ECFMG On-line Services Unavailable April 19-21
Due to scheduled maintenance, ECFMG’s on-line services will be unavailable from approximately 6:00 p.m. on April 19, 2013 through approximately 2:30 p.m. on April 21, 2013. ECFMG’s phone services will also be unavailable during this time. All times are calculated using Eastern Time in the United States.
During this maintenance period, you will not be able to access any of ECFMG’s on-line services. For more information on the services that will be unavailable during this maintenance period, visit the On-line Services Overview page.
Thank you for your patience and cooperation as we work to maintain high-quality on-line services.
(posted April 10, 2013; updated April 15, 2013)
USMLE Step 1 Score Reporting
Most score reporting of Step 1 results occurs within four weeks of testing. However, because of necessary modifications to the test item pool, there will be a delay in reporting for some examinees testing beginning the week of May 13th. The target date for reporting Step 1 scores for most examinees testing the week of May 13th through late June will be Wednesday, July 10, 2013. For examinees whose circumstances require that they receive Step 1 scores before July 10, it is recommended that they take Step 1 no later than May 10, 2013.
Examinees should monitor the USMLE website for the latest information.
Changes to USMLE Procedures for Reporting Scores: Elimination of the 2-digit Score on or about April 1, 2013
March 22, 2013
Filed under: 2013 Information Booklet Updates, Step 1, Step 2 CK, Step 3, USMLE Score Reporting
Filed under: 2013 Information Booklet Updates, Step 1, Step 2 CK, Step 3, USMLE Score Reporting
As previously reported in 2011, the USMLE® program began the process of eliminating the reporting of results on the 2-digit score scale to parties other than the examinee and any state licensing authority to which the examinee sends results. This process began on July 1, 2011 with elimination of 2-digit scores from USMLE transcripts reported through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS®).
The USMLE program will extend this change in reporting to include all score recipients (e.g., examinees, state medical boards). This means that scores on the 2-digit scale will no longer be calculated or reported. The USMLE Program expects to eliminate the 2-digit score on or about April 1, 2013. This change pertains to the Step 1, Step 2 Clinical Knowledge (CK), and Step 3 examinations only; Step 2 Clinical Skills (CS) will continue to be reported as pass or fail with no numeric score.
The full announcement is available on the USMLE website.
More about the 2-digit Score and Its Elimination
The following may be helpful in understanding the change in USMLE procedures for reporting scores, described above.
Why is the USMLE Program eliminating the 2-digit score?
The 2-digit score can be subject to misinterpretation. Some have interpreted it as a percentile (an indication of how an examinee’s performance compares to the performance of other examinees who took the same exam administration). Others have interpreted it as a percentage (an indication of how many questions an examinee answered correctly during an exam administration). The 2-digit score is neither of these things.
Additionally, unlike the 3-digit score, the 2-digit score does not allow reasonable comparisons over time. This may create challenges for score users that attempt to compare 2-digit scores that span several years. To eliminate the misuse of and confusion surrounding the 2-digit scale, the USMLE Composite Committee, the body that governs USMLE, decided that it should no longer be calculated or reported. Additional information about the relationship between the 2-digit and 3-digit score scales is available on the USMLE website.
Does this change apply to all USMLE examinations?
This change applies to Step 1, Step 2 CK and Step 3 only, since numeric scores are reported for these exams. It does not apply to Step 2 CS. Performance on Step 2 CS will continue to be reported as pass or fail with no numeric score.
Once this change takes effect, who will have access to 2-digit scores?
No one will have access to 2-digit scores. Beginning on the effective date of this change:
- The USMLE Program will no longer report 2-digit scores to examinees on their exam score reports.
- Two-digit scores will not be reported to any third parties via USMLE transcripts. This means that recipients of USMLE transcripts, including graduate medical education programs and state medical boards in the United States, will not receive 2-digit scores. This is true for all USMLE exam administrations, regardless of when the exam administration took place and regardless of whether a 2-digit score was reported previously.
