Official 2020 Step 2 CK Experiences With Scores Thread

[libertyyne]

Lets get this started. You know the routine.
Mid Tier MD
Step 1 250-255
mid tier everything.

I need 10 more points compared to my step 1


Not a bad idea to talk about shelves either.

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[NecrotizingFasciitis]

When you say permit disappeared, do you mean the box where it says "Print Permit" or "Confirm or Reschedule"? Took on May 9 (Saturday) and from what I've read, Thur - Sat = 3 weeks and Sun though Wed = 4 weeks. I was expecting the score tomorrow but looks like that may not be the case.

Edit: so I may have been confused. I went back and then clicked on "print permit" and it directed me to a page that said this is no longer available. Is that what you are talking about?

Ya, it'll look like this:

 

[Funny_Current]

@NecrotizingFasciitis Thank you. It looks like I won't be getting it tomorrow then. Maybe due to COVID, but the Th - S being 3 weeks might not be the case anymore.

 

[Aspirant06]

Took it on 5/22. Felt like UWSA2. Really nothing that was completely out of left field, felt more similar to practice materials than Step 1 did.

thanks for replying that's reassuring. thank you.

 

[redsox93]

259

 

[Frogger27]

259

Bruuuhhhhh congrats! That's killer. Can we get a write up?

 

[redsox93]

Bruuuhhhhh congrats! That's killer. Can we get a write up?

Thank you! Have no idea how it happened I felt like I failed leaving the test but I guess everyone does. So glad to be done. But yeah I'll do a write up!

 

[NecrotizingFasciitis]

249 homies; was shooting’ for a 250 so I’m content with that!

 

[Funny_Current]

Congrats @NecrotizingFasciitis and @redsox93 on your scores! that's just awesome Looks like the May 9th scores won't be until next week

 

[redsox93]

Congrats @NecrotizingFasciitis and @redsox93 on your scores! that's just awesome Looks like the May 9th scores won't be until next week

Thank you! The wait is the worst. Good luck next week!

 

[softball2344]

Step 1: 247
UWorld 1st pass: 67%
UWorld 2nd pass: ~75%, completed ~90%
NBME 7: 230 12 days before
NBME 6: 267 8 days before
Did not take UW1 or 2
Real deal: 258

I was shooting for 255+ so I am very happy! Took ~4 weeks for dedicated and was super lucky to have been able to keep my original date/ test location. Felt TERRIBLE coming out of the exam, counted 20+ mistakes many of which were stupid AF and felt like I was guessing on most of the test - I am posting this because for step 1 and step 2 it comforted me reading these posts about people who felt bad but still met their goal.

 

[Frogger27]

Ya'll are giving me some hope. I finished my first pass of Uworld early (like February) due to having IM in the first half of the year.. I am starting my second pass and sitting at like 75% about 15% complete and was feeling like crap thinking I should be scoring 90%+ on it. Looks like a lot of you all scored 75%-80% and got 255+, which is my goal!

Great job ya'll! Thanks for the write ups

 

[Frogger27]

Thank you! The wait is the worst. Good luck next week!

Do you remember how many days prior you took the NBME and free 120?

 

[redsox93]

Do you remember how many days prior you took the NBME and free 120?

Free 120 was the day before and NBME 7 was maybe a little over a week

 

[Frogger27]

Step 1: 247
UWorld 1st pass: 67%
UWorld 2nd pass: ~75%, completed ~90%
NBME 7: 230 12 days before
NBME 6: 267 8 days before
Did not take UW1 or 2
Real deal: 258

I was shooting for 255+ so I am very happy! Took ~4 weeks for dedicated and was super lucky to have been able to keep my original date/ test location. Felt TERRIBLE coming out of the exam, counted 20+ mistakes many of which were stupid AF and felt like I was guessing on most of the test - I am posting this because for step 1 and step 2 it comforted me reading these posts about people who felt bad but still met their goal.

Any thoughts on how you did 37 points better on 6 compared to 7 after 4 days?? I have heard both had hard curves but thats pretty wild how well you did on 6 only a couple of days after

 

[Aspirant06]

Step 1: 247
UWorld 1st pass: 67%
UWorld 2nd pass: ~75%, completed ~90%
NBME 7: 230 12 days before
NBME 6: 267 8 days before
Did not take UW1 or 2
Real deal: 258

I was shooting for 255+ so I am very happy! Took ~4 weeks for dedicated and was super lucky to have been able to keep my original date/ test location. Felt TERRIBLE coming out of the exam, counted 20+ mistakes many of which were stupid AF and felt like I was guessing on most of the test - I am posting this because for step 1 and step 2 it comforted me reading these posts about people who felt bad but still met their goal.

