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FAQ

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Any of our product offerings can be purchased from our website with payment due in full at time of purchase via a credit or debit card with American Express/Discover/MasterCard or Visa logo.

You will need to register for an account in order to purchase any of our products.  Once you have registered for an account or if you already have an account:

• Login to your account with your login credentials
• Click on the Cart icon at the top of the page and then select View for your desired product to view a list of available subscriptions, combination packages, and their prices
• Click on Buy next to the subscription and duration you wish to purchase
• Verify that the correct product is in your cart and click Checkout
• Please review the Profile, Billing, and Payment information to ensure that it has all been entered accurately and click Review Order
• A confirmation page will be displayed on the final page. You must click Place Order to finalize your purchase. If you do not click Place Order, the purchase will not be completed and no product will be added to your account.
• A purchase receipt will automatically be sent to your registered email address.  If you complete your purchase but do not receive a receipt, please contact Support.

You can subscribe to any of our online courses/services using a credit or debit card with a Visa, MasterCard, Discover or American Express logo.  Your subscription will be available for activation immediately or can be activated later from your account on our website after successful payment.

You can also subscribe via personal check, money order, or demand drafts taken in U.S. dollars.  These types of payments should be mailed to us and should include the name of the subscription, the duration you wish to subscribe, along with the details that have been asked in the register form.  We will setup your account as soon as we receive your payment and notify you via email of your access credentials.  All direct-mail payments must be in U.S. dollars and made payable to "UWorld". Please send the payment(s) to the address in the contact us section.

Unfortunately, we do not accept cash via mail, currencies other than U.S. dollars, PayPal, or payments via fax.

All refunds are evaluated on a case-by-case basis.  One case has no bearing on another.  Refund amounts determined by UWorld are final.

USMLE Step 2 CS, Step 3 CCS, Subject Reviews & Self-Assessment Exams:  These subscriptions are non-refundable, non-transferable, and cannot be converted into another subscription.

All Qbanks:  No refunds are allowed for the first 30-day duration of any subscription, unless the subscription has not been activated.  Refunds are considered for subscriptions with more than 30-day duration.  Refund amounts are based on the number of days elapsed since the subscription start date or the amount of questions used, whichever amounts to a higher deductible.

Example Scenario:  An individual purchases a 180-day Qbank subscription and generates a few test blocks equal to 20% of the questions in the Qbank.  After 45 days, he/she request for a refund.  As the elapsed duration is greater than the percentage of questions used, the refund amount will be based on a subscription converted to the closest duration (60 days) by deducting applicable 60-days subscription fee from the refund.  Additionally, in the same scenario if the individual had used 85% of the questions, the refund would be 15% of the subscription fee paid.

You may request to upgrade or downgrade your subscription purchase as long as it has not been activated.  If you purchase a combination package, all included subscriptions must be unused.  Please be advised that current subscription pricing will apply.

If your subscription has been activated, unfortunately, we cannot upgrade it retroactively.  If seeking to downgrade, please refer to our refund policy for available options.

Unfortunately, we do not offer custom duration(s) or combination packages other than those outlined on the website.  Please refer to our purchase page for currently available subscriptions (including discounted combination packages for some products).

Moreover, the minimum duration of a new Qbank subscription purchase is 30 days and are not available in any other shorter or custom durations.  The self-assessment exam subscriptions are for 14 days each.  Subscribers whose active subscription(s) have not expired can purchase renewals from 7-days or more at any time before their active subscription expires.  Please refer to the respective course description page for renewal options.

We do not offer guest/trial accounts to test our software and to view materials.  However, we offer a demo on each of our product pages which contains a sample of the product interface and a few sample questions.

It is possible for you to purchase a subscription as a gift for someone else.  However, the intended recipient will need to register an account on our website (or have an account registered for them, with their profile information entered accurately).  If the user is present at the time of purchase, the purchase can be made from their account on our website using any credit or debit card with a Visa, MasterCard, American Express, or Discover logo.

If the user is not present, or you wish for the gift to be a surprise, please contact Support directly using the contact form to arrange payment for the gift subscription.  Please be prepared to provide the user's registered email address so the account can be located.

You will encounter this message when the IP address that is currently assigned to your computer by your internet service provider has been blocked.  There might have been fraudulent transactions from a similar IP or an IP within a close range in the past.  This does not imply that you have made any fraudulent transactions.  It is just a security measure that we have adopted to avoid fraud on our website

In order to subscribe, you will need to access our website via an alternate internet access point, or submit your order via mail (please see "What form of payment(s) to you accept?" for required details if purchasing by mail).  If you prefer not to purchase via mail order, please contact Support directly using the contact form for other options.

Upon subscription, access to your course material will not be blocked even though you received a "Blocked IP Address" message initially.  Due to insecure nature of email communication, do not submit payment details (card number, expiration date, security code) via email.

There are several possible scenarios that may result in a purchase error when attempting a purchase on our website.

• Bank declined:  Your card-issuing bank may have declined the transaction if it does not match your usual purchase pattern, it exceeds your purchase limit, there are insufficient funds or there was an incorrect entry of subscriber information, including card number, card code, expiration date, name on card, etc.  Please contact the card-issuing bank to resolve the problem and then try the operation again.  If you prefer, you can also use a different card or payment means (see "What forms of payment(s) to you accept?" for alternate purchasing options).
• Incorrect CVV2 code:  The payment transaction may have been declined due to a card code mismatch.  The card code or Card Validation Code (CVC/CVV2) is a three or four-digit code located on the card.  For Visa, MasterCard, and Discover cards, this three-digit code is located on the back of the card.  For American Express cards, this four-digit code is located on the front of the card above the full card number.  Please double check the CVV2 code you have entered and try the transaction again.
• Duplicate purchase attempt:  You will not be able to purchase a new subscription if that subscription currently exists in your account and is not expired.  Additionally, if multiple purchase attempts are made in rapid succession, the site will automatically block these purchases to be sure that your card is not charged multiple times.  Please wait a few minutes before attempting your transaction again.
• Blocked card:  If your card has been blocked due to too many failed transaction attempts, sign out of your account and sign back in to clear the temporary block.

