USMLE World Scores and Step II Scores

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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!!
 
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Step 1: 239

NBME 1: 204 (before studying)
NBME 2: 229
NBME 3: 237
NBME 4: 233
UWSA: 256 (1 week prior, got my hopes up for a score of >250, but whatever, I'm still happy)
UW: 69% untimed tutor mode throughout

Step 2 CK: 242

Took test 3/1, score report 3/24
 
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I just took the real exam and I didn't think it was anything like the NBME. It was more like USMLEWORLD and the free online questions. I did horrible on the NBME 4 (195) but scored a 240 on the real exam. People who say the NBME most closely represents the real exam are not telling the truth. I thought the real exam was much more straight forward.
 
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Took the exam yesterday.
Step 1: 99
Shelf's - 84+ for all
UW: ranged from 30-80% depending on subject.

WTF.....

It was so freaking hard. I had no idea what the hell was going on. The story for each patient was so freaking long. I cant believe I may have failed this stupid thing. I am so freaking mad... this is such BS.

I feel like the biggest idiot ever 🙁
 
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I've got a question for those of you who used UW while studying for shelf tests: what was your % as you were finished with the QBank and what did you end up getting on the exam? I'm at 50%, haven't done medicine Qs yet (I have medicine coming up for 8 weeks). I just wanted to see where I stood at this point. Thanks and congrats on the scores!
 
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Test date: 3-17-10
Score report: 4-7-10 (exactly 3 weeks)
Score: 238
Step 1: 239
3rd year shelf exams: 70's-80's

I studied for about 4 hours a night for 3 weeks during my 4th year medicine AI. I went through UWorld once through during my 3rd year rotations (66% average), then once again during the 3 wk study period (2nd time average 73%). My advice would be to take it as soon as 3rd year is over when the material is the freshest, and not wait til almost the end of 4th year. The only book I used was Secrets, but really just skimming through it. Didn't do any NBME practice tests. Good luck!
 
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Step 1 : 229 (95)
UW % : 65% (95% complete, unused, timed, mixed)
UWSA (3 days before test) : 243

Test on 3/19
Result on 4/07
Step 2 CK score: 243 (99)!

Only used (Step up to medicine) and UW
Study time: 4 weeks

Test was very similar to UW ,but the questions in the test were consistently long. Middle 4 blocks were a killer.
I guess UWSA was on the spot with its prediction.👍
I'm an old IMG.

Thanks for everyone in this post. I got the best tips from you guys.
 
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MrEd said:
Took the exam yesterday.
Step 1: 99
Shelf's - 84+ for all
UW: ranged from 30-80% depending on subject.

WTF.....

It was so freaking hard. I had no idea what the hell was going on. The story for each patient was so freaking long. I cant believe I may have failed this stupid thing. I am so freaking mad... this is such BS.

I feel like the biggest idiot ever 🙁
Click to expand...

Got my score back - 245
UW - Overall average 69%
I guess your score kind of stays close to your step 1 score. Its kind of freaky.

Good luck
 
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Hi.

I'm double posting this as since a search for 'usmle world step II' is likely to point to the VERY long thread, where this post will get lost, and I felt people might want to have easier access to this! Especially since that particular thread has grown SO long that people tend not to want to look past the current page...This summarizes the data nicely.

I basically just worked backwards through the 'USMLE world scores and step II scores' thread until I had 100 people's scores:



Black dots = individual scores. Red = average score for given uworld score.
The formula for the trendline is provided, which (I suppose) could be used to calculate your score. I find the data quite interesting! Quite a strong correlation, and plenty of outliers! I mean someone got like 277 with a uworld score of 69%!
 

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I studied for Step 2 CK during my acting internships throughout the beginning of 4th year and took Step 2 feeling prepared, especially since I had heard that the test was easier than Step 1. I was surprised when I failed (178) and questioned everything including my ability to be a great physician. Let me advise you: this IS a test you CAN improve on. I improved my score 35 points to a 213 by simply putting my nose to the grindstone.

Here is what I did:

Studying the first time:
I read the majority of First Aid, which I didn't think was particularly useful. I also read the majority of the Kaplan Lecture Notes and took notes. I skimmed parts of Step 2 Secrets but didn't really memorize it. I completed ~75% of UW and used it as my main study tool since I had heard from a lot of people to do as many questions as possible.

I think this was a big mistake. You have to know the material cold first; if you just do questions you'll be memorizing factoids. (Ex: Once you learn how to work up thyroid dysfunction, you can answer the questions. You will have a decision tree in your mind, not a bunch of random facts.)