What would you suggest to do in the last week of prep? my exam is in a week, kinda lost- anxiety killing. pls help

 

[softball2344]

Any thoughts on how you did 37 points better on 6 compared to 7 after 4 days?? I have heard both had hard curves but thats pretty wild how well you did on 6 only a couple of days after

I heard 7 severely under predicts but still getting that score really freaked me out. I’m have actually heard 6 over predicts but I was still super surprised with the jump. I have no idea honestly tho I do think I wasn’t very focused when taking 7 and it hit a bunch of my weak spots, luckily the real test has more questions and a way more generous curve so that’s far less likely to happen. I think if you are at or above your goal on the majority of your practice exams you should be fine! Good luck!

 

[softball2344]

What would you suggest to do in the last week of prep? my exam is in a week, kinda lost- anxiety killing. pls help

I would focus on your weak spots. I didn’t have a ton of biostats on my exam but it seems like some people did so maybe review that too. I watched the OME biostats section which was pretty basic but good enough for my exam. Also would def take at least a half day off before your test. I didn’t and think if I had I wouldn’t have made as many stupid mistakes as I did. The exam is so broad and a lot of it you can’t really prepare for so it’s more important to be fresh than cram in my opinion. Good luck!

 

[Aspirant06]

I would focus on your weak spots. I didn’t have a ton of biostats on my exam but it seems like some people did so maybe review that too. I watched the OME biostats section which was pretty basic but good enough for my exam. Also would def take at least a half day off before your test. I didn’t and think if I had I wouldn’t have made as many stupid mistakes as I did. The exam is so broad and a lot of it you can’t really prepare for so it’s more important to be fresh than cram in my opinion. Good luck!

thanks!

 

[Gomedorgohome]

MD Student
STEP 1: 264
Goal STEP2 CK: 270+
1st Pass UW: 85%
Resources: Dorian deck & UWorld
Exam date: End of June/Early July

 

[HoneyBadger3]

Took step 2 CK this week... Is it normal to feel like you failed and absolute doo doo after? Felt pretty neutral after step 1 and was sure I did enough to pass, but this one was really brutal. I was pressed for time and everything feels like a blur. I keep remembering bits and pieces of questions and have anxiety about whether I made stupid mistakes.... Just seeing if anyone else out there is experiencing the same thing

 

[redsox93]

Took step 2 CK this week... Is it normal to feel like you failed and absolute doo doo after? Felt pretty neutral after step 1 and was sure I did enough to pass, but this one was really brutal. I was pressed for time and everything feels like a blur. I keep remembering bits and pieces of questions and have anxiety about whether I made stupid mistakes.... Just seeing if anyone else out there is experiencing the same thing

I flew through the first two blocks and felt pretty good. From there on I marked 10-15 questions per block and was running out of time. I felt horrible by the time I was done and was pretty sure I’d bombed it. I didn’t think I failed but definitely thought I was gonna underperform all of my practice tests. Ended up getting 3 points higher than my highest test so idk. Everyone I’ve talked to felt horrible and somehow did well haha I don’t understand how it works.

 

[HoneyBadger3]

I flew through the first two blocks and felt pretty good. From there on I marked 10-15 questions per block and was running out of time. I felt horrible by the time I was done and was pretty sure I’d bombed it. I didn’t think I failed but definitely thought I was gonna underperform all of my practice tests. Ended up getting 3 points higher than my highest test so idk. Everyone I’ve talked to felt horrible and somehow did well haha I don’t understand how it works.

Pretty much how it went for me too. Blocks 1 and 2 were like uworld, but a bit harder probably because of nerves. Marked 10-15 and only got back to 1-3 questions. Blocks 3-6 were so bad I stopped marking and then last two blocks felt like back to uworld again

People say trust the NBMEs and UWSAs. Score predictor had me at 250 +/-5, but coming out of the test I didn't feel there was any chance to get near that... Praying it all works out!

 

[MakeLifeHappen13]

Took the test this week. I can corroborate pretty much what everybody has said. It is designed to make you feel terrible and uncertain and I really doubt there is anyone who walks out of this feeling great. So many vague presentations and a lot of critical thinking and mental gymnastics needed to reach a logical answer.

Most people only remember the really hard questions so that is what gets over-represented on these write ups but it's also important to remember that a large chunk of the test is composed of easy to medium questions that almost everyone will answer correctly. Unfortunately the difference between the 240 and the 260 comes down to being able to answer those head-scratchers. In my experience there were about 5-10 of these per block. Closest representation of the test was the New Free 120 and UWSA2.

 

[yellowbluegreen]

Pretty much how it went for me too. Blocks 1 and 2 were like uworld, but a bit harder probably because of nerves. Marked 10-15 and only got back to 1-3 questions. Blocks 3-6 were so bad I stopped marking and then last two blocks felt like back to uworld again

People say trust the NBMEs and UWSAs. Score predictor had me at 250 +/-5, but coming out of the test I didn't feel there was any chance to get near that... Praying it all works out!

you mind sharing where this score predictor is? thank you!