If any of your initial purchase attempts failed, they may still appear on your bank statement as pending charges.  Pending charges appear on your bank statement when authorization is requested, but you will not be charged for any unsuccessful or declined transactions.  Pending charges typically clear automatically within 2-5 business days.  Please contact your card issuing bank for more information regarding pending charges.

Please login to your account on our website using your registered username and password combination.  From the My Account page, click on Billing to access your purchase receipts.  You may then review or print the receipts from this page.

The personal information that a subscriber provides is highly secure and the credit/debit card information will not be stored after processing the transaction.  When purchasing a subscription, all payment information is sent over a 128-bit encrypted SSL connection to payment gateway.

New Purchase: All new subscriptions go into effect from the time they are activated and not the time of setup/purchase. It can be activated immediately or anytime thereafter. If your initial purchase consists of multiple courses (Qbank, self-assessment exam, CCS, etc.), each of them can be activated individually and independently via your account on our website as preferred. This process of activating a subscription after purchase allows you flexibility of starting a subscription when you are truly ready to utilize it.

Our self-assessment exam subscription is independent of other subscription duration. It can be activated via your account on our website and will stay active for 2-weeks from the time of activation. You can activate it before, during or after your other subscribed course material.

We recommend that all subscription be activated within 180 days of setup/purchase. Once a subscription is activated, it cannot be paused or suspended for any reason and will run continuously for the duration of said course material.

Renewal: A renewal is basically an extension of time to continue access to an previously activated subscription. Since a renewal is an extension to an already active subscription, it is effective from the existing expiration date, NOT from the day of purchase and cannot be deferred to start at a later date/time.

Please be advised that a subscription goes into effect from the time it is activated and not from the time of setup/purchase. It can be activated from our website immediately or anytime thereafter without any set deadline for activation.

If your initial purchase consists of multiple courses (QBank, Self-Assessment exam, CCS, etc.), you must activate each of them individually via your account on our website.

To activate and/or access a subscription:

• Login with your login credentials
• Click on the Activate button associated with the course you prefer to activate
• Click on the Launch button for the course you want to access (you may need to refresh the page in order to see the launch button)

Any subscription purchased as part of a combination package is independent from all other purchased subscriptions. These subscriptions are activated separately, renewed separately, and have no effect on one another.

For example, if you purchased the STEP1 Qbank (180-days) + Self Assessment Exam Form 1 & 2 (2-weeks), you can activate any one of these three subscriptions at any time. If you activate the Qbank subscription, use it for 180-days, and then the Qbank subscription expires, both Self Assessment Exam subscriptions will still be available for you to activate at a later date.

Once activated, a subscription will run continuously for the subscribed duration without any intermediate breaks. A subscription cannot be suspended temporarily and/or reactivated at a later time.

Please login to your account and click on the Renew button. This option provides a list of available renewal durations and their prices for the selected course. You can select Buy and renew your existing course for the desired duration of time.

A renewal is an extension of time to continue accessing an active subscription, and it will not start the subscription over or provide a reset. Since a renewal is an extension to an already active subscription, it is effective from the existing expiration date, NOT from the date of purchase, and cannot be deferred to start at a later date/time.

To qualify for renewal pricing, you will need to renew the course before it expires. Renewals are not offered for expired subscriptions and you will have to purchase a new subscription at regular price directly from our website to gain access to the material.

Unfortunately, renewals are not offered for expired subscriptions and you will have to purchase a new subscription at regular price to regain access to the material.

However, if access to historical data is a concern, we can help restore it in a newly purchased subscription upon request (as long as it is purchased using the same username and it is within 180-days from your previous subscriptions expiration date). This is not an automatic process and must be requested via email after you purchase your subscription and before activation. Please be sure to include your username in the email when requesting a restore. Once a request is submitted, do NOT access/activate or attempt to use the course material until we have a chance to perform the restore operation of your data.

The restore process is performed during our office hours of 10AM - 6PM (M-F, New York Time) and typically takes 2-4 hours. Once a restore of your historical data is performed, we will notify you via email so you can start using your subscription with access to your historical test data.

This could happen for two reasons:

• Multiple accounts in our system: You may have created multiple accounts on our system and are most likely using an incorrect account. Please check the latest receipt of your subscription purchase for the userid# associated with your latest subscription and try again.

• Expired subscriptions: All of our subscriptions are based according to the Eastern Time Zone (GMT/UTC -5 hours or New York Time), which may be different than your local time zone. Some users may assume the date and time associated with their subscription reflects their current local time zone, when in fact, it does not.

• Unsupported Mobile App: Complimentary Qbank access via mobile app reiles on separate app for USMLE, Boards, and NCLEX Qbanks. Mobile apps are not available for non-Qbank offerings.

Your username in our system is the same as the registered email address. Please use the full email address and associated password to sign into your account via our sign in page.

If you have forgotten your password, please enter your email address in the field under Forgot Password? to reset your password. You may be required to answer a security question correctly in order to set a new password without the password reset link. This security question will be one of the two questions you chose while registering your account.

Please note that you must specify your registered email address in the Forgot Password? retrieval dialog box as we do not send these instructions to alternate email addresses. Some mail servers may flag the automatic password retrieval message as spam and hence, we recommend you check your spam/junk mail folder as well.

If you are unable to locate the login retrieval email (or no longer have access to the originally registered email address), please contact support@uworld.com for further assistance.

It is critical you keep this information updated as all communications related to your subscription rely on the accuracy of your profile details.

The username in our system is the same as your email address. The updated email address will become your new username. You may need to update saved login information on any devices set to save your username and password.

You may update your registered email address by doing the following:

• Sign-in to your account using your existing username and password combination
• Click on Profile under Menu
• Enter your desired email address in the 'Email' field under User Information
• Check availability and click Update to if available to save changes

To update your password, please fill the required fields under Change Password section.

• Enter the current or temporary password
• Enter a new password (minimum of 8 characters)
• Re-enter the new password to confirm
• Click Update to save changes

Subscription material is updated to account for changes in medical practice, new scientific discoveries, changes in terminology or diagnostic procedure, or changes to the content and format of the exam.  When changes to the exam are announced, we immediately begin reviewing all of our content to ensure that it is compliant with any announced changes.  Any updates to existing material, or new material that is added, are automatically made available to all active subscribers.  You have access to the latest material regardless of when your subscription was purchased or how long it has been active.