UW first time I took Step 2 = 58% roughly. I occasionally got 70% during the week before the exam if I reused questions.
Score: 178

What I did differently the second time:
I re-read a lot of the Kaplan notes because they were easy for me to read. I straight up memorized most of Step 2 Secrets. (Crush Step 2 is the prose form of this book; the content is exactly the same.) I made tons of flashcards, found lots on flashcardexchange.com and reviewed them regularly. I targeted my weaknesses by focusing on internal medicine subjects in which I was weak. I also recommend Conrad Fisher's Internal Medicine Review online through Kaplan. I took notes on this and would record myself reading them and then listen to them each day on the way to school. I constantly reviewed my weaknesses and spent little time on OB-GYN since that was my biggest strength (what I am going into). I tried to study the majority of each day (~8 hours) and only did about 1 - 2 question sets a day. I did this consistently for about 2 weeks. Then during the last 2 weeks I tried to increase the number of questions I did.


Studying for Step 2 the second time:
UW = 63% cumulative
UW self assessment = 62.5% overall, score estimated to be 215 (490 equivalent on UW score)
NBME USMLE: http://www.usmle.org/orientation/2009/Menu.html This is a four hour practice test published by the real test-makers. (I paid extra to get the score report which was totally worth it)
My score was 510 (equivalent to a 224) 1 week prior to the exam.
Actual score = 213

My score (213) was much closer to the USMLE World estimation (215) than the NBME test (224). The NBME test was tough and I didn't not think that I had done well on it. I felt uncomfortable that I had to make a LOT of educated guesses. It did boost my confidence and kept my momentum up that final week which was great.

I read a lot of reviews for Kaplan QBank and most people said it was too easy. I actually did marginally worse on Kaplan than UW but I also used it at the beginning of studying when I was still reviewing a lot of material. Overall, I think UW > QBank.

I know this is a long post, but I only hope it will provide someone with direction and guidance. My experience has only proven that this IS a test for which you can study and improve.
 
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Thanks for taking time to post this. It's very frustrating to read posts that basically advise to do well during clerkships. I wonder if anyone else feels like me when I read those -- my thoughts: Hello, that's obvious; now, tell me what can I do to conquer this test? Anyway, I appreciate you sharing what you did differently the second time around and reporting a good score that lots of people would be happy to get and not being tempted to report an inflated score. In fact, I think you wrote one of the most helpful posts on the whole thread! And, congratulations for putting this test behind you!
 
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addisonian, thanks for posting that up, its reassuring to see that not everyone gets 99 on this.
 
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pnp366 said:
addisonian, thanks for posting that up, its reassuring to see that not everyone gets 99 on this.
Click to expand...

the 3-digit cut-offs for a "99" for both step 1 and step 2 correlate to somewhere around the 80th percentile...so don't take SDN's inflated scores as the typical result for the USMLE. It'll give you either a false sense of security going into the test (thinking that everyone who takes it rocks a 230+) or a false sense of failure if you don't achieve an amazing score.

Sorry to break the flow of this thread, but just though it was worth saying in a "Scores" thread.
 
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My Step 2 CK Experience

About me:
US med student, done with clerkships, just barely passed shelf exams (65s), not a good test taker.

Scores:
Step 1 - 199
Avg. UW 1st pass: 59%, mixed, unused, untimed.
Avg. UW 2nd pass: 58%, all, incorrect, timed.
NBME 2:___207___01/07/2010
NBME 3:___191___01/18/2010
NBME 4:___196___03/20/2010
NBME 2:___210___04/26/2010
Step 2 CK: 4/28/2010(test day), 5/19/2010(report): 209!!!! :soexcited:

How I studied:
Studying for the Step 2 CK exam off and on for the past couple of months. Officially started around 3/29, really hitting it hard. For me hard is spending an average of 3 hours minimum doing questions from uworld and reviewing my wrong answers. I have a really short attention span for standardized tests, perhaps that's why I'm not an expert. On average I would try to do at least 50-100 Qs/day. On weekends, I would do very little studying. Have a family, so I would reserve time for them. With trying to balance my time with studying and family, some days became difficult.

My resources:
(1) UWORD!!! - its a must, at least for me it was. If you're a gunner, perhaps not.
(2) Step 2 CK Secrets - I cut the binding, put a spiral bound. Made notes in this book from questions I would get wrong in uworld. Read through the chapters I was weak in. But I would recommend reading through the whole thing if you have time. 2x would be excellent.
(3) First Aid for Step 2 CK - made notes every now and then, but not that much. Only when I didn't have room in secrets to do so.

