The total cost of USMLE Step 1 cost varies just a little bit by the medical school you attended and where you live or want to take the test. For students or graduates of LCME or COCA-accredited medical programs in the United States and Canada, you have to apply through the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) channel. Meanwhile, students or graduates of medical schools and colleges outside of the United States and Canada have to apply through the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (EFMG) channel.
Registration for foreign medical graduates
If you are a foreign medical graduate first you need to get EFMG registration ID. Application for ECFMG Certification consists of an online application and the Certification of Identification Form (Form 186) that must be completed and notarized via NotaryCam. Both of these are going to cost you $160.
If you are a medical school student, you will be asked to confirm that you are officially enrolled in a medical school that is listed in the World Directory with an ECFMG note stating it meets ECFMG eligibility requirements, and that the “Graduation Years” in the ECFMG note in your medical school’s World Directory listing are listed as “Current.” If you are a medical school graduate, you will be asked to confirm that you are a graduate of a medical school that is listed in the World Directory with an ECFMG note stating it meets ECFMG eligibility requirements, and that your graduation year is included in the ECFMG note in your school’s World Directory listing.
Registration for US and Canadian medical graduates
If you are a student or graduate of Medical Schools in the United States and Canada accredited by the LCME or AOA, you are exempted from this step. You can directly move forward to applying for the Step 1 exam through the NBME Channel.
Cost of USMLE Step 1 Examination
Then comes the Step-1 examination fee which costs 1000$ via EFMG route for foreign students and graduates.
When you are applying for Step 1, you have to select one of the testing regions from the list where you will take the exam which may cost you if you select a center outside the US and Canada. There is no international test delivery surcharge for the United States and Canada testing region. If you select any testing region other than the United States and Canada, you must pay the international test delivery surcharge of $195 for USMLE Step 1.
When you apply for Step 1, you must select an eligibility period during which you would prefer to take the exam. The eligibility period you are assigned will be listed on your scheduling permit. You must take the exam during the eligibility period assigned to you.
If you are unable to take Step 1 during the eligibility period assigned to you, you may request a one-time, contiguous eligibility period extension.
If you do not take Step 1 during your original or extended eligibility period or if you are unable to extend your eligibility period, you have to reapply by submitting a new application and fee.
For students and graduates of Medical Schools in the United States and Canada accredited by the LCME or AOA, Step 1 costs $660 with a 3-month eligibility period.
The extension of eligibility costs $70 for students and graduates of the United States and Canada.
Conclusion
The cost of USMLE Step 1 varies depending on the candidate’s nationality. For U.S. and Canadian students, the total cost is $660. Foreign graduates, on the other hand, incur a total fee of $1355. This includes the ECFMG registration fee of $160, the Step 1 exam fee of $1000, and a $195 international test delivery surcharge for those taking the test outside the U.S. and Canada.
Educational Resources
After applying for the test or perhaps before applying for Step 1 you need educational resources as well so that you can pass the test and avoid getting into a position to start over all of the above-mentioned processes again. For this, you need books like USMLE First Aid and Kaplan notes, video lectures, and online Question bank platforms, which are gonna cost you around $1500. For more details regarding this topic, read the USMLE Study Guide.