- Two-digit scores will no longer be calculated. As a result, the National Board of Medical Examiners® (NBME®), the entity responsible for scoring USMLE exams, will not be able to provide 2-digit scores. The entities responsible for registering examinees for USMLE and reporting their scores, including ECFMG and the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB), will not be able to provide 2-digit scores.
Why does the USMLE transcript I requested in April 2013 look different from the transcript I requested in December 2012, when it includes results for the same exam administration(s)?
Effective on or about April 1, 2013, the USMLE Program will stop calculating and reporting 2-digit scores. Two-digit scores reported before the effective date of this change will no longer be reported. As a result, a transcript issued prior to the effective date will include 2-digit scores for administrations of Step 1, Step 2 CK, and Step 3, while a transcript issued after the effective date will include only 3-digit scores for the same exam administrations.
Understanding the 3-digit Score
The elimination of the 2-digit score does not change the reporting or interpretation of results on the 3-digit scale. While the following information is not new, it may be helpful in understanding the 3-digit score.
What is the 3-digit score?
Since its beginning in the 1990s, the USMLE Program has reported scores for Step 1, Step 2 CK, and Step 3 on a 3-digit scale. When an examinee tests, the number of items the examinee answers correctly is converted to a score on the 3-digit scale. The 3-digit scale is considered the primary score reporting scale for USMLE exams.
What are the minimum passing scores for the exams?
The USMLE Program recommends a minimum passing level of proficiency for each exam. For Step 1, Step 2 CK, and Step 3, the USMLE Program sets a minimum passing score on the 3-digit scale. For the current minimum passing scores, visit Scores & Transcripts on the USMLE website.
The USMLE Program reviews the minimum passing level for each exam every three to four years. Since this process may result in changes, the minimum passing score for a given exam, expressed on the 3-digit scale, may change over time. The recommended minimum passing level in place on the day an examinee sits for an examination will be the level used for scoring purposes. Monitor the USMLE website for information on review of and changes to the minimum passing scores for USMLE exams.
How can I tell how well I did on the examination? How much better than passing did I do?
Your score report will include the 3-digit minimum passing score that applies to the exam administration.
On the 3-digit scale, most scores on Step 1, Step 2 CK, and Step 3 fall between 140 and 260. The mean score for first-time examinees from accredited medical school programs in the United States is in the range of 215 to 235, and the standard deviation is approximately 20. If your score is in the range of 215 to 235, your performance is on par with the average first-time examinee from an accredited medical school program in the United States. Your score report will include the mean and standard deviation for recent administrations of the examination.
Your score report will also include graphical performance profiles that summarize relative areas of strength and weakness to aid in self-assessment. The profiles are accompanied by further information on what they mean and how to interpret them.
More information on scores and score interpretation is available on the Scores FAQs page of the USMLE website at http://www.usmle.org/frequently-asked-questions/#scores.
How will U.S. GME programs be able to evaluate my 3-digit score?
The 3-digit score scale is the primary score reporting scale and has been used since the USMLE Program was established in the early 1990s. Unlike the 2-digit score, the 3-digit score is calculated using statistical procedures that ensure that scores from different years are on a common scale and have the same meaning. This means that GME programs can use the 3-digit score to make reasonable comparisons of examinees who tested at different times. Information on the meaning and interpretation of the three-digit score is included with USMLE transcripts, is available on the USMLE website, and is provided in the USMLE Bulletin of Information.
(posted December 28, 2012; updated March 22, 2013)
ECFMG On-line Services Unavailable February 1-2
Due to scheduled maintenance, ECFMG’s on-line services will be unavailable from approximately 4:00 p.m. on February 1, 2013 through approximately 2:00 p.m. on February 2, 2013. All times are calculated using Eastern Time in the United States.
During this maintenance period, you will not be able to access any of ECFMG’s on-line services. For more information on the services that will be unavailable during this maintenance period, visit the On-line Services Overview page.
Thank you for your patience and cooperation as we work to maintain high-quality on-line services.
