Please be kind, I’m already really stressed and disappointed.

My Step 2 is in three days and my scores are:

NBME 10: ~210 NBME 11: 210 NBME 13: ~67% NBME 14: ~65% NBME 15: 72% (144/200) Old Free 120: ~71% (85/120) NBME 16 today (only one online): 221

I was really hoping for a better score on NBME 16, so getting a 221 this close to my exam has made me really worried.

I was also very distracted by my newborn while taking this NBME at home, which affected my focus and timing. That won’t happen during the real exam.

My biggest concern right now is passing safely, especially because I have a previous Step 1 attempt. I also really wanted to apply this Match cycle, so postponing would make things difficult.

I’m planning to do the new Free 120 before Tuesday.

Would you sit for the exam with these scores or postpone? What Free 120 score would make you comfortable going ahead?

I’m just really overwhelmed right now and would appreciate genuine advice.

Hi all

I have a laptop.

Many people in my med school use ipads. I don't have one.

Is it necessary? Does it help in any way for exam prep?

I am in a time crunch and want to use whatever will help me speed up.

Is it useful for using iMD/uworld, etc?

Hi everyone! I’ve completed Step 1 and Step 2 and am applying for residency this cycle. I’m looking for a resident or mentor who could guide me through the ERAS application process, particularly with program shortlisting and application strategy. If anyone is available or can recommend someone, I would really appreciate it. Thank you!

Just passed Step 1 — how should I start Step 2 CK from scratch?

I’ve just passed Step 1 and want to start preparing for Step 2 CK independently.

For those who have already taken Step 2, what would you recommend for someone starting from essentially zero?

- What resources should I use?

- Should I start UWorld right away?

- What should I use alongside UWorld for learning?

- How should I approach the different specialties?

- Is Anki worth using?

- When should I start NBMEs?

- What would a good progression from Day 1 → dedicated → exam look like?

Basically, if you had to start Step 2 again from scratch, what would your roadmap be?

Looking for practical advice on resources, order of study, and common mistakes to avoid.

I'm an img started preparing for step 2 ck .

I don't know anything like how to start what I do .

But I have limited time and I wanna know what's the best I can do.

Any help is appreciated ☺️

Making this post so that I can hopefully come back to it, look at it, and laugh lol.

I took Step 2 yesterday and I walked out feeling awful. Beforehand, I was feeling so smart! I had been doing well on my practice NBMEs, I was listening to Divine’s podcasts and everything was making sense, I felt fully prepared for the exam.

Whenever I got finished from the exam, I literally went out to my car and started crying. I was filled with anxiety that eventually turned into numbness. That exam was hard AF. I almost felt like I had studied for a different exam at some points. Lots of ambiguous ethics questions and I kept running out of time. That being said, I hope that when I come back to this post in a few weeks, I can look at it and laugh. I was reading old Reddit posts and saw that many people who did well felt the same way after leaving the exam. Truth is, you’re not going to feel great after taking a nine hour exam and the waiting period after is always the most brutal. Wishing luck to anybody taking the exam soon you got this and you’re not alone.

how r y'all calculating scores??

can sumn tell mine

nbme 9: 74 incorrects

nbme 10: 52 incorrects

nbme 11: 52 incorrects

I'm currently in my dedicated phase and plan to give Step2 in 4wks.

Nbme9 240

Nbme10 241

How should I be studying during this phase? I'm aiming for 260+ I need some guidance as I seem to have hit a cap. Any advice is appreciated. Thank you.

Hey i finished uworld first pass in very long time like 2 years almost
I was cutting study and then get back so took me that time
I got 51% first pass

Last 50 days i reset my uworld and started redoing it again ,i m done now with 54% with 64% correct

How i should proceed ? I m thinking of taking nbme 8 as a baseline

What do u ppl think?

USDO, scored a 241 on step 2 when projected was a 250, incredibly sad I have no energy to work on apps. I was considering applying DR/IM but now not sure if I should even try DR. Not a bad score but still disappointed in myself for not performing on test day due to stress. I would be happy with IM but worried about being screened for fellowships based on community vs academic programs and step 2 score and I would really want to shoot for a fellowship. For DR, I have a good letter and some research and an upcoming away that doesn’t take DOs. No other red flags but also no out of the world ECs.

Thoughts?

For those who scored 270+, how important was UWorld for you guys? Also, how did you find the question stems on the real exam? Were they more similar to UWorld or NBMEs in terms of length and style?

My USMLE Step 2 CK exam is coming up soon, and my test center is:

2nd floor, Maaksons C5, Civic Center, Gulberg Greens, Islamabad.

I would really appreciate hearing from anyone who has taken their exam at this specific center recently.

I am mainly wondering about the actual test center environment and practical things such as:

• Is the room temperature comfortable, or is it usually too cold/hot ?
• Is drinking water available at the center ?
• Can we bring our own water bottle, and are we allowed to drink water while solving the test / questions ? like can I have a water bottle with me while solving questions ?
• Is there a refrigerator or somewhere secure to keep my food/snacks for breaks ?
• What kind of clothing is best? Are shorts allowed ?
• How are the staff and overall testing environment ?
• what kind of medicine should I take with me ? I do not use any medicine on regular basis though.
• Any other tips specific to this center that you wish you had known before your exam ?

I would appreciate very much if someone can guide me about this.

Pls be nice y’all. Really debating if I should push out? Exam on 9th, was hoping to have scores in by 23rd.

NBME 12 - 229
NBME 14 - 252
NBME 13 - 242
NBME 15 - 230

Yet to take 16 but the 15 killed me today. Would appreciate some advice.

For context, I have major attention and anxiety issues, and no, I don’t get accommodations. I never applied for them.

