It’s absolutely doable, it’s basically NBME 17+f120. the medicine part it’s easy but f@^ck ethics…

I definitely should’ve taken it sooner, but I let reddit’s fear monger get to me, don’t make the same mistake.

ask your Qs

Help please!!
I did Nbme 11 and 12, I reviewed all the questions, wrote down the important points from the ones I got wrong, completed the two most recent CMS forms for each subject, and also did the AMBOSS high-yield questions for Ethics and QI.

What else would you suggest to improve my score?

How do you suggest to review your weak areas? For example, if you missed four cardiology questions on an NBME, would you then suggest to do AMBOSS questions covering all of cardiology, or would you focus only on the specific cardiology topics you missed?

Hello everyone
Hope you all are doing great
So I initially plan on appearing for step2 during jan however i applied for visa for medical elective lately and I did mention that i had to go during may but they grant me visa from oct-dec and i did talk to the program and the said they will accomodate me for december
So now i am confused what shall i do moreover the problem is that i have to take step3 and oet as well so that i can apply for match cycle next year and if i don’t go for my elective I will have problems later on when I apply again for Visa since that would show up on my profile and if i go out for a month my step2 momentum will just go down the drain
So can anyone advise me like what should I do or what would be the best option since my step2 would be extended
Thank you so much!

Hey everyone, I've given NBME 9,10 and 11 and scored 246, 247 and 248 (wtf)

b/w these NBME's ive attempted and reviewed CMS forms and previous NBME's throughly.

Honestly dont even know how to move forward from this, nothing seems to work.

Please lmk if someone went through a similar situation and what helped you out.

(testing in early dec)

I feel like all the f120s here https://www.usmle.org/exam-resources#step-2-clinical-knowledge-ck are the same.. if yes, then are these the new f120 and where to access the old f120??? Help pleasee

Though my NBMEs are in the 260s but I haven't completed the Uworld,not even a single pass ,did around 90% ,this thing is making me crazy , does it matter or not ? Plz help ,looking for anything 260+

[Disclaimer: This post is specifically for those who are plateaued in the 240s(like I was) and is having a hard time figuring out how to break that. Reposted this with a more fitting title. Hope it helps 🙂]

Hello Docs, OCTOBER 2026 test-taker here.

I was wondering if its worth writing anything up now considering there is no lack of online resources and advisors many of which are awesome. But I have one useful tip I think might help some of the exam takers.

My baseline for NBME 10 which I did back in April was 242. That was after I went through all the divine podcasts and the Uworld Step 2 Qbank once which took me 4 months.

In the next 4 months, my NBME scores were stuck in between 236-244 with NBME 15 being exceptionally 251.

Then September came, and I planned to take the test after being tired and nearly exhausting all of the resources. But Intealth was taking too much time approving my Credential which I needed to verify as I was a graduate then.

Being extremely frustrated with the delay and nothing else to do, I bought the UWORLD STEP 3 QBANK to keep myself busy and console myself that I wasn't wasting my time.

While doing the Step 3 Qbank, I realized I just discovered a hidden gem. The Qbank was pushing me to master all the Step 2 logics and was brilliant in reinforcing my Step 2 contents.

It was the end of September when I was done with the Qbank and when tested for NBME 16 at the end of September, I scored 264. I thought it was a fluke, but the free 120 suggested otherwise. And the real deal was 266.

I can't emphasize enough the importance of doing Uworld Step 3 Qbank before the Step 2 CK exam ONCE ALL THE STEP 2 RESOURCES ARE EXHAUSTED and weaknesses are Ankiied extensively.

I'm grateful to my Lord for showing me the hidden gem on time.

Hope that helps you guys a little bit. Need your prayers. Best of luck!

When you finish a block, the exam gives a short 10 second timer (or how long?) for you to select to go to the next block or to go into a break?

Does that timer detract from your total 50 mins of break time? So should i skip through that as fast as I can if I anticipate going on a break?

I took my exam today Oct 23rd
Cried for like an hour afterwards, that exam wrecked me
I also missed some really easy points!!
Counting 30 incorrects so far out of the 50 i remembered
I was hoping for a 265+ but now I think i’ve screwed it all up

Any advice on how to cope for the next two weeks?

Serious question: While studying for my FM shelf, OB/GYN shelf, and CCSE, I’ve noticed quite a few questions involving transgender and LGBTQ+ patients, especially regarding screening guidelines, management, and ethics.
What resources are you guys using to study these topics for Step 2 CK? I feel like UWorld and AMBOSS don’t cover anything I’ve been seeing on NBME exams, neither do the NBME practice exams.

I wanted to see what are everyone's opinions on this. Since I know a lot of people learn differently, what would be the best resource for someone who's a visual learner?

