USMLE World Scores and Step II Scores

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lmh14

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Probably been discussed before, but can't find a recent thread....

I'm just curious about what scores people were getting on USMLE World, and then how you ended up doing on Step 2.

All you have to do is post two numbers...... 🙂

Thanks folks, and good luck with everything!!
 
Really amazing scores people are posting. Is a 260-270 really as high as it sounds? For people who got your scores back, what was the mean and standard deviation for your exam? I'm just wondering how the percentiles correlate...

I got a 274. The mean was 230 and the standard deviation was 23.
 
I just took the test today and I gotta say, am really disappointed. The questions were so long and vague, the options just as vague. Of course you have to make intelligent guesses on this test but I think I had to do it way too often.(I have a really bad feeling about my performance and it's not just the way 'everyone feels bad after walking out of the test.')

Anyways, hope I did better than I think I did. My prep so far:

UW average 73%, 1x timed unused mode
NBME 3, 2 weeks out, 239
NBME 4, 1 week out, 256

Couldn't sleep last night, don't think I can tonight either :scared:
 
Felt the exact same way you did. I think I should get my score this Wednesday. I did my best and I prayed. If it goes well, then I will encourage you to stay hopeful.
 
I just took the test today and I gotta say, am really disappointed. The questions were so long and vague, the options just as vague. Of course you have to make intelligent guesses on this test but I think I had to do it way too often.(I have a really bad feeling about my performance and it's not just the way 'everyone feels bad after walking out of the test.')

Anyways, hope I did better than I think I did. My prep so far:

UW average 73%, 1x timed unused mode
NBME 3, 2 weeks out, 239
NBME 4, 1 week out, 256

Couldn't sleep last night, don't think I can tonight either :scared:

Felt the exact same way you did. I think I should get my score this Wednesday. I did my best and I prayed. If it goes well, then I will encourage you to stay hopeful.
 
I haven't been on for a while... I'm an American studying in Germany. I don't know if there's anyone out there in the same kind of situation- but maybe it will be interesting for y'all to read.

I hadn't done so well on Step 1 (180's, but ended up having to take it before I had some subjects in med school here, but whatever).

I've decided to stay in Germany for residency, just want to keep my options open for later (like for a fellowship) - so just want to pass Step 2, though I am a Type A personality... (i.e. it would be nice to do well!)

I've been studying for my German boards since June and did a random block of UW a day to review in English- I started in the low 50's. Read FA once in June. I took my German boards 2 weeks ago and did really well, took a few days off then just did UW for a week (in the low 60's) and took it on Monday!

I recognized a lot of UW questions, I had the same EKG 3x (with different questions, in different blocks), three droolers, three kids with immunodeficiencies, 3 heart murmurs, a lot of 3's! wierd. Luckily, easy stats, almost no ethics/legal, and little psycho-pharm (thank goodness!). The hardest questions (for me anyway) were "what is the first step in management" for really random diseases, both trauma and just normal stuff. I guess we just don't have as many of those here. I have no idea if I feel good or bad about it!?

Oh, and an NMBE (on a bad day) 3 weeks out: 210-ish.

I would love to break the average- I will let you know how it works out!
 
I just took the test today and I gotta say, am really disappointed. The questions were so long and vague, the options just as vague. Of course you have to make intelligent guesses on this test but I think I had to do it way too often.(I have a really bad feeling about my performance and it's not just the way 'everyone feels bad after walking out of the test.')

Anyways, hope I did better than I think I did. My prep so far:

UW average 73%, 1x timed unused mode
NBME 3, 2 weeks out, 239
NBME 4, 1 week out, 256

Couldn't sleep last night, don't think I can tonight either :scared:

Man, I know how you feel.

