IMGs Participating in 2014 Match Should Apply for Step 2 CS Now
International medical students/graduates and graduates of Fifth Pathway programs who plan to participate in the National Resident Matching Program® (NRMP®) 2014 Main Residency MatchSM (in March 2014) are reminded that they must take Step 2 Clinical Skills (CS) by December 31, 2013. As published in the 2013 Schedule for Reporting Step 2 CS Results, if you do not take Step 2 CS by December 31, 2013, your result will not be available in time to participate in the 2014 Match.
IMPORTANT NOTE: This deadline applies only to participation in the 2014 Main Residency Match. For information on deadlines to participate in the Supplemental Offer and Acceptance ProgramSM (SOAPSM), monitor the NRMP website.
If you need to pass Step 2 CS to participate in the 2014 Match, you are strongly encouraged to apply for Step 2 CS now. If you do not register early and schedule a test date as soon as possible, you may not be able to obtain a test date in 2013.
At the time of this writing, the earliest available test date at any test center is in August 2013. Traditionally, there has been high demand for testing dates during the second half of the year. Additionally, test sessions at all test centers may be subject to scheduling restrictions that may limit the number of test dates available to you.
To maximize your chances of obtaining a test date in 2013, apply for Step 2 CS now, provided you meet the eligibility requirements. Once registered, schedule your testing appointment as soon as possible. Early registration and scheduling may offer a number of benefits. If you plan to apply for Step 2 CS, you should consider the following:
- Step 2 CS sessions are opened 8 to 10 months in advance.
- Applicants registered for Step 2 CS can schedule and take the exam during the 12-month eligibility period that follows their registration. By registering early, applicants increase the likelihood they will be able to obtain a testing appointment for a preferred date/test center.
- Applicants who schedule a testing appointment can change the testing appointment without cost, provided they give more than 14 days’ notice. See Rescheduling in the ECFMG Information Booklet.
- Applicants who take Step 2 CS earlier in the year and receive a failing result are more likely to have the opportunity to retake the exam in 2013 and receive their result in time to participate in the 2014 Match.
Updated information on Step 2 CS scheduling will be posted to the USMLE and ECFMG websites as it becomes available.
Additional Important Reminders for Step 2 CS Examinees
Individuals planning to take Step 2 CS should monitor the ECFMG and USMLE websites for other important updates. As a reminder, the following are some of the USMLE Program’s recent updates on Step 2 CS.
Test-taking Reminders for Step 2 Clinical Skills (CS) Examinees
http://www.ecfmg.org/news/?p=684
Change in the Performance Standard of the Step 2 CS Examination that Will Affect Examinees Testing on or after January 1, 2013
http://www.ecfmg.org/news/?p=745
Clarification on Completing the Step 2 Clinical Skills (CS) Patient Note
http://www.ecfmg.org/news/?p=756
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)
2012 and 2013 Schedules for Reporting Step 2 CS Results
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Step 2 CS 2012 Reporting Schedule |
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Testing Period |
Reporting Period |
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For examinees who test |
Reporting start date |
Reporting close date |
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Jan 1 through Jan 28 |
Feb 29 |
Mar 28 |
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Jan 29 through Mar 24 |
Apr 25 |
May 23 |
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Mar 25 through May 19 |
Jun 20 |
Jul 18 |
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All test centers closed. |
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Jun 17 through Aug 25 |
Oct 10 |
Oct 31 |
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Aug 26 through Nov 3 |
Dec 5 |
Jan 2, 2013 |
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Nov 4 through Dec 31 |
Jan 30, 2013 |
Feb 20, 2013 |
For each “Testing Period” in the above schedule, Step 2 CS scores are released every Wednesday over a corresponding four- to five-week “Reporting Period.” It is expected that results for the vast majority of examinees who take the exam during the testing period will be reported on the first Wednesday of the Reporting Period. Results for 98%-99% of examinees who take the exam during the testing period are reported by the third Wednesday in a Reporting Period. For a small percentage of examinees (1%-2%), scoring and quality assurance may be not completed in time for these examinees to be reported by the first three reporting dates; these will typically be examinees who took the exam in the latter part of the testing period or who tested during the first administration after the May 20 through June 16 shutdown. Results for these examinees will be reported each week throughout the reporting period, and should be reported no later than the last day of the score reporting period.