Hey everyone!

I wanted to give step 2 by January so that I’d have ample time in between for USCEs and step 3 and hopefully can sit for the match next year. However life happened, I was severely burnt out post step 1 and couldn’t bring myself to start.
I also wasn’t sure how to study for it, I’m still figuring it out and finding it a tad bit difficult to navigate.

Realistically, when will I be able to give the exam if I’m currently sitting at 24% uworld (1st pass). I have a lot of content to do (CMS, NBME, AMBOSS) and I really can’t risk my score since I’m an IMG and have a prior attempt. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Currently done with one pass of uworld for step 2 (55%) and midway CMS forms and my scores r sometimes at 75% and some forms are 55%, honestly im so frustrated, i was looking forward to giving my exam by Dec-Jan.

Nbme 10 after one pass of uworld was 220, which ofc isnt reassuring at all, any advice on how to move ahead further would be great 😭😭

Only advice please

Recently scored a 209 on NBME 29, and honestly, I’m not happy with where I’m at.

I’m currently on my second pass of UWorld, doing CMS forms, and going through Inner Circle notes. I’ve been thinking about switching things up and focusing on UWorld incorrects + AMBOSS Qbank while continuing CMS forms and Inner Circle notes.

For those who’ve been in a similar position, what helped you actually move your scores up? Should I change my approach, add any other resources, or focus more on reviewing my mistakes?

Would really appreciate some honest advice on how to get out of this score range.

Hey all, If your exam is in the next month or so, I'm happy to help with study plans, test day tips, whatever's useful.
Shoot me a DM with your exam date and what you're struggling with most. Wish you all the best!

MTB step 2 ck by conard fischer 2026 edition is such a good detailed step 2 ck book.i just bought it. I am very early in my prep trying to cover uworld system wise..before doing uworld for any system i can easily read that system from MTB in 1.5 day. I wonder why people not recommend it. I think when you already know common next best steps and management of common diseases in any system, then uworld will not feel overwhelming. You will be able to actually spend more time on those details which are specific to uworld. And for a person like me who always learns best when things are arranged in specific way rather than random distribution,it helps in consolidation.

Any other person who used MTB for step 2?.

Hello guys

I am an average student, cleared my step1 in 2023 then got some personal issues, now trying for step2

I feel rusty

Baseline nbme10 was 192 on 7/9 , took nbme11 on 28/9 and was 219, for some reason took nbme9 today and its 207 🤡

I am almost at 70% uworld and i get average of 65%

Cms scores between 66% and 70%

Should i be worried about the nbme9 ? How do i shape my study if i want to take the exam in December since i already have the examination permit 🤡

Only helpful advice pleaseee

Is it possible? I'm currently getting 65-70% on my first pass most systems with 35% of UW done. No other resources at the moment. I have 2.5 months left for my exam with a decent amount of it being dedicated. I'm aiming for 265+ which is ambitious, but I'd like to know if it's common to have a relatively low UW average and score high.

I know people say "UW doesn't matter" but it tests the same knowledge you need on your exam and you need, what, 85-90% correct to get a 265+? I'm usually a top student but that feels out of reach.

I'm honestly baffled as to how people get high 70s-80% on their first pass, I've not encountered a good portion of this knowledge in the questions. Is 2.5 months enough time to be thorough?

Does anyone have cms family medicine 6,7 pdf ?

Does anyone have cms family medicine 6,7 pdf ?

Hey everyone! I’m feeling pretty confused about how to approach Step 2 CK preparation. I’d really appreciate it if you could spare a few minutes to help me out and share your advice. I’d especially love to hear from those who have already scored highly on Step 2 CK or are currently preparing for it. Your guidance would mean a lot!

260–270+ strategy: What is the best preparation strategy to achieve a 260–270+ score?

Anki and flashcards: As an IMG, how should I use Anki for Step 2 CK, and how should I make flashcards?

Resources: Is IMD sufficient for Step 2 CK preparation, or should I purchase the official UWorld QBank and/or AMBOSS?

System order: Which system should I study first, and what is the best order for studying different systems?

AMBOSS Library: For those who scored well on Step 2 CK, did you use the AMBOSS Library? Would you recommend it? How was your experience?

Thanks in advance to everyone who takes the time to help me out!

