USMLE and COMLEX Level 2 and 3 Passing Scores

The COMLEX Level 2-CE passing score is 400 and the COMLEX Level 3 passing score is 350; Level 1 is reported pass/fail (NBOME scoring). USMLE uses a separate scale: Step 2 CK requires 218 and Step 3 requires 200 (USMLE scoring).

Below, each exam in turn, then how passing standards change and what to do if your practice scores sit near the line.

By Dr. Sahith Valluru. For The Boards Professor, founded by Dr. Sean Moazezi, DO. Updated October 28, 2026.

1. USMLE Step 1: pass or fail

USMLE reports Step 1 as pass/fail only for exams taken on or after January 26, 2022. On its three-digit scale the passing standard is 196, but you will not see a number on a Step 1 result (USMLE, examination results and scoring).

For your planning, that means practice scores matter only relative to passing; there is no higher number to chase on the real exam. See Step 1 tutoring and, if you did not pass, what to do after a failed Step 1.

2. USMLE Step 2 CK: 218

The minimum passing score for Step 2 CK is 218 for exams given on or after July 1, 2025. USMLE raised it from 214 at that date (USMLE). Step 2 CK is reported as a three-digit score, so your result shows both whether you passed and by how much.

Because residency programs see the number, a clear margin above 218 is worth aiming for. See Step 2 CK tutoring and what to do after a failed Step 2 CK.

3. USMLE Step 3: 200

For Step 3 exams given on or after January 1, 2024, the minimum passing score is 200 (USMLE). USMLE has said its Management Committee is scheduled to review the Step 3 passing standard at its November 2026 meeting, and that any change would apply to exams taken on or after January 1, 2027 (USMLE, Step 3 passing standard review). Check that page before you book a 2027 date.

See Step 3 tutoring and our Step 3 study plan.

4. COMLEX Level 1: pass or fail

NBOME reports Level 1 as pass/fail instead of a numeric score. With the result you receive a Formative Performance Profile that compares your performance with first-time test takers who passed (NBOME, scoring and reporting). Results are generally released within two to six weeks after the testing window closes.

See COMLEX Level 1 tutoring.

COMLEX Level 2 passing score: 400

NBOME lists the Level 2-CE passing score as 400. You receive a three-digit standard score, a pass/fail designation and a graphical performance profile, and scores are generally released within two to six weeks (NBOME).

DO students taking both Level 2-CE and Step 2 CK have two different passing standards on two different scales: 400 on COMLEX and 218 on USMLE. See Level 2-CE vs Step 2 CK and COMLEX Level 2-CE tutoring.

COMLEX Level 3 passing score: 350

NBOME lists the Level 3 passing score as 350, reported with a three-digit standard score, a pass/fail designation and a performance profile. Level 3 scores take eight to 10 weeks (NBOME). Level 3 also changes to a one-day format on January 13, 2027, and NBOME says the blueprint will not change.

See COMLEX Level 3 tutoring.

7. Understand how passing standards are set and changed

USMLE describes its passing level as a recommended minimum that is reviewed periodically and may be adjusted at any time, and it notes that examinees typically must answer approximately 60% of questions correctly to pass (USMLE, scoring and score reporting). NBOME converts the number of questions you answer correctly into a standard score, which then determines pass or fail, and every scored question counts equally (NBOME).

The practical point: do not rely on a passing score you read on a forum or an old prep book. Check the official page for the date you will test, because Step 2 CK changed in 2025, Step 3 changed in 2024, and Step 3 is under review again in November 2026.

8. If your practice scores are near the line

Practice exams only estimate your real score, so a practice result just above passing is not a safe margin. If your scores sit near the line a few weeks before the exam, you have three options: keep the date and focus on the weakest areas, move the date to build a margin, or change how you are studying because what you are doing has stopped working.

Attempts are limited on both exams: USMLE allows no more than three attempts at a Step in 12 months and ends eligibility after four without a pass (USMLE), and NBOME allows four scored attempts per level (NBOME Bulletin 2026-2027). That makes moving a date the cheaper choice when in doubt.