Exam Day
Slept very little the night before. The first couple of blocks was okay. About the same level of difficulty as the NBMEs. UW qs slightly more challenging. Length of qs were looooong. Just had to weed out through the mess, pick an answer and move on. Towards the end of the day, I was having a really hard time. Became physically and mentally exhausted. I was on my last block, and found out that it wasn't my last block after-all. I had 1 more!!!! And no more break time!!! It really took all I had to finish the exam. During my breaks I would, drink, eat, or review my secrets book. I was just kicking myself after the first couple of blocks when I knew which qs I had missed. Might have been bad to do that. I was second guessing myself towards the end of the day. The distribution seemed a little skewed. Had the medicine and surgery questions, but more OB/GYN than I liked. Surprisingly very little pediatrics. It was a weak point of mine and I really studied hard for it the last couple of days. I was ready for them to ask me a rash q. To my disappointment, nothing! Overall, very doable exam to say the least!!

My advice:
(1) Do uworld!! I cannot stress it enough! If you are not a great test taker like myself, you need to do question after question.
(2) Read and re-read step 2 ck secrets. If I had to do it over, I would read the entire book. Go to sleep reading it, take it on the bus, while waiting in line at the grocery store. I mean this book is awesome! I liked it better overall than first aid because for me it was an easier read. I wouldn't get bored with reading secrets like I did with FA.
(3) Spend your time wisely!! I really could have taken the test back in Jan. I was hoping to improve into the 230s or 40s, but unless you do something drastically different in your studying technique then your score will not vary accordingly. The different NBMEs attested to that. You think you mastered a certain subject only to find out the next NBME you are weak in it. For the most part they were pretty consistent. But as I was studying, I found that the more knowledge I gained, questions I normally would have got right, I reasoned myself out of. Its really a balancing act. Gaining new information and keeping the old information there.
(4) As soon as your ready, TAKE THE TEST!! Don't waste your time. I really agree with most posters that 2 weeks is all you should need, if you really put in the time during those weeks. You will do well. I just had my time spread out, so it took me a little longer.
(5) Don't forget to take an NBME, before you sit for Step 2 CK. As you can see, they are pretty accurate.

Final Thoughts
Good Luck everyone!!! The advice I have got on this forum has been invaluable. Thank you everyone for your assistance and support. I hope by posting this information, it will help another student on their trek to becoming a future physician!!

God Bless,

overfiend06
 
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It varies - I had lots of questions where I had to "scroll down" to read the whole thing, and a smattering of 2 or 3 line questions that took me like 10 seconds to answer. Most of the questions are in between - a 5-6 lines. That was my experience, anyway.
 
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after posting in the usmle forum for the past several weeks, i thought i would post my experience with step 2 CK.

usmleworld%: 64 (first time through) rose to 70% after repeating questions
usmleworld simulated: 233
shelf exams: low ob 67, high medicine 82, rest in the 70s
did not take nbme's
step 1: in the 220s 😡

step 2CK: 247/99 👍

all i gotta say is uworld is the best resource out there, hands down. i was pretty vigilant about trying to study during my rotations, reading stuff like blueprints, step up, etc. i would also do world questions as time allowed. i watched most of the kaplan videos and when i would go to the gym i'd listen to the mcmumbies podcasts. those were nice extras but by no means essential. i read crush and secrets but did not feel like they went into enough detail for me. i think the most money is with first aid and USMLEworld!

good luck you guys....
 
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Step 1: 247

Mostly mid-80s on Shelfs except Medicine/Peds 95+

Did all of UW once plus back through the ones I got wrong - 78% correct overall
Did random, untimed questions 44-88/day weekdays, more on weekends
Also read First-Aid twice through over about 2 and a half weeks
Lots of gym time and sleep during the study period

Step 2: 273

So pumped 🙂
 
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NoktorNoL said:
Step 1: 247

Mostly mid-80s on Shelfs except Medicine/Peds 95+

Did all of UW once plus back through the ones I got wrong - 78% correct overall
Did random, untimed questions 44-88/day weekdays, more on weekends
Also read First-Aid twice through over about 2 and a half weeks
Lots of gym time and sleep during the study period

Step 2: 273

So pumped 🙂
Click to expand...

Is that 78% correct the first time through or after you redid some of the incorrect ones?
 
