United States Medical Licensing Examination Exam Pattern 2026

The USMLE is a multi-step exam. Each step has a different pattern, number of questions, and duration.

• Step 1: A one-day test. It has only multiple-choice questions. It covers basic science topics like anatomy, biochemistry, and pharmacology.
• Step 2: Taken during the fourth year of medical college. It has two parts:
  • Clinical Knowledge (CK): Multiple-choice questions on clinical fields like surgery, internal medicine, and pediatrics.
  • Clinical Skills (CS): Involves assessing and diagnosing people acting as patients. This part is discontinued during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Step 3: A two-day exam. It includes computer simulations of patient care and multiple-choice questions.

The marking pattern differs by section. For Step 2 CS, you get a "pass" or "fail" result. For other sections, your correct answers are converted into two scores: one on a three-digit scale and one on a two-digit scale. To pass, you need a score of 75 on the two-digit scale.