Hi everyone!

I recently received my Step 2 CK score report, and I'm excited to share my journey. This subreddit helped me tremendously throughout my preparation. Reading others' write-ups, comparing scores, and learning different study strategies played a huge role in helping me achieve a good score.

Preparation Overview

**Total preparation time:** 8 months

* **Pre-dedicated:** 6 months * **Dedicated:** 3 months

Pre-dedicated Period (6 months)

During this period, I was balancing medical school classes and tutori for USMLE Step 1.

**1. UWorld Question Bank**

This was by far my most valuable resource.

I completed **25–40 questions daily**. Consistency was the key during this phase. I reviewed every question as thoroughly as possible.

My strategy was:

* Complete about **50% of each system in system-wise mode** * Leave the remaining **50% for random mode**

Before pausing for my medical school exams, I had completed **85% of UWorld with 78% correct**.

**2. UWorld Library**

Whenever I identified weak topics through UWorld, I read the corresponding articles in the UWorld Library. These articles gave me a much deeper understanding of diseases and helped improve my overall performance.

At this point, I took **NBME 9** and scored **242**.

I then paused my Step 2 CK preparation for **2 months** due to medical school exams.

Dedicated Period (3 months)

These resources helped me improve from **242 on NBME 9** to consistently scoring in the **low-to-mid 260s** on subsequent practice exams.

1. UWorld Second Pass

For the first 1.5 months of dedicated, I completed a second pass of UWorld entirely in **random mode**.

I solved **80–100 questions daily**.

My goal wasn't memorization—it was **pattern recognition** and building quick clinical reflexes. I believe this was the biggest contributor to my score improvement.

2. Divine Intervention Podcasts

I listened only to the high-yield episodes that are frequently recommended on this subreddit, especially the **Social Sciences** episodes.

I also watched the **Divine Intervention Shelf Review YouTube playlist**, which I found extremely high yield.

3. AMBOSS High-Yield Study Plans

I completed the AMBOSS study plans for:

* Ethics * Quality Improvement * Risk Factors * Screening * Vaccinations * HOPI * Biostatistics

These were incredibly helpful, especially Ethics and Quality Improvement, which make up a significant portion of the actual exam.

4. NBMEs

During the final month, I focused almost entirely on taking and thoroughly reviewing NBMEs. I made Anki cards from my mistakes and reviewed them regularly.

My scores were:

* NBME 9: **242** * NBME 10: **263** * NBME 11: **264** * NBME 13: **270** * NBME 14: **255** * NBME 15: **265** * NBME 16: **256** * New Free 120 (2023): **88%** (1 week before exam) * AMBOSS Predicted Score: **264** * **Real Step 2 CK: 26X**

Exam Experience

The real exam felt **vague**, and **time management was one of the biggest challenges**. Overall, I thought it was fair and very doable if you had prepared well.

After the Exam

Like many others, I felt terrible after finishing the exam. I kept remembering mistakes—probably around **40 questions**, many of them very silly errors.

It definitely made me anxious while waiting for my score, but in the end, my actual score was very close to my practice assessments.

**My biggest advice:** Trust your NBMEs. They were the best predictor for me.

I hope this helps someone preparing for Step 2 CK. Feel free to ask any questions—I’ll be happy to help. Good luck to everyone!