Score Reports Common Questions
In this section
Why have the Step examination score reports changed and how was the new format developed?
The new score report format reflects both advances in the underlying science of assessment and changes to the USMLE examinations over time. USMLE score reports were virtually unchanged for nearly two decades. During that time, the USMLE exams experienced incremental changes, including changes to content sampling, item types, and review and modification of minimum passing scores. Simultaneously, measurement researchers, including those who support the USMLE program, continued to advance the science of subscore computational methods, data visualization, and score reporting.
The process used to design a new score report format included:
- The development of prototype score reports that better supported the intended inferences
- Approval of the prototypes by USMLE governance committees (composed of medical school faculty, members of state medical boards, and public members)
- Focus group studies with USMLE test-takers to identify preferences among prototypes and to evaluate their ability to make correct inferences (and not make incorrect inferences) from the prototype score reports
The examinee focus group results clearly demonstrated that the new score report format was viewed as a substantial improvement by USMLE test-takers. Results also showed that USMLE examinees were both able to interpret the information provided in the new score report format appropriately and were less likely to make incorrect inferences.
The Step 1 examinee score report underwent further modifications to account for the transition to reporting only a pass/fail outcome, which began for examinees taking Step 1 exams on or after January 26, 2022. The new Step 1 examinee score report format supports the transition to Step 1 pass/fail reporting while continuing to provide candidates who receive a failing outcome feedback on content areas requiring further study before they retake the exam.
Please view the sample score reports:
- Step 3 interactive (applies to Step 1 before pass-fail transition, Step 2 CK, and Step 3)
- Step 1
- After Pass-Fail Transition – Pass
- After Pass-Fail Transition – Fail
How do I interpret my score?
Your score reflects your relative mastery of the concepts and principles that constitute the basis of safe and effective patient care specific to each Step examination.
The average score and standard deviation for recent administrations are included on your score report. Detailed information about interpreting USMLE scores is available in the Score Interpretation Guidelines.
Please note that if your exam is administered over multiple days, only the first day of testing will be reflected on the score report and transcript.
What is the minimum passing standard, and is it always the same?
The USMLE Management Committee establishes a passing standard for each individual Step examination. This standard reflects the level of performance an examinee must achieve to pass. The USMLE Management Committee reviews data for each Step examination approximately once every three to four years and decides whether to change the recommended passing standard.
How are scores from different forms of a Step examination made comparable?
Within each Step examination, USMLE creates various forms that are similar in difficulty and content. Scores on individual examination forms are made comparable through equating, a psychometric process that adjusts scores based on the difficulty of the questions. This can be thought of as small score increases applied to examinees who see somewhat more difficult sets of test questions, and small score decreases applied to test takers who see somewhat less difficult sets of test questions. This process ensures examinees who take different forms are held to the same passing standard.
How is my performance compared to others?
Step 1 before pass/fail transition, Step 2 CK, and Step 3: Your performance is compared to other examinees by comparing your three-digit score to that of a recent group of examinees (students from US and Canadian medical schools taking the examination for the first time). The blue bars represent the distribution of this group’s scores, with higher bars indicating more individuals with scores in that range. Your overall performance (three-digit score) is marked with an orange rectangle and solid line. The black rectangle and dashed line indicate the minimum passing score.
If your overall performance (indicated by the orange rectangle and solid line on page 1) is toward the right side of the chart and to the right of the tallest blue bar, your performance was higher than others. If your overall performance is toward the left side of the chart, or to the left of the tallest blue bar, your performance was lower than others.
Additional information about how your performance compares to others (including norm tables and summary data from recent administrations) is available in the Score Interpretation Guidelines. Performance data by group for each Step examination is available each year based on the performance of examinees in that year.
Step 1 after pass/fail transition: After Step 1 transitions to pass/fail score reporting, passing examinees will not see performance feedback on their score report. Examinees who fail will receive the visual described above to help assess how close they scored in relation to the passing standard.
