score was eliminated completely from the score report. While the USMLE program does not disclose how the three-digit score is calculated, Step 1 scores theoretically range from 1 to 300, most examinees score in the range of 140 to 260, the passing score is 196, and the national mean and standard deviation are approximately 232 and 19, respectively. Rise in the national mean Step 1 score has been observed with time, as shown in the table below. According to the National Resident Matching Program, the mean score for U.S. allopathic seniors who matched to residency programs in 2016 was 233.2 (SD=17.4). In 1994, the average Step 1 score for applicants was 200, whereas, in 2018, the average score was 230. In 2021, a score of 200 would place the test taker in the 9th percentile, whereas a 230 in 1994 would have put the test taker in the 93rd percentile. The USMLE scoring scale was originally set to have a mean score of 200 with a standard deviation of 20. The scale has never been re-centered, so a score of 200 in 1994 reflects the same number of questions answered correctly as a score of 200 in 2021. It was announced on February 12, 2020 that beginning no earlier than January 2022, USMLE Step 1 would transition to a Pass/Fail scoring system. Mean and median USMLE scores have increased significantly from 2003 to today leading to the testing board having to increase the score it takes to pass; independent research cited that practice-question usage was self-reported as a completion fraction of UWorld, USMLE-Rx, or Kaplan question banks or self-assessments. The USMLE has decided that three-digit score results for Step 1 exams taken prior to January 26, 2022, will "continue to be reported using the three-digit numeric score on all USMLE transcripts." Changes to Step 1 scoring It was announced on February 12, 2020 that beginning no earlier than January 2022, USMLE Step 1 would transition to a Pass/Fail scoring system. In July 2020, the USMLE stated that "All scores for Step 1 exams taken prior to the date of the policy change will continue to be reported using the three-digit numeric score on all USMLE transcripts. The USMLE program does not retroactively alter transcripts." While the NBME, USMLE, and FSMB were originally against these changes (which critics argued may have been from potential monetary loss), as of 2020 (and after