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.