I just took Step2CK today. Way too much guessing, too many questions that I could narrow down to 2 choices and then got stuck. Thank God I didn't take this test right after 3rd year... I don't see how I'd have felt any better about this test had I studied a whole month longer. I marked about 8-10 questions per block, but can't say I was too confident about the questions I wasn't marking. I forced myself to sprint through the first 2 blocks so I could bank extra break time for the rest of the day, which worked out good. Like Step 1, I seemed to have just enough time for each of the other blocks.

Hell, I even botched up one of the sequential questions (Part A that gets locked once you see Part B). Ouch.

UWorld average: 77%, 1x unused Tutor Mode (reset after 3rd year)
NBME 2 (3 weeks out): 248
NBME 4 (5 days out): 256

I think my UWorld average overestimates in my case since I used it all during 3rd year... and I was doing Tutor and not Timed this past month. My expectation after today is to see a score way more in the direction of my NBME's, potentially a little lower. I'll be a little pissed if I don't beat my Step 1 score (low 240's).

I'm just glad it's over. Seriously, this test is no joke - they're trying to making us squirm with this one.
 
Good luck waiting for the result man, I hope both of us have something better to post soon.

Thanks, you too.

I think a big issue for me on this exam was that I had gotten very used to (and in fact thrived on) the ADHD pace of the 3rd year NBME Shelf Exams. On Step 2 CK, by the time I hit the 5th block, I remembered just wanting to get up and leave. I only took 1 break in the first 4 blocks, which was clutch because I had banked loads of break time that I could then use between all of my remaining blocks.

I recommend doing this on exam day, as I needed every one of those spare break minutes to run to the bathroom and throw a cold wet paper towel on my face to wake myself up. Endurance on the floors in 3rd year teaches you to be a hyperadrenaline active charismatic ADHD information-regurgitant parrot. The "endurance" element on this test was quite different from that, and is honestly one part of the exam experience I had forgotten about until the day it happened.

Oh and by the way, I think Prometric assembled the biggest group of weirdos imaginable to take the exam with me in the testing room. I think one guy next to me had TB, kept coughing up crap every 7 seconds. Another girl had a rash, and we heard her scratching it for about 30 minutes. Another dude right next to me stepped on his computer's power cable and accidentally unplugged his computer, losing his test for like 10 minutes. It's a good thing I took it during the late-day testing slot, as all of them were gone after a few hours.
 
Really amazing scores people are posting. Is a 260-270 really as high as it sounds? For people who got your scores back, what was the mean and standard deviation for your exam? I'm just wondering how the percentiles correlate...

260s is probably 2SDs above the mean...nothing to knock, I wouldn't think at least.
 
217 (500) on NBME 4 (taken yesterday)
58% cumulative on Uworld (timed, unused), last 10 blocks of 44 qs 61%, 100% complete
Read First Aid x1 and Secrets x1
Studied a little over 3 weeks

Exam is Wednesday. Would you go ahead and take it? Any advice is appreciated.
 
How comparable are shelf exam questions to the usmle step 2? easier or harder?

BTW that pediatrics shelf exam, s*** kicked my arse 😎!!!
 
How comparable are shelf exam questions to the usmle step 2? easier or harder?

BTW that pediatrics shelf exam, s*** kicked my arse 😎!!!
Shelf exam questions tend to be harder but not a whole deal greater. Shelf exam questions tend to ask more specific questions and can range from tiny minutiae to broad management overview. Step 2 tends to touch more on the management side of questions (next step for diagnosis, best initial management step, best overall therapy), and these tend to be questions you would also see on the shelf. I took my Neuro shelf this past Friday and had recently taken Step 2 before starting the rotation- and I can say that my senioritis and lack of hardcore studying for the shelf didn't lead to disastrous results partly because of overlap between Step2 and shelf exams.
 
