USMLE Step 2 CK Exam

Clinical Knowledge

Minimum score to pass	184/75
# of questions	370 multiple-choice questions on computer
Duration	9 hours
Additional information	Step1, Step 2CK and Step 2CS can be taken in any order. Score is valid for 7 years.

Test Overview

The Step 2 CK exam contains 370 questions and spans 9 hours of testing (including an hour of break time). It is administered as eight, 1-hour "blocks" of 46 questions each. You will be able to skip back and forth between test questions, but only within a particular block. Once you leave a block (or time expires for that block), you will not be able to return to the questions of that block.

Step 2 CK questions are NOT grouped by subject within a block. For example, you won't find a section devoted to pediatrics. This random ordering of items presents you with a unique challenge. You must switch from thinking about one subject, such as surgery, to another, such as obstetrics, without skipping a beat.

In total, you will have 45-60 minutes of "break" time depending on whether you choose to complete the 15- minute tutorial at the start. You can "add" to your break time by finishing a block early. Please note, however, that finishing blocks early does not add to your total "test time," which remains constant at 8 hours. That means that you can't add time to one block by finishing another block ahead of time. You should take breaks only BETWEEN blocks; leaving the testing area DURING a block will be noted as a testing irregularity.

Question Formats

There are two multiple-choice formats used on Step 2 CK:

single best answer
single answer matching

For both formats, there are 3 to 26 answer choices (for the one best answer format, there are typically 5). Most items describe a patient and ask you to identify the underlying mechanism of the disease, propose a diagnosis, order diagnostic studies, or initiate treatment. Questions that incorporate graphic, tabular, and pictorial material are also included.

Scoring

With the new computer exam, you should receive your score back within 2 weeks of your test date. The USMLE* Step 2 CK is scored and reported on two-digit and three-digit scales. Your score report will also include a pass/fail designation, as well as a graphic depiction of your performance by discipline, physician task, and disease category.

The USMLE reviews the scoring scale and adjusts the passing standard. As of July 2007, the minimum passing score on the Step 2 CK was raised from 182 to 184.

To achieve a passing score, you typically need to answer between 55% and 65% correct (it can vary based on the calculated difficulty of the exam you took as each candidate takes a different version of the exam).