This schedule allows USMLE staff to enhance the quality assurance and data collection/scoring procedures performed prior to score reporting. Additionally, it provides examinees, as well as others who rely on Step 2 CS results, with guidelines regarding when a result will be reported for a given exam date. These guidelines allow examinees to plan their exam registration and scheduling in order to have their results in time to meet specific deadlines, such as those related to graduation or participation in the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP), or “the Match.”
Changes to the assessment of communication skills and patient note were made in mid-2012. In order to introduce these changes to the examination, no Step 2 CS examinations were administered from May 20 through June 16, 2012. Please note the following information regarding the testing schedule in the second half of 2012:
- Additional testing sessions—including evening and weekend sessions—have been added to the calendar before and after the May/June shutdown.
- The reporting schedule for examinees testing from June 17, 2012 through November 3, 2012 will be 2-4 weeks longer than for examinees testing during other periods.
- Individuals who tested on or after June 17, 2012 will see less detailed feedback on their graphical performance profiles than has been provided to examinees in the past. The performance profiles are provided as an assessment tool for the examinee’s benefit and are not reported or verified to any third party. The profiles summarize relative areas of strength and weakness to aid in self assessment.
- Examinees who test on or before December 31, 2012 will have results reported in time for the 2013 “Match.”
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Step 2 CS 2013 Reporting Schedule |
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Testing Period |
Reporting Period |
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For examinees who test |
Reporting start date |
Reporting close date |
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Jan 1 through Jan 26 |
Feb 27 |
Mar 20 |
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Jan 27 through Mar 23 |
Apr 24 |
May 22 |
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Mar 24 through May 18 |
Jun 12 |
Jul 10 |
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All test centers closed. |
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Jun 1 through Jul 13 |
Aug 14 |
Sep 11 |
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Jul 14 through Sep 7 |
Oct 9 |
Nov 6 |
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Sep 8 through Nov 2 |
Dec 4 |
Jan 1, 2014 |
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Nov 3 through Dec 31 |
Jan 29, 2014 |
Feb 19, 2014 |
For each “Testing Period” in the above schedule, Step 2 CS scores are released every Wednesday over a corresponding four-to five-week “Reporting Period.” It is expected that results for the vast majority of examinees who take the exam during the testing period will be reported on the first Wednesday of the Reporting Period. Results for 98%-99% of examinees who take the exam during the testing period are reported by the third Wednesday in a Reporting Period. For a small percentage of examinees (1%-2%), scoring and quality assurance may be not completed in time for these examinees to be reported by the first three reporting dates; these will typically be examinees who took the exam in the latter part of the testing period.
Results for these examinees will be reported each week throughout the reporting period, and should be reported no later than the last day of the score reporting period. This schedule allows USMLE staff to enhance the quality assurance and data collection/scoring procedures performed prior to score reporting. Additionally, it provides examinees, as well as others who rely on Step 2 CS results, with guidelines regarding when a result will be reported for a given exam date. These guidelines allow examinees to plan their exam registration and scheduling in order to have their results in time to meet specific deadlines, such as those related to graduation or participation in the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP), or “the Match.”
(posted June 4, 2008; updated June 27, 2008, June 16, 2009, May 26, 2010, July 19, 2011, September 29, 2011, March 30, 2012, June 22, 2012, February 26, 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.
Clarification on Completing the Step 2 Clinical Skills (CS) Patient Note
Changes were introduced to the Step 2 CS examination program in mid-June 2012. These included changes to the patient note that examinees must complete after each standardized patient encounter.
As described in the Step 2 CS Content Description and General Information booklet, examinees should record pertinent medical history and physical examination findings obtained during the encounter, as well as initial differential diagnoses (maximum of three). The diagnoses should be listed in order of likelihood, most likely to least likely. Examinees should also indicate the pertinent positive and negative findings obtained from the history and physical examination to support each potential diagnosis.
