USMLE USMLE - Official 2016 Step 2 CK Experiences and Scores Thread

[Trogdor_The_Burninator]

Hello everyone!

With 2016 around the corner, I thought it would be a good time to start this thread and continue the 2015 thread into the new year!

Similar threads from the past have been extremely helpful to me (and I'm sure) and many others.

Good luck to everyone taking Step 2 CK in 2016!

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[SoneSNSD]

Thank you, zrg56! My best wishes for next week

 

[dorjosam]

Took my test yesterday.

Med School: IMG
Step 1: 267
Preparation time: ~ 5 months

Resources: UW twice (83% => 95%), UTD for reference. MTB/Secrets/Kaplan here and there. MKSAP 16 - Did around 200 questions. Not really a Step 2 CK stuff. Firecracker in the first couple of months to get things started.

Assessments:
NBME 3 (1.5 months out) = 273
NBME 4 (1 week out) = NBME 6 (2 months out) = 271
NBME 7 (3 weeks out) = 260
UWSA (2 weeks out) = 265+
Fred (2 months out) = 93%

Feelings after the exam: I felt like "all the rumors were true". Vague questions - check; Double diagnoses - check; Long stems - not really (more like UW and Fred); Time issues - check (didn't have spare time to go through marked questions in almost any block); Mentally draining - check; WTF feeling after the exam - totally. Apart from this, the content was like that of UW. It's just that some of the questions are twisted to the extreme.

Anything I could have done differently: Not really. I focused on UW which is the best resource for preparation. I used UTD which is the most convincing reference.

Felt a bit relieved after looking at experiences of some high scorers that this is a common feeling. Just hoping that I didn't mess things on the big day.
But the fun part is -- no more studies (at least for now)

wow you are the boss @you.old !!!! another +265 is guaranteed! could you please tell me how did you approach your UW and also how was your daily schedule?! I really appreciate! Best of luck!

 

[Gymnast89]

I took this really late in the season so I only needed to pass. That said, I was concerned about passing. I had a good Step 1 (248) but battled health issues M3 year and my shelves (and my preparation for shelves) reflected that with 60s-70s across the board. I didn't have dedicated time, so I prepared during 2 back-to-back lighter rotations.

UWorld - I only got through 63% of UWorld (1st pass, random, timed) -- avg 71%.

• Initially I was scoring in the 50s, towards test date was more often hovering around the high 70s-80s.

Kaplan QBank - Did about 800 of these questions (weakest subjects, by subject, timed) -- avg 60%.

• There were a few organ systems I was comfortable with and others that I was clueless about, hence the Kaplan supplementing in certain areas without even finishing UWorld. I think this worked for me. There were definitely some questions with random minutiae, but a lot of the stuff was useful. If you have big gaping holes in your knowledge base, I'd recommend supplementing with this bank.

Subject NBMEs (the Clinical Mastery series or whatever they're called..)

• I did a lot of these. I'd read a lot of people here saying that Step 2 tends to be the average of your shelf exam scores and this terrified me. I was worried I'd really pay for skipping out on shelf exam prep during M3 year, so I did these now.

Peds (9 wks out) - 68%/17
IM (9 wks out) - 70%/19
OB (8 wks out) - 80%/21
Peds (5 wks out) - 84%/23
IM (5 wks out) - 64%/17
IM (4 wks out) - 80%/23
Surgery (3 wks out) - 88%/25
Neuro (3 wks out) - 82%/22

NBME 4 (6 wks out) - 217
NBME 6 (4 wks out) - 212
NBME 7 (1 week out) - 229

• NBME 7 absolutely scared the crap out of me. I felt like I had learned a TON since NBME 4 and NBME 6, so the 229 did not feel great. My goal had been to get my practice tests up around 235 before taking it, thinking that would give me a safe cushion to be assured of passing. By that point I was too wigged out to take the UWSA, so I just put my head down and worked on weak areas some more and leaned on (read: probably annoyed the hell out of) my friends and family for reassurance.