Each question contains a date of last update in the lower right-hand corner of the question.  However, we are not able to provide an update schedule or an estimated number of questions which might be added/updated within a particular time frame.

A renewal will not grant a new set of questions.  Renewals are an extension of time to continue accessing an existing subscription, and it will not start the subscription over or provide any additional content that is not already available. Purchasing a new subscription will likewise not grant a new set of questions.

All active subscribers have access to the same content and the same number of questions, regardless of when their subscription was purchased or how long the subscription has been active.  As an active subscriber, you immediately have access to any new content that is added to the Qbank in the Unused question pool.  Additionally, any existing questions that are updated are automatically made available in your active Qbank subscription.  In this manner, we keep our content up to date and ensure that every subscriber has access to all the latest content.

Resets are offered to Qbank subscriptions which meet a minimum purchased duration of 180 days (6 months).  Qbank subscriptions which are not at least 180 days in duration cannot be reset.  Once a reset has been used, a subscription cannot be reset again, regardless of the duration remaining on the subscription or purchase of additional renewals.  A subscription can be reset in the following scenarios:

• Purchase of a new subscription:  You purchased a brand new subscription (ie, your previous subscription expired and you did not renew) and still have the old information in your new Qbank, or
• Continuous subscription for 180 days (6 months) or more without a reset:  For users who held one single continuous subscription for 180 days (6 months) or more and whose subscription has never been reset, we provide a one-time only opportunity to reset the test information.  A Qbank subscription will only qualify for a one-time reset if:
  • You initially purchased a subscription for 180 days (6 months) or more OR
  • You have held your active subscription for 180 days (6 months) or more without any intermediate breaks and it has not been reset previously.

Purchasing a renewal will not reset your subscription.  If the subscription has been reset already, it cannot be reset again.  If you wish to start your subscription over after it has already been reset once, you will need to allow the subscription to expire and purchase a new subscription (not a renewal).

A reset will not grant the user a "new" set of questions. Rather, it will return all the existing questions to the Unused question pool. All active subscribers have access to the same pool of questions, and we do not provide additional question pools after a user has completed the available questions.

Self Assessment Exams, STEP3 CCS, STEP2 CS, and Subject Review subscriptions cannot be reset.

If you want to redo certain questions, we recommend that you first mark these questions during your review, and then generate new tests using Marked question mode.  To mark a question, click the checkbox beside the red flag icon during testing or review (on mobile devices, tap the red flag icon to mark the question).

Once a test is generated using Marked question mode, the questions which were used in that test will be automatically removed from the Marked question pool.  In this manner, you could work through the Qbank or select individual subjects a second time through, per your preference.

Further, if you would like to generate the same questions in a new test a third/fourth/etc. time, you will need to mark those questions again (as each time a test is generated using Marked question mode, the questions are removed from the Marked pool).

If access to historical data is a concern, we can help restore it in a newly purchased subscription upon request (as long as it is purchased using the same registered username/email address).  This is not an automatic process and must be requested via email after you purchase your new subscription and before activation.  Please be sure to include your username in the email when requesting a restore.  Once a request is submitted, do not access/activate or attempt use of the course material until we have a chance to perform the restore operation of your data.  If the new subscription has been activated and any tests have been generated, it is not possible to restore previous data.

The restore process is performed during our office hours of 10AM - 6PM (M-F, New York Time) and typically takes 2-4 hours.  Once a restore of your historical data is performed, we will notify you via email so you can start using your subscription with access to your historical test data.

USMLE Self-Assessment Exams:
The Self Assessment Exam provides detailed analysis of your relative strengths and weaknesses in different subjects and systems. It also provides an approximate 3-digit USMLE score based on UWorld historical data. The questions used in the Self-Assessment Exam are unique and are not the same as the Qbank questions.

This software is designed to simulate the exam setup with timed exam blocks. You can work on all 4 blocks back to back to replace the first half of exam day. If you choose, you can pause in the middle or at the end of each block and resume later. You will have up to one (1) hour to complete each block, with a cumulative test time of 4 hours to complete the entire exam. You will have an opportunity to take a break at the end of each block. While this simulated exam can only be taken once, the subscriber has the option to review the entire exam for up to two weeks from the time of activation.

NCLEX-RN Self-Assessment Exam:

The 75-question, timed Self-Assessment Exam aligns with the content of the official NCLEX-RN test plan and helps you gauge your readiness for the NCLEX.

• Once activated, the exam will be available to complete and review for a period of 2 weeks.
• The exam can be taken only one time and must be completed within the allotted time frame of 102 minutes (1 hours 42 minutes).
• Full rationales for each question can be reviewed after completing the entire test.
• The exam is accessible on all devices.
• After completing the test, you will be provided with a readiness predictor based on your performance.
• It is advised that you take this exam 2-3 weeks prior to your test date.

Our software is designed to mimic the actual test experience, and therefore each of the test blocks is timed at 60 minutes like the actual exam.  However, if you receive accommodations for testing, we can adjust time on each of the test blocks accordingly.  To request an extension of time for your Self Assessment Exam test blocks:

• Sign in to your account on our website.
• Activate the Self Assessment Exam.
• Launch the subscription so test blocks are generated, but do not start any of the test blocks.
• Immediately close the Self Assessment Exam and email us at support@uworld.com
• Request the time extension, specifying the amount of time you are supposed to receive per block.
• We will notify you when the adjustment has been made so you may resume testing.

Unfortunately, it is not possible to reset Self Assessment Exam subscriptions. If you would like to retake the exam, you will either need to wait until the current Self Assessment subscription expires and purchase a new subscription under the same account/username or purchase a new subscription immediately under a different account/username.

Please be advised that we do not maintain alternate versions of the exam, and if you purchase a new subscription, it will consist of the same questions.

Printing, saving, copying, screen capture, etc. of UWorld Qbank materials is strictly prohibited. Attempts to use system commands or third party utilities to capture/print/save/copy our content is considered copyright infringement and breach of Terms and Conditions. We monitor all user activity diligently and repeated attempts to circumvent this may lead to account suspension, termination without refund, and/or legal action. All of our subscriptions are available for online use only. Any print copies or offline copies of UWorld are unauthorized reproductions and are considered illegal.