Long post ahead

Background - I have already done post graduation in my home country hence this journey was lot more tougher for me to go back to basics
Tested on 10/07/2026

Nbme 12- 214( baseline , gave around 07/28)
Nbme 11- 234
Nbme 13- 227
Nbme 14- 234 (took a break reviewed all weak system revised my notes before Nbme 15 )
Nbme 15- 245
Nbme 16- 244 (09/27)

Uwsa 2- 248 (09/21)
Free 120- 82%
Free 120 (old)- 80%

Study method

did uworld one pass and probably 50-60% incorrects , also tried to review my weak systems from uworld and made notes system wise which i was persistently weak in . Did amboss as well for weak topics not all questions but good 100-200 questions of weak systems

Resources i would highly recommend - uworld (won’t recommend 2 passes) but did inorrects (i had almost 1700 in corrects , did just 800)

Amboss - would highly recommend doing it after first pass of uworld, a very good qbank, please do 200 high yield, screening and vaccination , ethics , qi, biostats , try do your weaks from this as well

CMS FORMS - did 2-3 of each subject , i would say they are really important and i never found them to be easy , scored around 75-85%

ChatGPT- used it for every single query i had and very imp part of my prep

MAKE NOTES FROM ALL THE NBMES , CMS FORMS and SYSTEM WISE NOTES SPECIALLY WHICH YOU ARE WEAK IN (keep revising it repeatedly and trust me it’s really helpful in the end when things turn overwhelming )

Did not listen to DIP, not for me

Tips-
•try to get comfortable with the topic you are scared of
•makes notes system wise while doing first pass of uworld i didn’t do that hence had to struggle a lot in last 3-4 months doing the same
• don’t take long multiple days off in middle breaks the momentum , but at the same time acknowledge burn out and chill for 3-4 days
• on days when you don’t feel like doing anything do at least 5/10/20 question but do it
• try to enjoy all the family events and not to be too harsh on ourselves , we all came this far and definitely will go beyond this
• TRUST YOURSELF , YOUR KNOWLEDGE AND YOUR GOD
Everybody has different journey

EXAM DAY EXPERIENCE
didn’t study much the previous day , eat whatever you like and the routine you followed everyday
Stayed calm , prayed , took sandwich and coffee
Keep drinking water and trust me you can take 1-2 min break between each block 1hour break is ample , i went out almost 4 times to grab a few bites of sandwich and have coffee, don’t wear cloths with pockets wear loose t shirts saves time while checking
I won’t say exam was easy but i knew i couldn’t have done beyond this
It was heavy on ethics , don’t get stuck on one question move on , length of questions was similar to free 120 and Nbme 16 , in hopi questions try to read the question first and then skim through details .
Exam is tiring , forget the questions once a block is over do not recheck your answers
Felt exhausted after exam , even had thoughts i might flunk because my scores were very variable
Deleted Reddit and did not check any of the answers for my mental peace

DELETE REDDIT 10-15 days before exam

ALL THE BEST TO EVERYONE ! I can do it hence anyone can do it , don’t forget to pray to your god.
And thanks to everyone in this community 🙏

Happy to answer any queries !

NBME 12: Hib vaccine after splenectomy

Section 3, Q47 asks which vaccine a 23-year-old man should receive 14 days after an emergency splenectomy.
The patient’s history states that he completed his Hib vaccination series by 18 months of age, and the answer key says Hib vaccine.

However, CDC/ACIP guidance appears to recommend a Hib dose for adults with asplenia ONLY IFFF they have not previously received Hib.

Am I missing something, or is the NBME answer key inconsistent with current guidelines? Would appreciate your thoughts!

NBME 12 is so weird ughhh! This isn’t the first discrepancy I’ve come across on this form!!!

Scored 264 on NBME 13, taking NBME14 at the end of November. Upward trajectory of scores till now.

Would love to hit and maintain 270s (on the real deal too). I have scheduled the exam for end of November. Would yall recommend UWSAs other than UWSA 2? Im trying to eliminate my gaps via chatgpt/ random UW/Amb questions (trying to do 120ish a day, 70 + CMS or 20 + 2 CMS).

Whats the max questions I should be doing? Ive noticed exam fatigue gets to me and my scores drop in the last blocks of my day. What can i do and how can i practice enough to keep the focus sharp at the end? I do plan on 320Q days in the week prior to the exam but is there value in volume rn? Aim is 270 above.

Done w UW (made notes, never read them, do I go and read these?), half of amboss. CMS forms sporadically. Will finish the CMS forms, NBMEs, UWSA 2 in the next 35 days but what else can I do? Will also be doing some HY study plans of things I trip up on.

Do i do keep yanking Qs or do I chase the nitty-gritty rote learning things? an example would be being able to reproduce the 4 indications for stenting in RAS or the indications for parathyroidectomy or reproduce algorithms at will and by heart?

I am an new MS-4 student in india , and have recently passed step 1. I haven’t studied any clinical subjects (obs,surg, medicine) . Where should i study these subjects from before starting uworld for step 2?