To clarify previous language about USMLE expectations for examinees completing the patient note: while it is acknowledged that it is important for a physician to be able to recognize the findings that rule out certain diagnoses, the task for Step 2 CS examinees at this time is to record only the most likely diagnoses along with findings (positive and negative), that support them.
Additional information about the Step 2 CS examination, and about all USMLE examinations, is available in the USMLE Bulletin of Information.
Instructions for completing the patient note, as well as a simulation program for practicing the note, and sample patient notes, are available in the Practice Materials section of the USMLE website.
Change in the Performance Standard of the Step 2 CS Examination that Will Affect Examinees Testing on or after January 1, 2013
December 21, 2012
Filed under: Step 2 CS
Filed under: Step 2 CS
As stated in the USMLE Bulletin of Information and as explained in a previous posting to the USMLE website, the level of proficiency required to meet the recommended minimum passing level for each USMLE Step examination is reviewed periodically and may be adjusted at any time. Notice of such review and any adjustments are posted on the USMLE website.
At its December 2012 meeting, the Step 2 Committee conducted such a review for USMLE Step 2 Clinical Skills (CS). During the meeting, the Step 2 Committee considered information from multiple sources, including:
- Recommendations from independent groups of physicians who participated in content-based standard-setting activities in 2012;
- Results of surveys of various groups (e.g., state licensing representatives, medical school faculty, examinees) concerning the appropriateness of current pass/fail standards for the Step 2 CS examinations;
- Data on trends in examinee performance;
- Data on precision of pass/fail classifications.
The results of the review are described below. Because numerical scores are not reported for Step 2 CS, the decisions of the Step 2 Committee are reflected in terms of potential impact on examinees using data from recent administrations.
The Step 2 Committee decided to increase the performance levels required to receive a passing outcome on two of the three Step 2 CS subcomponents: Communication and Interpersonal Skills (CIS) and Integrated Clinical Encounter (ICE). There will be no change to minimum passing requirements for the Spoken English Proficiency (SEP) subcomponent of Step 2 CS at this time.
These changes will be applied to Step 2 CS examinees testing on or after January 1, 2013.
Because of the changes that were made to the design and content of the ICE and CIS subcomponents earlier this year, as announced, the ability to use historical trends to predict the impact of the changes in minimum passing requirements is limited. If the new minimum passing requirements were applied to the group of first-time examinees who recently tested under the new examination structure, the overall passing rate for examinees from U.S. medical schools would be approximately three percent lower and the overall passing rate for examinees from international medical schools would be approximately eighteen percent lower.
The impact of these changes on future examinees will depend on the examinees’ performance. The overall impact will be reviewed by the Step 2 Committee when more examinees have tested under these new requirements.
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.
Test-taking Reminders for Step 2 Clinical Skills (CS) Examinees
In December 2011 USMLE announced a number of changes to the Step 2 Clinical Skills (CS) examination program; these were implemented in mid-2012.
It is important for examinees to focus on the specific details of each case when interacting with standardized patients. Their actions should be guided by case details and by the information gathered from the standardized patient and from physical findings. Disregard for details of the case, as well as unfocused history questions or physical examination maneuvers, will likely make it difficult to manage testing time properly and may result in a lower score.
The December 2011 announcement also described changes to the Communication and Interpersonal Skills (CIS) subcomponent of the examination, which assesses an examinee’s performance in five functions. Examinees should be attentive to these functions throughout their interactions with the standardized patients.
In addition, the December 2011 announcement described changes to the patient note that is completed after each standardized patient encounter. Please note that examinees are expected to complete all components of the patient note. An incomplete patient note can result in a lower score.
Examinees can find information on what to expect during their Step 2 CS experience, and for all USMLE examinations, in the USMLE Bulletin of Information. Additional information about the Step 2 CS examination is available in the Step 2 Clinical Skills Content Description and General Information booklet.
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.