USMLE - Official 2015 Step 2 CK Experiences and Scores Thread

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With 2015 right around the corner I think it's a good time to begin a Step 2 CK experiences and scores thread for 2015. Let's keep the all experiences and scores in this thread.

Good luck to everyone taking the exam in 2015!
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hautero said:
First post!

NBME 1,2,3 offline 85-88%
Free 131: 89%
NBME 6: 237 -- 1 month out
UWSA: 238 -- 3 weeks out
NBME 4: 250 -- 1.5 weeks out
Step2 CK: 257 :soexcited:

I couldn't stop perseverating on the 20 or so questions I felt like I missed/ knew I got wrong.... was convinced I scored <240. Anyways, I'm historically a terrible test taker so, there's some hope for us all. Used onlinemeded, MTB2-3, the purple pocket medicine book, and pestanas. Also used clinical mastery series.

Total prep time: 6 weeks of dedicated study
Click to expand...

Congrats !! Can u please tell what did u do in the 3 wks after uwsa? Your score increased by 12 points in nbme 4.. And also how much were nbme series helpful?
Thanks & Enjoyy :)
 
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Faith786 said:
Congrats !! Can u please tell what did u do in the 3 wks after uwsa? Your score increased by 12 points in nbme 4.. And also how much were nbme series helpful?
Thanks & Enjoyy :)
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I really liked the NBME series. To me, they were just more NBME questions without having to do a full practice test. Although UWORLD is a really good resource, there is a difference between their questions and NBME questions.

In terms of what I did after UWSA, I just really really reviewed all the things I got wrong or confused on during UWSA. Just kept grinding!

Good luck
 
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Just thought I'd share that I got my score back yesterday and I took my exam July 14th. Also, for anyone who took NBME 7 and freaked out, my score jumped 26 points in a matter of three days between when I took NBME 7 and freaked out and when I wrote my exam. So screw that practice test.
 
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withoutface123 said:
Just thought I'd share that I got my score back yesterday and I took my exam July 14th. Also, for anyone who took NBME 7 and freaked out, my score jumped 26 points in a matter of three days between when I took NBME 7 and freaked out and when I wrote my exam. So screw that practice test.
Click to expand...

Thanks for sharing, I wrote on the 7/15 and am "patiently" waiting
 
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I feel like a complete idiot. Got a 230 on Step 1.

I took NBME 4 a few weeks ago and got below a 200. I've been studying on and off for CK since February. Not sure what happened to me. I'm applying for residency this year and now pushing the exam back to the end of August. Extremely stressful time right now. Being a Caribbean graduate, can't believe this is how I'm performing.

I've got just under 3 weeks to study for the exam. :(
 
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VCorp said:
I feel like a complete idiot. Got a 230 on Step 1.

I took NBME 4 a few weeks ago and got below a 200. I've been studying on and off for CK since February. Not sure what happened to me. I'm applying for residency this year and now pushing the exam back to the end of August. Extremely stressful time right now. Being a Caribbean graduate, can't believe this is how I'm performing.

I've got just under 3 weeks to study for the exam. :(
Click to expand...

Hey don't feel like an idiot, i know this forum has many geniuses but there are many who are silent viewers (like me) & who are not that Genius. I have been extending my date since June, now finally booked for Aug & I have decided that I'll go for the exam IA having faith because I have done all i possibly could.. Just have persistence & when u feel u have done your best with a decent practice test score, go ahead & get done with it .. GL
 
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Can anyone please tell how "hard" is nbme 7? I have read reviews about it that it's really hard etc but just want a clear picture as in if it's confusing hard or new concepts hard?
My exam is in approx. 1 wk, i only have nbme 7 left should i go for it or not? Sadly none of my other nbmes were great & uwsa was just average :(
Any rep/suggestion is appreciated..Thanks..
 
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do you guys think the delay in reporting is only for those who had that weird 20-30 question block of questions? All of mine had 42 or more which seems like the normal amount

alpinebrook said:
Took it July 13th.
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alpine did your test have normal amount of questions in each block?
 