Actual Test - 250.

• Thrilled!!! Walking out of the exam I was not sure that I had passed. I was not sure that I had failed or anything, but I definitely identified with everyone else here saying they felt like they got hit by a truck. I'm beyond delighted with the actual outcome here.

 

[you.old]

wow you are the boss @you.old !!!! another +265 is guaranteed! could you please tell me how did you approach your UW and also how was your daily schedule?! I really appreciate! Best of luck!

Thanks DJ Sam. After my Step 1, I took a break for a couple of months and then, dived right into UW. I used to do subject-wise timed blocks and review the marked and wrong answers. I was going very slow at the beginning (I was and am still working full-time). It took me almost 2 months to finish UW for the first round. The second round was smoother - I did random timed blocks with minimal review. My daily schedule consisted of UW blocks, a bit info from UTD, 5-10 pages of SUTM (I think I forgot to mention this in the previous post). It took me 5 months just because I went slow, otherwise you won't need this long for CK preparation if your foundation is strong. I will be at a better stage for "advising" after I get my scores. I am blinded right now.

 

[pd1112]

Let's make this the first year in history that, instead of having hundreds of posts asking when scores will be released, we are able to understand this simple concept that is posted, of all places, incredibly, on the USMLE's own website (!!!):

When will I get my scores?

Scores for Step 1, Step 2 CK and Step 3 are released each Wednesday. Generally these will include scores for examinees who tested three to four weeks before the release date. However, there are many factors that may delay an individual score release. Usually these will be quickly resolved and the score released in the next weekly cycle. Your registration entity will notify you via email when your score becomes available. When released, your scores will be posted to your registration entity's secure website: for Step 1 and Step 2, either NBME or ECFMG; for Step 3, FSMB. If you have not received your score within eight weeks of your test date, please contact us to determine the status of your score report. Please note that new scores are not released during the week of 4th of July or the week after Christmas.

 

[srilankangirl89]

Have the Step 2 CK coming up soon. Found this thread super useful! Will keep you posted. Random question: For those who've taken Step 3, how long did you guys study for it? Did you take it before residency or during? Did it help with the match?

 

[Sea Otter]

For those of you who have taken the exam, would it be more helpful to take Uworld notes in a separate notebook or write them in a book like MTB or Step up? I did the latter for step 1 but wasn't sure if it would be necessary/I would have time for this test given the limited amount of study time. Thanks!


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[nostradunkus]

IMG here.

First of all thanks everyone who posted about their experience. Definitely helped me keep my sanity.
Prep: 2 months
1x world during rotations and then once during prep
mtb 2 for IM, mtb 3 for others 2x each
onlinemeded for OB/GYN because it was my weakest subject

first time on uworld I was scoring 70-75,
NBME 4 1 month out: 262
UWSA 1 week: 259
NBME 7: 246 (was expecting a lower mark)
NBME 6: 258 ( 3 days out)

Test day: Already been said but the biggest challenge is the sheer length of the test. I had 7 44q blocks and 1 42 qblock (which was the toughest for me). Questions are comparable to Uworld. I think by the end of the exam, the questions start to feel long but I didn't really notice a diff from uworld.

Bottom line is, very few qs come out of left field but the rest are doable and uworld more than prepares you for it.

If were to do it all over again, when I do Uworld, I would practice doing 6-7 blocks per day and review over the next 2-3 days just to practice for the longevity.

 

[Classof2013PreM]

Update: scored a 256- not the best, but I'll take it. Shouldn't be a detriment to my application (hopefully!)

