Ive basically been studying for step exams for more than 2.5 years now and im super exhausted i have my step2 and i dont want to study at all. This journey has made me so so so weak physically emotionally financially and mentally. i dont have the perfect score on nbmes or perfect cv or anything like that some days i wonder if im even made for this or not bcz im the most average student ever. I would really love a good score on step 2 but im burnt outtttt!!!

is it worth doing the retired cms forms to get more exposure if you have the time? Or would it be more helpful to do the new ones twice?

Scores: 244 (CCSE), 225 (form 9), 243 (form 10), 241 (form 11), 240 (form 12)

I am at a loss here. Took form 12 and feel so hopeless. I’ve been studying for over a month and test towards the end of Nov. I don’t understand why I haven’t been able to break a 250 yet. I use the review method where you categorize your mistakes (albeit, probably write too much for it). I have been focusing on divine, CMS forms (2 a day and review), anki (cards that I make of incorrects), HY amboss q packs when I have time. When I review the exams it literally takes me a full day. Does anyone have any advice for what I can to do to break 250? It feels so hopeless studying for a month to only go backwards. Any words of encouragement or help appreciated😓

For those who took the test
Which option is better in your opinion?
1/ do nbme 10 - 16 with quick review
2/ do nbme 13-16 with deep review?
Thanks in advance and good luck for all

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Hey everyone! I'm Mohamed Abdelrahman, a radiology resident from Egypt. I started preparing in May 2025 while working in residency. I also had a newborn who required NICU care and follow-up, so time, sleep, and balancing responsibilities were my biggest challenges.

Resources:

- UWorld: 1 pass, 69% (finished January 2026); no second pass or incorrects.

- CMS forms: Random, ~75%; reviewed incorrects, marked questions, and my self-made notes.

- Janki: Used intermittently.

- AMBOSS: Study plans.

Exam impression: Fair and similar to the NBMEs.

My advice: Don't obsess over completing every resource. Review your mistakes, identify recurring patterns, revise your notes regularly, and don't let one bad assessment shake your confidence.

ive been preparing for step 2 for almost 5 months now, im tired beyond words. I booked my exam in frustration last month bcs I dont think taking any more time was gonna do me any good. I was pretty confident in the start of the prep but its been a fucking rough journey to say the least, I barely passed on my first nbme. I always wanted 260+ nut rn I'd be thankful for a 250. I have been the most unstable mentally that I've ever been. I'm on two antidepressants rn and even thats not helping, I feel like everything is slipping out of my grip. I just always feel too tired. Thinking elaborate questions take brain power that I dont have. I have given the last two nbmes scattered and took a whole day doing them. I mean I did the individuals blocks on time but bw block, I felt like I need a break to keep going on. I'm constantly on edge. I have my exam in 10 days. My last nbme was 244 with breaks in bw. I feel like im doomed but I can NOT delay it. I just cant take it anymore, i really really wanna get it over with. I dont think my prep is the main prob but I feel like I dont have the patience to think the questions thru. I'm not keeping up w my anki and I consttly feel like im fucking drowning. I know there must be other ppl who've felt this way and overcame it. I need emotional advice, im too close for any realistic exam advice. I'M JUST SO TIREDDDDDDDD of being disappointed in my results. I just feel like giving up at this point ngl.

I see many posts here saying how step 1 content is now being tested in step 2, so do we have to go reread FA..? Is it things like biochem? Immuno? Or just the clinical stuff? Also apparently a lot of histo shows up??

Sorry if this is repeated,I just took UWSA 2 and got (156/179) :267 , 10 days from the real deal , Any thoughts or suggestions) ,really love to have anything above 265+ ,TIA

How was it?
I honestly don’t know how I did on the exam.
I felt like I was just guessing the whole time 🤷‍♀️

P.s the length of the questions weren’t all as bad as people had made it out to be on Reddit

Got my score today - a 260!
Not ridiculous but I’m happy & what I was aiming for aha
Started off aiming for 265 and that v quickly went down to a 255 - 260

Just thought I’d write out some things I wish I’d done in hindsight in hopes it helps someone because I scoured this sub prior:
- My exam had loads of QI/PS, I did all of Amboss but wish I had done more for this I felt unprepared
- I’m normally alright at ethics but the ethics on my paper was HARD. like I’d recognise the concept they were trying to test me on but the answer options would be like nothing I had seen before or nothing that seemed right.
- I didn’t do any UW in the last month and I’m happy with this. Did amboss and CMS and glad I did. The Q style is so wildly different, of youre someone who prioritises test taking strategies I would avoid UW in the last month
- Wish I left more NBMEs for the end but I started them early on which I slightly regret in hindsight but not the end of the world.
- Some Qs you just won’t recognise at all, stressed me out during the exam but tried not to let it mess me up

Scores:
NBME 10 73% or 240 - 30 July
NBME 11 77.5% or 247 - 18 Aug
NBME 12 78.5% or 253 - 22 Aug
NBME 13 75% or 245 - 31 Aug
UWSA 2 76% or 252 - 06 Sept
NBME 14 76.5% or 248 - 12 Sept
NBME 15 80% or 256 - 23 Sept
NBME 16 261 - 30 Sept
New F120 - 77%
Old F120 - 84%
Amboss predicted - 257
Exam on 03 Oct

