The Experts Weigh In: Survey Results on the Best Way to Study The Week Before Step 2

Step 2 Studying: The Week Before Test Day Advice

So you’ve been studying for weeks or even months for your Step 2 exam… you are SO close, yet so far away. With only a week left before the big day, you may be asking yourself, “How should I spend my last week of studying prior to test day?”

While you may be asking what to do the week before test day, so are we!  We sent a survey to our Step 2 tutors to ask what they recommend to their students. This blog post will outline the findings of that survey along with general recommendations as to how you can best prepare for Step 2 the week before your exam.

We had 18 experienced Step 2 tutors answer a seven-question survey. We asked their perspectives on what schedule to follow, what resources to use, what (if any) practice tests to take, how they counsel students on the day before test day, and any other general advice they might have for their students prior to test day.

Recommended Schedule for the Week Before Taking Step 2

When it comes to the schedule the week before, 50% (9/18) of our tutors recommend and help plan a schedule for their students that is more dense throughout the first half of the week and less dense through the second half of the week. 11.1% (2/18) of our tutors recommend a less dense schedule throughout the week. Another 11.1% (2/18) tutors recommend the exact same schedule a student has been using until the last 2 days prior to the exam, where they recommend a lighter schedule. The other 5 tutors recommended similar schedules with small variations. For example, one tutor recommends a more dense schedule throughout the entire week with taking the day off prior to the exam. 

Overall, our tutors recommend schedules that are consistent (or more intense) to the student’s previous studying habits. They also unanimously recommend a half day to an entire day off the day before test day. Consistent studying ensures that you keep your knowledge levels at their peak before test day! AND the time off before test day helps ensure that you are well-rested and ready for an 8-hour test.

Recommended Resources

It’s no surprise to us that 94.4% (17/18) of our tutors recommend using UWorld the week before the exam. UWorld is time and time again one of the best resources for studying for the USMLE exams. Their questions are similar to USMLE and their explanations and drawings are helpful for learning and understanding concepts!

Second to UWorld, 83.3% (15/18) of our tutors recommend anki use in the week prior to test day. Anki is another resource that helps students consistently score high on test day. If you used anki during your study time, don’t slack that week before your test day! It’s worth it to keep up your knowledge. 50% (9/18) recommend reviewing your notes in the week before as well. I recommend students create a “things I always forget” note that includes the random, high-yield facts that always seem to slip your mind during practice tests and questions. This shouldn’t be terribly long or complex, but rather a review of those concepts that just don’t seem to stay with you.

Additionally, 50% (9/18) recommend AMBOSS, 38.9% (7/18) recommend Divine Intervention, 38.9% (7/18) recommend Emma Holliday videos, and 22.2% (4/18) recommend Boards and Beyond videos. 

Resources for your step exam can help you reach your goal score, but be wary not to become overloaded with too many resources. While our tutors recommend a variety of resources to their students, they also carefully tailor what resources work well for their specific students. If it works for you, great, keep at it! If it doesn’t stick, if it doesn’t work, if you simply don’t like it, then don’t waste your valuable time prior to exam day!!! 

Below you will find a pie chart that illustrates that for most of our tutors, these resources are not any different from their usual recommendations! Stick with what works for you.

Recommendations for the Day Before the Step 2 Exam

Our tutors recommend either no studying or light studying the day before the exam! 50% (9/18) recommend that students review high-yield topics briefly. 22.2% (4/18) of tutors recommend taking the day off completely prior to the exam. The other 5 tutors recommended a variation of these two—either just study Anki or study for only half the day. 

Overall, we unanimously recommend that the day before test day is much lighter than other days! Go ahead and take a break, you have a big day coming. If you will be anxious or worried without studying, then calm your nerves with a few hours of studying, but then try your best to relax. Get some exercise in, go outside, get your nails done, or hang out with friends. You’ve been studying for weeks now, it’s ok to take a few hours off and give yourself a brain break.

Recommendations for Practice Questions/Tests Prior to Exam Day

Our tutors recommend that you keep up with practice questions the week before the exam. Most (44.4%) recommend more than 6 hours spent on practice questions!  Others (22.2%) recommend 5-6 hours and 33.3% recommend 3-4 hours of practice questions. 

Additionally, most of our tutors recommend some form of a practice exam the week before. 38.9% (7/18) recommend the Free 120 and 44.4% (8/18) recommend one full-length exam. One tutor (5.6%) recommends more than 1 full-length exam in the week before test day.

The Free 120 is a great test to take a few days before exam day.  It is very similar to what you will encounter on test day in terms of the style of questions. It is important to note that this is a shorter exam (only 120 questions) and there aren’t any answer explanations available from USMLE. Nonetheless, the Free120 is a great review and can help highlight any small knowledge deficits or areas you need to review. 

Any Other Specific Advice/Insights From Our Tutors for the Week Before Step 2

In summary, although there is variation in the specific nuances of recommendations from our tutors, the general advice is similar. Keep up your studying early on in the week. Stick with practice questions and Anki! If you have already made it through all your UWorld questions, then doing some incorrects on your weaknesses can be a great place to focus. We also recommend mixed and timed question blocks! This is great training for the big day, when you will have 8 mixed and timed blocks in a row.

We also recommend focusing on Biostats review prior to the big day. There are some great YouTube videos for reviewing Biostats the week before. Biostats and Epidemiology is only 3-5% of the test, but those can be some great last minute points to gather. 

Finally, focus on reviewing. The week before the test is not the time to try to tackle big concepts that you are missing (hopefully that was accomplished weeks prior). Make sure to review and refresh your memory as much as you can. When there is only a week left, this is more of a “short term” game than something long term! 

Physical Preparation!

In addition to specific study strategies, it is important to be physically prepared for game day. Your sleep schedule is crucial to helping you prepare. Make sure that you are getting enough sleep for the days leading up to test day! That way if you sleep poorly due to nerves or anxiety, you will know that at least you slept well the week before! Also, plan to wake up the week before the test at the same time you will wake up for test day. Then you can be assured that you are awake and your brain is ready to work when it needs to.

We also recommend having a game plan for the factors that are within your control. Know how you will time your breaks, meals, bathroom trips and hydration the day of your exam. For the exam, don’t chug coffee the morning of or your first few blocks might be a struggle. Don’t add anything new to your schedule—for example, if you don’t normally drink coffee, Step 2 test day is not the time to try it out!

Stick with what you know, remember the hard work that you have put in, and you will be on the path to success.

Key Takeaways

• Continue what works for you! 
• Keep up with your practice questions
• Plan to take the Free 120 the week before the exam
• Take a rest day the day before exam day
• Prioritize sleep 
• Plan your breaks, food, and hydration prior to test day

You’ve got this! Step 2 studying is exhausting and nerve wracking and difficult, and the week before the exam can be a particularly trying time. When you’ve only got a week left, you are almost there! Put in the hard work for another few days, take a break the day before, and make sure you have a strong game plan for test day. We wish you the best of luck on the big day! 

If you need someone to help you in this process, consider reaching out to an Elite Medical Prep Tutor to help you best prepare for test day.