Sat for the exam on Thursday! Glad to finally get this monkey off my back haha

Study plan:
No dedicated time, but studied on and off for 3 months after finishing clerkships.
UWORLD: finished the qbank at 76% correct first pass, re-did my wrong questions
MTB2: Skimmed this book in the week preceding my exam
UWSA: 258 (4 weeks out)

Step 1: 258

The exam felt comparable to UWORLD, with a lot of questions that I was 50/50 on between two answers! Hopefully the standardized testing gods look kindly upon my guessing haha. Will update when I get my results- hopefully broke the 260 barrier!

 

[atlas91]

Test in 7 days. 216 on UWSA 3 weeks ago, 217 on NBME 6 1 week ago, 206 on NBME 4 today.

What the hell just happened?

 

[jakomo]

Hi all

Step 2 CK booked for the 12th.

My scores:
March 5th, NBME 4: 231
April 14th:NBME 6; 248
April 27th: NBME 7: 246
Today: UWSA: 230/550... WTF???

Aiming for 240+.
Heard NBME 4 and UWSA most predictive, But also see people get obliterated by NBME 7 and I really didnt find it that horrible. I'm completely demoralized by that UWSA score right now.

I don't know what to do. Suggestions or advice?

Thanks

 

[Guru92]

Hi all

Step 2 CK booked for the 12th.

My scores:
March 5th, NBME 4: 231
April 14th:NBME 6; 248
April 27th: NBME 7: 246
Today: UWSA: 230/550... WTF???

Aiming for 240+.
Heard NBME 4 and UWSA most predictive, But also see people get obliterated by NBME 7 and I really didnt find it that horrible. I'm completely demoralized by that UWSA score right now.

I don't know what to do. Suggestions or advice?

Thanks

I'm in a similar boat. Took NBME 6, 6 weeks out and got 235. Took NBME 4 today, 3 weeks out and got 237. I'm pretty sure I have improved but idk if these scores are predictive. Not sure what I should do now and because of what you're saying, I'm not trusting UWSA either!

 

[you.old]

Took my test yesterday.

Med School: IMG
Step 1: 267
Preparation time: ~ 5 months

Resources: UW twice (83% => 95%), UTD for reference. MTB/Secrets/Kaplan here and there. MKSAP 16 - Did around 200 questions. Not really a Step 2 CK stuff. Firecracker in the first couple of months to get things started.

Assessments:
NBME 3 (1.5 months out) = 273
NBME 4 (1 week out) = NBME 6 (2 months out) = 271
NBME 7 (3 weeks out) = 260
UWSA (2 weeks out) = 265+
Fred (2 months out) = 93%

Feelings after the exam: I felt like "all the rumors were true". Vague questions - check; Double diagnoses - check; Long stems - not really (more like UW and Fred); Time issues - check (didn't have spare time to go through marked questions in almost any block); Mentally draining - check; WTF feeling after the exam - totally. Apart from this, the content was like that of UW. It's just that some of the questions are twisted to the extreme.

Anything I could have done differently: Not really. I focused on UW which is the best resource for preparation. I used UTD which is the most convincing reference.

Felt a bit relieved after looking at experiences of some high scorers that this is a common feeling. Just hoping that I didn't mess things on the big day.
But the fun part is -- no more studies (at least for now)

Got my score... 268

 

[kiso]

Hi, which is the best set of extra questions to do other than uworld ck if you didn't have shelf exams in the U.S.?

I took 1 NBME 4 online and got a 206 and did 1 round of uworld with a 54% average on tutor mode. I took uwsa for CK and got a 200. My nbme performance score is still all in the borderline middle with nothing on the high end. I took step 1 3 years ago and got a 208.

I tried to read secrets and MTB but nothing was helping to stick in answering the questions and wonder if I should be doing more questions instead of passive reading.

I saw other question books people studied with for U.S. shelf exams but will something like kaplan qbank or usmle rx qmax online for ck be better to cover more basic question topics not in uworld? Or should I do mksap for internal med, pretest psychiatry, pretest obgyn, pestana, pretest pediatrics?

