USMLE Step 2 CK: 8 Tips to Ace the Test

What are Our Top Tips to Get a Good Score on Step 2 CK?

USMLE Step 2 CK is a difficult exam but manageable if you have the right resources and Step 2 study plan to utilize during your dedicated period. Getting a “good score” on Step 2 CK requires hard work! It also is extremely relative based on which specialty you are applying for and many other factors (location of program, community vs. academic structure, university-based affiliations, etc.). On the same token, a “poor” Step 2 CK score is also relative. However, aiming to score at or above the average is a good goal to have! In 2023, the average Step 2 CK score was a 247 with a standard deviation of 15.  Achieving a good score is extremely doable, and we have created a list of our top tips to ace Step 2 and help you in your preparation!

1. Take a Baseline NBME

At the beginning of your dedicated period, it is imperative that you take a baseline NBME assessment to gauge your strengths and weaknesses! You can use this score to see how much you’re improving weekly. You can also use the performance breakdown by systems and subjects to tailor your study plan.

Let’s say you scored an 80% in the Respiratory and Renal system but a 40% in the Reproductive and Endocrine system. We can use this information to place a heavier emphasis on studying for Reproductive and Endocrine earlier on in the study plan so you can cover it thoroughly. A common mistake we see students making is being “too scared” to take a baseline NBME because they know the score will be low. At the beginning of your test preparation, it is not expected that you will get a 270 on a practice test! The goal of the baseline NBME is just that. To establish a baseline and compare progress against that baseline to track improvement. 

2. Dedicate 8-10 Hours Daily

During your dedicated period, your main focus should be getting as much content review and studying done as possible! That being said, for a 4-6 week dedicated period, you should be dedicating 8-10 hours of studying daily. This would encompass all studying tasks for the day including practice questions, reviewing practice questions, content review, flashcards, reading, and any other tasks you may have.

It’s always a good idea to keep this time frame in mind when building a study plan so that you’re conscious about how much time you can allocate to each individual task. This plan should be evaluated and tweaked depending on if you’re able to get all the tasks done or if you have more time left in the day after all of your tasks are complete. We have a template study planner for Step 2 CK that can help with this, so feel free to check it out to get a head start on your studying.

3. Use the Right Resources for YOU

There are many resources out there that preach that they’re the best resource for Step 2 CK. Each resource has its pros and cons, and the resources that you choose to use should complement your learning styles best. For example, if you are a visual learner, you will likely benefit from using Sketchy or Osmosis as your content review. If you’re a more didactic learner that learns best from reading, Boards and Beyond may be a better option for you. A common mistake we see students making is overloading themselves with too many resources. So one of our top Step 2 tips is to avoid this by choosing 1 video resource, 1 text resource and 1 question bank resource. By doing so, you will avoid potential resource overload and will be able to streamline your studying way more efficiently.

4. Incorporate Flashcards

Doing flashcards is a great way to memorize quick facts which can be crucial to answering a test question correctly, but also quickly. This can help you save increments of time throughout the entire exam and allow you to apply that extra time on questions that require it. But what is the best way to do flashcards? We recommend using a flashcard resource that employs spaced repetition such as Anki! Using this learning algorithm will allow for faster and more efficient memorization of flash facts. There are many different ways to customize your Anki software using add ons, changing interval times, and more. Regardless, it’s a great flashcard resource that we recommend heavily to boost scores. 

5. Make Sure You’re Taking Weekly or Biweekly NBMEs

If you have a dedicated study period of 4-6 weeks, aim to take at least 3-4 practice tests before the real thing. This will help you get comfortable with the test’s time constraints, familiarize yourself with the testing software and question structure, and track your progress compared to previous NBMEs. Each NBME you take provides a score breakdown by systems and subjects, which is invaluable for planning and tracking your content review progress. It’s also essential to get used to the testing software, as it differs from UWorld or other question bank resources in some ways.

Having a score goal and comparing each NBME to it is a great way to gauge your exam readiness and determine if you need to push your test date back to score more highly. Informal data suggests that NBME forms 11 and 13 are the most predictive of Step 2, and many students have reported that UWSA 2 is also a good indicator of test-day performance. By taking multiple practice tests, you’ll be well-prepared for the actual exam and can make informed decisions about your test date.

6. Hold Yourself Accountable or Find Someone Else to Hold You Accountable

Studying 8-10 hours per day can be exhausting! Having a seemingly endless list of tasks to get through daily can also be overwhelming and monotonous. But, having someone or a group of study buddies to hold you accountable during your dedicated period will be invaluable. Having daily or every-other-day check-ins to make sure you’re fulfilling your study tasks and making considerable progress will keep you on track to score highly. Our Step 2 tutors can also provide you with that support as well as resources and study tips/tricks to boost your score by a significant amount!

7. Incorporate “Break” Days

Intensely studying for anything every single day for weeks can be mentally exhausting at times. Incorporating “break” days that have light tasks or less hours of daily tasks will be crucial in resetting your brain to be productive for the rest of the week. We usually recommend that this day be scheduled on a weekend on either Saturday or Sunday to allow you to reset for the week. However, this is not a strict rule! The “break” day should be incorporated according to your individual needs. If you want to take it every Tuesday, that’s up to you! However, a good tip to follow is to take a rest day the day after you take a Step 2 practice exam.

8. Make Time for Self-Care

Lastly, making time for self care is critical in maintaining your mental health and physical health during this stressful time. You will not be able to devote the necessary time or energy to studying for this exam unless you are conscious about taking care of yourself. Doing self-care looks different for each person; this can be as simple as taking a walk or doing a face mask and taking a bubble bath! Whatever self-care looks like to you, is the right way to do it. 

As always, please reach out to us if you want to get in touch with a tutor or advisor to help you on your USMLE journey!