Certain sections of your subscription can be printed for your records. These pages will be indicated with a Print option or a printer icon.

Qbank & Self Assessment Exam Subscriptions:  Notes may be printed from the Notes tab.  Analysis may be printed per test.  Cumulative performance/score report may be printed from the Performance section.

STEP2 CS, STEP3 CCS:  Sample patient notes from the STEP2 CS may be printed.  Some reference pages which include a Print icon may be printed.  STEP3 CCS Read-out (non-interactive) cases may be printed.

No other section of any subscription is available for print.

We understand your concerns about privacy and respect the privacy of all our users. However, we need access to photos as all screen captures are stored within "Photos" section. We do not require entire access as we do not sample pictures at any time nor do we transmit any pictures. We just track the number of pictures present in this folder while test blocks are active. With the new iOS update Apple has separated various levels of access, but there is no granularity offered by Apple in terms of access to Photos. It is all or nothing and hence, we request this access.

If you are concerned about privacy, please feel free to use our fully functional desktop application. Mobile apps are designed to complement the desktop application and are not intended to fully replace regular access from a laptop or desktop system.

The UWorld products are compatible with most Windows and Mac laptop or desktop systems (Mac OS X 10.8 or higher and Windows 7 or higher). Additionally, we offer mobile applications compatible with Android, iOS and Kindle devices (Android 5.0 or higher, iOS 9.0 or higher, Kindle Fire or higher). Unfortunately, UWorld does not support Linux, Chromebook, or Windows Mobile devices. Our full system requirements are available for review here.

All UWorld subscriptions require an active internet connection. UWorld products are not available in offline mode. 

USMLE STEP1 & STEP2 CK Qbank and Self Assessment Exams (Java client):

• Sign in to your account on our website
• Click Activate beside your subscription if you have not yet activated it
• Agree to the Terms and Conditions
• Click Launch beside the subscription
• Locate your operating system (Windows or Mac)
• Click to expand the instructions on how to download Java and install the USMLE client

USMLE STEP3 Qbank, STEP3 Self Assessment Exam, Biostatistics Subject Review, STEP2 CS, STEP3 CCS (web client):

• Sign in to your account on the website
• Click Activate beside your subscription if you have not yet activated it
• Agree to the Terms and Conditions
• Click Launch beside the subscription to access

ABIM & ABFM Qbank (web client):

• Sign in to your account on the website
• Click Activate beside your subscription if you have not yet activated it
• Agree to the Terms and Conditions
• Click Launch beside the subscription to access

NCLEX-RN and NCLEX-PN Qbank (web client):

• Sign in to your account on the website
• Click Activate beside your subscription if you have not yet activated it
• Agree to the Terms and Conditions
• Click Launch beside the subscription to access

Qbank and Self Assessment Exam subscriptions may also be accessed via our companion mobile application available for Android, iOS, and Kindle Fire devices. Please refer to the "Can I access my subscriptions on a mobile device?" section for more information on installing the mobile app.

Access to Qbank subscriptions is offered through our companion application for Android, iOS, and Kindle devices. The companion app is provided as a courtesy for convenient access on the go, and is not intended to replace primary access from a laptop or desktop system. Refunds or other compensation will not be provided due to inability to access the subscription from a mobile device. Only Qbank and Self Assessment Exam subscriptions are accessible via mobile devices. Please verify that your mobile device meets our System Requirements.

Other Mobile Device(s): Our developers are aware of request for mobile access on other devices/platforms and are reviewing potential options and implementation scenarios however, an exact time frame (of if or when a solution will be available) is not currently known. Once an app is ready, it will be announced directly on our website.

• Click on download to start downloading Java
• When prompted, choose to save the file and select your desktop as the destination. Then wait for the download to finish.
• Once the download is completed, close all open web browser windows and return to your desktop.
• Locate the downloaded file on your desktop and double click it to start the installation process.
• Follow prompts to finish the installation process.
• Once Java is installed on your Windows computer launch your USMLE Qbank/Self-Assessment/CCS Interactive software:
  • Launch USMLE Qbank & Self-Assessment Exam Client
  • Launch USMLE Step 3 CCS Interactive Software Client

Download Java for Mac OS X.

• When prompted, choose to save the file and select your desktop as the destination, then wait for the download to finish.
• Once the download is completed, double-click the .dmg file to launch it and install Apple Provided update.

Update Java to the latest version (Oracle Java).

• Using Spotlight (looking glass icon on upper right-hand corner), search for System Preferences and launch it.
• Click on Security & Privacy and click on the General tab.
• Change settings for 'Allow applications downloaded from' to 'Anywhere' or 'Mac App Store and identified developers'.
• If you select 'Anywhere' in the resulting confirmation prompt click on 'Allow From Anywhere'.
• Double-click the .dmg file to launch and install Oracle provided Java update.
• Double-click on the package icon to launch install Wizard and follow prompts to finish the installation process.
• Launch your USMLE Qbank/Self-Assessment/CCS Interactive software via applicable link below:
  • Launch USMLE Qbank & Self-Assessment Exam Client
  • Launch USMLE Step 3 CCS Interactive Software Client

When connecting using different internet access points, or at times during regular use of the Qbank, the Java cache (which stores temporary files associated with UWorld's desktop clients) may become corrupted, which can prevent your subscription from launching properly. The following instructions will clear the temporary files from the Java cache and will usually resolve most "Unable to Launch" errors.  This will not affect your subscription data, as all of your subscription data is stored securely on our remote servers.

If using Mac (OS X 10.8.x to 10.11.x)

• Delete the desktop/dock shortcut icon for ALL UWorld applications you may have (even unrelated ones, doing this will NOT result in loss of any of your previous test/performance data).
• Click the Apple logo in the top right-hand corner of your screen and select System Preferences.
• Click on Java icon under the 'Other' section to open Java Control Panel.
• Under General tab, locate the Temporary Internet Files sub-section and click Settings > Delete Files.
• Make sure all boxes are checked and Click OK
• Under General tab, locate the Network Settings sub-section and click Network Settings...
• In the resulting dialog box, select Direct Connection and press OK.
• Exit the Java Control Panel and System Preferences window.
• Sign in to your account and follow the appropriate link to launch the software.