Thanks for your guidance!

edit - so it doesn't look like kaplan has been updated since 2012 from this post : http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/step-ii-qbank-not-updated.1198312/ and that sounds like a risky option to use. I don't know if usmlerx is like this either but if anyone has been doing either one, please share what you think.

 

[aero66]

Test in 7 days. 216 on UWSA 3 weeks ago, 217 on NBME 6 1 week ago, 206 on NBME 4 today.

What the hell just happened?

Kind of in the same boat....what did you end up doing? Best of luck!!!

 

[you.old]

hey can you explain the double diagnosis question. i have my exam in 3 weeks and im not sure what that is.

It's something like they give a vignette describing one condition and throw in a couple of lines with features suggestive of a closely related differential. And they have both in the answer choices. You end up going back and forth, scratching your head in those questions. These are the major time-consuming things.

 

[iski9842]

Hi all,

I've finally written my step 2 CK today. I just wanted to share my experience with you all as I have noticed not many follow through with their experiences and advice

Total prep time: 3months and a half
Around 7 hours of study daily
Resources used:
UWORLD
First round percentage: 61%
Second round percentage: 80%
Kaplan qbank: signed up, did 50 questions and realised it's useless
First Aid CK:annotated from uw

My Nbme scores were all over the place: 1 each week till exam
Form 4: 210
Form 3: 185
Form 6: 233
Form 7: 223
UWSA: 244

I'm not really sure what to take from all this
The exam was quiet hard, I don't think my three month preparation actually benefited me much. I've always been an average student anyways and i would need significant amount of time compared to other others
Ill be posting back when i get my scored

Good luck



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Would be VERY curious to hear about how u did on the exam. No joke, your stats are nearly a carbon copy of mine and im sitting for my exam in 2wks. Hope to hear it went well.

 

[freshbagels]

Hey all, I have a question about using UWorld. I'm about to start M3 and see that many people recommend using UW during rotations for shelf prep, rather than saving it for dedicated (as is common for step 1). Given how quality UW is, is that sound advice? I learn by doing questions, could I make do by doing a second pass of UW + a 2nd Qbank (Kaplan or Rx) during dedicated?

 

[MDprodigy]

Would be VERY curious to hear about how u did on the exam. No joke, your stats are nearly a carbon copy of mine and im sitting for my exam in 2wks. Hope to hear it went well.

I got my grade last week. Unfortunately I only got 210.


The exam was hard, tedious, but with all the effort I put into this I didn't expect this grade. Considering my NBME and UWSA in the last week were form 7: 223 and 244 (I think) I'm sure something went wrong somewhere.

Here's the order I did the last three practice exams
NBME 6: 7 days before exam 233.
NBME 7: 3 days before exam 223 (I was sick with the flu and exhausted maybe that's why it dropped)
UWSA 2 days before exam: 244

Obviously I can't complain. I guess I deserve this grade. It's disappointing but I've moved on.

My advice: don't trust NBME/UWSA anymore. I don't know what else I could've done. I memorised FA inside out, annotated with my notes from UW.

Good luck mate


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[Buttermellow]

It's something like they give a vignette describing one condition and throw in a couple of lines with features suggestive of a closely related differential. And they have both in the answer choices. You end up going back and forth, scratching your head in those questions. These are the major time-consuming things.

This was my exact experience (took exam on 5/13). Questions were not as straightforward as uworld.

 

[1badvette]

Honestly i think the major problem is people get use to the Style of questions and presentations of popular Q banks , that once they see questions presented in different format or style it throws them off .. My plan for the 2-3 weeks before my exam is to Strictly do NBME written questions just to steer away from Uworld/Kaplan questions format/habit . U World questions are "Teaching" type of questions and do a good job at it , they are not suppose to represent what the Exam questions would feel like, each question is written with the purpose of teaching you 2- 3 concepts, and in order to do that , they must add some Extra info to be able to distinguish those concepts.