 

[banana_phone]

Test is in a week. Feeling super nervous and not sure how to tackle these last 6 days.

First Pass UW during third year: 71%
NBME 6 (4 weeks out, baseline): 241
NBME 7 (3 weeks out): 230 (ugh)
NBME 8 (2 weeks out): 254
UWSA 1 (10 days out): 253

second pass UW 40% complete at 88% correct.

taking UWSA2 tomorrow. Debating doing both new 120 and old 120 before the test.
i fully tanked Step 1 (low 210s) so feel a lot of pressure to perform highly here. I was planning to just keep doing UW until Wednesday (2 days before my test). I don't have any serious deficiencies based on my reports and UW.

what would people recommend I do? I would really love a 250, but feeling a lot of anxiety right now.

 

[MakeLifeHappen13]

Test is in a week. Feeling super nervous and not sure how to tackle these last 6 days.

First Pass UW during third year: 71%
NBME 6 (4 weeks out, baseline): 241
NBME 7 (3 weeks out): 230 (ugh)
NBME 8 (2 weeks out): 254
UWSA 1 (10 days out): 253

second pass UW 40% done at 88%.

taking UWSA2 tomorrow. Debating doing both new 120 and old 120 before the test.
i fully tanked Step 1 (low 210s) so feel a lot of pressure to perform highly here. I was planning to just keep doing UW until Wednesday (2 days before my test). I don't have any serious deficiencies based on my reports and UW.

what would people recommend I do? I would really love a 250, but feeling a lot of anxiety right now.

Do both the Free 120s and UWSA2 and call it a day. Don't burn out. Take the day before the test to relax. You're practice scores predict a very good chance of breaking 250.

 

[HoneyBadger3]

you mind sharing where this score predictor is? thank you!

Disclaimer: I have no clue how legit these are nor do I know how they collect or interpret the data, but I just searched through reddit as I did for step 1. If it means anything my step 1 was within the range reddit gave me last year...

Predict My Step Score

Want to know what your actual Step 1, Step 2 or Step 3 score will be? Submit your practice exams into our calculator and we can tell you! (Need to submit at least 2 exams)

www.predictmystepscore.com

 

[Aspirant06]

Do both the Free 120s and UWSA2 and call it a day. Don't burn out. Take the day before the test to relax. You're practice scores predict a very good chance of breaking 250.

where can I find the new free120? is it the one on usmle.org currently?

 

[Aspirant06]

where can I find the new free120? is it the one on usmle.org currently?

where can I find the old free120?

 

[banana_phone]

where can I find the new free120? is it the one on usmle.org currently?

old free 120 is the one up on the website right now.
they posted the new one for awhile but seemingly took it down. thankfully, people bookmarked before that. so here it is:

https://www.usmle.org/pdfs/step-2-ck/2020_Step2CK_SampleItems.pdf

i've heard its much more difficult and much more like the real exam. so...do with that what you will. i'm planning to take the new one in the next 2 days and the old one closer to exam day for a confidence boost lol.

 

[banana_phone]

Do both the Free 120s and UWSA2 and call it a day. Don't burn out. Take the day before the test to relax. You're practice scores predict a very good chance of breaking 250.

thanks for the input! would you say to slow down with the UW question sets, then? i've been doing 80-120 questions most days (not practice test days).

i feel like i'm on a roller coaster of emotion. I go from feeling prepared - like i'm at my peak and in normal times would move the test up a few days - and like 6 days is not nearly enough time. husband says thats normal. so ready to be done with this thing

 

[Espressso]

Does anyone know if form 7 has explanations associated with it through nbme? I thought I read that this form would have answer explanations included when you review it. But I'm not seeing it.

New and Expanded Learning Resources Available | NBME

Free NBME® Self-Assessments Available Until Sept. 30, 2020

www.nbme.org

 

[Aspirant06]

old free 120 is the one up on the website right now.
they posted the new one for awhile but seemingly took it down. thankfully, people bookmarked before that. so here it is:

https://www.usmle.org/pdfs/step-2-ck/2020_Step2CK_SampleItems.pdf

i've heard its much more difficult and much more like the real exam. so...do with that what you will. i'm planning to take the new one in the next 2 days and the old one closer to exam day for a confidence boost lol.

thanks for sharing the link. I did the old one already I ll do it sooner to avoid the stress. my exam in 5 days

 

[whooooopwhoop]

I’m 70% through UW first pass, test is in 5 weeks. Will mature Wiwa, and also listening Divine podcasts. So many people seem to do a second pass of UW in dedicated, but I won’t have time for that with practice tests. Is doing a second pass of UW crucial to hitting 250?

