Exam guides

Prepare for the exam that decides your future.

One platform, every major licensing exam. Choose yours to see exactly how ClinIQ maps to its format, style, and scoring.

• USMLE Step 1

  Basic-science foundations, tested the clinical way.

  USMLE Step 1 is the foundational examination in the United States Medical Licensing Examination sequence, administered by the FSMB and NBME for both US medical students and international medical graduates (IMGs). Step 1 assesses your mastery of fundamental biomedical sciences — including physiology, pathology, pharmacology, microbiology, biochemistry, and anatomy — and your capacity to apply these principles to patient-centered clinical scenarios.

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• USMLE Step 2 CK

  Clinical knowledge — where residency interviews look hardest.

  USMLE Step 2 Clinical Knowledge (CK) is the premier quantitative evaluation tool in the modern residency application process. Following Step 1's transition to pass/fail, Step 2 CK's three-digit numerical score serves as the primary standardized differentiator used by residency program directors to filter and compare applicants across medical schools and international medical graduate (IMG) cohorts.

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• USMLE Step 3

  The final step — clinical management independent of supervision.

  USMLE Step 3 is the culmination of the United States medical licensing examination series, assessing whether a physician possesses the clinical judgment and technical competency necessary for unsupervised, independent medical practice. Typically undertaken during the first or second year of residency (PGY-1/PGY-2), passing Step 3 is an essential legal prerequisite for obtaining a permanent, unrestricted state medical license.

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• PLAB

  The GMC route for international doctors practicing in the UK.

  The Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board (PLAB) test is the primary pathway administered by the General Medical Council (GMC) for international medical graduates to demonstrate that they possess the medical knowledge and clinical skills equivalent to a UK doctor completing Foundation Year 2 (FY2). The assessment consists of two stages: PLAB 1, a 180-question written examination covering clinical management aligned with NICE and British national guidelines, and PLAB 2, a practical objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) conducted at the GMC assessment center in Manchester.

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• MRCP (UK)

  Physician membership exams for internal medicine careers.

  The Membership of the Royal Colleges of Physicians (MRCP UK) diploma is the premier postgraduate medical qualification for physicians seeking specialist training in internal medicine and its subspecialties. Administered collaboratively by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, Glasgow, and London, MRCP (UK) represents an internationally recognized benchmark of clinical excellence.

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