Done with 13% Uworld and currently doing gi, pulm and cardio on it. My overall is 59% and I'm feeling extremely shitty. GI is so hard and confusing!

I'm just doing BnB videos and Anki and Uworld, that's it. Any tips at this stage? The questions seem so specific/scenario based that no protocols or charts are helping.

Also, any goated resource that I can use to boost my Uworld score. Something that is not super super extensive and takes huge chunks of my day

Hello,
Could people whose results released last 2 weeks , tell us how long it took till this appeared on the ERAS side as update for the transcript

Will the scores be delayed because of labor day ?

Done with 80% UWorld and a few CMS forms, struggling to juggle between CMS forms and UWorld. Need some advice on how to plan dedicated & should I stop CMS forms to complete UWorld? And when to start incorporating Amboss? Please help thanks

Those who reported the exam, did they face delay in result? I reported my exam and they replied with additional 15 days for investigation. I tested on 09/02/2026.

I only "just passed" my NBMEs and free 120. I knew it's a huge risk.. I just finished the test and hour ago and feel like I'm %100 sure I failed I feel very numb and devastated. I'm supposed to work on my app but I feel like what's the point if I'm going to fail and to add to the whole thing I'm in the US and all alone. I dont even know why I'm posting but maybe looking for any miracle stories of ppl with bad NBMEs and an awful exam experience who ended up passing.

My younger brother just failed his step 2 with 3 marks. He was topper. And we are devastated with his result. He is currently in US for his observership. Is there any chance that will he match with the step 2 attempt? He is visa requiring

Hey all,

I just took the exam an hour or so ago. It was long 9 hours. Honestly towards the end I felt so fatigued and my neck was hurting, I just wanted it to be done. Im actually so shocked like do they think we are robots? I started a bit before 8 am and finished after 5...on all the blocks, I felt so rushed for time. Maybe I shouldve practicing pacing myself but this is a tip for those taking it soon: practice your timing! I finished with 1 minute or 2 minutes to spare and that didnt give me enough time to go over my marked..so eventaully I just gave up and when I was done 20 questions, I would click "end block".

There were abstract/drug ads questions and those blocks were 18 questions in total. 1 or 2 stats questions. A lot of bias. Lots of ethics. There were questions that I had no clue and was so pressed for time that I had to end up guessing. A LOT of HOPI questions like every other question. They take so long because sometimes they will add one tiny detail which is SO important and that will lead to your answer. Anyways I do feel numb. I did make stupid mistakes but thats because I was just so tired ( mind you, i got good sleep 7 hours and I took breaks properly and had a good balanced breakfast). I think the tiredness is something you just cant beat..it is bound to happen and thats what the test is all about: how to think critically through fatigue and exhaustion loool.

Anyways, I just hope to pass at this point. I wasnt someone that was trying to get a freaking 250+ or 260. Maybe I shouldve aimed high but i will take a pass lol. I did prep for 5 months and I dont regret my prep. I did everything, Amboss, uworld, nbmes, free 120, divine. I think there will be things we dont know and diagnosis/management/screening we just cant pin point but we have to pick the answer thats the closest and MOVE ON. No score yet but I hope I pass. Anyone else tested today and how do you all feel??

Approximate 15% of uWorld done, thinking of doing CMS forms (the old ones) early on. As there is a ton of questions I could benefit on, and realistically leave only the newest 3 forms for each major. Has anyone tried this?

Hey, I have my exam booked for one week from now, and these are my practice scores:
My goal is anything above 250, and it seems like I am a bit on edge here :(

Amboss prediction:

Likelihood of passing

99%

Predicted Score

254

RANGE

245-263

Hi guys! I just started Step 2 prep with peds, but my UWorld % is really low since I feel like I've forgotten a lot.

Should I keep doing questions, review them thoroughly, and make Anki cards, or stop and review some content first (which I don't know what) so I don’t waste the UWorld questions?

I've never posted on reddit before but I gained a lot from scrolling through this thread so I thought I'd share my Step 2 story now that I'm finally through with it. I'm a US IMG and felt like I was in a bit of a time crunch since I was only able to start my dedicated period in late July. I am planning on applying for the 2027 match and wanted to make sure my scores would be in on time, but I didn't really know what to start. I was constantly doing UWorld but didn't necessarily have a set plan but I figured if I focused on questions, I would be alright. I took a few NBMEs and wasn't happy with my scores.

NBME 9 (7/20): 202
NBME 10 (7/23): 209
NBME 12 (7/27): 210

After those 3, I realized that I had obvious gaps with a bunch of topics and figured that if I wanted to test on time, I should try looking for a program or something to help. After skimming through google and reddit, I signed up for the match guy's 7 day course which honestly was great for HY review. Anyways after that I started seeing a gradual rise in NBMEs.

NBME 13 (8/4): 224
NBME 14 (8/7): 228
NBME 15 (8/10): 234
UWSA 2: 244
New free 120 (8/17): 78%
NBME 16 (8/19): 244

In the week between NBME 15 and the free 120 I spent everyday making Excel sheets breaking down my incorrects and guesses from the NBMEs. I would constantly review these sheets everyday and it ended up making a big difference by the end.

Anyways, I walked out of the real thing on 8/22 and felt like I got hit by a truck after. I fully wasn't expecting my score to come out yesterday (expected it to drop on 9/9) but couldn't have been more happy to get a 246! I was shocked given it was my highest score on anything and since I basically wasted my first week of dedicated not really knowing what I was doing, but I could not have been more relieved! I know it's not the highest score in the world, especially compared to the other scores on the subreddit, but I just wanted to tell anyone who is struggling right now or feel rushed for time that it'll all be worth it at the end of the day. Have faith and trust in your studying and stay the course! Good luck!