The United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE)

Scheduling the Examination

Once ECFMG verifies that you are eligible to test and your registration is complete, your scheduling permit will be issued. If you apply for more than one exam at the same time, you will be issued separate scheduling permits for each exam. ECFMG will send your scheduling permit to your e-mail address of record. You will not receive the scheduling permit or notification by postal mail.

Important Note: For Step 1 and Step 2 CK, if the beginning of your assigned eligibility period is more than six months in the future, your scheduling permit will not be available or sent via e-mail until approximately six months before the beginning of the assigned eligibility period.

The scheduling permit is a very important document; it includes your assigned eligibility period, a description of the form(s) of identification you must bring to the test center on your exam date, and instructions for scheduling your testing appointment. You must bring your scheduling permit to the test center on your exam date. Your name, as it appears on your scheduling permit, must exactly match the name on your form(s) of identification. The only acceptable differences are variations in capitalization; the presence of a middle name, middle initial or suffix on one document and its absence on the other; or the presence of a middle name on one and middle initial on the other. Please review your scheduling permit for additional details. If you do not bring a copy of your scheduling permit (electronic or paper) and required identification on each day of your exam, you will not be allowed to take the exam. If you are not allowed to take the exam, you must pay a fee to reschedule your exam. Your rescheduled testing appointment must fall within your assigned eligibility period.

If the name listed on your scheduling permit is not correct, contact ECFMG immediately. Use the contact information for General Inquiries on the Contact Us page of the ECFMG website.

If your name of record with us is changed while you are registered for an exam, a revised scheduling permit reflecting this change will be issued. ECFMG will send your revised scheduling permit via e-mail. You must bring the revised scheduling permit to the test center. Name changes must be received and processed by ECFMG no later than seven business days before your testing appointment, or you will not be able to test. For Step 1 or Step 2 CK, if your eligibility period is extended or your testing region is changed while you are registered, a revised scheduling permit reflecting this change will be issued. You must bring the revised scheduling permit to the test center.

If you lose your scheduling permit, you can access it via our on-line services.

Scheduling

You can schedule your testing appointment as soon as you obtain your exam scheduling permit. Please refer to your scheduling permit for instructions on reviewing available test dates and centers and scheduling a testing appointment. Test dates are provided on a first-come, first-served basis. The USMLE program cannot guarantee the availability of test centers. Therefore, you should contact Prometric to schedule as soon as possible after receiving your scheduling permit.

It is also recommended that you schedule your test dates early in your eligibility period to provide flexibility in case you need to reschedule. If you do not schedule and take the exam within your eligibility period, you must reapply by submitting a new application and exam fee(s) if you wish to take the exam.

Rescheduling

If you are unable to keep your Step 1 or Step 2 CK testing appointment, you are permitted to change (reschedule, cancel, change test center location) your appointment within your eligibility period. Rescheduling fees may apply. A fee schedule is posted on the USMLE website . Refer to your scheduling permit for details on contacting Prometric to change your appointment.

If you cannot take the Step 1 or Step 2 CK exam during your assigned eligibility period, you may request a one-time, contiguous eligibility period extension via our on-line services. Additional information and instructions are provided with the application.

If you cannot take the Step 1 or Step 2 CK exam in the testing region you selected, you may request to change your testing region. Additional information and instructions are provided with the form.