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This thread helped me a lot, so I thought I'd contribute now that I got my CK score back.

About me: mid tier US medical school; couple honors 3rd year, not AOA;

Step 1: 245
Shelf scores all over the place: 60's - 90's.

4 weeks of dedicated CK studying

NBME form 2 (after 1 wk of studying): 239
USMLEWorld: 68% first time through
USMLEWorld SA (4 days before test): 256

Real Step 2 CK: 252 (score report said mean = 229, SD = 23)

During the actual test: marked about 1/3 of the questions as uncertain; was able to narrow down to 2 or 3 answers for most of these.

Study advice: Used Casefiles as my primary source for Peds, ObGyn, and Psych. Step up to Medicine was my primary medicine source. Annotated UWorld into these respective books. The key here is that what book you choose to use is really unimportant. In other words, you can absolutely not use FA and do fine. I loved Step up to Medicine because it provided much more detail than FA. But obviously other people swear by FA. The important thing is to use UW, and learn the details tested in the questions.

I'll echo other people in saying that UW is the absolutely most essential resource. A lot of people complain that UW questions can be completely random and out of the blue, but I got at least 2 or 3 WTF type questions on the real test that I knew the answers to b/c I had the same WTF??!! reaction to the exact same question when I was doing UW.
 
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tigershark said:
UW avg: 74%
Step1: >260
Step2: >260

If you did well on the shelf exams I dont think you should put too much effort into studying for step2. I took the NBME assessments before and after studying for 1 month and scored just about the same.
Click to expand...


What on earth did u study from in that month?
 
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Sara010 said:
So I am a mere mortal on most standardized tests, step 1 was 215/89, needless to say I was a little disappointed. At the same time, I was quite used to not doing the best on standardized tests.

So I dug in hard all of 3rd year, but didn't do that well on shelf exams (range 71 on surg to 84 on psych). Then worked even harder for 4 weeks studying for step 2. I had done world pretty much all the way through during 3rd year so I cleared it and started working on it again. Then I started Kaplan in addition. I finished both completely; averaging ~70% on World and ~60% on Kaplan.

Additionally I did 3 NBME's
2: 530 (224) - taken about 4 weeks out (I think the 2nd or 3rd day of studying)
3: 630 (245) - taken 2 weeks out
4: 800 (>268) - taken 1 week out

I ended up with a 264/99 which made me ecstatic, I actually just came back from a few drinks 🙂 . I really wanted to give hope to those people out there who a) didn't do too hot on Step 1 and b) didn't ace all of their shelfs that getting a pretty solid score is definitely possible 😀

Best of luck to you all!! :luck:
Click to expand...

Hey I really need advise on how to study for step 2. I have the exact same score as u on step 1 and i was soo disappointed.

I have taken 6 weeks off to study for step 2, I have first aid and usmleworld. Should I just study from there or should I supplement that with something else? I did use kaplan last time but i thought it took too much time and as u can c it didnt help me much on step 1 or maybe it did coz i could have gotten a worse score. PLease help!

Thanks.
 
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Prep: most of UWorld (think I had ~100 questions unused), 60-90% first time through, unused, tutor mode, First Aid for Step 2CK (once through)

Exam: I finished in a little over 5 hours, and had plenty of time for each block. It was a pretty even distribution of topics, nothing stood out as too much or too little. For the most part, it wasn't as nitpicky as UWorld or my Step 1. I marked 8-10 questions per block and each block had a handful of WTF type questions.

Step 1: 233
Raw Shelf scores: 71 (Family Med) - 93 (Psych)
Took step 2 on 06/25
Step 2: waiting!
 
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Used USMLE World throughout 3rd year to study for shelf exams (high 70s-low 80s). First time through 61%.

Spent three weeks studying for exam. Prior to studying, NBME 4 showed a 224 with weaknesses in ObGyn and psych. Used FA Step2CK, Case Files ObGyn and Case Files Psych as resources. Got through FA twice plus review again of weak areas.

Second time through World, 73% all timed 44 question sets. Finished 100%.
UWSA after a week of studying: 217 :scared:
NBME Form 2 on the same day (after world scare): 248 although had taken it six months earlier and gotten a 220.
NBME Form 1 one week before exam: 237

We'll see what Monday brings! 😱
 
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Hi all,

It's great reading about all these success stories! It really gives the rest of us hope. I was hoping that one of you might be able to give me a little perspective?