This is just an opinion , I have yet to take the exam so what i say is irrelevant .. But from what I've experienced is jumping into a CMS exam after doing Uworld questions kind of puts me in an off " out of the norm " mode and i tend to do silly mistakes .

 

[MDprodigy]

Honestly i think the major problem is people get use to the Style of questions and presentations of popular Q banks , that once they see questions presented in different format or style it throws them off .. .

Not really. I never expected the questions to be similar in any way to UW. I just wanted the testable content to be similar. There was alot of step 1 stuff, alot of guidelines, non medical concepts to be honest. If I did UW 10 times it wouldnt have mattered. Frankly speaking, studying for the exam did not help me at all.

Im not trying to bring down any one, or put them off, just giving everyone a heads up for the exam.
Good luck to all

 

[1badvette]

Not really. I never expected the questions to be similar in any way to UW. I just wanted the testable content to be similar. There was alot of step 1 stuff, alot of guidelines, non medical concepts to be honest. If I did UW 10 times it wouldnt have mattered. Frankly speaking, studying for the exam did not help me at all.

Im not trying to bring down any one, or put them off, just giving everyone a heads up for the exam.
Good luck to all

My post was not directed at you personally , just in general . Your situation sucks man , i've experienced something similar during my Step 1 exam. People keep saying step 1 material is heavily tested, what is considered Step 1 only material nowadays ? When someone says Step 1 material i think of basic embryo, Biochem, basic anatomy , histology , cell biology etc.. is this the stuff they are really testing us on ?

 

[MDprodigy]

My post was not directed at you personally , just in general . Your situation sucks man , i've experienced something similar during my Step 1 exam. People keep saying step 1 material is heavily tested, what is considered Step 1 only material nowadays ? When someone says Step 1 material i think of basic embryo, Biochem, basic anatomy , histology , cell biology etc.. is this the stuff they are really testing us on ?

Yea I didn't take it personally. Just trying to identify the problem. I got at least 30 questions on basic anatomy, histology, and pathways only seen in step 1. This is not clinical knowledge, it's basic knowledge. Not sure what they want any more. I mean fair I'm meant to know these things, but a student usually studies for a specific exam and its content not outside the expected content.

I'm not complaining, we just have to suck it up and expect the unexpected


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[1badvette]

I read a research article a while back , it linked it below .. I guess the NBME likes to include basic science questions to Step 2 CK in order to asses students ability to retain basic science knowledge , and they claim that those questions do not reflect our score .. Hope it's true for all CK exams lol

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18820508

 

[Guru92]

I read a research article a while back , it linked it below .. I guess the NBME likes to include basic science questions to Step 2 CK in order to asses students ability to retain basic science knowledge , and they claim that those questions do not reflect our score .. Hope it's true for all CK exams lol

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18820508

What does that mean? Are there sections of the exam testing basic science topics that are not included in the final scoring?

 

[1badvette]

What does that mean? Are there sections of the exam testing basic science topics that are not included in the final scoring?

What it means , That it's possible that some of the SUPER basic science stuff that does show up , has no effect on our final score and is probably their strictly for a statistic purpose ..

 

[plasmodium]

For those of you who scored >270:

For IM, did you dive into UWorld immediately? If so, what were your initial scores? IM is my first rotation. We're about 1 week in and I'm really hesitant to start UWorld without any exposure, so I've begun reading SUTM and it really suits my learning style. I finished step 1 UWorld with 88% correct, one pass, and scored >260 on step 1. A strong foundation from year 1/2 was key to my success. I don't like learning from questions, and while I'm a bit reluctant to start UWorld and probably score <50% on blocks, I don't want to miss out on UWorld. What should I do?

 

[1badvette]

For those of you who scored >270:

For IM, did you dive into UWorld immediately? If so, what were your initial scores? IM is my first rotation. We're about 1 week in and I'm really hesitant to start UWorld without any exposure, so I've begun reading SUTM and it really suits my learning style. I finished step 1 UWorld with 88% correct, one pass, and scored >260 on step 1. A strong foundation from year 1/2 was key to my success. I don't like learning from questions, and while I'm a bit reluctant to start UWorld and probably score <50% on blocks, I don't want to miss out on UWorld. What should I do?

