In converting the exam to Pass/Fail, their hope is to reduce the stress around the exam and allow it to be viewed for its primary purpose, which is licensure.Īccording to both USMLE and the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG), Step 2 Clinical Knowledge and Step 3 examinations will continue to be reported as both a three-digit score and pass/fail. Over time, this has put tremendous pressure on medical students, and that is what eventually caught the attention of those who administer the exam. (The current passing score is 194, but some residency program directors only consider applicants who have scored 220 or higher).
This minimum score could vary, but was approximately 25 points higher (or more) than what the licensure exam itself required for a passing score. The test score has gradually become a way for residency program directors to filter out applicants, which is why they started requiring a certain level of performance on the exam in order to be considered for acceptance into their programs. However, over time, a medical school graduate’s performance on the exam was often used for secondary reasons, most notably in the process of applying for medical residency. Thus, the exam is to ensure applicants are ready to be licensed by their state to be able to practice medicine. The primary purpose of the USMLE exam for basic medical knowledge (Step 1) is as a prerequisite for licensure in the US. What exactly is changing with the USMLE and why is it occurring? This change will also go into effect on January 26. Meanwhile, an additional announcement in December 2021 by the USMLE Management Committee changed the definition of what will be considered a Passing score from the current 194 to 196, an increase of two test points. This change has been anticipated for about a year, but now that the deadline is approaching, many IMGs and others have questions about what will happen with the transition and what it means for the future of the residency application process. January 26, 2022-USMLE Step 1 Exam Goes to Pass/FailĪs announced earlier, the US Medical Licensing Examination -Step 1 test of basic medical knowledge will transition to reporting only Pass/Fail rather than the current three-digit numeric score.
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