I took the test last week. Felt ok during it, got stuck on quite a few that ate up my time, but left feeling decent. Then when I went home, I started remembering questions, realized that I put the wrong answer, and I'm starting to freak out. I have counted at least 25 I got wrong! Now I'm a basket case!

I did what everyone said, UWorld especially, and got 72% first time through. However, that was in the comfort of my own home and I think I freaked out during the test. Can anyone please tell me that they had the same freak out? I am starting to feel crazy!!!!! It would also be great to hear that the freak out was unnecessary in the end (a girl can dream, right?). 🙂

Also, is one of the blocks experimental? Just curious about how many questions are counted.

Sorry to be a freak show but I'm just kicking myself now. Thanks for all your help!
 
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I took Step 2 CK Wednedsay and now my mind has healed enough for me for this write-up. Holy crap I hope I never have to take that test again.

Study Method: USMLEWorld + Secrets + Step Up To Medicine and High Yield OB-GYN for reference. My school is a bit weird in that we have our medicine, surgery, peds, and FM shelf at the end of third year in a two week span. I scheduled 2.5 weeks afterwards to study for CK. Didn't go balls to the wall for this one because I felt less motivated to score well. Did all the questions and went through questions I missed afterwards. Read secrets X 2 and used Step Up and OBGYN High yield (only used b/c this is my worst topic) for reference on topics I was weak on. UWorld really prepares you well, but make sure you read EVERY question carefully and understand the concept behind each question.

Test: Started at 9AM, left at 6PM. Used almost all the time for each block and for breaks. 44 Qs per block does not sound bad, but question stems are usually 6-7 sentences. I rarely got questions that were 2-3 sentences, and more often than not a question that took up almost half the screen showed up. Though some of the questions you can figure out what to pick by reading the last 2 sentences, there were some questions that you definitely had to read carefully. Certain words in the question would totally change the answer choice - for example: "smoker", "irregular irregular", "jail", "oral ulcers", "Mexico". Sounds easy to catch those words, but you can easily look over them halfway through the test. Made a few dumb mistakes I realized in hindsight on the test due to exhaustion or being in a hurry.

It may be easier to reason/guess an answer choice compared to Step I, but believe me, the test-taking experience was also more exhausting due to the wall of text questions. I needed every minute of my break to let my brain rest. My mouse failing on me on one block and not being able to recover the time I lost (~5 min) also hurt me pretty bad. I hope I never have to take something like this again. Yes, you will feel like you did bad coming out of the exam but you'll feel better afterwards.

Step 1: 258
NBME 4 (9 days before test): 239
UWSA (6 days before test): 254
NBME 2 (3 days before test): 254
UWorld: 72% first run-through

We'll see what Step 2 CK holds for me. Hope I do ok I just want to get somewhat close to my Step 1 score.
 
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overfiend06 said:
My Step 2 CK Experience

About me:
US med student, done with clerkships, just barely passed shelf exams (65s), not a good test taker.

Scores:
Step 1 - 199
Avg. UW 1st pass: 59%, mixed, unused, untimed.
Avg. UW 2nd pass: 58%, all, incorrect, timed.
NBME 2:___207___01/07/2010
NBME 3:___191___01/18/2010
NBME 4:___196___03/20/2010
NBME 2:___210___04/26/2010
Step 2 CK: 4/28/2010(test day), 5/19/2010(report): 209!!!! :soexcited:

How I studied:
Studying for the Step 2 CK exam off and on for the past couple of months. Officially started around 3/29, really hitting it hard. For me hard is spending an average of 3 hours minimum doing questions from uworld and reviewing my wrong answers. I have a really short attention span for standardized tests, perhaps that's why I'm not an expert. On average I would try to do at least 50-100 Qs/day. On weekends, I would do very little studying. Have a family, so I would reserve time for them. With trying to balance my time with studying and family, some days became difficult.

My resources:
(1) UWORD!!! - its a must, at least for me it was. If you're a gunner, perhaps not.
(2) Step 2 CK Secrets - I cut the binding, put a spiral bound. Made notes in this book from questions I would get wrong in uworld. Read through the chapters I was weak in. But I would recommend reading through the whole thing if you have time. 2x would be excellent.
(3) First Aid for Step 2 CK - made notes every now and then, but not that much. Only when I didn't have room in secrets to do so.