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Thats what I was wondering too...if the delay is only for the tests with the shorter amount of questions.
 
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I was thinking that maybe it was their way of covering their bases in case results were delayed. Rather than 100%. Give the worst possible outcome, provide results mostly on time, maybe a week or so late, and not have 100s of phonecalls, emails, etc demanding scores every day.

It will be interesting to see how *on time* results continue to be released...
 
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Faith786 said:
Hey don't feel like an idiot, i know this forum has many geniuses but there are many who are silent viewers (like me) & who are not that Genius. I have been extending my date since June, now finally booked for Aug & I have decided that I'll go for the exam IA having faith because I have done all i possibly could.. Just have persistence & when u feel u have done your best with a decent practice test score, go ahead & get done with it .. GL
Click to expand...
It's hard to describe how hard NBME 7 is but for comparison, got a 246 on 7 and 260 on NBME 6. So most people end up dropping a significant number of points and it's considered as the lowest possible score you can get on your step 2 CK. It's just not as straightforward as the other NBMEs I guess. Interestingly, my exam was nothing like NBME7 and more like NBME6 though most people here report that the difficulty of their exam even blows NBME7 out of the water. So I guess the best course of action is to take another NBME and average the recent scores out to see where you're really at.
 
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Just to add more information for anyone studying. I took NBME 7 about a week and a half ago and got a 221. I took NBME 6 today and got a 258. I had read NBME 7 was hard but that is a big discrepancy between the two scores in a short amount of time. Taking the real deal in about a week and a half.
DrShazam said:
It's hard to describe how hard NBME 7 is but for comparison, got a 246 on 7 and 260 on NBME 6. So most people end up dropping a significant number of points and it's considered as the lowest possible score you can get on your step 2 CK. It's just not as straightforward as the other NBMEs I guess. Interestingly, my exam was nothing like NBME7 and more like NBME6 though most people here report that the difficulty of their exam even blows NBME7 out of the water. So I guess the best course of action is to take another NBME and average the recent scores out to see where you're really at.
Click to expand...
 
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medstudent20162016 said:
Just to add more information for anyone studying. I took NBME 7 about a week and a half ago and got a 221. I took NBME 6 today and got a 258. I had read NBME 7 was hard but that is a big discrepancy between the two scores in a short amount of time. Taking the real deal in about a week and a half.
Click to expand...
From everybody that has commented so far (and man I believe I've read almost every post) it seems that you're seeing a two-fold increase due to 1) lesser difficulty of NBME 6 AND 2) 10-11 days of extra studying. Most people's test scores climb over the course of their studying period as they amass more understanding and become better at answering the questions. Also, some people appear to do better on certain exam versions when others do not (some have done well on NBME 7 despite it's difficulty). There's A LOT of room for an increase in scores due to multiple other factors. I don't think the difference in your scores is too crazy.

Keep it up and good luck on exam day!
 
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DrShazam said:
It's hard to describe how hard NBME 7 is but for comparison, got a 246 on 7 and 260 on NBME 6. So most people end up dropping a significant number of points and it's considered as the lowest possible score you can get on your step 2 CK. It's just not as straightforward as the other NBMEs I guess. Interestingly, my exam was nothing like NBME7 and more like NBME6 though most people here report that the difficulty of their exam even blows NBME7 out of the water. So I guess the best course of action is to take another NBME and average the recent scores out to see where you're really at.
Click to expand...

Thanks for replying. Unfortunately I don't have any other nbme left :( I did 4 & 6 back in May & June respectively & they didn't go well. So i am stuck with only nbme 7..
 
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Faith786 said:
Thanks for replying. Unfortunately I don't have any other nbme left :( I did 4 & 6 back in May & June respectively & they didn't go well. So i am stuck with only nbme 7..
Click to expand...

Form 3 is still available for you, just doesn't come with the expanded feedback sadly. And don't forget UWSA. All the best!
 