When results arrive

Plan around these windows if a school, program or licensing deadline depends on your result. A Level 3 result in particular can take more than two months.

Scaled scores versus percent correct

Neither exam reports a raw percentage. USMLE reports results on a three-digit scale and notes that examinees typically must answer approximately 60% of questions correctly to reach the passing level (USMLE). NBOME converts the number of questions you answer correctly into a model-based standard score; apart from unscored pretest questions, each question counts equally (NBOME).

That is why you cannot work out a passing score from a percent-correct figure on a practice test. Use practice exams that report on the same scale as the real exam, and look for a steady margin above the line rather than one good result.

Practice exams that estimate your score

NBME publishes self-assessments for the USMLE: the Comprehensive Basic Science Self-Assessment for students planning to take Step 1 and the Comprehensive Clinical Science Self-Assessment for Step 2 CK. USMLE also offers free practice materials with sample questions and an interactive testing experience for each Step.

We use these as checkpoints rather than study material. A self-assessment taken under test conditions every few weeks shows whether your score is moving toward the passing standard, and helps decide whether to keep or move your test date.

Two scales for DO students taking both exams

The numbers are on different scales and cannot be compared directly: a 400 on Level 2-CE is not the same thing as a 218 on Step 2 CK. Plan to each exam's own standard.

Passing versus a target score

For pass/fail exams, passing is the whole goal. For scored exams, passing is the minimum, and the score itself is visible to anyone who reads your transcript. That changes how you plan: on Step 2 CK and Level 2-CE many students set a personal target comfortably above the passing standard, both to leave a margin for a bad day and because the number is part of their record.

We set targets with each student from their goals and practice data, not from a universal number. A target that is unrealistic for the time available can be as harmful as no target at all, because it pushes the test date back without improving the plan.

Need a plan to clear the line?

We tutor every USMLE Step and COMLEX level one-on-one, online, starting from your practice scores and how far they are from passing. Book a free intro consult or see plans and pricing.

COMLEX passing standards and review dates

NBOME sets criterion-based standards rather than failing a fixed share of each testing group. Your percentile and the passing decision therefore describe different things. For the score’s relative position, use the COMLEX percentile guide and the appropriate testing cycle; do not treat 400 as a universal percentile. NBOME standard-setting method.

What does 400 on Level 2-CE mean in practice?

A standard score of 400 meets the Level 2-CE minimum. It is not 400 correct answers or a percent-correct result. NBOME converts raw performance onto its standard-score scale; its score report also includes a pass/fail designation and a performance profile. NBOME reporting explanation.

For preparation, keep question-bank performance, a practice assessment and the official result in separate columns. A bank average can help find weak content; it cannot supply an official COMLEX passing decision. If two practice attempts differ, record whether the form was fresh and whether conditions were comparable before interpreting the change.

Sean and Dr. Chelsi Flippo, MD tutor Level 2-CE. Level 2-CE tutoring costs $349 per 50-minute session. A useful first-session question is where the mistakes originate: content gaps, osteopathic reasoning, pacing or choosing between close answers.

What does 350 on Level 3 mean for a resident?

A 350 meets the Level 3 standard. NBOME’s schedule lists the next standard review for November 2026, so check the official update before interpreting a future testing cycle. A review date does not itself establish a new passing score. NBOME review schedule.

The format changes to one day on January 13, 2027. Match your preparation to the date you will test, using the official examination-format page. Keep the score-standard decision separate from the format change; one does not automatically imply the other.

Sean tutors Level 3 and OMM. For a resident studying between shifts, the first job is to make the weekly workload possible: identify protected study time, carry forward a short list of recurring misses and revisit it during live questions. Read COMLEX Level 3 tutoring or COMLEX retake planning.

“Working with Sean, we immediately created a REALISTIC study schedule.”

— William; Wyzant review. Read student reviews

The COMLEX tutoring hub links each level. For USMLE details, read Step 1 passing score, good Step 2 CK score, Step 2 CK percentiles and Step 3 passing score and percentiles. Book an introductory consult with your latest reports.