect the nutrition content enhancements.
   
• What does the enhanced nutrition content on the USMLE Step exams mean for examinees and medical schools? 
  The enhanced nutrition content on the USMLE Step exams is part of an ongoing effort to ensure that the assessments continue to reflect the knowledge and skills physicians need for patient care. Recent analyses show that this enhancement has not resulted in meaningful changes in overall examinee or school performance outcomes.
  
  Analyses of content area feedback, as reported on examinee score reports, across all three USMLE Step exams indicate that the vast majority of examinees perform the same on nutrition content as they do overall, with very small percentages performing higher or lower. Similar analyses for LCME-accredited institutions show minimal impact at the school level, with the vast majority of schools’ students performing comparably on nutrition to the Step exam as a whole, and to other students from LCME-accredited institutions testing for the first time.
  
  These findings suggest that the expansion of nutrition content is being integrated smoothly into the exams and that the enhanced content does not disproportionately advantage or disadvantage learners.