I just got my score this week. I scored 265

I just got my score this week. I scored 265 :slight_smile:
I know there are fewer CK experiences being shared than step 1, so I’m sharing mine. Hope it helps others in their prep.

Step 1 score- 249 (September 2019)
Step 2 CK score- 265 (June 2020)
TOTAL PREP TIME - 8 months (6 months plus 2 months extended due to COVID-19)
RESOURCES used (in order of usefulness)-

  1. Uworld for CK- The absolute best resource you can use for CK. Spend most of your time on this. Did 3 rounds.
  2. Uworld notes- Found it very useful, as it’s compiled notes from Uworld questions on which I could add other details and updates. Read it atleast 3-4 times. Find the latest updated notes when you start out.
  3. FA Step 1- The major resource for Biostats, also helpful for many other topics, specially those you’re weak on. I read the whole thing thrice during my prep, once each after every round of Uworld , and did the quick review section at the end during the last week of prep.
  4. Uworld for step 3- This is a good source of supplementing your knowledge on topics that are covered in CK. It has 1500 questions. Half of those are similar to CK questions in difficulty, the other half covers added info on known topics (can be useful in answering those ‘vague questions’ on the actual test- these questions are also mostly a step forward on things you already know).
  5. CMS forms- Did 2-3 forms for each subject (50 questions in each form). Not the absolute best of resources, and not completely essential. Can be good for practice, do if you have time to spare.
    I also tried a few videos from OnlineMedEd, and a few questions from Amboss. Didn’t particularly like either, but again I didn’t do enough to be able to comment on their usefulness.
    MOCK RESULTS-
  6. UWSA 1- 255 (36 mistakes) 3 months before the exam.
  7. NBME 7- 257 (20 mistakes) 3 weeks before
  8. UWSA 2- 273 (17 mistakes) 10 days before
  9. New free 120- 91% 10 days before
    OVERVIEW OF PREPARATION-
    Started in November 2019, 6 weeks after taking step 1. Was a little disappointed with my score (was in the 260s in my mocks, with 269 on SA2 a week before the exam), but got over it and moved onto CK prep.
    Started with Uworld online, did the 1st round subject wise and tutor mode. I read Uworld notes after I finished each section. Took around 3 months (4-6 hours a day on average), finished towards the end of January. Finished 1st round at 73%.
    After that, I took around 2 weeks to read the Uworld notes, as well as FA step 1.
    Started Uworld 2nd round in mid-Feb in random, timed mode. Took around 4 weeks to finish. I would spend around 6-8 hours a day, did 3-4 blocks a day along with review. Finished at 88-89%. When I was done with around 80% of Uworld, took SA1 in March. Scored 255. Realized that there were some details that I still didn’t quite remember fully. These details you need to memorize, especially for the tougher questions, where you don’t normally get to the right answer, but you rule out the wrong ones. For that, you need to remember most of the details of each topic. That is the difference between 250s and 260s in the mocks atleast, and makes a difference in the actual test too.
    This was the time when the COVID pandemic meant a lockdown in my home country (India). I was actually starting to get mentally fatigued, but realized that I woudnt be able to take the test for atleast another 6-8 weeks.
    So I spent the months of April and May primarily on consolidating my knowledge and memory of each topic. I spent atleast a month out of this time purely studying my notes. This may not be how some others like to prepare, but for me, this was the game changer. I went from vaguely knowing most things in the notes and Uworld to confidently knowing most of it.
    Also used the extra 2 months to do 2 more things-
  10. Uworld for step 3- Around 1500 questions. Since it was Uworld, the question quality and the overall pattern of asking questions (and subsequently affecting our way of thinking) was very similar to Uworld for CK. Plus, there were a lot of ‘next best step’ questions and added info about known topics that were covered. These were like the ‘vague questions’ everyone gets on their exam.
    I really liked it, and although it is not completely essential for CK, I’d recommend having a look IF you have the time. Also the added benefit of being directly useful for step 3 prep later on.
  11. CMS forms- 50 questions in each form, 6 forms each for 6 subjects. I did 2-3 from each subject. Lots of questions to practice, but very little knowledge that can directly help with your prep. Do only if you have spare time/need some practice other than Uworld.
    After these 2 months, I was very confident of where I was heading.
    So I took NBME 7 (available free online at the time) around 3 weeks before the exam. It had a notoriously vicious scoring curve. Luckily I did well, got 257(most NBMEs underpredict, so this result meant I could get into the 260s on the actual test).
    Since it had been almost 2-3 months since I last did Uworld CK questions, I used the last month to do around 1000 marked questions- 4-5 blocks a day along with a quick review.
    Took SA2 10 days before the exam, and combined it with the new free 120 to have the long exam-like experience.
    Scored 273 on the SA2 (obviously very happy) and 91% on the free 120 (which was very good too). So going into the last week I was feeling confident.
    Revised my notes and reviewed the quick review section of FA step 1 during the last week.
    EXAM DAY EXPERIENCE-
    Question length- midway between Uworld and NBMEs. Some very short questions, some long ones too. Time was not a problem, felt like I needed a minute or so more in just 1-2 blocks. The sign out process was shortened due to COVID, so didn’t have to sign or give my fingerprint every time. Made it quicker and saved some time.
    Question difficulty- The first half felt relatively easier, I felt I did well on most blocks. The second half was much trickier, with a lot of vague questions in each block.
    Overall, felt satisfied with my effort as I came out of the centre. Just didn’t want to raise my expectations after what happened in step 1, so I was okay with whatever score I’d get.
    RESULT DAY-
    Post-COVID, results were being given out just 2 weeks after test week. Got mine within that period too.
    Was obviously delighted with the 265. Felt like it was exactly around the range of marks I deserved. If I had more luck, could’ve gotten into the 270s. If luck went against me, could’ve also dropped to the 250s. So, I wasn’t complaining at all.
    MY THOUGHTS-
  12. Don’t judge yourself based on your scores, there are plenty of people who are doing it already-
    A person who prepares enough to get 250s on this test, can end up in the 240s as well as the 260s.
    But one score means people think you’re just an average guy, and the other one suddenly makes you USMLE God. People look at me differently now than they did when I got the 249 in Step 1. Does this result (or my step 1 score) change who I am and what I am capable of? NO.
    So, don’t do that to yourself. There are just too many variables that determine your score, irrespective of how well prepared you are.
  13. There is a subtle but important difference between good information and important information-
    Realize what your actual capacity to study and retain things is. And use 90% or more of that on the primary resources (Uworld mainly). There is no point knowing 100 different syndromes that other people don’t know when there’s a chance you can get a basic Diabetes Mellitus question wrong. There’ll always be more things you don’t know, than things you know in Medicine. Optimize your efforts by focusing on the right things.
  14. Never be a victim of circumstances. Do not get affected by things that are beyond your control-
    COVID disruptions meant a lot of students like me were stressed out about preparation and exam dates. But these things are all out of our hands. I’ve seen people go into meltdown and have it affect their preparation. I was genuinely burnt out even before the COVID disruptions affected my centers. I just got back on my feet and did everything I could do, even if I was fatigued and didn’t know when my exam would happen.
    In fact, without the COVID disruption, I might even have taken the test early when I wasn’t at the absolute best that I know I am capable of. So, things eventually work out for everyone. Never use circumstances as an excuse to not do your end of the grind.
    GOOD LUCK!