USMLE Designated Testing Dates from 2029: What Is Known

Written by Julian. Checked on October 4, 2026.

USMLE designated testing dates are expected to take effect in January 2029, from the USMLE Designated Testing Dates FAQs page, updated August 6, 2026 and checked on October 4, 2026. From then on, Step 1, Step 2 CK and Step 3 will be given on a limited set of days each year, and the USMLE program says those dates will be published more than a year in advance of each calendar year. No 2029 date has been published yet. Until the change, the Step exams stay year-round, inside a three-month eligibility period.

What changes and when

The USMLE program is moving the Step exams from on-demand testing to what it calls Designated Testing Dates. The FAQ page states: "The transition to Designated Testing Dates is expected to take place in January 2029." The same page says the decision "is final".

The table below is everything the program has put in writing about the new model, with the page each line comes from. All of it was read on October 4, 2026.

Designated Testing Dates item	What the USMLE program says	Where it says it
Start	Expected to take place in January 2029	FAQ page, updated August 6, 2026
Number of administrations	Reduced each year, from an on-demand model to a limited number of testing days	FAQ page and the August 6, 2026 announcement
When dates are published	More than a year in advance of each calendar year	FAQ page
Test centers	On the designated dates, all Prometric centers available for USMLE testing are reserved for the Step exams only	FAQ page and the hub page
Access	More Prometric centers, with seats reserved for USMLE examinees, to improve worldwide access	FAQ page
Eligibility	No change to the eligibility requirements for any Step	FAQ page
Score reporting	Expected to stay as it is: results may be available two to four weeks after a test date; allow at least eight weeks	FAQ page
Accommodations	Multi-day testing continues; accommodated testing begins on a designated date and may extend beyond the published calendar	FAQ page

Source: USMLE, Designated Testing Dates FAQs, Designated Testing Dates Information Hub and the August 6, 2026 announcement, checked on October 4, 2026.

The stated reason is exam security. Fewer testing days, in the FAQ's words, let the program "better control secure test content" so that exposed questions are harder to reproduce and share.

How the start moved from 2028 to January 2029

The first announcement, posted June 23, 2026, said the change would begin in 2028. It also said: "together the three Step exams will only be administered over a total of 45 days each year", and that the program had produced a planned 2028 calendar. That page now carries a note at the top: "As of August 6, 2026, the USMLE program has decided to implement the Designated Testing Dates exam administration model during January 2029."

The August 6, 2026 announcement gave the reason for the delay: the later date "will provide schools with additional time to review and adjust policies and curricula." It also said that by the end of August the program would set up a Designated Testing Dates Implementation Panel, including "U.S. and international examinees", and would share a resource on testing appointment availability based on historical testing volumes. This article did not find that resource linked from the hub page on October 4, 2026.

Source: USMLE, June 23, 2026 announcement and August 6, 2026 announcement, checked on October 4, 2026.

What USMLE has not published yet

As of October 4, 2026, none of the following is on usmle.org.

Any 2029 testing date. No 2029 calendar is posted for any Step.
The number of testing days in 2029. The 45 days a year figure belongs to the June 2026 plan for 2028. The FAQ, updated August 6, 2026, does not repeat it. What it says about a published calendar is that "the number of testing dates will most likely not change, but individual dates on this calendar may be updated."
Which months each Step is offered. The FAQ has a question headed "Why will Step 2 CK not be offered in certain months?" but names no months.
The new registration rules. The FAQ says "length of eligibility periods and scheduling/rescheduling processes, may change" and that these details are still being developed.
Test center lists. The program says it will release information on center availability and locations when available.

Any page that prints a 2029 Step date today is guessing. Check the hub page before you plan around one.

What stays the same until 2029

For now nothing changes in how you book. The FAQ for examinees says: "Examinees should continue to schedule testing appointments as usual through the Prometric website. Testing appointments will continue to be available throughout the year until the transition to Designated Testing Dates in 2029."

Current USMLE scheduling rule	What it is
When Step 1, Step 2 CK and Step 3 are offered	Year-round
Eligibility period	Three months, assigned at the time of application
Extension	One time, contiguous, three months; a fee applies; request no later than 25 days after the original period ends
How far ahead you can book	Scheduling may not be available more than six months in advance
Rescheduling	Allowed within the eligibility period; a fee applies inside the 45 calendar days before the appointment
Where	Prometric centers; Step 3 in the U.S. and its territories only

Source: USMLE, Common Questions and Bulletin of Information, Applying for the Test and Scheduling Your Test Date, checked on October 4, 2026.

The 45 calendar days in the rescheduling rule is a fee window. It has nothing to do with the 45 testing days in the June 2026 announcement. Format and pass rates for each Step are on the Step 1 page and the Step 2 CK page.

What it means if you are an IMG

The FAQ does not have a section for international medical graduates. These are the parts of it, and of the Bulletin, that bear on testing from outside the U.S.