Exam Day
Slept very little the night before. The first couple of blocks was okay. About the same level of difficulty as the NBMEs. UW qs slightly more challenging. Length of qs were looooong. Just had to weed out through the mess, pick an answer and move on. Towards the end of the day, I was having a really hard time. Became physically and mentally exhausted. I was on my last block, and found out that it wasn't my last block after-all. I had 1 more!!!! And no more break time!!! It really took all I had to finish the exam. During my breaks I would, drink, eat, or review my secrets book. I was just kicking myself after the first couple of blocks when I knew which qs I had missed. Might have been bad to do that. I was second guessing myself towards the end of the day. The distribution seemed a little skewed. Had the medicine and surgery questions, but more OB/GYN than I liked. Surprisingly very little pediatrics. It was a weak point of mine and I really studied hard for it the last couple of days. I was ready for them to ask me a rash q. To my disappointment, nothing! Overall, very doable exam to say the least!!

My advice:
(1) Do uworld!! I cannot stress it enough! If you are not a great test taker like myself, you need to do question after question.
(2) Read and re-read step 2 ck secrets. If I had to do it over, I would read the entire book. Go to sleep reading it, take it on the bus, while waiting in line at the grocery store. I mean this book is awesome! I liked it better overall than first aid because for me it was an easier read. I wouldn't get bored with reading secrets like I did with FA.
(3) Spend your time wisely!! I really could have taken the test back in Jan. I was hoping to improve into the 230s or 40s, but unless you do something drastically different in your studying technique then your score will not vary accordingly. The different NBMEs attested to that. You think you mastered a certain subject only to find out the next NBME you are weak in it. For the most part they were pretty consistent. But as I was studying, I found that the more knowledge I gained, questions I normally would have got right, I reasoned myself out of. Its really a balancing act. Gaining new information and keeping the old information there.
(4) As soon as your ready, TAKE THE TEST!! Don't waste your time. I really agree with most posters that 2 weeks is all you should need, if you really put in the time during those weeks. You will do well. I just had my time spread out, so it took me a little longer.
(5) Don't forget to take an NBME, before you sit for Step 2 CK. As you can see, they are pretty accurate.

Final Thoughts
Good Luck everyone!!! The advice I have got on this forum has been invaluable. Thank you everyone for your assistance and support. I hope by posting this information, it will help another student on their trek to becoming a future physician!!

God Bless,

overfiend06
Click to expand...

Any comment on how " looooong" are the actual exam q's comparing to UW?

Anyone can comment on that, please?
 
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COHEN001 said:
Any comment on how " looooong" are the actual exam q's comparing to UW?

Anyone can comment on that, please?
Click to expand...

I thought the questions were brutally long (10 lines or so on average it seemed), but that, for the most part the sentences could be skimmed for pertinent information like vital signs, notable meds, et cetera. It seemed like everyone was obese with DM and HTN. There were, of course, some questions that were shorter and some that were much longer with pretty significant scrolling to get to the lab values/imaging results.

Still, took me a little over 5 hours to complete the test for what that's worth, which is about on par with my NBME practice test and World 44 question set experiences.
 
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Seems like most people are getting their scores back about three weeks from their test on a Wednesday...Is it three weeks from the Wednesday the week you took your test or does it vary???
 
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Step 1: 211
NBME 2: 255 - 1 week prior to test
USMLE Free Questions: 247 - 4 days prior to test
World %: 68% on tutor mode

Thought the test was comparable to the NBME in difficulty. Easier than World and Shelf exams. I probably marked about 7-8 per section. Finished each block with about 10 minutes remaining. I used USMLE World as my primary study source; tutor mode is clutch. I also used Crush Step 2, which is good because its a quick read. Nothing else is needed.

Step 2 CK: 246

Miracles happen.
 
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anyone know what the two digit break down is now that the 75 mark is equal to 189?

NBME #1 = 224, World = 55 first past, 77 second pass, and honestly with a couple of days left, I'm trying to make myself care. So pahlease scare me and tell me that a 90 is like 250 or something now.
 
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GoNightNight said:
Step 1: 211
NBME 2: 255 - 1 week prior to test
USMLE Free Questions: 247 - 4 days prior to test
World %: 68% on tutor mode

Thought the test was comparable to the NBME in difficulty. Easier than World and Shelf exams. I probably marked about 7-8 per section. Finished each block with about 10 minutes remaining. I used USMLE World as my primary study source; tutor mode is clutch. I also used Crush Step 2, which is good because its a quick read. Nothing else is needed.

Step 2 CK: 246

Miracles happen.
Click to expand...

How did you calculate your USMLE Free Question score?
 
