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The United States of America is a popular destination for Indian students looking to study abroad. Most Indian students who chose to study overseas typically seek admission in engineering and medical degree programs. As an Indian student hoping to pursue a medical degree in the United States, you need to appear for the USMLE examination. Short for The United States Medical Licensing Examination, USMLE is conducted in 3 steps, and students need to pass Steps 1 and 2 (in their preferred sequence) before appearing for USMLE Step 3 exam. The schedule of USMLE exam fees varies depending on the exam step you appear for. This article explains the schedule of USMLE fees in detail.
Different Costs Associated with the USMLE
As an Indian student going to the US to study and practice medicine, you must abide by the schedule of fees and charges designed for international students (excluding the USA and Canada). Typically, you will have to pay the following mandatory and optional fees, based on the services you select.
Note: that some additional fees may also apply. All prices are in US dollars and subject to change from time to time. Refer to the USMLE website for the latest schedule of fees. For more details surrounding applying for USMLE costs, visit the IWA website.
ECFMG Certification Fee
All international students appearing for the USMLE must mandatorily apply for ECFMG certification. The fee for ECFMG certification is $160.
Structure of the USMLE Step 1, Step 2 & Step 3 Fees
Item
USMLE Fee
Type
Step 1
$1,000
USMLE Exam Fee + International Test Delivery Surcharge
Step 2 CK
Step 3
$925
Application Fee
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Optional and need-based USMLE costs associated with USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 CK
USMLE Price
Additional Comments
Fee to extend eligibility period (Step 1/Step 2 CK only)
$100 per exam
Testing Region Change (Step 1/Step 2 CK only)
$90 per exam
Fill Form 312 and check testing locations
Rescheduling Fee (for Step 1/Step 2 CK)
$0
*(Read more in the rescheduling section below)
Depends on testing region, exam step, and cancelation date
Score Recheck fee (for Step 1/Step 2 CK)
$80 per exam
Fill Form 265 to apply for score recheck
ECFMG Exam Chart
$50 per request form (up to 3 copies)
Fill Form 184
ECFMG CSA History Chart
Fill Form 297
USMLE – Transcript Paper
$80 per request form (up to 10 transcripts)
Fill Form 172 (request sent by student
Fill Form 173 (request sent by institutions)
If you decide to modify, reschedule or cancel your USMLE appointment or change your test centre location, you have to pay a fee. Here are the USMLE test fees associated with rescheduling.
Date of placing request
Prometric Testing Region
31+ days before test date
All testing regions
No charge
6 - 30 days before test date
$100
Less than 5 days before test date
India
$352
$396
N.A. (non-refundable and non-transferable)
Note: For Test 3 administrations, if you choose to reschedule once or more than once, in the 1-5 days window, you have to pay an additional rescheduling fee of $121.
Additional costs associated with USMLE fees – ERAS support system, EVSP, CVS and Translation costs
USMLE cost
Additional comments
Medical School Transcript (Translation)
$250
Fee levied for translating your medical school transcript from other languages to English.
USMLE Transcript - Electronic Transmission for ERAS
$80 per ERAS season
Applies to ERAS applicants only. Login to MyERAS to apply.
EVSP – Application to J-1 Visa Sponsorship
$370 + extra $220 SEVIS fee
EVSP Fees are payable to the Department of Homeland Security, and required of initial applicants for J-1 sponsorship.
CVS – Verification of State Medical Licensing Authority
$66
Apply on CVS ON-LINE or fill Form 282A-SB
*ERAS or Electronic Residency Application Service® (ERAS®) is a facility developed by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) developed. It allows medical school students and graduates to electronically apply for residency positions in accredited graduate medical education programs in the United States.
You may place a refund request provided you have funds in your ECFMG financial account. You need to send a written request to finance@ecfmg.org to claim a refund. Suppose you have money in your account due to payment for an examination application that was rejected (because you were deemed ineligible or you sent an incomplete application). In such a case, you will be required to pay a $100 refund processing fee. Approved refunds are generally issued to the source method/account of payment. E.g., if you paid your USMLE fees using your visa credit card, the ECFMG will refund the sums back to the same card.
Things to remember
Consider your exam application timing, eligibility period and test date carefully. You are not allowed to cancel or postpone your registration once you place the request for the same. You will not be eligible for a refund if you do not appear for the test on the scheduled date or fail to reschedule your appointment. In such an event, you will have to reapply for the exam, which includes paying all the applicable USMLE fees once again.
As mentioned above, you can reschedule your test date and centre, subject to availability. If you have registered for Step 1 and Step 2 CK, you may also request to extend your eligibility period and testing regions. If you are unable to obtain the appropriate visa to enter the USA (typically to appear for Step 3 of the exam), you may place a request for a full refund of the USMLE exam fee. The ECFMG considers other exceptional requests on a case-wise basis, typically after your eligibility period expires.
Forfeiture of fees
If you have any funds in your ECFMG financial account, you can utilise them for up to two years towards the payments of applications submitted or any services requested by you. If you do not use these funds in this time frame, you will have to forfeit them to ECFMG, which means you will lose those funds. The two-year period for utilising funds is calculated from the date of your last transactional activity in your ECFMG account. You can check your account status, dates of payments made, etc., using the MyECFMG mobile app or via the OASIS website.
You can pay your USMLE exam fees, including submitting ECFMG certification applications and requesting various services through various online and offline modes of payment. Online remittance is the quickest and the safest mode of payment that you can rely on The accepte modes of USMLE fee payments include:
Payments via Credit Card: You can utilise your Visa, MasterCard, American Express, or Discover credit cards featuring a security code (PIN&CVV) to make USMLE fee payments.