Hey guys,

Just took my Step 2 yesterday. I have to say I felt pretty disappointed leaving the test site. I had to guess on so many questions. I was able to narrow them down to 2-3 choices and take a guess.
I read secrets 1 time, did UW 1 time through random test mode 66% and did some of the questions I got wrong at the end. Took the UW sim test got 540/227 four days before my exam. Didn't feel ready so I called an cancel the test the day before the exam, then called again to check n make sure the morning of the exam...It was not canceled! Drove to the test site to find out what the hell is going on. They told me I could just not take the exam and call on a later day to reschedule, but not sure if there would be any serious consequence. I got tired of the BS so I flipped a coin and took the damn test (on an empty stomach - for the first block).
Now (even during the exam) I'm thinking it was a mistake and I should've waited. I didn't do too hot on Step 1 and needed to make it up with Step 2. Only got 2 hours of sleep last night due to worries and stress. I know it's done an over but just wondering if it's a common experience for everyone to feel like that test was freaking hard. sigh!
 
....just wondering if it's a common experience for everyone to feel like that test was freaking hard. sigh!

I think it is, I've read quite a few recent posts (some on this thread as well) about the vignettes being too long and that too much guessing was involved.

Let's just wait and hope we made better choices than we think.

Oh and it sucks to go through this test without proper sleep man. Dang anxiety, even my nytol failed me this time :laugh:
 
Hey guys,

Just took my Step 2 yesterday. I have to say I felt pretty disappointed leaving the test site. I had to guess on so many questions. I was able to narrow them down to 2-3 choices and take a guess.
I read secrets 1 time, did UW 1 time through random test mode 66% and did some of the questions I got wrong at the end. Took the UW sim test got 540/227 four days before my exam. Didn't feel ready so I called an cancel the test the day before the exam, then called again to check n make sure the morning of the exam...It was not canceled! Drove to the test site to find out what the hell is going on. They told me I could just not take the exam and call on a later day to reschedule, but not sure if there would be any serious consequence. I got tired of the BS so I flipped a coin and took the damn test (on an empty stomach - for the first block).
Now (even during the exam) I'm thinking it was a mistake and I should've waited. I didn't do too hot on Step 1 and needed to make it up with Step 2. Only got 2 hours of sleep last night due to worries and stress. I know it's done an over but just wondering if it's a common experience for everyone to feel like that test was freaking hard. sigh!


You'll be fine-- trust me. I did terribly on step 1 and felt like I had studied relatively hard for it. For Step 2 I took it easy, only did UWorld x1-- that's it. Ran a lot, relaxed, etc. and ended up with a 257. Also didn't feel too hot walking out of the test center-- it's just a better test.
 
NBME II - 220, 1 week out
NBME IV - 230, 2 days out
Real Deal - 240

Studied step upto medicine for cards, pulm, gi, neuro, heme, and electrolytes.
Studied all of FA
Did all of UW once, tutor mode - 70%
 
NBME 2 (14 days out) - 250
NBME 4 (12 days out) - 250
UWorld - 71% correct

Real Deal - high 250's

Spent 4 solid weeks studying for this, ~6-7 hours/day. UWorld was excellent. People bash FA... but I thought it was much better for Step II than for Step I. Glanced through Cardiology from USMLE Secrets.

Slept 6 hours night of the exam, definitely started to feel tired mid way through this thing. Attention and concentration probably ~70% of optimal. Overall, thought most of the questions were pretty easy... I was able to breeze through 80% of it without thinking too much. The remaining 20% included some of the most bizarre, random-ass stuff I could imagine. I did make some silly mistakes on the exam (switched from correct to incorrect choice for no good reason -- e.g., ordered a colonoscopy for obvious hemorrhoids). I can't help but think, if I got through the exam cleanly, I'd probably score 265 or so.
 