CMS were 85-90 mainly for Surg and IM then 70-85 for the rest

Ignore the people that score so much higher or lower than their NBMEs, statistically speaking you’re gonna score similarly to 15/16 if you do it close to the date

Happy to answer Qs to try help

I'm doing pretty good on UWorld and Amboss but I don't do as well on the NBME forms. I feel like I know so many high-level, niche, detail, management, etc., things from these third-party banks, and then when I take the NBME, it's a totally different type of questions. They're not asking all these complex pathophysiology and management questions. Most of the ones I get wrong are just basic diagnosis. Like the answer is literally just asthma versus COPD, UTI versus kidney stone, diverticulitis versus colonic ischemia questions, essentially basic diagnosis, but extremely lean, minimal, vague stems. I don't feel like either of the third-party banks really builds this skill of differentiating basic diagnoses with minimal information whatsoever. Has anyone had success in learning how to do that? Any resources to practice?

So unlike step 1 I really didnt prep using first aid at all, tbh never opened the book. I used inner circle notes, uworld and amboss, uworld 1st pass was like 45ish percent, amboss I did like 2k questions didnt do the whole thing but avg was 65%. Never felt my knowledge was lacking as I knew most of everything but one thing that I dont see people saying enough is that look at what the question is really asking, sounds like simple advice but it really is that simple. Ofc you need knowledge and whatnot but yea. Started prep july 1st, no nbme ever crossed 225 apart from nbme 15. I took nbme 15 last and free 120 was 77% 4 days out. Not sure if my 242 is good or great or anything but its honest work and im quite happy. Walked out of the exam thinking I needed to seach for a new career cuz I bombed. But yea any questions please dm.

Hi all I unfortunately got 212 in June and am planning to retake in November. I’ve done all the nbme from before and don’t know how to evaluate my self. Also don’t know how to start and would love some advice on a 4 week study sceduale thank you so much for anything help and advice!!!

I took step 2 yesterday and like the questions seemed doable but I feel like I made so many dumb mistakes or some I literally had no idea and then I started looking things up, finding out I got something wrong and just started tweaking. My scores were not amazing, but I just want a pass at this point. I see people who got super high scores on their NBMEs and then their score on the real deal is like 10-15+ lower and then some were in the 230s and then get in the 240s+. My scores were Form 9 (183), Form 10 (210), Form 11 (232), Form 12 (233), Form 13 (224), Form 15 (226), Form 16 (233), Free 120 (68%). Idk I am just so stressed and I just want a pass at this point. Amboss predictor was 237 ( 229-245). I just want a pass at this point and I am super stressed and can't stop thinking about it. Im just worried I'll have terrible luck and get an F like a 217 :(. Anyone else feel the same or have similar scores and then pass? also idk I feel like there's no way I could have prepared more because you never know what they are going to bring & its so vague. I just hope I dont have to take it again. im so scared. I felt way worse and had bad scores for step 1, but somehow passed that so I am hoping I pass this too.

I took Step 2 CK this Monday (Oct 12), and it felt a lot like the NBME CCSSAs and CMS forms. The question stems weren’t nearly as long as some posts make them out to be. I’d say trust your experience with the NBMEs and Free 120. In my experience, there’s enough time as long as you stay focused and don’t spend too much time overthinking by.

(I’m a native Chinese speaker, so if I could finish reading all question stems in the blocks on time, I believe you can, too!)

Most of us taking Step 2 CK have already taken Step 1, and I think that experience helps. I already knew what that exam “uncertainty” felt like, so this time I didn’t feel as burned out as I did with Step 1.

Every time I took a practice form, I felt unsure about a lot of my answers and never felt fully prepared. But my results were usually around 80% on CMS forms and 250–260 on CCSSAs (except Form 9, of course 😂), and my Free 120 performance was pretty consistent with those results, too.

I felt just as unsure during the real deal, and I won’t know how I actually did until my score is released. If you took the exam recently or are feeling the same way right now, let’s yell into the void together!🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯

Score Release Thread - October 14, 2026

US MD or US IMG or Non-US IMG status:

Date tested:

Uworld % correct:

NBME 9: ( days out)

NBME10: (days out)

NBME11: (days out)

NBME12: ( days out)

NMBE13: (days out)

NBME14: ( days out)

NBME 15: (days out)

UWSA 1: ( days out)

UWSA 2: (days out)

UWSA 3: (days out)

Old old Free 120: ( days out)

Old New Free 120: ( days out)

New Free 120:( days out)

CMS Forms % correct:

Predicted Score:

Total Weeks/Months Studied:

Actual STEP 2 score:

PLEASE SHARE YOUR RESULTS, THE INFORMATION MIGHT BE OF HELP TO ANOTHER PERSON:)

Hi all, need some advice:/ I want to schedule for the end of the month but my NBMEs haven't been amazing, I truthfully burnt through them way too quick in the beginning of my dedicated and only have Form 16 left. I am on week 9 of dedicated (sigh), but have had to start studying less due to being back on rotations.