If using Windows (7 to 10)

• Delete the desktop shortcut icon for ALL UWorld applications you may have (even unrelated ones, doing this will NOT result in loss of any of your previous test/performance data).
• Click on the Start menu and go to the Control Panel.
• For users of Windows 7: Select "Large icons" in the 'View by:' drop-down box shown at the near top of the control panel (right hand-side).
• Double click on the Java icon (If the Java icon is not present in your control panel, search your entire computer for an application named javacpl and continue with the rest of these instructions).
• Under General tab, locate the Temporary Internet Files sub-section and click Settings > Delete Files.
• Make sure all boxes are checked and Click OK.
• Under General tab, locate Network Settings sub-section and click Network Settings...
• In the resulting dialog box, select Direct Connection and press OK.
• Click OK once again and close the Java control panel.
• Sign in to your account and follow the appropriate link to launch the software.

If the issue persists, please contact support@uworld.com with a screenshot of the Exception tab found when clicking Details on the error message. This will allow our support representatives to determine the cause of the error and provide further instruction.

There are few possible reasons for this issue:

• Personal Firewall: There may be a firewall on your computer and/or network that is preventing download of necessary components. You may need to completely turn off any internet security or firewall software on your computer, as many common security software (i.e. AVG, Norton, McAfee, ZoneAlarm, etc.) block such access by default
   
• Connection related issue: Your internet connection may be down, or you may be connecting on an unreliable internet connection. If you are using a wireless connection, we recommend that you try repositioning your device to get the best signal possible. Additionally, if you are connecting via a wireless network with many users, it's possible that there may be insufficient bandwidth for your device to receive a response from our servers in a timely manner. In this instance, we recommend that you access internet from a dedicated home/personal infrastructure based internet network (DSL, Cable, etc.)
   
• DNS maintenance/outage: Your Internet Service Provider (ISP) performs DNS lookup function each time you access a name on the internet (e.g. turns an internet name like www.uworld.com into an internet address, such as 72.32.48.106). Sometimes you can experience problems with your ISP connection, including conversion of the website name to an IP name and performing a time-consuming lookup. You will have to raise this issue with them. Most of the times this issue resolves in 3-5 hours depending on the DNS cache your ISP is refreshing or rechecking.

As an alternative, we suggest using a third-party DNS server such as the OpenDNS service to avoid future problems. You can find instructions and setup help for using OpenDNS on https://www.opendns.com/start/computer (this is a free service and does not require registration for use).

You can also try to access our services from an alternate internet access point while your ISP works on addressing the DNS lookup issue.

This error usually occurs when the date and time on your system does not match the location of your current internet access point. For security reasons, your system will attempt to validate the security certificate for our application before it launches. If the system date/time does not match the expected value, your system will not launch the application.

For Windows systems:

• In the bottom right-hand corner of your screen, check the time and date on your system.
• If the system time and date is incorrect, click on the date and then click Change time and date settings... which will open a new window, Date and Time.
• Click on Change time zone... to select your current time zone from the drop-down menu. If you are located in a region where Daylight Savings Time applies, select the check box beside "Automatically adjust clock for Daylight Saving Time." Click OK.
• If your system time and date is still not correct, click on Change date and time... which will open a new window, Date and Time Settings. Manually select the correct date and time for your current time zone and click OK.
• Click Apply to finalize the changes and click OK.
• Restart your computer. After your computer has restarted, open the application again.

For Mac systems:

• In the top right-hand corner of your screen, check the check the time and date on your system.
• Click on the time and select Open Date & Time Preferences, which will open a new window, Date & Time.
• Click on the padlock icon and enter your system password to enable changes.
• Click on the Time Zone tab and click the check box beside "Set time zone automatically using current location."
• If you receive a prompt which states "Location Services are turned off," click on Open Privacy Preferences... to open a new window, Security & Privacy. Then, click the padlock icon, enter your system password to enable changes, and click the check box beside Enable Location Services.
• If you do not wish to enable location services, use the map to select your current time zone.
• Close the Date & Time window and restart your system. After your computer has restarted, open the application again.

If the error persists after attempting the above instructions, you may need to clear your Java cache. Please refer to the Resolving "Unable to launch the application" error section for instructions on how to clear the Java cache.

This indicates that there may be a firewall on your computer and/or network that is preventing our software from accessing our servers, or you may be connecting through a proxy server. Our software requires sustained, direct and unrestricted inbound/outbound internet access by Java to www.uworld.com

If you are attempting to connect via a public network (such as university, work, the hospital, or the library), you may encounter issues accessing your subscription. Most public networks of this type utilize firewalls to block incoming/outgoing connections. We recommend consulting with your network administrator to see if an exception can be made for connections to http://www.uworld.com/ in order to access your Qbank via a computer on these types of networks. If the network administrator is unable to make an exception, we recommend that you access your subscription from a different internet connection.

If you are receiving this error while connecting on a home/private network, we recommend that you temporarily disable any network security programs such as antivirus/firewall and attempt to sign in again. If you are able to sign in with the security programs disabled, you will need to add an exception in these programs for connections to http://www.uworld.com/ and may also need to add exceptions for Java. Alternately, you can try connecting with a different device on the network to determine whether the issue is the system's security programs or a security setting on the network as a whole. If the issue persists, refer to the Resolving "Unable to launch the application" error for instructions on how to clear your Java cache and set your network settings to Direct Connection.

If your subscription freezes during login or will not proceed past the "Authenticating User" stage, this typically means that the client is unable to establish a sustained connection to our servers. There are a few possible reasons for this error:

• Personal Firewall: There may be a firewall on your computer and/or network that is preventing download of necessary components. You may need to completely turn off any internet security or firewall software on your computer, as many common security software (i.e. AVG, Norton, McAfee, ZoneAlarm, etc.) block such access by default.
   
• Web Accelerator: When a web accelerator is active on your local machine (installed automatically as part of your Internet Service Provider or manually installed). Disable the program(s) and try to access the our software once again.
   