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hothause said:
I thought the questions were brutally long (10 lines or so on average it seemed), but that, for the most part the sentences could be skimmed for pertinent information like vital signs, notable meds, et cetera. It seemed like everyone was obese with DM and HTN. There were, of course, some questions that were shorter and some that were much longer with pretty significant scrolling to get to the lab values/imaging results.

Still, took me a little over 5 hours to complete the test for what that's worth, which is about on par with my NBME practice test and World 44 question set experiences.
Click to expand...

Thank you so much!
 
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Sometimes you eat the bar, sometimes the bar eats you...

not sure which one of these I'll be, but I thought I'd reflect on my studying tactics and exam experience since this thread has helped me out over the past several months.

Me: DO student, ~top 1/4 of class, shelf exams: 69-83, Step I: 213. I know a lot of people use this excuse, but I'm not the best test taker. I'm the classic over-thinker - where I will know the answer or see where the question is going, but will some how talk myself into another answer because I think it's a trick or whatever. Not using it as an excuse, but just to give you a picture of who I am; as I'm sure there are a lot of you out there like this.

What did I do to study? USMLE World and Step 2 secrets. I had been told (and read) to not dilute your resources. Just pick one or two things and really know them really well. So that's exactly what I did. I used World throughout the year to study for shelf exams - taking, what I thought, were very scrupulous notes. Then ~ 3 weeks prior to my exam, did it all over again. I cannot stress how much I learned by doing it a second time. You will be surprised by how much you either miss or forget. I read secrets ~3 (maybe 4) times throughout the 3 months leading up to the exam. Secrets is great for giving you a foundation - but I didn't feel like it ever "got me a question"

What did I think about the exam? I felt like it was 10x better than the Step I (I felt like a train wreck after that scuffle) With that being said, I still didn't feel like I killed it - which, I know no one does, but I really wanted to based on how much i studied. But....by doing World twice, I felt VERY solid with the material. Unfortunately, in every block there were 7-10 questions that I could narrow down to 2-3 answers easy, then have to guess.

As per the length of the questions? I had read here and heard from many people that each question was like reading a Tolstoy novel. Not true at all! World hits it on the head (they should pay me for how much I'm talking them up). In each block, there were several that you had to scroll through, but most of it was labs or vitals that you could glance through and find any abnormalities, etc. As for timing? I finished each block with ~5-10 min left and used that time to go back.

Bottom line: Do World!! then when you're done... DO IT AGAIN! I never had any verbatim questions (as I did on Step I), but there were many that were so similar that I could see the answer before I finished reading the first or second sentence (seriously). World teaches you to sift through the crap and find the important nuggets of info buried in the question. I was really hoping to do well on the exam to make up for my sub-par Step I, but at this point I think I'd be happy with an average score. I'll let you know...
 
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flabs said:
Sometimes you eat the bar, sometimes the bar eats you...

not sure which one of these I'll be, but I thought I'd reflect on my studying tactics and exam experience since this thread has helped me out over the past several months.

Me: DO student, ~top 1/4 of class, shelf exams: 69-83, Step I: 213. I know a lot of people use this excuse, but I'm not the best test taker. I'm the classic over-thinker - where I will know the answer or see where the question is going, but will some how talk myself into another answer because I think it's a trick or whatever. Not using it as an excuse, but just to give you a picture of who I am; as I'm sure there are a lot of you out there like this.

What did I do to study? USMLE World and Step 2 secrets. I had been told (and read) to not dilute your resources. Just pick one or two things and really know them really well. So that's exactly what I did. I used World throughout the year to study for shelf exams - taking, what I thought, were very scrupulous notes. Then ~ 3 weeks prior to my exam, did it all over again. I cannot stress how much I learned by doing it a second time. You will be surprised by how much you either miss or forget. I read secrets ~3 (maybe 4) times throughout the 3 months leading up to the exam. Secrets is great for giving you a foundation - but I didn't feel like it ever "got me a question"

What did I think about the exam? I felt like it was 10x better than the Step I (I felt like a train wreck after that scuffle) With that being said, I still didn't feel like I killed it - which, I know no one does, but I really wanted to based on how much i studied. But....by doing World twice, I felt VERY solid with the material. Unfortunately, in every block there were 7-10 questions that I could narrow down to 2-3 answers easy, then have to guess.

As per the length of the questions? I had read here and heard from many people that each question was like reading a Tolstoy novel. Not true at all! World hits it on the head (they should pay me for how much I'm talking them up). In each block, there were several that you had to scroll through, but most of it was labs or vitals that you could glance through and find any abnormalities, etc. As for timing? I finished each block with ~5-10 min left and used that time to go back.