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Took 2ck today and I found it surprisingly manageable. I did not have the same feeling of doom as I had after coming out of step 1. The first 6 blocks I had 44 questions per block, the 7th block had 42 questions and the last I had 28 questions. I paced myself better in this exam I think because I mainly used uworld to prepare and I would highly recommend that because the questions were familiar or felt familiar. Maybe my paper was easier than others so I hope the curve will be kind to me. But I think because I focused on uworld as the main resource made the difference this time. We'll know the real verdict on September 16.
 
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I w
VCorp said:
I feel like a complete idiot. Got a 230 on Step 1.

I took NBME 4 a few weeks ago and got below a 200. I've been studying on and off for CK since February. Not sure what happened to me. I'm applying for residency this year and now pushing the exam back to the end of August. Extremely stressful time right now. Being a Caribbean graduate, can't believe this is how I'm performing.

I've got just under 3 weeks to study for the exam. :([/QUOTE

I would advise just focus on uworld bottom line concepts.
Click to expand...
 
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VCorp said:
I feel like a complete idiot. Got a 230 on Step 1.

I took NBME 4 a few weeks ago and got below a 200. I've been studying on and off for CK since February. Not sure what happened to me. I'm applying for residency this year and now pushing the exam back to the end of August. Extremely stressful time right now. Being a Caribbean graduate, can't believe this is how I'm performing.

I've got just under 3 weeks to study for the exam. :(
Click to expand...

I would say just focus on uworld bottom line concepts.
 
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jmc2015 said:
Took 2ck today and I found it surprisingly manageable. I did not have the same feeling of doom as I had after coming out of step 1. The first 6 blocks I had 44 questions per block, the 7th block had 42 questions and the last I had 28 questions. I paced myself better in this exam I think because I mainly used uworld to prepare and I would highly recommend that because the questions were familiar or felt familiar. Maybe my paper was easier than others so I hope the curve will be kind to me. But I think because I focused on uworld as the main resource made the difference this time. We'll know the real verdict on September 16.
Click to expand...

Hey congrats on being done. Please tell what did you do in the last wk prior exam?
 
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Took this on July 13, score back on August 5. I had about 42-44 questions in every block.

Step 1: 245

In order...
NBME 3 (- 2m): 208
NBME 4 (-3 wk): 237
NBME 6 (-2wk): 237
UWSA (-10 days): 232
Free "150" (-7 days): 89%
NBME 7 (-5 days): 232

Main resource was UWorld. I went through it 2x. First time around spent a couple of hours reviewing each and every block. Read the explanations from top to bottom. Made Anki cards on the topics of almost every single question. Would spend a couple of hours each morning going over Anki, then do at least 2 blocks for the rest of the day. I reviewed the CMS test I had taken in 3rd yr. I used MTB leisurely. I also used Step Secrets, in the last few days leading up to it, which was very helpful for quick facts.

So, overall: 1) UW 2) Anki 3) CMS 4) Step Secrets >>>>> 5) MTB

As for NBMEs. Take them with a grain of salt. I was really freaking out because none of them were even touching 240, let alone exceeding my S1 score. NBME 3 will leave you helpless though, seeing as it doesn't have feedback. Everyone says UWSA is super predictive, but it was NOT for me. Keep your head up, use UWORLD, and don't get too caught up on the numbers. Whether you're scoring high or low, it doesn't tell you much, except that you've practiced sitting for 4 blocks in a row, and gets you used to NBME style q's.

Step 2: 254

Thank God!
 
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phlyhigh said:
Took this on July 13, score back on August 5. I had about 42-44 questions in every block.

