When do Step 3 scores come out?.
Step 3 is a two-day exam. Enter your last testing day to see when your Step 3 score typically comes out and when to plan around.
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How to use the Step 3 score release date calculator
- Enter your last testing day, because Step 3 is given over two days.
- If a licensing or employment step needs your result, add that deadline.
- Read the typical release date, the date to plan around, and any holiday notice.
Step 3 score release at a glance
| Exam | USMLE Step 3 |
|---|---|
| Days of testing | Two days |
| Reported as | Three-digit score and pass/fail |
| Passing standard | 200 (exams on or after January 1, 2024) |
| Typical release | Wednesdays, within 4 weeks of your last testing day |
| Plan around | 8 weeks after your last testing day |
Worked example. If your last testing day was Tuesday, December 15, 2026, scores would typically post by Wednesday, January 6, 2027, the last Wednesday release within four weeks. You would plan around Tuesday, February 9, 2027, eight weeks after that date. New Year's Day falls in or just after that window, so a release could be a week later.
Step 3 is a two-day exam
Step 3 is given over two days. USMLE says the typical timeframe runs from your test date, but it does not say which testing day starts the count for a two-day exam. This calculator uses your last testing day, which is the later and more cautious date.
USMLE also says that if your exam is given over multiple days, only the first day of testing is reflected on the score report and transcript. Step 3 is reported as a three-digit score with a pass/fail result, and USMLE lists 200 as the passing standard for exams administered on or after January 1, 2024.
Sending your Step 3 result where it needs to go
State medical boards decide what exam results they require for a license, so confirm the requirements of the board you plan to apply to. Licensing boards receive USMLE transcripts through the FSMB transcript service, which sends them directly to the licensing authority, so allow processing time after your score is released.
USMLE reviews each passing standard about every four years and posts notices on its announcements page. Delays have occurred around passing standard changes, so check that page if your result is later than expected.
Release timing in short
Step 3 scores are released on Wednesdays, typically within four weeks of your test date, and USMLE asks you to allow at least eight weeks. The USMLE score release date calculator page explains the holiday and delay rules.
For the full explanation of how USMLE schedules score releases, including holidays and delays, see the USMLE score release date calculator.
Frequently asked questions
When do Step 3 scores come out?
Step 3 scores are posted on Wednesdays, generally for examinees who tested in the four weeks before that Wednesday, and USMLE says results are typically available within four weeks of your test date. For a two-day exam, enter your last testing day to see the later, more cautious window.
Which day do I enter for a two-day exam like Step 3?
USMLE gives its timeframe from your test date and does not say which day of a two-day exam starts the count. The calculator uses your last testing day, which gives the later, more cautious window.
Does the Step 3 score report show both days?
USMLE says that if an exam is given over multiple days, only the first day of testing is reflected on the score report and transcript.
What is the Step 3 passing score?
USMLE lists 200 as the Step 3 passing standard for exams administered on or after January 1, 2024. Step 3 is reported as a three-digit score with a pass/fail result.
How do I send my Step 3 result to a state medical board?
Request your USMLE transcript through the FSMB transcript service and pay the fee. FSMB sends it directly to the licensing authority. State boards decide what results they require, so check with the board you plan to apply to.
What if my Step 3 result is later than four weeks?
Four weeks is a typical timeframe, not a guarantee, and USMLE advises allowing at least eight weeks. If you have not received your score within eight weeks of your test date, USMLE asks you to contact it. Check its announcements page for notices that may affect score reporting.
Keep going
- USMLE score release date calculator: Find the typical release window for Step 1, Step 2 CK or Step 3 from your test date.
- When do Step 1 scores come out?: See when your Step 1 pass/fail result typically comes out from your test date.
- When do Step 2 CK scores come out?: See when your Step 2 CK score typically comes out from your test date.
- USMLE Step 2 CK score predictor: Combine several practice scores into one Step 2 CK estimate with a range.
- USMLE results, score rechecks & transcripts
- USMLE passing scores for Step 1, Step 2 CK and Step 3
Sources
- USMLE: examination results and scoring
- USMLE: score reports (common questions)
- USMLE: announcements
- Methodology and assumptions for these calculators
Estimates only. These tools give statistical estimates from practice scores using a simple model with stated assumptions. They are not affiliated with or endorsed by USMLE, NBME, FSMB, UWorld or AMBOSS, and they do not predict or guarantee any exam result. Passing standards can change; confirm them on usmle.org. Educational content is not medical, academic or career advice.