Bottom line: Do World!! then when you're done... DO IT AGAIN! I never had any verbatim questions (as I did on Step I), but there were many that were so similar that I could see the answer before I finished reading the first or second sentence (seriously). World teaches you to sift through the crap and find the important nuggets of info buried in the question. I was really hoping to do well on the exam to make up for my sub-par Step I, but at this point I think I'd be happy with an average score. I'll let you know...
Click to expand...

I hope you did well! And, thanks for posting this. 2 questions for you:
1. Did you do any NBME practice exams or USMLEW Self Assessments?
2. Did you use any Kaplan notes for more in depth information on weaker topics?
 
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Exam recap with play by play:

Start: slightly after 8am
Finish: Just after 3pm

Intro is annoying as it won't allow you to finish it until you've answered questions...sorta scary! Wish there was a big, red "skip intro" button. But other people had mentioned this on this thread so I wasn't freaked out when the first block started with "block 2/9".

First two blocks: Nothing terrible, 5-10 I didn't know for sure
Break.
2nd Two blocks: Felt a little less comfortable maybe 10-15 I didn't know, but not bad.
Lunch from about 11:30-11:50
Last part of the test I did all 4 blocks without a break.

So I know you want to know what's in this damn thing (don't worry NBME I won't divulge details). Well here's what I can say: a lot of the things I didn't know were treatment based. What's the next step in treatment? Some questions you didn't know if they wanted to you be agressive, or be moderate in your treatment, and there in was what got me. I would have preferred answers such as "attempt X and if not procede to Y."

I think I had been doing so many blocks of questions that while today was really annoying, and from time to time I'd look around and wonder why my faithful cat wasn't around to be pet and help me relax, the day didn't royally suck. And maybe, just maybe, I think I actually took my time and didn't rush through the last few questions.:xf:

Good luck to all! I'll keep you posted with scores...hopefully 7/21 or 7/28?
 
Last edited:
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rachmoninov3 said:
Exam recap with play by play:

Start: slightly after 8am
Finish: Just after 3pm

Intro is annoying as it won't allow you to finish it until you've answered questions...sorta scary! Wish there was a big, red "skip intro" button. But other people had mentioned this on this thread so I wasn't freaked out when the first block started with "block 2/9".

First two blocks: Nothing terrible, 5-10 I didn't know for sure
Break.
2nd Two blocks: Felt a little less comfortable maybe 10-15 I didn't know, but not bad.
Lunch from about 11:30-11:50
Last part of the test I did all 4 blocks without a break.

So I know you want to know what's in this damn thing (don't worry NBME I won't divulge details). Well here's what I can say: a lot of the things I didn't know were treatment based. What's the next step in treatment? Some questions you didn't know if they wanted to you be agressive, or be moderate in your treatment, and there in was what got me. I would have preferred answers such as "attempt X and if not procede to Y."

I think I had been doing so many blocks of questions that while today was really annoying, and from time to time I'd look around and wonder why my faithful cat wasn't around to be pet and help me relax, the day didn't royally suck. And maybe, just maybe, I think I actually took my time and didn't rush through the last few questions.:xf:

Good luck to all! I'll keep you posted with scores...hopefully 7/21 or 7/28?
Click to expand...

So like...What "intro" and what "questions?"
are you talking about the instructions? there are questions tied to them that you cannot skip? i'll have a buspirone smoothie, thx
 
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dusselas said:
I hope you did well! And, thanks for posting this. 2 questions for you:
1. Did you do any NBME practice exams or USMLEW Self Assessments?
2. Did you use any Kaplan notes for more in depth information on weaker topics?
Click to expand...

I didn't do any NBME's as they didn't seem to be helping many people on this forum (just my empiric observations) and seemed to stress people out more than help them out - so I couldn't answer your probable next question (how did you score on NBMEs). I also didn't do a UW assessment - again, didn't really think it would have helped me, and probably would have just made me more nervous.

As per Kaplan notes - no. I never used any of their material for the Step II. I did use the surgery section for the shelf, and that seemed decent.

And for those worried about the Intro - don't be. It's just one of those formalities where you can click through the slides in ~3 min. The "questions" aren't real, and will not be graded - I can assure you. (example question: Which of these words doesn't start with the letter "M")
 
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Anyone do the free usmle test from the website? according to medfriends 70% is a 180....Based on scanning this thread, I'm not convinced. But please comment if you've taken it...
 
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