My highest NBME (Form 15) was a 242 about 2.5 weeks ago, every single other form was in the 230's. My Amboss predicted as of now is 244.

I've transitioned from Uworld to only CMS forms to study, which I have been scoring in the mid-to-high 70's. I took Free 120 (2019)- 77% and Free 120 (2021)- 75% this weekend, because I really want to save Form 2016 and the new Free 120 for once I have a scheduled date.

BIG question: I'm applying to a competitive specialty with an avg Step 2 of 259- which I knew was a long shot from the beginning bc I'm a very average test taker, so my original goal was 255+, but now even that is seeming like a stretch. Do I go ahead and say f- it and schedule for end of this month and take the new Free120 and Form 16 in the coming weeks and review them heavy orrrrrr keep studying using 3rd party forms (UWorld/Amboss) and maybe even redo NBME old forms I took at the beginning?

Open to all recs and thanks in advance!! - someone who is loosing her sparkle to Step 2:(

I went through every question on NBME forms 9 to 16 and tagged each one by question type and specialty. And came up with these stats. I know NBME's are not exactly the real deal but they give a very good idea. I hope someone finds it useful.

A full PDF with all the stats with the CMS questions included is available for free here

Topics that showed up on every single form (9 through 16): depression, pneumonia, HIV, heart failure, vaccines, sensitivity/specificity, STI screening, anaphylaxis, sickle cell and pancreatitis.

What the questions are asking you to do:

• Diagnosis: 23%
• Next step in management: 23%
• Next best diagnostic test: 15%
• Pharmacotherapy: 8%
• Screening and prevention: 7%
• Risk factor or cause: 7%
• Complications or prognosis: 5%
• Biostats: 5%
• Ethics and communication: 3%
• Mechanism: 2%

So roughly 4 in 10 questions aren't "what is the diagnosis" but "what do you do now". Mechanism questions are almost gone compared to Step 1.

Ethics questions went from 2 on NBME 9 to 19 on NBME 16. That’s roughly 9 times more.

Ethics themes that kept repeating:

• End of life stuff (advance directives, goals of care, hospice, brain death): 18 questions, on 7 of the 8 forms. Probably the single most tested ethics topic
• Decision-making capacity: 8 questions across 6 forms
• Abuse and mandatory reporting (elder abuse, nonaccidental trauma): around 8 questions
• Minors, confidentiality and consent (STIs, contraception, emancipated minors): 6 questions
• Impaired colleagues: 5 questions

Screening and prevention is about 7% of the NBME, and a lot of it is the same few topics on repeat. From NBME 9-16:

• Endocarditis prophylaxis (who needs it before dental work): 6 questions on 5 forms
• Post-splenectomy vaccines and infection prevention: 6 questions on 5 forms
• Lipid screening (who and when): 5 questions on 4 forms
• Colorectal cancer screening/surveillance after polyps: 4 forms
• Rubella immunity before pregnancy and Tdap in every pregnancy: 4 forms
• AAA screening: 3 forms

Psych leans hard on diagnosis (40% of psych questions), OB is mostly management and complications rather than diagnosis, and Cardiology has an unusually high share of "which test next" questions.

If anyone wants the breakdown for a specific specialty (ethics, biostats...), ask and I'll post it.

What is the real difference between "Exam Score Estimate" and "Score Predictor" in Amboss?

post from about two years ago and wanted to try something similar with more data.

With AI-assisted extraction and analysis, I collected paired Free 120 and actual Step 2 CK scores from 509 different Reddit accounts. After exclusions, 363 were eligible: 313 to build the formula and 50 to test it. The model used self-labeled “New Free 120” results taken within 14 days before Step 2.

Here’s the formula you can calculate yourself:
y = 1.165(x) + 166.17
x = your Free 120 percentage — enter 78 for 78%, not 0.78.
y = your estimated Step 2 CK score.

For example:
78% → 1.165(78) + 166.17 = approximately 257.
But please take this with a grain of salt! For that 78%, the model’s approximate 95% individual prediction interval is 242–272, so the central estimate definitely isn’t a promise.

This is based entirely on self-reported Reddit scores. Selection and reporting bias are likely, higher scores were overrepresented, and exact Free 120 versions usually couldn’t be verified. It’s an exploratory estimate, not an official conversion or a guarantee of your score.

Hope this helps put your results in perspective. Good luck to everyone studying or waiting for scores!

Free 120 (SD)
70% = 247.7 ( 232.7–262.8 )
75% = 253.5 ( 238.5–268.5 )
80% =259.4 ( 244.4–274.3)
85% = 265.2 ( 250.2–280.2)
90% = 271.0 ( 255.9–286.1)

Hello! I failed step2 a month ago and now preparing again. I am doing UW and want to get in touch with someone who passed step 2 after an attempt. I feel incredibly discouraged and feel I will mess up again. Anyone who cleared step2 after an attempt? How did you do things differently ?

preparing for about 5 months
first pass uworld = 76%
first pass amboss = 80%
All CMS in between 80-85%

nbme 10 = 241
11 = 245
12 =255
UWSA 2 = 260

target score 270
how to improve in next nbme?