Electronic Cheques: You can also pay your USMLE exam fees using electronic cheques. However, if you choose this mode of payment, you should have a checking account in a US bank. You also need to have either a US driver’s license or a US Social Security Number. Ensure your account has sufficient funds. Cheques returned due to insufficient funds are subjected to a $10 processing fee, along with an extra TeleCheck returned fee, which can range from $10 to $40 depending on the US state of which the cheque is drawn. Click on the link to know more about TeleCheck Returned Check Fees.
You may make advance payments using the payment methods mentioned above by visiting the OASIS page on the ECFMG website or via the MyECFMG mobile app. Another way to make an advance payment is to utilise the Payment for Service(s) Requested Form, i.e. Form 900. You can find this form under the Resources section of the official EFMCG website. Note that payments made using Form 900 can only be made via:
Credit Cards: Accepted cards include Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover.
Cheque, money order, or bank drafts: These should be made in the name of the ‘Education Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates’. Such payments should be made in US dollars, with funds paid through a US bank account. You need to write your full name and your assigned USMLE/ECFMG identification number on the flip side of the cheque or along with your money order or bank draft.
Note that you cannot submit Form 900 via e-mail. You need to submit it by mail, courier, or fax strictly. You can either fax the form at (215) 386-3185 or mail it to the below address:
ECFMG, 3624 Market Street, 4th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19104-2685 USA
If you opt to make an advance payment of your USMLE fees, it is your responsibility to verify that the payment is received and credited to your ECFMG financial account before you start the application process or make any request. You can, once again, verify your ECFMG account status using the MyECFMG mobile app or via OASIS.
Note: If you choose to make transactions using multiple credit cards for your various payments (application fee, USMLE exam stepwise fee, etc.), you need first to credit your ECFMG financial account using OASIS or the MyECFMG mobile application. Alternatively, you may submit multiple copies of Form 900.
Note that cash payments are not accepted.
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As an Indian student appearing for the USMLE exam, you typically have to factor in the USMLE fees for Step 1 + Step 2 + Step 3. Now, since the fees for Steps 1 and 2 are $1000 each, you need to multiply $1000 x 2 = 2000. You then have to add another $925 for Step 3. Also, all students have to pay a $150 fee for registering for ECFMG certification. This makes the total amount 2000 + 925 + 150 = $3075. Note that this is the minimum amount, there are extra costs associated with additional facilities.
If you wish to extend your eligibility for USMLE Steps 1 and 2, you will have to pay $100 per step. This means, for both the steps, you will have to pay $200. You can find details about the eligibility period extension on your scheduling permit and are required to take the exam in the eligibility period assigned to you.
Yes, you can change your testing region or location. If you choose to exercise this option, you will need to fill and submit Form 312 requesting the change. The USMLE fee to make the change is $90 per region.
You can place a request to get the USMLE transcript paper by filling Form 172. Note that you have to pay $80 per request form and can avail up to 10 transcripts in that fee.
If you wish to change your name on the ECFMG Certificate, you have to pay a fee . You have to pay an additional USMLE fee to reprint the ECFMG certificate. You can apply for these by filling Form 900 and selecting the appropriate services in section 2 of the form. Remember to mention the mode of payment – Credit card, cheque, bank draft or money order, under Section 3 of Form 900. If you opt for the credit card mode, be sure to provide the correct card details, including the 16-digit card number, expiration date in MM/YYYY format, card type, name and address of the cardholder, and the signature.
The NBME offers a fee assistance program to help medical students who need financial support. It covers the costs of the USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 CK exams. Eligible students must be U.S. citizens or DACA recipients, enrolled in an accredited medical school, and should demonstrate financial need. Applications are typically due in October.
The USMLE exam registration fee is non-refundable, and you cannot cancel or postpone your registration. If you don’t re-schedule or take the exam, you won’t receive a refund or credit and you’ll have to reapply and pay the fees again. However, you can reschedule your test date or center, request an extension of your eligibility period for Step 1 and Step 2 CK, or change your testing region for these steps. For specific circumstances, contacting the ECFMG directly might help.
Yes, there are additional costs associated with rescheduling a USMLE exam. If you reschedule 31 or more days before the test date, there is no charge. However, rescheduling fees apply if changes are made within 30 to 5 days before the exam, with costs ranging from $50-$100, depending on the step and region. For changes made less than 5 days before, fees are significantly higher, such as $293-$352 for Step 1 and $330-$396 for Step 2 CK in India. Additionally, for Step 3, an extra $121 fee applies if rescheduling occurs within 1-5 days before the test.
International students can manage currency exchange rates by carefully timing their currency conversions to coincide with favourable exchange rates. It may help to use financial services or banks that offer competitive rates and minimal fees for currency exchanges. Utilizing international credit cards or bank accounts that reduce foreign transaction fees can also mitigate costs. Planning and converting funds well in advance of payment deadlines can further safeguard against unfavourable rate fluctuations.
When planning to take the USMLE, consider additional expenses beyond the exam fees. These include the ECFMG certification fee, optional costs for extending eligibility periods or requesting score rechecks, and document-related expenses like transcript requests. Additionally, account for logistical costs such as travel, accommodation, visa applications, and possibly translation or credential verification services. Taking these into account ensures comprehensive financial planning that covers all aspects of preparing for and taking the USMLE.
