I went from 228 → 255 in 5 weeks of dedicated.
My NBME progression:
- NBME 9: 228
- NBME 10: 235
- NBME 11: 240
- NBME 12: 241
- NBME 14: 252
- NBME 15: 246
- New Free 120: 78%
- Actual STEP 2 score: 255
UWorld: 70% completed with a 69% overall average. I used UW relatively sparingly, but completed the entire Internal Medicine section. UW was really helpful for content review and filling in knowledge gaps, but I don't think doing the entire bank was necessary for me. Divine was really helpful for content as well.
The biggest improvement came from reviewing my NBME incorrects. I reviewed my incorrect questions every night and focused on understanding why I got them wrong and what I needed to know going forward.
I also didn't spend much time reviewing questions I got correct unless I guessed, was unsure about the answer, or kept missing questions on the same topic. In those cases, I would go back and review the underlying concept.
I found that spending more time on the questions I actually missed was much more valuable than reviewing everything indiscriminately.
The biggest jump happened toward the end, so if you're stuck in the 230s/low 240s, don't assume you've plateaued. Keep reviewing your mistakes and identifying patterns in what you're missing.
Happy to share my full 5 week dedicated strategy if anyone wants it.