Application Fee Increases for 2013
December 20, 2012
Filed under: 2013 Information Booklet Updates, ECFMG Certification, Fees, Step 1, Step 2 CK, Step 2 CS
Filed under: 2013 Information Booklet Updates, ECFMG Certification, Fees, Step 1, Step 2 CK, Step 2 CS
Effective January 1, 2013, the fee for submitting an Application for ECFMG Certification will increase from $50 to $60.
The fees for those applying to ECFMG for USMLE Step 1, Step 2 Clinical Knowledge (CK), and Step 2 Clinical Skills (CS) will also increase, as described below:
- The examination fees for USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 CK will increase from $790 to $820 for each exam registration.
- The examination fee for Step 2 CS will increase from $1,375 to $1,440 for each exam registration.
The new fees will be assessed for all applications submitted to ECFMG on or after January 1, 2013.
Additionally, it is expected that Prometric will increase the Step 1/Step 2 CK international test delivery surcharges, which apply to applicants who choose a testing region other than the United States/Canada. ECFMG will post additional information on the increases to the international test delivery surcharges to the ECFMG website as it becomes available.
For more information on the fees associated with applying for ECFMG Certification and for USMLE Step 1, Step 2 CK, and Step 2 CS, refer to the ECFMG 2013 Information Booklet.
IWA Unavailable December 31-January 1
Due to required maintenance, ECFMG’s Interactive Web Applications (IWA) will be unavailable from approximately 11:00 p.m. on December 31, 2012 through approximately 12:15 a.m. on January 1, 2013. All times are calculated using Eastern Time in the United States.
During this maintenance period, you will be unable to perform any IWA transactions, including working on or submitting an Application for ECFMG Certification or USMLE exam application; accessing a USMLE scheduling permit; or requesting an extension of a USMLE Step 1 or Step 2 CK eligibility period.
Thank you for your patience and cooperation as we work to maintain high-quality on-line services.
Reminder: Attempt Limit for USMLE Examinations
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 took any Step or Step Component (including incomplete attempts) 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 submitted on or after January 1, 2012.
Example: On January 15, 2012, Examinee A submitted an application for his first attempt at any Step or Step Component. The six-attempt limit went into effect 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.
If you took any Step or Step Component (including incomplete attempts) before January 1, 2012, the six-attempt limit will go into effect for all exam applications that you submit on or after January 1, 2013. Beginning on that date, all attempts at a Step or Step Component will be counted toward the limit, regardless of when the exams were taken.
Examples: 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 on or after January 1, 2013 to retake that Step or Step Component.
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 2013 Bulletin of Information for more complete information on time and attempt limits.
ECFMG On-line Services Will Remain Available November 2-3
We previously reported that ECFMG’s on-line services would be unavailable during a maintenance period scheduled for November 2-3. This scheduled maintenance has been postponed due to inclement weather, and ECFMG’s on-line services will remain available. Information on the rescheduled maintenance period will be posted to the ECFMG website as soon as it becomes available.
Thank you for your patience and understanding.
ECFMG 2013 Information Booklet and Application Materials Are Available
The ECFMG 2013 Information Booklet and the 2013 exam application materials are now available on the ECFMG website.
For Step 1/Step 2 CK, you can use the 2013 materials to apply for:
- available Step 1/Step 2 CK eligibility periods ending in 2012 (September 2012-November 2012 and October 2012-December 2012) and
- all Step 1/Step 2 CK eligibility periods ending in 2013, beginning with the November 2012-January 2013 eligibility period.
For Step 2 CS, you can use the 2013 materials to obtain a 12-month eligibility period that begins on the date that the processing of your application is completed.
(posted August 1, 2012; updated September 12, 2012)
IWA Unavailable September 11-12
Due to required maintenance, ECFMG’s Interactive Web Applications (IWA) will be unavailable for up to 24 hours, beginning at 6:00 p.m., Eastern Time in the United States, on September 11, 2012.
During this maintenance period, you will be unable to perform any IWA transactions, including working on or submitting an Application for ECFMG Certification or USMLE exam application; accessing a USMLE scheduling permit; or requesting an extension of a USMLE Step 1 or Step 2 CK eligibility period.
Thank you for your patience and cooperation as we work to maintain high-quality on-line services.