When Do USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 Scores Come Out?
USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 CK results typically arrive two to four weeks after test day in 2026, with no scheduled delays. How to check, and what to do if late
USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 CK scores in 2026 are typically released two to four weeks after your test date, and there are no scheduled score delay periods this year. Unlike the SAT or MCAT, the USMLE program does not publish a fixed release date for each testing window. Results are reported on a rolling basis, and the official guidance is to allow at least eight weeks before assuming something is wrong. Since the January 2026 service transition, US MD and DO students get an email from NBME and view the report in the MyUSMLE Portal, while international medical graduates get an email from FSMB and view it in FSMB's USMLE portal.
The official 2026 score reporting schedule
The USMLE Bulletin of Information says results for Step 1, Step 2 CK, and Step 3 are "typically available two to four weeks after your test date," and that you should "allow at least eight weeks" for the notification, because in rare cases processing takes longer.
For years, the program built annual delay periods into the calendar, most visibly for Step 2 CK exams taken in June and July. On March 6, 2024, USMLE announced it would "no longer implement dedicated score delay periods," and that policy still stands. There is no published delay for any 2026 testing window.
Because there is no per-window release date, the most useful table is the expected window for common fall 2026 test dates. These are calculated from the official guidance, not published dates:
| Test date | Earliest typical (2 weeks) | Latest typical (4 weeks) | Allow until (8 weeks) |
|---|---|---|---|
| September 1, 2026 | September 15, 2026 | September 29, 2026 | October 27, 2026 |
| September 15, 2026 | September 29, 2026 | October 13, 2026 | November 10, 2026 |
| October 1, 2026 | October 15, 2026 | October 29, 2026 | November 26, 2026 |
| October 15, 2026 | October 29, 2026 | November 12, 2026 | December 10, 2026 |
| November 1, 2026 | November 15, 2026 | November 29, 2026 | December 27, 2026 |
| November 15, 2026 | November 29, 2026 | December 13, 2026 | January 10, 2027 |
| December 1, 2026 | December 15, 2026 | December 29, 2026 | January 26, 2027 |
Two notes on timing:
- Release day of the week is not official. Examinees have long reported that most USMLE score reports post on Wednesdays, but the program does not commit to a day. Treat a Wednesday release as likely, not promised.
- The eight-week line matters for residency planning. If you need a Step 2 CK score in your ERAS application, count back eight weeks from the date you want it in hand, not four. FSMB began processing USMLE transcripts for the ERAS service on June 4, 2026, and that transcript step is separate from the score report.
How to check your USMLE score
Where you look depends on who registered you, which changed in January 2026 when ECFMG and FSMB handed their USMLE services to NBME and FSMB.
- Wait for the email. The organization that registered you sends a notification when the report is posted. US MD and DO students and graduates hear from NBME; students and graduates of medical schools outside the US hear from FSMB.
- Sign in to the right portal. US students and graduates use NBME's MyUSMLE Portal (myusmle.org), which has handled all three Steps for US programs since January 26, 2026. International medical graduates use FSMB's USMLE portal (usmle.fsmb.org), which took over for IMGs on January 12, 2026. Any ECFMG score report posted in the prior 365 days was transferred to the FSMB portal.
- Save a copy. The report stays on the portal for approximately 365 days from the email date. After that, your scores are available only as an official transcript, for a fee.
The program does not give out scores or outcomes by phone, email, or fax, to you or to anyone else, so the portal is the only channel.
What to do if your score is late or missing
A report that has not appeared at four weeks is not yet late by the official definition. Work through these in order:
- Check the eight-week window first. The official language is explicit that some reports take longer, and eight weeks is when you should start asking questions.
- Check the email address on your registration account. The notification goes to the address on file with NBME or FSMB, not necessarily the one you use daily, so check that inbox and its spam folder.
- Confirm you are in the correct portal. A US graduate looking on the FSMB portal, or an IMG looking on MyUSMLE, will see nothing.
- Contact your registering organization. US students and graduates contact NBME at usmlereg@nbme.org or +1 (215) 590-9700. IMGs contact FSMB at usmle@fsmb.org or +1 (817) 868-4041. Have your USMLE ID and test date ready.