STUM offers online access to questions per chapter .. I used some of them a while back when i originally planned on using this book . Check them out , they give a decent intro on important points in each chapter ..

 

[plasmodium]

STUM offers online access to questions per chapter .. I used some of them a while back when i originally planned on using this book . Check them out , they give a decent intro on important points in each chapter ..

I don't have access to those questions, I appreciate the tip though.

Anyone have experience with Kaplan Step 2 CK videos (Conrad Fischer) vs. OnlineMedEd and want to offer some insight on either resource's utility? Would be greatly appreciated, thanks.

 

[Dr. USMLE]

For those of you who scored >270:

For IM, did you dive into UWorld immediately? If so, what were your initial scores? IM is my first rotation. We're about 1 week in and I'm really hesitant to start UWorld without any exposure, so I've begun reading SUTM and it really suits my learning style. I finished step 1 UWorld with 88% correct, one pass, and scored >260 on step 1. A strong foundation from year 1/2 was key to my success. I don't like learning from questions, and while I'm a bit reluctant to start UWorld and probably score <50% on blocks, I don't want to miss out on UWorld. What should I do?

It is best to steadily increase doing questions as you progress through the rotation. Since internal medicine is very broad, you can divide it into subjects (cardiology, pulm, nephro, etc.) and conquer. You should study a core IM topic (cardiology for example) and then start doing questions in that area in untimed tutor mode. It is also a good idea to read about the diseases you encounter on the wards.

 

[plasmodium]

It is best to steadily increase doing questions as you progress through the rotation. Since internal medicine is very broad, you can divide it into subjects (cardiology, pulm, nephro, etc.) and conquer. You should study a core IM topic (cardiology for example) and then start doing questions in that area in untimed tutor mode. It is also a good idea to read about the diseases you encounter on the wards.

Thank you for the response, what you advised is exactly what I was planning to do: study SUTM by topic, do some UWorld questions for that topic to solidify concepts, watch OME when I can. Then as the rotation progresses and I cover more topics, I'll start doing UWorld random/timed.

Thanks again. Any other advice you have would be greatly appreciated.

 

[pd1112]

Hey all, I have a question about using UWorld. I'm about to start M3 and see that many people recommend using UW during rotations for shelf prep, rather than saving it for dedicated (as is common for step 1). Given how quality UW is, is that sound advice? I learn by doing questions, could I make do by doing a second pass of UW + a 2nd Qbank (Kaplan or Rx) during dedicated?

No reason to spend money on another qbank. "Is that sound advice?" - It's the only advice. Literally don't know a single person on here or IRL that didn't use UW throughout MS3. If you read through the thread, people routinely score 240-250-260+ on step 2 with just UW +/- a review book. Most US students study for 2-3 weeks before the test, and it's really not "dedicated" because you're at least thinking about if not working on ERAS, planning away rotations, etc.

I read a research article a while back , it linked it below .. I guess the NBME likes to include basic science questions to Step 2 CK in order to asses students ability to retain basic science knowledge , and they claim that those questions do not reflect our score .. Hope it's true for all CK exams lol

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18820508

What does that mean? Are there sections of the exam testing basic science topics that are not included in the final scoring?

What it means , That it's possible that some of the SUPER basic science stuff that does show up , has no effect on our final score and is probably their strictly for a statistic purpose ..

I wouldn't put much thought into how 1 study from 8 years ago relates to the current test content.

 

[pd1112]

Thank you for the response, what you advised is exactly what I was planning to do: study SUTM by topic, do some UWorld questions for that topic to solidify concepts, watch OME when I can. Then as the rotation progresses and I cover more topics, I'll start doing UWorld random/timed.

