USMLE Step 1 Exam Dates 2026 and 2027

Written by Dr Zartasha Ali, MBBS, FCPS (Medicine). Reviewed by Dr Ammar Hussain, MBBS, FCPS (Pediatrics), MRCPCH.

USMLE Step 1 has no fixed exam dates in 2026 or 2027: it is offered year-round at Prometric test centers, and you choose your own day inside a three-month eligibility period. The USMLE common questions page states that Step 1, Step 2 CK and Step 3 “are offered year-round”, and that examinees must test within the three-month eligibility period assigned at the time of application.

So the question is not “when is the exam”. The question is “which three months do I pick, and which day inside them can I get”. This page explains both, using only what usmle.org and nbme.org published when we checked on 14 October 2026.

USMLE Step 1 exam dates 2026 and 2027 at a glance

Item	What applies	Source
Fixed national exam dates	None. Testing is year-round	usmle.org, Common Questions
Your testing window	A three-month eligibility period you choose when you apply	usmle.org, Bulletin of Information 2027
Eligibility periods at the 2026 fee	From 1 November 2025 – 31 January 2026 through 1 October 2026 – 31 December 2026	nbme.org fee page
Eligibility periods at the 2027 fee	From 1 November 2026 – 31 January 2027 through 1 October 2027 – 31 December 2027	nbme.org fee page
How far ahead you can book	Scheduling may not open more than six months in advance	usmle.org, Bulletin of Information 2027
Days with no testing	Step 1 is not offered on major local holidays	usmle.org, Apply for Exams
Score release day	Wednesdays	usmle.org, Common Questions
Change to fixed dates	Planned for January 2029, not before	usmle.org announcement, 6 August 2026

The nbme.org eligibility period dates above are listed for students and graduates of US medical schools. If you apply through FSMB, check the periods offered in your own application.

How USMLE Step 1 test dates work

There are four steps between deciding to sit the exam and having a date.

Apply through the correct organization. The USMLE Bulletin of Information says students and graduates of US medical schools accredited by the LCME or COCA apply through the MyUSMLE portal run by NBME. Students and graduates of medical schools outside the US apply through the FSMB website.
Choose an eligibility period. When you apply, you select the three-month period in which you want to test.
Receive your scheduling permit. After registration, the permit arrives by email. It shows your eligibility period.
Book a day with Prometric. You choose the test center and the date. Any date must fall inside your eligibility period.

A note for international medical graduates. Since 12 January 2026, all USMLE Step exam services for international medical graduates have been managed by FSMB, according to the USMLE service transition page. Older guides that tell you to apply through ECFMG describe the earlier system.

USMLE Step 1 scheduling: how early to book

The USMLE Bulletin states that exam appointments are available on a first-come, first-served basis and that test center availability cannot be guaranteed. Its advice is to schedule as soon as you receive your scheduling permit and as early as possible within your eligibility period.

Two limits matter when you plan:

Six months. Scheduling may not open more than six months in advance, so you cannot hold a seat a year ahead.
Holidays. The USMLE apply page says Step 1 is not offered on major local holidays. Available dates appear in the scheduling system.

Step 1 is given at Prometric centers around the world. Step 3 is different: it is given only in the US and its territories.

When to take USMLE Step 1

USMLE does not name one required point in medical school for Step 1. Its common questions page says most students take Step 1 at the end of their second year of medical school and Step 2 in their fourth year. The same page says that at LCME-accredited schools Step 1 and Step 2 can be taken in any order, but you must pass both before you are eligible for Step 3.

Three facts from USMLE help you choose a date:

Results take weeks. Count back from any deadline you have, such as a school promotion date or an application deadline. See the score release section below.
A fail costs time. You may take the same Step no more than three times in a 12-month period, and the total limit is four attempts. Picking a date before you are ready has a real cost.
Many licensing authorities set a time limit. USMLE says most medical licensing authorities require Steps 1, 2 and 3 to be completed within a seven-year period that begins when you pass your first Step.

Your own school or training plan may add its own rules. Check those before you pay.

Once the date is fixed, practice under timed conditions in the weeks before it. Our USMLE Step 1 recalls are written by our own authors and mapped to the official content outline.

USMLE Step 1 score release dates

USMLE does not publish a calendar of score release dates. It publishes a rule instead, and the same rule covers Step 1, Step 2 CK and Step 3. According to the USMLE common questions page:

Scores for USMLE Step exams are released on Wednesdays.
A release generally includes scores for examinees who tested within four weeks before the release date.
Many factors may delay an individual score release.
If you have not received your score within eight weeks of your test date, contact USMLE.

The 2027 Bulletin of Information words it this way: results are typically available two to four weeks after your test date, and you should allow at least eight weeks before expecting notification.

Timing	What USMLE says
Typical wait	Two to four weeks after the test date
Release day	Wednesday
Longest wait to plan for	Eight weeks
How you are told	An email from your registration organization
How long the report stays online	About 365 days after the notification email

Weeks with no score release

USMLE states that new scores are not released in the week following some holidays. It names three: Independence Day (4 July), Thanksgiving Day in late November, and New Year’s Day in early January. If your four-week mark falls in one of those weeks, expect to wait until a later Wednesday.

USMLE also says the scoring process is not expedited or accelerated for any individual or group. There is no way to pay for a faster result.

Step 2 CK score release

Step 2 CK scores follow the same rule as Step 1: they are released on a Wednesday, usually two to four weeks after the test date, and you should allow eight weeks before contacting USMLE. The USMLE scores page gives no separate timing for Step 2 CK.