- Do not book a retake yet. A missing report is almost always a processing or delivery issue, not a failed exam; failing results post through the same portal on the same timeline.
What the score means and what happens next
Step 1 is pass/fail only. Every Step 1 exam taken on or after January 26, 2022 reports a pass or fail outcome with no three-digit score. The underlying passing standard is 196 on the traditional scale, but the number does not appear on the report.
Step 2 CK still reports a three-digit score. The minimum passing score is 218 for exams taken on or after July 1, 2025. Because Step 1 no longer reports a number, Step 2 CK is generally the score residency programs weight most heavily, and the report's performance profile by content area is worth reading closely. Step 3 passes at 200 for exams taken on or after January 1, 2024.
If you passed Step 1, the next milestone is Step 2 CK, usually during or after the core clerkship year. If you passed Step 2 CK, the score reaches ERAS through your USMLE transcript, and Step 3 follows during residency. If you failed, you can retake after the waiting period described in the Bulletin, and the performance profile tells you which systems and disciplines pulled the score down.
Score rechecks rarely change anything. You can request one within 90 days of release, for a fee, but the program describes a changed outcome as "an extremely remote possibility."
Testing is changing in 2029. USMLE announced in June 2026 that it will move to Designated Testing Dates, and on August 6, 2026 it moved that transition from 2028 to January 2029. Until then, scheduling works as it does today.
Prepare for the next Step with your own materials
- Put your expected release window, the eight-week outer bound, and your target Step 2 CK or Step 3 date into the free AI calendar generator and export the .ics file. A "contact NBME if nothing by this date" event beats refreshing the portal every morning.
- Upload your clerkship notes, First Aid chapters, or shelf exam error logs and turn them into timed quizzes with the practice test generator, so the questions target your gaps rather than someone else's.
- Convert lecture PDFs into review cards with the PDF to flashcards tool. If you spent Step 1 prep fighting a pre-made deck, our guides on turning First Aid into flashcards automatically and AnKing deck alternatives cover building cards from your own sources instead.
Scholarly is built around that idea: you bring the sources, it produces the flashcards, quizzes, study guides, and a chat grounded in those sources, so the weeks between exam day and score day go toward the next Step.
USMLE score release: quick FAQ
How long after Step 1 do scores come out in 2026?
Typically two to four weeks after your test date. The official guidance is to allow at least eight weeks, and there are no scheduled delay periods in 2026.
When do Step 2 CK scores come out?
On the same timeline as Step 1: typically two to four weeks, with an eight-week outer bound. The June and July delay periods of earlier years were eliminated in March 2024.
What day of the week are USMLE scores released?
The program does not publish a release day. Wednesday releases are a long-standing pattern reported by examinees, not an official commitment.
Where do I see my USMLE score?
US MD and DO students and graduates: NBME's MyUSMLE Portal. International medical graduates: FSMB's USMLE portal. An email from the relevant organization tells you when the report is posted, and it stays available for about 365 days.
Does Step 1 still have a numeric score?
No. Since January 26, 2022, Step 1 reports pass or fail only. Step 2 CK reports a three-digit score with a minimum passing score of 218.
Sources
- USMLE, Score Reporting: https://www.usmle.org/scores-transcripts/score-reporting
- USMLE, Examination Results and Scoring: https://www.usmle.org/scores-transcripts/examination-results-and-scoring
- USMLE, Bulletin of Information, Scoring and Score Reporting: https://www.usmle.org/bulletin-information/scoring-and-score-reporting
- USMLE, Score Reporting Timeline Update (March 6, 2024): https://www.usmle.org/usmle-score-reporting-timeline-update
- USMLE, 2026 Bulletin of Information Addendum (service transition): https://www.usmle.org/2026-bulletin-information-addendum
- USMLE, Service Transition FAQs: https://www.usmle.org/usmle-service-transition-faqs
- USMLE, Announcements (Designated Testing Dates, ERAS transcripts): https://www.usmle.org/announcements
- ECFMG News, USMLE Score Reporting archive: https://www.ecfmg.org/news/category/usmle-score-reporting/
Last verified: September 1, 2026. USMLE publishes rolling guidance rather than fixed release dates, so check the official pages above before planning around a specific day.
