Changes are planned for the USMLE® Step 3 examination later this year. The Step 3 changes will affect the content of the examination, and the resulting content will be restructured across the two testing days of Step 3. There also will be a change to Step 3 application requirements and to how examinees may schedule the two days of the examination. These changes are summarized in the Fact Sheet, “Changes to USMLE® 2014-2015,” available on the USMLE website at http://goo.gl/Dazw89.
Some key dates in the transition to the restructured Step 3 exam are:
- Applications for the current Step 3 examination will not be accepted after 5:00 p.m. (U.S. Central Time) on July 18, 2014.
- Applications for the restructured Step 3 examination will be accepted starting on August 4, 2014.
- No Step 3 examinations will be administered during most or all of October 2014.
- Administration of the restructured Step 3 exam will begin on November 3, 2014.
- There will be a score delay following introduction of the restructured Step 3 examination on November 3, 2014. The duration of the score delay will be determined by examinee volume during the early months of exam administration. Based on historic trends, the USMLE Program estimates that scores for Step 3 exams taken on or after November 3, 2014 will be released in April 2015.
These dates are summarized in “Changes to USMLE® 2014-2015: Timeline of Selected Events for Step 3,” available at http://goo.gl/xPg0fX.
Passing Step 3 is not a requirement for ECFMG Certification. To apply for and take Step 3, international medical graduates must already be certified by ECFMG. However, if you are certified by ECFMG and plan to take Step 3, you should be familiar with the upcoming changes and the schedule for transitioning to the restructured Step 3 examination.
For the latest information, monitor the Fact Sheet, Timeline, and the additional information about upcoming changes to USMLE examinations on the USMLE website at http://www.usmle.org/cru/. You also can subscribe to the USMLE Announcements RSS Feed by visiting http://www.usmle.org/announcements/.