• Network Issue: If you are connecting via a public network (work, hospital, library, public Wi-Fi, etc.), please be advised that most public network administrators rely on firewall and/or proxy servers to manage internet access on their network, which may be blocking access. In this instance, you will need to request that the network administrator make an exception to https://www.uworld.com by Java Web Start. If they are unable to make an exception, you will need to use your subscription from a non-public or home network.

If the issue persists after disabling security programs/web accelerators, and you have tried a different network, you may need to clear your Java cache. Please refer to the Resolving "Unable to launch the application" error section for instructions on how to clear the Java cache.

This is typically caused when Java settings on your computer have either been updated manually or automatically, causing the cache to be disabled. Our client requires the cache to be enabled to store temporary files on your system during the use of your subscription.

If using Mac (OS X 10.8.x to 10.11.x):

• Click the Apple logo in the top left corner of your screen and select System Preferences.
• Click on the Java icon under the Other section to open Java Control Panel.
• Under General tab, locate the Temporary Internet Files sub-section and click Settings.
• Make sure "Keep temporary internet files on my computer" checkbox is checked. If it is unchecked, please check it now and press OK.
• Under General tab, locate the Network Settings sub-section and click Network Settings...
• In the resulting dialog box, select Direct Connection and press OK.
• Exit Java Preferences.
• Sign in to your account and follow the appropriate link to launch the software.

If using Windows (7 to 10):

• Search for Control Panel and click or tap to open it.
• Select Large icons in the View by drop-down box shown at the near top of the control panel (right hand-side).
• Double click on the Java icon (If Java icon is not present in your control panel, search your entire computer for an application named javacpl and continue with the rest of these instructions).
• In the Java Control Panel, click on Settings.
• Make sure "Keep temporary internet files on my computer" checkbox is checked. If it is unchecked, please check it now and press OK.
• Under General tab, locate the Network Settings sub-section and click Network Settings...
• In the resulting dialog box, select Direct Connection and press OK.
• Close out of the Java Control Panel.
• Sign in to your account and follow the appropriate link to launch the software.

This issue is usually caused by an update of network settings by your current or recent internet access point (probably a university, work or hospital network). Please update Java settings on your computer using these steps to resolve this issue.

If using Mac (OS X 10.8.x to 10.11.x):

• Click on the Apple logo in the top left corner of your screen and select System Preferences.
• Click on Java icon under 'Other' section to open Java Control Panel.
• Under General tab, locate the Network Settings sub-section and click Network Settings...
• In the resulting dialog box, select Direct Connection and press OK
• Exit from Java Control Panel.
• Double click on Network icon under the Internet & Network section of System Preferences.
• On the following window click on Advanced... on the bottom right of the screen.
• Click on the Proxies tab on the top of the screen and ensure that all entries under "Select a protocol to configure" are unchecked.
• Also set Configure Proxies to Manually.
• Click on OK and close all windows.
• Sign in to your account and follow the appropriate link to launch the software

If using Windows (7 to 10):

• Search for Control Panel and click or tap to open it.
• Select Large icons in the View by drop-down box shown at the near top of the control panel (right hand-side).
• Double click on the Java icon (If Java icon is not present in your control panel, search your entire computer for an application named javacpl and continue with the rest of these instructions).
• In the Java control Panel, click on Network Settings
• Select Direct Connection and then OK
• Close out of the Java Control Panel and Windows Control Panel
• Sign in to your account and follow the appropriate link to launch the software

If using Mac (OS X 10.8.x to 10.11.x):
A Java update published by Apple has affected a large set of OS X users who installed it manually or automatically via System Update. The update in question uninstalls the Apple-provided Java applet plug-in from ALL web browsers. Please attempt the following to resolve this:

• Click download to start downloading Java.
• Update Java to update to the latest version (must).
• When prompted, choose to save the file and select your desktop as the destination. Then wait for the download to finish.
• Once the download is completed, close all open web browser windows and return to your desktop.
• Double-click the .dmg file to launch it.
• Double-click on the package icon to launch Install Wizard and follow prompts to finish the installation process.
• Sign in to your account and follow the appropriate link to launch the software

If using Windows (7 to 10):
This issue is most likely caused by corruption of your operating system's file associations (your computer is attempting to open the file with a program other than Java). To resolve this issue, please follow these instructions.

• Click on the Start button or orb
• Search for Default Program on the Start screen and click or tap Default Programs.
• Tap or click Associate a file type or protocol with a program.
• Scroll down the list of file types, locate and select the .jnlp file type.
• Click on Change program...
• Select More options and scroll down and select Look for another app on this PC.
• Navigate to C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.8.0_xx\bin\javaws.exe then click on Open. Some computers may have this file available via C:\Program Files (x86)\Java\jre1.8.0_xx\bin\javaws.exe location. This file maybe labeled as javaws (without the .exe part in the same directory).
• Repeat these steps for the .jar file also.
• Close the Set Associations window.
• Sign in to your account and follow the appropriate link to launch the software

If you have lost your desktop launch shortcut for USMLE Qbank/Self-Assessment/CCS Interactive software and wish to regenerate it, we recommend that you delete your Java cache to ensure that all settings are returned to default. Please refer to the Resolving "Unable to launch the application" error section for instructions on how to clear the Java cache. Then, sign in to your account on our website and click Launch beside your subscription, and carefully follow the provided installation steps in order. The desktop icon should automatically regenerate as soon as you have installed the client again on your system.

If you have followed all of these instructions and you are still unable to see the desktop icon, there may be an unknown security setting on your system which is preventing the icon from being saved. In this case, you can save the .jnlp client file to your desktop. Simply right-click on the Download button for your subscription from the launch page and select Save File/Target As (for Windows) or CTRL+click and select Save linked file as... (for Mac) to save this file to your desktop. Then, you can double-click this file to launch your subscription.

This errror most frequently results from a firewall that is blocking connection to our servers. UWorld requires a sustained, unrestricted, inbound/outbound connection to our servers in order to load test information and transmit your results.