Eligibility does not change. Students and graduates of medical schools outside the U.S. still apply through the FSMB website, according to the Bulletin.
The program says it "will improve worldwide access by expanding the number of Prometric testing centers and reserving seats specifically for USMLE examinees."
Dates will be chosen from "historical testing patterns in the U.S. and globally for each Step exam", along with medical education and licensure milestones.
The Implementation Panel announced on August 6, 2026 is to include U.S. and international examinees.
Step 3 stays a U.S.-only exam.

What is not published: dates by country, seat counts by region, and how a retake is scheduled if the next designated date is full. On retakes, the FAQ says only that appointment availability "may vary by date and location" and that the program is working with Prometric to expand capacity.

What it means for a US student planning a dedicated period

If your Step 1 or Step 2 CK falls before January 2029, you test under the current year-round rules. If it falls in 2029 or later, the date of your dedicated period will be set by a published calendar rather than by an open appointment slot.

The FAQ speaks to schools directly. It says the USMLE program is giving advance notice so schools can "evaluate and adapt their current timelines", and it encourages them to change policies that restrict when students test. It also says the Step exams will keep assessing the same content outline and blueprints, and that dates will be offered throughout the year.

Three things to plan around once a calendar is out:

Score timing. Allow at least eight weeks for a score report, the same advice the FAQ gives now.
Retake timing. A failed attempt means waiting for the next designated date with a free seat, and the FAQ says you may not get your preferred date.
Step 2 CK months. Some months will have no Step 2 CK date at all.

Your school may already have planning tools: the FAQ says LCME-accredited schools have reports on student testing patterns in the MyNBME Services Portal.

How to plan study blocks from your notes around fixed dates

A fixed date changes the plan from "book when ready" to "be ready by the day". Count backward from the published date, set a last date for new material, and leave the final weeks for questions and review. How long that takes is covered in how long to study for Step 1, NCLEX and MCAT.

Practice questions are easier to schedule when they come from what you already studied. On this site you upload your own lecture slides or notes, and each question comes back with a verbatim quote from your file and its page number, checked against the stored text of that page before you see it. The sample exam shows the format without an upload. It will not tell you which day USMLE picks. It can help make sure the notes you have are covered by then.

Questions people ask

When do USMLE designated testing dates start?

The USMLE program says the transition to Designated Testing Dates is expected to take place in January 2029. That date is on its Designated Testing Dates FAQs page, updated August 6, 2026, and was checked on October 4, 2026. The first announcement, on June 23, 2026, had said 2028.

How many testing days will the USMLE have each year?

No number is published for 2029. The June 23, 2026 announcement said the three Step exams together would be given over a total of 45 days each year under the original 2028 plan, but the FAQ updated August 6, 2026 does not repeat that figure, and no 2029 calendar was on usmle.org on October 4, 2026.

When will the 2029 USMLE test dates be published?

The FAQ says Step exam administration dates will be published more than a year in advance of each calendar year. As of October 4, 2026, no 2029 dates are on usmle.org. The FAQ also says individual dates on a published calendar may be updated.

Do I need to do anything now about designated testing dates?

No. The USMLE FAQ for examinees, updated August 6, 2026, says examinees should keep scheduling through the Prometric website as usual, and that appointments stay available throughout the year until the transition in 2029. Checked on October 4, 2026.

What are the current USMLE scheduling rules?

Step 1, Step 2 CK and Step 3 are offered year-round, inside a three-month eligibility period assigned at application. You can ask for one contiguous three-month extension, for a fee, no later than 25 days after the original period ends. From the USMLE Common Questions page, checked on October 4, 2026.

Will designated testing dates change when USMLE scores come out?

The FAQ says no: score reporting is expected to stay consistent with current practice. Results may be available two to four weeks after a test date, and the program advises allowing at least eight weeks for the score report notice. USMLE Designated Testing Dates FAQs, checked on October 4, 2026.

Will IMGs be able to test outside the U.S. under designated testing dates?

The FAQ says the program will improve worldwide access by expanding the number of Prometric testing centers and reserving seats for USMLE examinees, and that eligibility rules do not change. It does not publish dates or seat counts by country. Step 3 stays U.S.-only. Checked on October 4, 2026.