Thanks again. Any other advice you have would be greatly appreciated.

I would forget the concerns about starting it early and just do it. It's the best resource and you don't want to risk running out of time to finish it.

 

[AFMD1992]

Almost 9 weeks out. Took step 1 on 4th and awaiting results and finding it REALLY hard to study for CK. Any advice regarding OB/GYN and Paeds? I was thinking of going through kaplans quickly and start UWorld asap. Doing medicine from MTB2/3 and surgery from Kaplan!

 

[SoulinNeed]

Anyone have any recommendations on whether to go with MTB Step 2 or Step Up as a complimentary piece to U-World?

 

[1badvette]

Anyone have any recommendations on whether to go with MTB Step 2 or Step Up as a complimentary piece to U-World?

Go with whatever is easy on the your eyes .. Both books give a good intro , Uworld will make them complete . MTB is much easier to read from my experience.

 

[dorjosam]

Delay in score reporting and change in number of test items (http://www.usmle.org/announcements/?ContentId=182)

Most score reporting of Step 2 Clinical Knowledge (CK) results occurs within four weeks of testing. However, because of necessary modifications to the test item pool, as well as a change to new test delivery software, there will be a delay in reporting for some examinees who test beginning the week of July 10, 2016.





The target date for reporting Step 2 CK scores for most examinees testing the week of July 10 through late August will be September 14, 2016. For examinees whose circumstances require that they receive Step 2 CK scores before September 14, it is recommended that they take Step 2 CK no later than July 9, 2016.

During this time period, a transition will occur in the number of items in current forms of the Step 2 CK examination. The total number of items will decrease from no more than 355 to no more than 318. Although the transition will occur quickly at many test centers, there may be some locations where the changes take slightly longer to complete. The overall transition period will likely last approximately 6 weeks. Please note the following:

• Scores on new and old exam forms will be comparable; the decrease in the number of items per form will be accounted for in scoring the examination results.
• The length of the examination day will remain unchanged. The test day will continue to be divided into eight 60-minute item blocks, an optional 15-minute tutorial, and 45 minutes of break time, for a total of 9 hours.

The number of items per block on a given examination form will vary but will not exceed 40 items. The number of items in a block is displayed on the screen at the beginning of the block. Please note this information and pace yourself accordingly.

 

[dorjosam]

Delay in score reporting and change in number of test items (http://www.usmle.org/announcements/?ContentId=182)

Most score reporting of Step 2 Clinical Knowledge (CK) results occurs within four weeks of testing. However, because of necessary modifications to the test item pool, as well as a change to new test delivery software, there will be a delay in reporting for some examinees who test beginning the week of July 10, 2016.





The target date for reporting Step 2 CK scores for most examinees testing the week of July 10 through late August will be September 14, 2016. For examinees whose circumstances require that they receive Step 2 CK scores before September 14, it is recommended that they take Step 2 CK no later than July 9, 2016.

During this time period, a transition will occur in the number of items in current forms of the Step 2 CK examination. The total number of items will decrease from no more than 355 to no more than 318. Although the transition will occur quickly at many test centers, there may be some locations where the changes take slightly longer to complete. The overall transition period will likely last approximately 6 weeks. Please note the following:

• Scores on new and old exam forms will be comparable; the decrease in the number of items per form will be accounted for in scoring the examination results.
• The length of the examination day will remain unchanged. The test day will continue to be divided into eight 60-minute item blocks, an optional 15-minute tutorial, and 45 minutes of break time, for a total of 9 hours.

The number of items per block on a given examination form will vary but will not exceed 40 items. The number of items in a block is displayed on the screen at the beginning of the block. Please note this information and pace yourself accordingly.

So what do you guys think about it?!

 

[1badvette]

Ohh boy .. Say hello to 2 page clinical vignettes lol

 

[tvelocity514]

Ohh boy .. Say hello to 2 page clinical vignettes lol

They actually just decreased from 308 to 280 Qs on step 1 and people said the same thing would happen, but according to current test takers the questions are still similar and not insanely long.


