If you have already been licensed as a physician by a US medical licensing authority based on other examinations, such as the Federation Licensing Examination (FLEX), the NBME certifying examinations, or the National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners COMLEX-USA, you may not be eligible to take the USMLE.

If you pass a Step or Step Component, you are not allowed to retake it, except to comply with a time limit imposed by a US physician licensing authority for completion of all Steps or by another authority recognized by the USMLE program. All attempts are counted towards the limit, regardless of when the examinations were taken. Keep in mind that you may not take the same USMLE Step or Step Component more than 6 times, including incomplete attempts. To be eligible to take the USMLE exams, you must meet one of the following eligibility requirements at the time you apply and on the day of your examination: You may take USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 CK in any sequence if you are an international medical graduateВ (IMG). Step 2 Clinical Knowledge (CK) and Clinical Skills (CS) are usually taken after the 3rd year (clerkships). Typically, students of the US medical schools take Step 1 after the first two years of medical school. You must pass Step 1 to move on to the next USMLE Steps. While the USMLE Step 1 exam evaluates your theoretical preparedness for supervised medical practice, it also provides you with an opportunity to get ready for the OSCE components of USMLE examinations. It evaluates whether you understand and can apply key concepts of the basic sciences that are fundamental to the safe practice of medicine, with specific emphasis on principles and structures underlying health, disease, and types of therapy. The United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 1 is a computer-based exam available at Prometric Test Centers around the world.

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