Step 2 CK assesses an examinee’s ability to apply medical knowledge, skills, and understanding of clinical science essential for the provision of patient care under supervision and includes emphasis on health promotion and disease prevention. Step 2 CK ensures that due attention is devoted to principles of clinical sciences and basic patient-centered skills that provide the foundation for the safe and competent practice of medicine under supervision.
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Step 2 CK is a one-day examination. It is divided into eight 60-minute blocks and administered in one 9-hour testing session. The number of questions per block on a given examination will vary but will not exceed 40. The total number of items on the overall examination will not exceed 318.
The examination also includes a minimum allotment of 45 minutes of break time and a 15-minute optional tutorial. The amount of time available for breaks may be increased by finishing a block of test items or the optional tutorial before the allotted time expires.
Practice materials, which include Sample Test Items (PDF) and simulated web-based Tutorial and Practice Test Items, tutorials, as well as other informational materials are available at the USMLE website. Examinees must also read the USMLE Bulletin of Information.
IMPORTANT:
Please visit the USMLE website often to view announcements, regarding changes in test delivery software, and to access updated practice materials. You must obtain the most recent information before taking any USMLE examination.
All USMLE examinations are constructed from an integrated content outline. Content is organized according to general principles and individual organ systems. Test questions are classified into one of 18 major categories, depending on whether they focus on concepts and principles that are applicable across organ systems or within individual organ systems. Most organ systems are subdivided into normal and abnormal processes. They include subcategories of specific disease processes. In most instances, knowledge of normal processes is evaluated in the context of a disease process or specific pathology. Sections focusing on individual organ systems are subdivided according to normal and abnormal processes, including principles of therapy.
Not all topics listed in the content outline are included in every USMLE examination. Overall content coverage is comparable in the various examinations that will be administered to different examinees for each Step. The Step 2 CK examination covers content of specific disease processes or pathology. The Step 2 CK systems specifications are listed in Table 1.
Table 1: Step 2 CK Test Specifications*
* Percentages are subject to change at any time.
An additional organizing construct for Step 2 CK design is physician tasks and competencies. Each test item is constructed to focus on assessing one of the competencies listed in Table 2. Click here for detailed information about the physician tasks and competencies outline
Table 2: Step 2 CK Physician Task/Competency Specifications
* Percentages are subject to change at any time.
Each Step 2 CK examination covers content related to the traditionally defined disciplines listed in Table 3.
Table 3: Step 2 CK Discipline Specifications*
* Percentages are subject to change at any time.
Step 2 CK consists of multiple-choice questions (MCQs) prepared by examination committees composed of prominent faculty members, teachers, investigators, and clinicians who make up the USMLE Test Material Development Committees. All committee members have recognized expertise in their respective fields. They are selected to provide broad representation from the academic, practice, and licensing communities across the United States and Canada.
Test questions focus on the principles of clinical science that are deemed important for the practice of medicine under supervision in postgraduate training.
The content description is not intended as a curriculum development or study guide, but rather models the range of challenges that will be met in the actual practice of medicine. It provides a flexible structure for test construction that can readily accommodate new topics, emerging content domains, and shifts in emphasis. The categorizations and content coverage are subject to change.
The best preparation for the examination is broad-based learning that establishes a strong general understanding of concepts and principles in the basic and clinical sciences.
This is the traditional, most frequently used multiple-choice format. It consists of a vignette and question followed by three to twenty-six options that are in alphabetical or logical order. The response options in this format are lettered (eg, A, B, C, D, E). You are required to select the one best answer to the question. Other options may be partially correct, but there is only ONE BEST answer.
Example Item
A 32-year-old woman with type 1 diabetes mellitus has had progressive renal failure over the past 2 years. She is not yet on dialysis. Examination shows no abnormalities. Her hemoglobin concentration is 9 g/dL, hematocrit is 28%, and mean corpuscular volume is 94 m3. A blood smear shows normochromic, normocytic cells. Which of the following is the most likely cause?
(Answer: D)
A single patient-centered vignette may be associated with two or three consecutive questions about the information presented. Each question is associated with the initial patient vignette but is testing a different point. You are required to select the ONE BEST answer to each question. Questions are designed to be answered in sequential order. You must click “Proceed to Next Item” to view the next item in the set; once you click on this button, the next question will be displayed, and you will not be able to change the answer to the previous question.
Abstract Format
The abstract item format includes a summary of an experiment or clinical investigation presented in a manner commonly encountered by a physician, eg, as an abstract that accompanies a research report in a medical journal. Examinees must interpret the abstract in order to answer questions on various topics, including
This post is intended to help those who are preparing for Step 2 CK. I would like to share some information on my USMLE Step 2 CK preparation process which resulted in a score of 263. If you would like to see my overall profile you can visit My Residency Stats
I had only 3.5 months to study as I want to apply for the match within the same year. So I didn’t go through Kaplan notes or videos. First of all, I gave a thorough reading to MTB2 and 3. Then I made notes from UWorld when I did it for the first time. I never cared about the percentage in UWorld as I used it as a study tool not assessment tool. At the end I revised those notes 2 times in the last week of my preparation. In my experience MTB and UWorld were more than sufficient to get a good score. At no point in the exam I felt that I should have referred to some other source.
Preparation Time: 3.5 months
StudyMaterial Used:
Assessment Scores:
Real deal : Lows 260s