Step 1: 245

In order...
NBME 3 (- 2m): 208
NBME 4 (-3 wk): 237
NBME 6 (-2wk): 237
UWSA (-10 days): 232
Free "150" (-7 days): 89%
NBME 7 (-5 days): 232

Main resource was UWorld. I went through it 2x. First time around spent a couple of hours reviewing each and every block. Read the explanations from top to bottom. Made Anki cards on the topics of almost every single question. Would spend a couple of hours each morning going over Anki, then do at least 2 blocks for the rest of the day. I reviewed the CMS test I had taken in 3rd yr. I used MTB leisurely. I also used Step Secrets, in the last few days leading up to it, which was very helpful for quick facts.

So, overall: 1) UW 2) Anki 3) CMS 4) Step Secrets >>>>> 5) MTB

As for NBMEs. Take them with a grain of salt. I was really freaking out because none of them were even touching 240, let alone exceeding my S1 score. NBME 3 will leave you helpless though, seeing as it doesn't have feedback. Everyone says UWSA is super predictive, but it was NOT for me. Keep your head up, use UWORLD, and don't get too caught up on the numbers. Whether you're scoring high or low, it doesn't tell you much, except that you've practiced sitting for 4 blocks in a row, and gets you used to NBME style q's.

Step 2: 254

Thank God!
Click to expand...

Congrats on a great score. Would you mind sharing your Anki deck?
 
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DrShazam said:
Well, let's just say I was right. I think the worst part about this exam was it was nothing like what was described by previous posters. Bc then I would've felt okay- you know, being steamrolled by something that is evil and impossible is a lot better than feeling like it was all my fault because I didn't study enough. The exam was very reasonable, I just think I had some unfortunate knowledge gaps. As 4thQTHailMary said, my exam felt very close to NBME 6. I think there wasn't one topic on there that I hadn't seen somewhere at some point in my med school education or practice. The stems were also not that long. I had close to 10-15 min per block for marked questions, which is pretty close to how my regular practice exams were (and this does not bode well for me because me running super fast through tests = absolute disaster). I thought I would come back and do a detailed review, but honestly, I don't remember much from the exam. It's like I deleted everything as soon as I left the exam. I feel like crying, I feel numb, and I just don't know what the heck I am going to do if I fail this exam because that would absolutely suck. I have NEVER walked out of an exam thinking I did poorly and not done poorly, so you know, the odds are not in my favor with this one.

Not sure if this is helpful since everyone's exam is different, but this is what I remember:
- I had three or four ethics questions
- I had a crap ton of fluid and renal questions.
- 2 heart sounds
- 3 gram stain questions
- 4-5 derm questions with pics
- Lots of resp questions- EVERYBODY had SOB and reticulonodular infiltrates.
- CRC trt
-10 or so peds questions
- question on volvulus
- crap ton of obgyn questions
- 2 drug ads- very reasonable
- most sections had 44 questions, one had 41 I think
Click to expand...

Hey, I completely agree. The exam was totally doable. I feel horrible because I was expecting it to be worse and when it was not that bad, it made me feel that it was my fault. I was so lost sometimes as to what to pick because of my knowledge gap. They asked basic and it threw me off. I honestly missed a lot of easy, gimmes and I it is killing me. I feel so dumb because it was so totally doable. I feel like, everyone would be celebrating in the exam cause it was easy and here I was like, oh no :(
 
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theblackmamba said:
Wrote 7/15 and last block was a 20q block
Click to expand...

so there might be hope for others at least.... i have a theory that the delay might only be for those who had a 20-30 question block and NOT for those who had all eight normal 42-44 question blocks

No idea if this is actually true or not until others comment but there was someone in this thread above who took it after July 10th (or whatever the deadline was) and got it within the normal time frame.
 
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NBME 4 3 months out 180
NBME 6 2 months out 202
UWSA today 220. Exam is in two weeks. Take another practice exam or plan on postponing? I feel pretty okay about my studying so far...Advice? Just go for it and give my all for the next 2 weeks?? Thanks!
 