 

[Dr. USMLE]

I’m 70% through UW first pass, test is in 5 weeks. Will mature Wiwa, and also listening Divine podcasts. So many people seem to do a second pass of UW in dedicated, but I won’t have time for that with practice tests. Is doing a second pass of UW crucial to hitting 250?

No.

 

[ritts]

Does anyone know if form 7 has explanations associated with it through nbme? I thought I read that this form would have answer explanations included when you review it. But I'm not seeing it.

New and Expanded Learning Resources Available | NBME

Free NBME® Self-Assessments Available Until Sept. 30, 2020

www.nbme.org

I took it yesterday. I'm using this to review it, makes it much easier to review than the other NBMEs

Step 2 CK CCSSA NBME Form 7

Authors: Susan Basharkhah Editor: Jordan Abrams Practice exam: myNBME Please note: The HY Medicine is in no way affiliated with the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) or the National Board of Medical Examiners® (NBME®) BLOCK 1 1) Family therapy • Goal of family therapy is to ↓ conflict...

www.thehymedicine.com

 

[Amorphous]

Did anybody else notice a lot of repeats between Form 6 and 7?? I took form 7 last Friday and miraculously got a 264. Then took form 6 yesterday and got a 281. I felt like at least half of my exam were repeats from 7 or other older/offline NBMEs so my score was significantly inflated.

Are there more repeats on Form 8? I don't want to pay $60 to take the same questions over and over again.

 

[Aspirant06]

what percentage is good on new free 120? aiming for 250+

 

[Frogger27]

Baseline test took today... NBME 7 = 235 (82%)
Reddit score predictor has that at 254
5 weeks out
Goal 255
Here we go...

 

[ritts]

Did anybody else notice a lot of repeats between Form 6 and 7?? I took form 7 last Friday and miraculously got a 264. Then took form 6 yesterday and got a 281. I felt like at least half of my exam were repeats from 7 or other older/offline NBMEs so my score was significantly inflated.

Are there more repeats on Form 8? I don't want to pay $60 to take the same questions over and over again.

I only saw 1 true repeat question but they test similar concepts. Seems like you're fine to take the real thing

 

[Amorphous]

I only saw 1 true repeat question but they test similar concepts. Seems like you're fine to take the real thing

I could have sworn most of the test was verbatim repeats but I'm sure the vignettes were slightly different. However, I hope this translates into test day. Step 1 let me down last year as I scored 12 points below my average test scores (got a 238). NBME always finds a way to f me. Exam is June 19th!

 

[ritts]

I could have sworn most of the test was verbatim repeats but I'm sure the vignettes were slightly different. However, I hope this translates into test day. Step 1 let me down last year as I scored 12 points below my average test scores (got a 238). NBME always finds a way to f me. Exam is June 19th!

you're crushing your practice tests so just keep at it. Good luck!

 

[Espressso]

I took it yesterday. I'm using this to review it, makes it much easier to review than the other NBMEs

Step 2 CK CCSSA NBME Form 7

Authors: Susan Basharkhah Editor: Jordan Abrams Practice exam: myNBME Please note: The HY Medicine is in no way affiliated with the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) or the National Board of Medical Examiners® (NBME®) BLOCK 1 1) Family therapy • Goal of family therapy is to ↓ conflict...

www.thehymedicine.com

Good looks, I appreciate that.

 

[Amorphous]

you're crushing your practice tests so just keep at it. Good luck!

Thank you!! So it looks like a lot of the repeats came from NBME Form 1 (offline) which I was doing the week prior. That's why I got confused!

 

[meddie145]

Took the exam in May and feel lucky to have gotten a spot. Any predictions as how the curve will be due to the pandemic and all the cancellation and rescheduling? I am hoping USMLE will take that into consideration when scoring our tests compared to those who took it earlier this year.

 

[NecrotizingFasciitis]

Took the exam in May and feel lucky to have gotten a spot. Any predictions as how the curve will be due to the pandemic and all the cancellation and rescheduling? I am hoping USMLE will take that into consideration when scoring our tests compared to those who took it earlier this year.

from my understanding the curve is not changed.

 

[throwaway199]

from my understanding the curve is not changed.

What are the chances we get our scores back on June 2nd?

 

[ritts]

Took the exam in May and feel lucky to have gotten a spot. Any predictions as how the curve will be due to the pandemic and all the cancellation and rescheduling? I am hoping USMLE will take that into consideration when scoring our tests compared to those who took it earlier this year.

This is a common misconception. The curve doesn’t change. The questions have years of data and your score would not be affected by current trends

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

Took NBME 7 this week for baseline: 238. Game day in 6 weeks.

 

[banana_phone]

has anybody taken the new/hard free 120? i'm going through it now and could really use some discussion of some of these questions as i'm at a loss and my test is in 5 days.

also wondering why they took it down - is it because of the delayed changes in content? i.e. some of these types of questions / content will not be on the real exam?