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For those with recent score releases, when did you take your test? Trying to estimate when I will find out my score-- took it on Oct 23rd.
 
step 1 264
shelf exams between 85-95

uworld ~1700 random tutor mode with cum. average of 78%

step 2 275
 
when people are reporting average scores around here; is it for untimed questions? I have been quite shocked at some of the averages people are reporting; but I have been doing times blocks and my score just does not seem to be on average what people are reporting. I did the Uworld sim exam and got just over 50% right and was in passing range. I am wondering if that is representative of what I will see on the real exam? I have 3+ weeks to go before my exam.
 
when people are reporting average scores around here; is it for untimed questions? I have been quite shocked at some of the averages people are reporting; but I have been doing times blocks and my score just does not seem to be on average what people are reporting. I did the Uworld sim exam and got just over 50% right and was in passing range. I am wondering if that is representative of what I will see on the real exam? I have 3+ weeks to go before my exam.

I usually did untimed for the percentage I reported. However, I have never had trouble finishing a standardized test with time to spare (I think I left the testing center for CK 2-3 hours early) so I knew I didn't need much practice doing timed questions. I did untimed because my study environment had semi frequent distractions so untimed allowed me to deal with things and then go back.

Remember what is reported here is higher than average for a lot of things.
 
For those of you who took CK before 10.20.10 any idea when we should hear about our score?
 
Man, I know how you feel.

I just took Step2CK today. Way too much guessing, too many questions that I could narrow down to 2 choices and then got stuck. Thank God I didn't take this test right after 3rd year... I don't see how I'd have felt any better about this test had I studied a whole month longer. I marked about 8-10 questions per block, but can't say I was too confident about the questions I wasn't marking. I forced myself to sprint through the first 2 blocks so I could bank extra break time for the rest of the day, which worked out good. Like Step 1, I seemed to have just enough time for each of the other blocks.

Hell, I even botched up one of the sequential questions (Part A that gets locked once you see Part B). Ouch.

UWorld average: 77%, 1x unused Tutor Mode (reset after 3rd year)
NBME 2 (3 weeks out): 248
NBME 4 (5 days out): 256

I think my UWorld average overestimates in my case since I used it all during 3rd year... and I was doing Tutor and not Timed this past month. My expectation after today is to see a score way more in the direction of my NBME's, potentially a little lower. I'll be a little pissed if I don't beat my Step 1 score (low 240's).

I'm just glad it's over. Seriously, this test is no joke - they're trying to making us squirm with this one.

Real deal: 251/99

Doesn't accurately reflect my level of knowledge towards the end of 3rd year, but oh well. Had only 10 days off before taking this, so I guess I shouldn't be all that shocked.

All in all, this test blows. Get it over with early.
 
I haven't been on for a while... I'm an American studying in Germany. I don't know if there's anyone out there in the same kind of situation- but maybe it will be interesting for y'all to read.

I hadn't done so well on Step 1 (180's, but ended up having to take it before I had some subjects in med school here, but whatever).
...

UW low 50's then low 60's several weeks out

...

Oh, and an NMBE (on a bad day) 3 weeks out: 210-ish.

I would love to break the average- I will let you know how it works out!

Real deal = 231

I am rodunculously happy- that's over 40 points improvement to Step 1 for me! 😱 😀

And it goes to show you that 1- NMBE ain't God and 2- miracles do happen!

Good luck to the rest of y'all!
 
After 10 weeks and 6 days, i FINALLY got my results today!!

Studied for 3-4 weeks, overall UW of 59% (thereby expected 235), though near end was getting 60-65%

232/99 👍 (Average 230 with SD 23)

Not ecstatic but definitely happy 🙂
 
................................................................Anyways, hope I did better than I think I did. My prep so far:

UW average 73%, 1x timed unused mode
NBME 3, 2 weeks out, 239
NBME 4, 1 week out, 256..............

Result in today, 264/99!

The curve for CK is definitely much more generous than that for step 1 'coz I felt way too worse walking out of CK than I did after step 1 (261/99).
 
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Just thought I would add...

Took Step II 10/23, got scores today

67% USMLE World, 100% complete, one time through. No other study materials used.

Step II score: 246/99.

