Strange step 2CK score?

[Prop]

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So I just received my score, and must admit I'm a little puzled about it.
I got a 226/99 - which I can't see fitting together.
A 226 is 4 points below the US average, yet I got a 99 on the 2 digit?
Since no one knows exactly what the 2 digit score expresses, it makes it even more anoying.
Anyone here with an idea about this?
Thanks in advance.

 

[bhop]

So I just received my score, and must admit I'm a little puzled about it.
I got a 226/99 - which I can't see fitting together.
A 226 is 4 points below the US average, yet I got a 99 on the 2 digit?
Since no one knows exactly what the 2 digit score expresses, it makes it even more anoying.
Anyone here with an idea about this?
Thanks in advance.

When did you take it?

 

[Prop]

I took it April 8th.
USMLEworld SA 5 days out predicted a 241 - so a bit disappointed.

 

[bhop]

I took it April 8th.
USMLEworld SA 5 days out predicted a 241 - so a bit disappointed.

Thanks -- I took it on April 11th and no score yet. My SA was 235 4 days before but I didnt feel great taking the exam so I guess things can change... =(

What residency are you applying in? If it's not something highly competitive (optho, rads. ortho, etc) -- step 2 score does not really matter. I just finished the whole matching process and matched at my first choice I didnt even have a step 2ck score. You passed by a good margin - congrats.

 

[Prop]

Congrats on matching - that's a nice thing to be done with!
I'm not applying in any of the super competitive fields, but being a FMG does make the scores a bit more important. But I guess I should still be satisfied.

Still, I really don't understand how a 226 can translate to a 99 on the 2 digit scale.

 

[Prop]

Does anyone have an input on this?

I'm just wondering if it could be a typo, and my score should be 226/89 (God forbid), or a 236/246/256 - 99 (would be nice)?
I'm not sure whether to contact the USMLE/NBME/ECFMG or not regarding this.
What do you guys think?

 

[DrBowtie]

I think fixating on the two digit score is silly because no one uses it for evaluation.

It probably is correct. On step 1, 229 was 99 this year.

 

[Prop]

Hi DrBowtie.
Thank you for your input. And I guess you're right, I need to stop obsessing about that freaking 2 digit score (just so annoying not really knowing what it expresses - some say it describes the difficulty of the test, but then I would expect program directors to look at it along with the 3 digit score).

And if a 229 correlated to a 99 on step 1 this year, I'm certain that the score is correct... I'll just leave it be.

 

[ACSurgeon]

Does anyone have an input on this?

I'm just wondering if it could be a typo, and my score should be 226/89 (God forbid), or a 236/246/256 - 99 (would be nice)?
I'm not sure whether to contact the USMLE/NBME/ECFMG or not regarding this.
What do you guys think?

Why not contact them? You need to know what score they will send to programs when you apply to residency.

 

[rftpl]

I am in a similar situation.Just got my CK score reading 229/99..getting confused with the score;I guess it is not a very good score

 

[theRainmaker78]

I am in a similar situation.Just got my CK score reading 229/99..getting confused with the score;I guess it is not a very good score

Its a 99... you should be greatful. It'll get you interviews, the rest is up to you

 

[rftpl]

Thanks for cheering up;Good luck to u for all ur endeavors

 

[kryptik]

they are getting rid of the two digit score http://usmle.org/General_Information/announcements.aspx

 

[rftpl]

Hope and pray your 226/99 and my 229/99 are good enough to find our match! I am an IMG and am worried as well...disappointed with the score, though cant do anything now!

So I just received my score, and must admit I'm a little puzled about it.
I got a 226/99 - which I can't see fitting together.
A 226 is 4 points below the US average, yet I got a 99 on the 2 digit?
Since no one knows exactly what the 2 digit score expresses, it makes it even more anoying.
Anyone here with an idea about this?
Thanks in advance.

 

[OveractiveBrain]

Its a 99... you should be greatful. It'll get you interviews, the rest is up to you

No one cares about the two digit scores...

 

[ThePursuit]

Its a 99... you should be greatful. It'll get you interviews, the rest is up to you

two digit score for you is not a mistake, it's useless. It isn't a raw score, and it sure as crap isn't a percentile. 70 or 75 two digit is set as passing or something like that, then it goes up from there. Since MOST people pass, the 2 digit score is pointless because it caps off at 99 WAY before you are at any meaningful percentile. What's funny is alot of attendings whom may interview you appear to not understand this as well. They're like "wow, 99th percentile, that's pretty good".

 

[Sol Rosenberg]

This is a completely random anecdote, but I thought I remembered hearing (from a reliable source -- not just a classmate or someone on SDN, etc) that the 2 digit score represented the percent chance of passing if you were to take the exam again.

In other words, pretty worthless for all intents and purposes.

 

[MonkeyNuts!]

all scores after a certain point are 99, doesn't matter if you are 230 or 260.

 

[theRainmaker78]

Its a 99... you should be greatful. It'll get you interviews, the rest is up to you

ok well I only said this because I know that a lot of attendings and residency programs WERE still using the 2 digit score to sort their applications. They were confused about the meaning of the 2 digit score, thinking it represented some sort of percent or percentile. So with that confusion I assumed that anyone crossing the 99 mark had a good shot at being a part of the top pack of applications for some residencies.

Well now that the 2 digit score will no longer be reported - their is no confusion left. The 99 now officially means nothing.

So now the question is, how is a 226? All we can objectively tell you is that it is slightly below the national average...

 

[RenshawCell]

Hate to dig up a dead post but I may have heard a theory explaining why a 226 can be a 99 while being below the mean.

The mean is calculated only for US and Canadian med students. The 2 digit score is calculated using all exam scores, including all the IMGs and FMGs, so the true average os probably much lower, explaining the 99 for a 226.

 

[studytempl12]

I think 226 is around the mean now. The 99 two digit is a raw score and in no way signifies a percentile. Last I checked a 244 was the 89th percentile so you can probably figure it out from there. Dont mark my words on that please, this is just what I have heard.

 

[b-real]

Small correction: mean is 230 with SD 23

 

[rad0nc]

http://www.usmle.org/Scores_Transcripts/score-conversion.html

 

[ThePursuit]

Hate to dig up a dead post but I may have heard a theory explaining why a 226 can be a 99 while being below the mean.

The mean is calculated only for US and Canadian med students. The 2 digit score is calculated using all exam scores, including all the IMGs and FMGs, so the true average os probably much lower, explaining the 99 for a 226.

Can we please not use random theories and hearsay and use facts instead? As has been previously described by several posters: 75 is the two digit PASSING score. At somewhere around the AVERAGE score, the two digit reaches a 99 and stays there. It doesn't have any predictive value of anything and rarely will any admissions committee use it for anything (at least in the US). It is useless and is soon to be eliminated. Enough said?

 

[RenshawCell]

Can we please not use random theories and hearsay and use facts instead? As has been previously described by several posters: 75 is the two digit PASSING score. At somewhere around the AVERAGE score, the two digit reaches a 99 and stays there. It doesn't have any predictive value of anything and rarely will any admissions committee use it for anything (at least in the US). It is useless and is soon to be eliminated. Enough said?

You seem to be suffering from a bit of the learning disability. It is based on facts. The fact the the 3 digit is based on US/Canadian mean scores and the fact the the 2 digit is not based on the US/Canadian Mean Score.

And the 2-digit has not been eliminated. It is still provided to programs who have always used it. Did you even read the official memo on the subject?

Silly rabbit.