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ECFMG to FSMB: what changed for IMG registration
Since January 2026, international graduates register for all three Step exams through FSMB rather than ECFMG. What moved, what did not, and what to check.
Read the full guide →The USMLE route for international medical graduates
Preparing for the USMLE and the Match from outside the United States. ECFMG certification, timing the exams around a foreign curriculum, and the parts of the process that catch international applicants out.
More from Steps IMD
The new exam interface when you test abroad
The 2026 software update changed navigation and added a settings menu. Why meeting it cold matters more at an international centre.
- IMG pathway
- Step 1
- Practice exams
Designated testing dates and the IMG timeline
Fixed exam dates from January 2029 compress a timeline that already has less slack in it. What international applicants should plan for.
- IMG pathway
- The Match
- Step 2 CK
A realistic six-week Step 1 study schedule
How to structure six weeks of dedicated Step 1 study, daily question volume, review time, practice exam placement and the mistakes that cost the most points.
- Step 1
- Study strategy
review
Choosing a question bank when you did not train in the US
Most question bank advice assumes a US curriculum and a US student budget. What changes when neither applies.
- Question banks
- IMG pathway
- Reviews
Preparing for Step 1 alongside a non-US curriculum
The exam assumes a curriculum you may not be following, on a schedule that does not align with yours. How to close the gap without abandoning your degree.
- IMG pathway
- Step 1
- Study strategy
An IMG timeline for the Match, working backwards
The application calendar is fixed and everything else has to fit around it. Building a schedule from the deadline rather than from where you are now.
- IMG pathway
- The Match
- Step 2 CK