Seems about what it should be. I'm happy enough, since Step I was a 201.
 
Just thought I would add...

Took Step II 10/23, got scores today

67% USMLE World, 100% complete, one time through. No other study materials used.

Step II score: 246/99.

Seems about what it should be. I'm happy enough, since Step I was a 201.

Wow congrats on the big improvement. Good luck in the application process.
 
preparation:6months
sources: kaplan LN-live prep-uworld

assessments:

NBME 1 before study 205
NBME 2 4 months back 215
NBME 1 3 months back 233
NBME 3 2 months back 247
NBME 4 3 weeks back 261
UWSA 2 weeks back 252

Kaplan Q bank 75%

Uworld Q bank 78% mostly untimed mixed.

kaplan simulated test 79%


Exam day:


1st 2 blocks very easy with enough time to revise

3rd block very tough with vague lengthy Qs i missed 6 Qs

4th-6th blocks fair enough.

7th easy

8th difficult


overall fair exam . Qs length somewhat longer than uworld and quit similar in context.

50% IM 20% paed 10 % surg 10% ob/gyn 10 % psych/behav/biostat


preventive medicine heavily tested. alot of vague Qs

ecgs 3 heart sounds 2 derma pictures peripheral blood films CT/x-rays

STEP 1 last Feb 243
step 2cs pending??!!

I will post my score hopefuly in 3 weeks as usual

Thanks ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,( uworld is the key )
 
Got my score back this week

Background:
Step 1: 224
Aaround 80-90 percentile on shelf exams third year

3.5 weeks studying, 74% on UWOLRD untimed, tutor mode and reading all answers/explanations while taking notes. Finished all. Otherwise read through Crush once
NBME 4: 710 (258) a few days before

Step 2 CK: 262

Mean 230, SD 23

A few things: Clearly it's possible to really improve your score over step 1. I had a pretty miserable step 1 experience (only slept an hour the night before, pretty much panic attack during the day) - I was still very happy with my step 1 but thought I probably should have done better.

I think the biggest help for step 2 was really studying hard all third year and concentrating on doing well on shelf exams. I felt very prepared during my UWORLD studying. Otherwise, I think this test REALLY sticks to basics much more than step 1. Most answers I knew, where during step 1 many questions were completely unrecognizable.

How much will this score help me? Not sure as I have received most of my interviews already (most before I even took step 2). I'm just hoping it will help any programs during ranking, especially if they think my step 1 is on the fence.

Good luck to everyone!
 
Got Results Yesterday

205/84 Step 1
237/99 Step 2 CK

Step 1: 224
Step 2 CK: 262

Great score improvements to both of you! 👍

How much will this score help me? Not sure as I have received most of my interviews already (most before I even took step 2). I'm just hoping it will help any programs during ranking, especially if they think my step 1 is on the fence.

Good luck to everyone!

You should definitely update programs--your 262 should greatly help when ranking you. Strong work.
 
Took the exam yesterday 11/22/10. I thought it was way harder than I was expecting, and feeling sort of down about it actually. 🙁 I put in a decent effort in my preparations, but felt like I wouldn't have felt better even if I had studied another 3 weeks.

Step 1: 245
Step 2 CS: Pass
Shelf exams raw percent: Mid 70s on all, with the exception of pscyh in the mid 80s.

About 3 weeks of devoted time:
USMLE World: Completed about 75%. Starting off averaging in the mid 60s. Last few days before the exam I was in the low 70s, and ended on 3 blocks of 77%.
Free Practice Q from NBME: I did 1 block and decided the questions were too straightforward to do me any good. I got 41 or 42 correct out of the 44. These questions are much simpler than the real thing. Would not recommend.

Step up to Step 2: In hindsight, I think the Peds coverage was NOT sufficient. Would have supplemented. The OB section didn't seem sufficient for USMLE world questions, but on the real exam, the OB questions were pretty straightforward.

