How USMLE scoring works

How scores are set

Your answers are scored and converted onto a scale. The pass mark is a fixed standard of knowledge, not a quota, so no set share of people has to fail. USMLE reviews the standards from time to time and posts any change on usmle.org.

The share of questions you need right varies by Step and by exam form. USMLE says it’s typically about 60%. So a percentage from a question bank doesn’t convert directly, since its questions can be harder or easier than the real exam.

Step by Step

On Step 3, your case simulation performance counts toward the score and can affect whether you pass.

Percentiles and average scores

USMLE publishes a norm table each year. In the one updated August 17, 2026, the average Step 2 CK score for first-time takers from LCME-accredited schools was 251, and the average Step 3 score was 227. Both had a standard deviation of 15.

A score of 240 put you at the 23rd percentile on Step 2 CK but the 80th on Step 3. USMLE warns that scores on different Steps aren’t comparable. Step 1 has no percentile at all, because there’s no number score. See our Step 2 CK and Step 3 pages for the full tables.

Estimating your score before the exam

NBME sells self-assessments written by the same organization that helps make the real exam. The Comprehensive Basic Science Self-Assessment (for Step 1) and the Comprehensive Clinical Science Self-Assessment (for Step 2 CK) each have 200 questions in four sections, from $62 a form.

The Step 1 version reports an estimated probability of passing and your percent correct by content area. Think of it as an estimate, not a promise.

When you get your result

Results usually take two to four weeks. USMLE says to allow up to eight weeks before you expect them. You’ll get an email when your score report is ready, and it stays online for about a year. After that you need an official transcript, which costs extra.