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. The minimum passing score on the Step 2 CK in 2013 is 203.

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).