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[1badvette]

They actually just decreased from 308 to 280 Qs on step 1 and people said the same thing would happen, but according to current test takers the questions are still similar and not insanely long. Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile app

Yeah i'm sure the questions will be similar to what is currently used .. i highly doubt they would change and re write their question pool for that reason . They might be heading towards add an abstract/ drug ad in each block now .. Who knows ..

I personally like the idea of more time, less questions .. The TIME issue has been the major complain from past test taker, so this might be a good thing. The exam needs to asses our clinical knowledge and our reasoning skills , it's kind of hard to do that when you barely have enough time to even read the damn question.

 

[Sea Otter]

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Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile app

 

[plasmodium]

Just out of curiosity, how much do step 2 acid-base questions differ from step 1 acid-base questions? I notice in OME they emphasize the ability to discover combined acid-base disorders, whereas this was not so much emphasized for step 1. For UWorld/NBME/Step 1 questions on combined disorders, I usually just reasoned through using prior knowledge and information I learned from Goljan's RR. Is this sufficient? Or should I memorize formulas (eg, Winter's Formula, or the specific changes in pH per change in CO2/HCO3, etc)? Again, just curious if it's worth the added effort, or if I should stick to reasoning. Thanks.

 

[1badvette]

Just out of curiosity, how much do step 2 acid-base questions differ from step 1 acid-base questions? I notice in OME they emphasize the ability to discover combined acid-base disorders, whereas this was not so much emphasized for step 1. For UWorld/NBME/Step 1 questions on combined disorders, I usually just reasoned through using prior knowledge and information I learned from Goljan's RR. Is this sufficient? Or should I memorize formulas (eg, Winter's Formula, or the specific changes in pH per change in CO2/HCO3, etc)? Again, just curious if it's worth the added effort, or if I should stick to reasoning. Thanks.

OnlineMed has been my main tool prepping fro this beast .. His 1st acid base video covering the basic was great , he lost me on the 2nd part tho.. lol

 

[dorjosam]

Just out of curiosity, how much do step 2 acid-base questions differ from step 1 acid-base questions? I notice in OME they emphasize the ability to discover combined acid-base disorders, whereas this was not so much emphasized for step 1. For UWorld/NBME/Step 1 questions on combined disorders, I usually just reasoned through using prior knowledge and information I learned from Goljan's RR. Is this sufficient? Or should I memorize formulas (eg, Winter's Formula, or the specific changes in pH per change in CO2/HCO3, etc)? Again, just curious if it's worth the added effort, or if I should stick to reasoning. Thanks.

you will see Winter's formula in UW questions. I guess it's more complex in step 2 because of its clinical nature and you should be able to analyze ABG and electrolyte imbalances in patients.

 

[LauraLR]

I am thinking about just using MTB Step 3 and ignoring MTB step 2.. But everyone says to use MTB step2 for IM...
Why is the IM section of MTB step3 not recommended? Is it beyond the scope of Step2? Would it be unwise to not use MTBstep2? Thnks!

I have read through the entire thread. Learned a lot, thanks everyone for posting.

 

[1badvette]

Has anyone taken the NBME clinical exam "CCSE" administrated by the school ? My school now requires me to take it and pass with a score equivalent to 215 on CK before sitting the actual CK exam .. I just booked it for the 2nd week of June , and was hoping to sit for the actual CK before the 4th of july weekend . Just curious if anyone as taken it and if it was similar to the Real thing . I have 2 audition rotations starting in July and was hoping to get this beast off my shoulders before then. Thanks

 

[Bobdabuilda14]

Anyone taken the new CK yet? How are the blocks with less questions now?

 

[Bancrofti]

took nbme 3 today to see whether or not I needed to push my exam back... probably wasn't a good idea