Doctors in Training: This guy has the most annoying voice. His lectures are also mostly reading through Step up to Step 2 and with some supplementation. I bought the course though, as a way to get me through the material, which it did. He also makes corrections throughout Step Up to step 2.

The real thing was full of long questions (longer than USMLE world) with somewhat vague answer choices. I think the questions ranged from -- "This is too straightforward and easy, I must be missing something" to "I have no idea which answer choice is the best management, because I have no freaking clue what they are getting at!" Time management wise, I had always been able to get through a USMLE world section in roughly 40 minutes. On the real thing, I spent about 50 min on most sections, with 1 or 2 sections requiring the entire time.

I am a pretty good standardized test taker usually, and approach questions with a "go with your gut" mentality. The thing that bothered me most about this exam was I felt there were too many questions where I was choosing an answer without any sense of conviction. (which I realize may make me sound like a crazy person). I was hoping to score ~260, but now am just hoping, I didn't fall too below my Step 1 score. 🙁 Will update when scores come in.
 
I just took stepck yesterday. I am a repeater. The last time I took it was before the # of questions on each block went up from 42 to 44, before media was added, and before sequential (cannot go back) questions were added. I was very intimidated by the new structure of the exam. And it was my last chance to take it in the state I am in. so I was nervous...

I did not think the question stems were vague at all; on the contrary I thought they were short, simple, and well contsructed. with lost of question options of course...

I saw soooo many uworld 'clues'! I would see essential points from crush and secrets and then see a uworld clue added into it. Often I would doubt what I had learned from uworld. I would sit and say "i saw it and it said it, but should I put it?"...in the end my wavering cost me a lot of time I am sure.

I wish I had made meticulous notes of uworld and gone back over and over them again and again. But I did not do that.
 
Step 1: 259
Step 2: 262

NBME form (I think 4? Whichever had the extended feedback): 258
UWorld: 79% tutor mode, one pass through
UWorld Self-Assessment: 266
Kaplan QBank: ~63%, one pass through (Kaplan SUCKED, more on this later)
Shelf Exams: OB 77%, rest high 80's to mid 90's

Overall, this test was pretty much what I expected, and felt a whole lot easier than Step 1.

Resources:

Step 2 Secrets: Read once. Fine, not too helpful, not bad.

UWorld: Awesome. Seemed like every question was directly related to something in this QBank. If you know this QBank inside and out you will COAST through this exam. This is a MUST!

Kaplan: Holy **** this was terrible. I thought that Kaplan's Step one QBank was frustrating but I almost broke my hand on several occassions from punching a brick wall due to the ******edness of this QBank.
The QBank is broken down like so:
25% good questions that are similar to Step 2
25% questions that are so easy that they won't help you learn anything
The rest of the questions are one of the following:
- Questions where there are 2 equally correct responses (not like UWorld or the real step 2, where there is a true best answer, but something like: what ion is in normal saline: A) Sodium or B) Chloride)
- Questions that are blatantly wrong (I emailed the feedback server of Kaplan on over 30 questions and each time they responded: WHoops, you are right!)...umm OK, and I'm supposed to trust this QBank's information as accurate?
- Complete minutae: Something absurdly specific that you DEFINITELY have not learned in medical school and will never, NEVER be asked on Step 2. IE: Their derm questions = Hand-->Wall
- Their score estimator, was however SPOT ON... Oh wait, it had me at a 218.... well it was within 40-50 points at least. So at least you know that the standard error is between failing the test and getting a 260+.

Look, overall, there aren't many good resources for step 2 outside of UWorld. So, if you have the time, Kaplan is still.....okay. It's probably as helpful as doing all the pretest books again would be (so, not very). If you use it, make sure you take their answers with a grain of salt, and don't get bogged down in their terrible questions (which are a lot). If you think one of their questions is wrong, it probably is...move on.

Resources go: UWorld>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Kaplan>everything else.

Good luck people!
 
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