Step 3 Percentile Calculator

Formula

To calculate the Step 3 Percentile ( $P$ ):

$P = \frac{S - M}{SD}$

Where:

$P$ is the percentile rank
$S$ is the Step 3 score
$M$ is the mean Step 3 score
$SD$ is the standard deviation of Step 3 scores

What is a Step 3 Percentile?

A Step 3 Percentile is a statistical measure used in the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 3 test to compare a candidate's performance to others. It indicates the percentage of test takers who scored lower than a particular score. For example, if a candidate's Step 3 Percentile is 90, it means that 90% of the test takers scored lower than this candidate. This percentile is used to evaluate a candidate's knowledge and skills in relation to the practice of medicine unsupervised.

Example Calculation 1

Let's assume the following values:

Step 3 Score ( $S$ ) = 230
Mean Step 3 Score ( $M$ ) = 220
Standard Deviation ( $SD$ ) = 15

Using the formula:

$P = \frac{230 - 220}{15} \approx 0.67$

The Step 3 Percentile is approximately 0.67.

Example Calculation 2

Let's assume the following values:

Step 3 Score ( $S$ ) = 250
Mean Step 3 Score ( $M$ ) = 220
Standard Deviation ( $SD$ ) = 15

Using the formula:

$P = \frac{250 - 220}{15} \approx 2.00$

The Step 3 Percentile is approximately 2.00.