More exam numbers

United States exams

USMLE Step 1 Passing Score, Pass Rates by Year The USMLE Step 1 passing standard is 196 on the three digit scale and the result comes back as pass or fail. Every published Step 1 pass rate from 2013 to 2025 sits here by year and examinee group.
NBME Shelf Exam Scores, Percentiles and Timing How NBME clinical science shelf exams work: 110 questions in 2 hours 45 minutes, equated percent correct scores from 0 to 100, academic year and quarterly norms that go to schools rather than the public, result timing, 2026-2027 fees and the contrast with Step 2 CK.
Step 2 CK Percentiles Table and 218 Pass Score Every Step 2 CK percentile from a score of 205 up to 280 in one table, with the national mean by academic year, the passing score of 218 and the pass rate for each examinee group, all checked on September 21, 2026.
USMLE Step 3 Pass Rate, Passing Score and Fee Step 3 first time pass rates for US MD, US DO and non-US graduates from 2020 to 2025, the 200 passing score on the 1 to 300 scale, the 227 mean with percentiles, the two day format, the USD 955 fee and when scores arrive.
NCLEX Pass Rate by Year Table, 2019 to 2025 Every published NCLEX-RN pass rate from 2019 to 2025 in one table, split by first-time, repeat, U.S.-educated and internationally educated candidates, with the 85 item minimum, the 0.00 logit passing standard, the USD 200 fee and the attempt rule.
NCLEX-PN Pass Rate by Year, Passing Standard Every NCLEX-PN pass rate from 2019 to 2025 by candidate group, the ten largest states for 2025, the minus 0.18 logit passing standard, the 85 to 150 item length, the item types, the USD 200 fee and the retake rule.
MCAT Percentiles Table 2026, 2027 Test Dates Every MCAT total score from 472 to 528 with its percentile rank, the section percentiles from 118 to 132, the 35 U.S. test dates in 2027 with score release dates, and the AAMC fees in USD.
Match 2027 Timeline: ERAS and NRMP Dates Every date of the 2027 residency Match from the AAMC ERAS timeline and the NRMP applicant calendar, the ERAS and NRMP fees, Match Week and SOAP hour by hour.
NAPLEX Pass Rates 2015 to 2025, Passing Score Every NAPLEX pass rate NABP publishes, from 2015 to 2025 graduates, with the candidate counts behind them, the 20 programs with the most 2025 first-time candidates, the passing standard of 75, and the 2026 fee list.
INBDE Pass Rate Table 2025, Passing Score 75 Every INBDE pass rate from 2020 through 2025, by candidate group and with the tested counts, computed from the failure rates the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations publishes, plus the 75 passing score, the 500 item format, the fees and the retake limits.
COMLEX Level 1 Pass Rate Table and Score Dates Ten testing cycles of NBOME pass rates for COMLEX-USA Level 1 with the counts behind them, all twelve score release dates of the 2026-2027 cycle with the wait counted in days, and the 320 item format the exam runs on.
COMLEX Level 2-CE Pass Rate, Score Dates 2026 Ten testing cycles of NBOME pass rates for COMLEX-USA Level 2-CE with the counts behind them, the 400 minimum passing score on the three-digit scale, all twelve score release dates of the 2026-2027 cycle with the wait counted in days, and the 320 question format.
USMLE Fees 2026 and 2027: US vs International The USMLE fees for 2026 and 2027 by Step, the region fees outside the US and Canada, the India tax, who applies through NBME and who through FSMB, the Prometric rescheduling fees, and what Step 1 to Step 3 costs in total.
How Long to Study: Step 1, NCLEX, MCAT 2027 Study time for Step 1, the NCLEX and the MCAT counted from dates: 16, 12 and 6 week start dates for each of the 35 MCAT test dates in 2027, and the booking, results and retake clocks USMLE and NCSBN publish.

UK exams

PLAB 1 Pass Mark and Pass Rate: 2016 to 2025 The GMC pass mark for PLAB 1, set per test by the Angoff method, with the four 2019 Angoff totals, the pass mark per diet in 2016 and 2017, and the pass rate for every year from 2021 to 2025.
How Long to Study for PLAB 1: 2026 Dates An 8, 12 or 16 week PLAB 1 plan with real start dates counted back from the November 5, 2026 and February 11, 2027 exams, plus the GMC booking and refund deadlines, the attempt limit and how long a pass stays valid.
MRCP Part 1 Pass Mark: 450 in 2026, Pass Rates The MRCP(UK) Part 1 pass mark is 450 from the 2026/1 diet, with the pass rate for eight diets from January 2024 to May 2026 that this article could source, plus the correct answers needed and the candidate count for seven of them.
MRCP Part 1 Results Sept 2026: by November 6 When MRCP(UK) Part 1 results for the September 23, 2026 paper are due, where they appear, every 2026 and 2027 diet with its application window and results date, and why the January 2027 window closes before the September results arrive.
PLAB 1 Exam Dates 2027 and Nov 5 2026 Results Ten published PLAB 1 exam dates with the GMC result date for each, the day of the week they fall on, both fee columns from April 2025 and April 2026, every exam city by country, and what changes in 2027.
UKMLA AKT Pass Mark 115 of 200, Pass Rates Every published UKMLA applied knowledge test number in one place: the 115 to 117 out of 200 pass mark, the 98.3 percent pass rate across 10,437 students, the attempts rule, and how the AKT compares with PLAB 1.

All exams

How Many Questions: Step 1, NCLEX, MCAT, PLAB The question count, the testing time and the computed pace for the eleven exams on this site, from USMLE Step 1 at about 280 questions to PLAB 1 at 180, each row naming the exam owner's document it came from, checked on September 21 and 26, 2026.
How Many Times You Can Take the NCLEX, Step 1, MCAT, PLAB 1 The attempt limit for all eleven exams in one table: the NCLEX eight a year, four per USMLE Step, seven MCAT attempts in a lifetime, five NAPLEX attempts, five PLAB 1 attempts with the fifth by application, six at MRCP Part 1.

Published October 4, 2026.