The difference is what the result says. Step 1 reports pass or fail only. Step 2 CK reports a three-digit score as well, so the release tells you where you stand for residency applications. Our Step 2 CK score percentiles page shows what each score means.

Step 3 score release

Step 3 is a two-day exam, and its score is released on the same Wednesday schedule. USMLE says that when an exam is taken over more than one day, only the first day of testing appears as the test date on the score report and transcript.

Waiting for a practice score instead?

NBME practice exams and the Free 120 do not use this schedule. NBME self-assessments show a score as soon as you finish. To turn a practice result into a predicted Step score, use our NBME score calculator.

Rescheduling a USMLE Step 1 exam date

You can move your appointment, change test center or cancel through Prometric, using the instructions on your scheduling permit. The new date must still fall inside your eligibility period.

The fee depends on how many days before the test you make the change. The USMLE “Reschedule an Exam” page lists these fees, in effect from 1 July 2026 for all testing regions:

Days before your test day	Step 1 fee
46 or more	No fee
31 to 45	$35
6 to 30	$100
5 or fewer	$158

Prometric charges this fee. The days are counted in local time at the Regional Registration Center for your Prometric testing region.

If you cannot test inside your eligibility period

USMLE allows one extension. Its common questions page says examinees who cannot test within their original eligibility period may request a one-time, contiguous three-month extension. Three rules apply:

You can only request it after your scheduling permit is issued.
The request must be received no later than 25 days after the end of the original eligibility period.

If you do not test in either the original or the extended period, USMLE requires a new application and a new fee. Exam fees are not refundable and cannot be transferred. The full cost table is on our USMLE exam fees page.

If you miss your appointment

USMLE says that if you could not test and you still have time left in your eligibility period, you contact Prometric and pay the late rescheduling fee. If no time is left, contact the organization that registered you. USMLE says only exams taken show on a transcript.

The 2029 change to designated testing dates

Year-round testing will end, but not in 2026, 2027 or 2028. On 6 August 2026 USMLE announced that its move to “Designated Testing Dates” will take place in January 2029. From that point the program will reduce the number of Step exam administrations each year.

What USMLE has published so far:

The first announcement, in June 2026, said the three Step exams together would be given on 45 days per year. It first named 2028 as the start, and the August update moved the start to January 2029.
The USMLE FAQ says appointments stay available year-round through Prometric until the transition, and examinees should schedule as usual.
Dates will be published more than a year before each calendar year.
Scheduling details, including the length of eligibility periods under the new model, are still being developed.

USMLE has not yet published how many of those days will be for Step 1. We will add the dates when the official calendar is released.

Questions people ask

Can I take USMLE Step 1 on any day I want?

You can take it on any day that a Prometric center offers inside your eligibility period, if a seat is free. Appointments are first-come, first-served, and Step 1 is not offered on major local holidays.

How long is the USMLE Step 1 exam day?

The USMLE Step 1 page says it is a one-day exam given in one 8-hour testing session. For exams on or after 14 May 2026 it has fourteen 30-minute blocks, a minimum of 55 minutes of break time and an optional 5-minute tutorial.

How soon can I book after I apply?

You can book once you have your scheduling permit. USMLE recommends booking as soon as the permit arrives. Scheduling may not open more than six months ahead.

How soon can I retake Step 1 if I fail?

USMLE rules allow the same exam no more than three times within a 12-month period. A fourth attempt must be at least 12 months after your first attempt and at least six months after your most recent one.

Each retake needs a new application and fee. Our page on the USMLE Step 1 passing score covers attempts in full.

Are USMLE Step 1 exam dates different for international students?

No. The same year-round model applies. Graduates of schools outside the US apply through FSMB, and a region fee applies to exams taken outside the US and Canada.

Sources

Pages opened on 14 October 2026:

USMLE, Common Questions: https://www.usmle.org/common-questions/general
USMLE, Common Questions, Step 1: https://www.usmle.org/common-questions/step-1
USMLE, Common Questions, Scores (release timing for all Steps): https://www.usmle.org/common-questions/scores
USMLE, Common Questions, Cancelling and Rescheduling: https://www.usmle.org/common-questions/cancelling-rescheduling
USMLE, Bulletin of Information 2027, Applying and Scheduling: https://www.usmle.org/bulletin-information/applying-scheduling
USMLE, Bulletin of Information 2027, Scoring and Score Reporting: https://www.usmle.org/bulletin-information/scoring-and-score-reporting
USMLE, Apply for Exams: https://www.usmle.org/apply-exams
USMLE, Reschedule an Exam: https://www.usmle.org/reschedule-exam
USMLE, Step 1: https://www.usmle.org/step-exams/step-1
USMLE, Service Transition Information Hub: https://www.usmle.org/usmle-service-transition
USMLE, Designated Testing Dates Information Hub: https://www.usmle.org/designated-testing-dates
USMLE, Designated Testing Dates FAQs: https://www.usmle.org/usmle-designated-testing-dates-faqs
USMLE, Updated Timeline for Designated Testing Dates (6 August 2026): https://www.usmle.org/updated-timeline-usmles-designated-testing-dates-transition-will-take-place-january-2029
USMLE, Transition to Limited Testing Dates announcement (June 2026): https://www.usmle.org/usmle-transition-limited-testing-dates-each-year-starting-2028
NBME, USMLE fees and eligibility periods: https://www.nbme.org/examinees/united-states-medical-licensing-exam-usmle/

USMLE Step 1 Exam Dates 2026: Test Dates, Scheduling and Score Release