If you have a firewall program installed on your personal system, please temporarily disable this firewall program and attempt launching your subscription again. If you are able to launch while the firewall is disabled, you will need to add a security exception to the program for connections to http://www.uworld.com/

If you are connecting on a public network (such as a business, university, hospital, or library connection), these types of connections frequently use firewalls at the server level to prevent the type of access required. You will need to consult with the IT department or the network administrator to see if an exception can be made for connections to http://www.uworld.com/ - if the administrator is unable to make such an exception, you will need to use a different network to access your subscription.

Most users should select the 'No Proxy' option. The 'proxy' option is only for users whose internet connection requires going through a proxy server to access the internet. If you connect to the internet using a proxy server, you should already have this information available to enter at the time of launch.

If you do not have the proxy server information, you will need to contact your network administrator for the proxy server and proxy port number. The proxy must be an unauthenticated proxy (meaning that no login is required).

If you lose internet connection while taking a test, the software will prompt you to save the current test block. Please be advised that the saved test block file is in proprietary format and should not be accessed/viewed or modified using other software.

To upload the saved file, please do the following:

• Sign in to your account on our website.
• Launch the software.
• Click on the Utilities tab (if using Self Assessment Exam software, skip onto the next step)
• Click the Upload tab (or sub-tab).
• Read the provided information and click the Upload button. This will prompt you to browse to the saved file on your computer for upload.

If you receive an error during the upload process, then it means the file was corrupted in the process of being saved and you will need to work on said test block again.

If the test file gets uploaded but you are not able to see any changes, then it means the saved file does not contain any new data and you will need to work on said test block again.

Please enable the Java plugin in the Safari browser after ensuring that Java is installed on your machine. Instructions to enable the Java plugin are included below.

• Launch Safari browser
• Click on Safari and select Preferences
• Click on the Security tab
• Check (select) Enable Java check box
• Close Safari Preferences window

If you need assistance with any of the instructions please feel free to contact us.

If you receive this error message, or if your Qbank shows visual glitches when you are scrolling through your test (such as text repeating multiple times or the interface appearing to "freeze"), please utilize the following troubleshooting steps to uninstall Java and the Qbank and then reinstall from scratch:

• Delete all UWorld icons from your desktop, quick launch bar, and Applications folder (if they exist).
• Click on the Apple logo and select System Preferences from the menu, then click on Security & Privacy.
• Under the General tab, change the settings for "Allow applications downloaded from" to Mac App Store and identified developers or Anywhere. You may need to click the padlock icon and enter your system password to unlock this section for editing.
• Refer to the How do I install my subscription on Mac (OS X 10.8.0 or higher)? section of the help page.
• Carefully follow the provided instructions in order to be sure that the Apple patch as well as the latest Java update is completely installed before launching the Qbank.

If you are still unable to launch your subscription after proceeding with the provided steps, please contact us directly at support@uworld.com, including a screenshot of the error message you receive when you attempt to launch.

The Screen Sharing Agent is a default Mac process that is sometimes enabled from the factory. This enables remote screen sharing and could be used to share the Qbank software with multiple users. If this setting is enabled on your Mac system, the Qbank will close automatically.

To disable screen sharing on your system:

• Click the Apple logo in the top left corner of your screen and select System Preferences.
• Click on Sharing and uncheck the Screen Sharing box.
• Click OK and exit the System Preferences window.
• Restart your computer and launch the application again.

This problem might arise if you lose your internet connection while course content is being downloaded onto your computer. The test is downloaded on your machine while the images and media are stored on the server. Hence, you may be able to move from one question to next in absence of internet connection but the images and media will not load. This is especially true if you are using a wireless (3G/GPRS/GSM/UMTS/CDMA/HSDPA/WiMAX/Wi-Fi) or dial-up connection.

If you rely on dial-up access, we recommend trying to access the course from a high-speed internet access point if possible. If you rely on wireless access, please disable the wireless device on your computer and try using a wired connection from your computer to your internet access point to avoid this issue. If the problem exists on a wired connection, then email us your username, contact number, and a suitable time to reach you by telephone. We will check if the connection is working properly.

Our qbank requires reliable and stable connection in order to download images and save tests while communicating with our servers. Wireless connections are great in terms of offering flexibility with connection but are quite unreliable when providing sustained and reliable internet connectivity.

This error can occur if the website and/or web client was recently updated, and an older version of the website/client is still stored in your browser's cache. Please see the instructions below for your specific browser to clear the cache.

Internet Explorer/Edge

• Find the Tools menu and chose Internet Options.
• Under the General tab, find the sub-heading called Browsing history and click Delete.
• Un-check the Preserve Favorites website data box.
• Check the Temporary Internet Files, Cookies, and History boxes.
• Click Delete.
• Click OK to close the Internet Options menu.
• Close the browser and re-open it.

Firefox

• Click the Menu and then click History.
• Select Clear Recent History.
• From the Time range to clear: drop-down menu, select Everything.
• Beside Details click the down arrow and select all items.
• Click Clear Now.
• Close the browser and re-open it.

Google Chrome

• Click the Menu and then click Settings.
• At the bottom of the settings page, click "Show advanced settings..."
• Under the Privacy sub-heading, click on "Clear browsing data..."
• From the Obliterate the following items from: drop-down menu, select the beginning of time.
• Select Browsing history, Cookies and other site and plugin data, Cached images and files. Other selections are optional.
• Click on Clear browsing data.
• Close the browser and re-open it.

Safari

• From the Safari menu, select Clear History and Website Data...
• Select Remove all website data and then click Reset.
• From the Safari menu, select Quit Safari to close all windows, then re-open the browser.

If the error persists after clearing your browser cache, we recommend updating your browser to the latest available version or opening your subscription in a different browser.

Any test which has previously been completed can be continued, even if it has already been scored. Go to the Previous Tests section of your Qbank and select Resume beside the desired test. This will allow you to continue working through the test and answering questions. If you have accidentally ended a timed test or the time ran out, the test will resume with its full allotted time.

By design, Self Assessment Exam test blocks cannot be resumed once they have been ended. If you have accidentally ended a Self Assessment Exam block and are unable to continue, please contact us at support@uworld.com with your username, the exam where the error occurred, and the test block number that needs to be continued. We will manually set the test block as Suspended so you can resume and complete it.