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Hi guys , I am really terrified , I had my exam today and it was so brutal and painful. There was lots of ambiguous questions and weired ones as well. My usmle world average score was 73% I took usma 3 days ago and I got 247 I felt ok to go for it but now I feel I may not even pass this exam !!!!! There was lots of Long questions and timing was so bad . First block I missed 4 questions I was shocked and devastated after it. The other blocks I literally used every single second to manage to finish !!!
Has anyone taken the exam today as well or very recently and felt the same ??? Or am
I just the only one !!!!!!
 
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Ukdoc77 said:
Hi guys , I am really terrified , I had my exam today and it was so brutal and painful. There was lots of ambiguous questions and weired ones as well. My usmle world average score was 73% I took usma 3 days ago and I got 247 I felt ok to go for it but now I feel I may not even pass this exam !!!!! There was lots of Long questions and timing was so bad . First block I missed 4 questions I was shocked and devastated after it. The other blocks I literally used every single second to manage to finish !!!
Has anyone taken the exam today as well or very recently and felt the same ??? Or am
I just the only one !!!!!!
Click to expand...
Did you have all 42-44question blocks? Or did you have a block which is 20q?
 
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For the guys that had the 20 or 32 question block, is the time still 60 minutes on those blocks? How come there is a time issue? Is it because the questions are longer or is it because the questions are ambigous and takes a longer time to answer. Thank you.
 
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Also took it 7/24, 44 question blocks with one 42 question block and the last was a 32 question block.

Permit still there, I also think everyone who got a block with less questions is going to be affected by the score delay. I'll post my experience since I'm getting anxious waiting.

Step 1: 263
Shelf exams in order: Family 78, Neuro 83, Surgery 90, Peds 86, IM 95, Ob/Gyn 89, Psych 99

Did UWorld for IM shelf and used it some for Peds and OB/Gyn, had ~300 questions remaining at the end of the year before resetting it, was averaging 79% first pass.
Reset it and went through all the questions this time, supplementing with WikiPedia/UpToDate/SUTM, averaged 89%
The test didn't feel too bad, some of the shelf exams felt much harder in comparison. I think I missed a lot of easy questions though because there were a lot of gimmes and I started doubting myself. For the same reason, I feel like the curve on this exam will be much more harsh than it was on Step 1, so predicting between a 250-275
 
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doc0610 said:
Hey, I completely agree. The exam was totally doable. I feel horrible because I was expecting it to be worse and when it was not that bad, it made me feel that it was my fault. I was so lost sometimes as to what to pick because of my knowledge gap. They asked basic and it threw me off. I honestly missed a lot of easy, gimmes and I it is killing me. I feel so dumb because it was so totally doable. I feel like, everyone would be celebrating in the exam cause it was easy and here I was like, oh no :(
Click to expand...

Hey I am sure you'll get a good score !! Congrats on being done.. Can u please tell to which nbme did u feel exam was close to? Also what did u do in the last week? Thanks..
 
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Faith786 said:
Hey I am sure you'll get a good score !! Congrats on being done.. Can u please tell to which nbme did u feel exam was close to? Also what did u do in the last week? Thanks..
Click to expand...

hey, I don't know how i did and messed up some really easy give me answers. Honestly, my exam was very straightforward for the most part. But, it had very regular cases mixed with complicated words and deceptive scenarios. Just know your basics and you will be good. That is how my exam was. Last week was not my best. I tried to just read through all my weak areas and do u world questions that I was confused with. The answer options were weird as everyone experiences that and yes, it is a lot of clinical feeling. Also, don't change any answers, go with your gut. I marked and moved, then came back and changed a good 10 questions from right to wrong because I just felt there had to be some catch. As far as the nbme was concerned it was like 4 and 6.Breathe, relax and tell yourself you can do this. All the best.
 
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For people that took it a few weeks ago...where do you look to see if the permit is gone? Is it just the link thats gone or the line that says "print/reprint permit"?

Has anyone written btw july 20-24 see their permit LINK gone completely?
 
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Took it July 23 with last block of 20q. Permit still there, guess we're due for a delay but hopefully it comes before Sept 16 for ERAS purposes
 
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