NBME Subject Exams
NOTE: Neurosurgery clerkship examinations are being administered IN-PERSON as of Spring 2023.
All other NBME clerkship exams will be given with remote proctoring. This means:
- You will not be required to travel to a testing site for NBME exams.
- All students will check-in for NBME exams at 8:30am PT (7:30 AT; 9:30 MT)
General Information
All required clerkships use exams from National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) as the final exam for the clerkship. Most clerkships use clinical subject exams; the Neurosurgery clerkship uses a customized NBME exam.
Exam Schedule
Exams are scheduled at the end of each required clerkship rotation.
- Emergency Medicine, Neurology, and Neurosurgery students take exams on 4-week, 8-week, and 12-week dates.
- Family Medicine, OBGYN, Pediatrics, Psychiatry, Surgery, and WRITE Inpatient Medicine students take exams on 6-week and 12-week dates.
- Internal Medicine students take exams on 12-week dates.
- WRITE students taking MEDLIC courses and Olympia LIC students will have custom exam schedules.
| Quarter | 4-week | 6-week | 8-week | 12-week |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Autumn 2025 | Oct 17 | Oct 31 | Nov 14 | Dec 12 |
| Winter 2026 | Jan 30 | Feb 13 | Feb 27 | Mar 27 |
| Spring 2026 | Apr 24 | May 8 | May 22 | Jun 18 |
| Summer 2026 | Jul 24 | Aug 7 | Aug 21 | Sep 18 |
| Autumn 2026 | Oct 16 | Oct 30 | Nov 13 | Dec 11 |
| Winter 2027 | Jan 29 | Feb 12 | Feb 26 | Mar 26 |
Frequently Asked Questions
All required clerkship exams will occur on the last Friday of the clerkship.
Please refer to the clerkship exam schedule guidelines.
Yes. All students must certify their computers to run the NBME secure browser prior to exam day.
Please refer to the Instructions for Remote Proctored Exams webpage.
Please refer to the Exam Environment Policy page to see what you are allowed to have with you during exams.
You will need a government-issued photo ID (i.e., driver’s license, passport, or military ID) to show your proctor as part of the check-in process.
You will also need your 7-digit UW student ID number to log into the exam software.
When students arrive on time at 8:30AM Pacific Time for remote proctored exams, they are usually in the exam by 9:00AM. For most of the clinical subject exams, the exam length is 2 hours and 45 minutes. If you receive accommodations for extended exam time, your exam will be longer. More details can be found in the Subject Exam Timing Chart on the NBME website.
Please refer to the Exam Reschedule Policy webpage.
The NBME webpage on clinical subject exams has content outlines for each of the exams. The Neurosurgery Clerkship can provide details of the content of their customized exam.
When you download the secure browser and complete the certification process, you will be able to go through a tutorial with the software and take a short practice exam.