The highlight feature is resource intensive and hence, the available resources are calculated at the time the test is launched. If enough resources are not available, then the feature will be disabled. If you are running multiple programs concurrently at the time of taking a test, then your computer system's resources may not be sufficient enough to properly run the highlight feature. In addition, since the resources are calculated automatically through the script, we cannot turn it off or on specifically for your machine.

You might want to disable or quit unwanted programs (like instant messengers, etc) and close all browsers before you launch a test. We have found that minimizing the number of active programs on the computer when taking a test has helped many users in the past use the highlight function without any hassle.

If you previously highlighted material in your test and the highlights seem to have moved, this typically indicates that the question was updated since the last time you accessed it. Please check the Date last updated in the lower right-hand corner of the question. When a question is updated, highlighted text may have shifted position, or the text you originally highlighted may no longer be present in the question. In this case, you will need to correct your highlights manually.

Unfortunately, tests cannot be deleted once they have been generated. If you have accidentally ended this test block and caused questions to be marked as omitted, you can continue the test by going to the Previous Tests section and clicking Resume beside the test in question.

If you have made a mistake when selecting the Test Mode, Question Mode, or number of questions, unfortunately this cannot be changed. If you would like to re-create the test again in your desired mode to retake the questions, we recommend that you mark all questions in the test and then generate a new test using Marked question mode.

This is an automated email sent to a subscriber's registered email address when our software detects the presence of an application/process on user's machine which is incompatible with our Qbank/Self-Assessment/CCS Interactive software, or use of screen capturing hotkeys. 

Please disable the application before using our software by following the instructions below.

If you are using a Windows computer:

• Exit from the UWorld software completely by closing any open tests and/or by clicking the X in the top right corner.
• Press Ctrl+Alt+Del.
• Select Task Manager.
• Click on Processes tab and then locate the incompatible process.
• Select the process and click End Process on the bottom.
• Close task manager and try launching the software again.

If you are using a Mac computer:

• Exit from the UWorld software completely by closing any open tests and/or by clicking the X in the top right corner.
• Open a new Finder window.
• Select Applications.
• Select Utilities and double click on Activity Monitor.
• Select the incompatible process.
• Click on Quit Process.
• Close the Activity Monitor and Applications windows and try launching the software again.

If you are accessing our software from a computer for which you do not have sufficient rights (such as a public terminal at hospital, library, etc.), you may need to seek assistance from the computer administrator or use it from a computer on which you have full administrative rights. If you continue to receive this error after ending the process, this means that the conflicting program may be set to launch automatically or run in the background. In this case, you will need to locate the program in question, open it, and modify its settings so that it does not launch automatically or run in the background.

It is recommended that all users disable any active pop-up blocker on their system prior to accessing any courses from UWorld. If a pop-up blocking program is running on your computer, disable it or close the program itself. If you do not wish to close Pop-up blocker program, you will have to press the keyboard control ('ctrl') key before clicking on any buttons. Release the control key when you get a new window that is open in full screen.

If the STEP2 CS videos were recently functioning normally but have suddenly stopped working, we recommend that you check your browser for available updates or clear the browser's cache.

On slower connections (dial-up or wireless) it may take a few seconds to buffer the clip for seamless playback. For this reason, we recommend pausing the video as soon as it starts for a few seconds. That way when you press the play button a few seconds later, the entire interaction will play back clearly without any interruptions.

If you are receiving a prompt/alert which says "Do you want to allow programmatic clipboard access?" or "Do you want to allow this page to paste information from your clipboard?" then please follow the instructions to resolve the issue.

For Internet Explorer 7.x and higher:

• Go to Tools and select Internet Options.
• Go to the Security tab.
• Select Internet zone, then click on Custom level...
• Scroll down to the Scripting section.
• Under Allow Programmatic clipboard access option, check or select Enable. Default action for this option is Prompt, which cause the pop-up message whenever there is any attempt to access the Clipboard.
• Click OK twice to exit from Internet Options.

For Safari:

• Open the Safari Menu, and select Preferences.
• Click Security icon and check the box for Enable Plugins, Java, and Javascript.
• Close out of the Preferences window.

For Mozilla Firefox & Google Chrome:

• Mozilla Firefox is not recommended for use with STEP2 CS, STEP3 CCS & Subject Review material. We recommend you using Internet Explorer on a Windows computer or Safari on a Macintosh computer.

You will see this message when your browser's cookie functionality is turned off. Please make sure to enable the cookies prior to logging-in to the courses at UWorld.

If using Internet Explorer:
To enable cookies in Internet Explorer 8.0 and later versions:

• Click Start > Control Panel (with Windows XP Classic View, click the Windows Start button > Settings > Control Panel)
• Double-click the Internet Options icon
• Select the Privacy tab
• Click Advanced
• Select "Override automatic cookie handling" under the "Cookies" section in the Advanced Privacy Settings window.
• Select the "Accept" or "Prompt" option under "First-party Cookies"
• In the Internet Options window, click OK to exit

If using Mozilla Firefox:
To enable cookies in Mozilla Firefox 3.x for Windows:

• Click Tools > Options
• Click Privacy in the top panel
• Set "Firefox will:" to Use custom settings for history
• Check the box next to "Accept cookies from sites" to enable cookies
• Click OK

To enable cookies in Mozilla Firefox for Macintosh:

• Go to the Firefox drop-down menu
• Select Preferences
• Click Privacy
• Set "Firefox will:" to Use custom settings for history
• Check the box next to "Accept cookies from sites" to enable cookies
• Click OK

If using Apple Safari:
To enable cookies in Safari:

• Go to the Safari drop-down menu
• Select Preferences
• Click Security in the top panel
• Under "Accept Cookies" select Only from sites you navigate to

Click here if using Google Chrome:
To enable cookies in Chrome for Windows:

• Click the Tools menu
• Select Options
• Click the Under the Hood tab
• Click Content settings in the "Privacy" section
• Select Allow local data to be set to allow first-party cookies

To enable cookies in Chrome for Macintosh:

• Select Chrome > Preferences on the menu bar
• Click the Under the Hood tab
• Click Content settings in the "Privacy" section
• Select Allow local data to be set to allow first-party cookies

If cookies in your browser are enabled and you're still seeing an error message that your browser's cookie functionality is turned off, you may need to restart the web browser for the settings to take effect.