USMLE Step 2 CK
Important—Step 2 CK Exam Update
Beginning August 10, 2009, the total number of items on the Step 2 CK examination will be reduced from 368 to 352 items (to 44 items in each one-hour block). This change will take approximately 6 weeks to be implemented at all Prometric testing centers. The length of the exam day will remain unchanged, resulting in a slight increase in the time that examinees have to answer questions (to approximately 82 seconds/question).
Due to this change in the Step 2 CK exam, the target date for reporting Step 2 CK scores for most examinees testing from August 10 through late September will be extended to Wednesday, October 7, 2009. |
Test Overview
The Step 2 CK exam contains 370 questions and spans 9 hours of
testing (including an hour of break time). It is administered as
eight, 1-hour "blocks" of 46 questions each. You will be able to
skip back and forth between test questions, but only within a
particular block. Once you leave a block (or time expires for
that block), you will not be able to return to the questions of
that block.
Step 2 CK questions are NOT grouped by subject within a block.
For example, you won't find a section devoted to pediatrics. This
random ordering of items presents you with a unique challenge.
You must switch from thinking about one subject, such as surgery,
to another, such as obstetrics, without skipping a beat.
In total, you will have 45-60 minutes of "break" time depending
on whether you choose to complete the 15- minute tutorial at the
start. You can "add" to your break time by finishing a block
early. Please note, however, that finishing blocks early does not
add to your total "test time," which remains constant at 8 hours.
That means that you can't add time to one block by finishing
another block ahead of time. You should take breaks only BETWEEN
blocks; leaving the testing area DURING a block will be noted as
a testing irregularity.
Question Formats
There are two multiple-choice formats used on Step 2
CK:
- single best answer
- single answer matching
For both formats, there are 3 to 26
answer choices (for the one best answer format, there are
typically 5). Most items describe a patient and ask you to
identify the underlying mechanism of the disease, propose a
diagnosis, order diagnostic studies, or initiate treatment.
Questions that incorporate graphic, tabular, and pictorial
material are also included.
Sequential Item Sets
A single patient-centered vignette may be associated with two or three consecutive questions about the information presented. Each question is linked to the initial patient vignette but is testing a different point. Questions are designed to be answered in sequential order. Examinees are to select the one best answer to each question. Examinees must click "Proceed to Next Item" to view the next item in the set; once an examinee clicks on this button, they may not view or change an answer to the displayed (previous) item.
Matching Sets
Sets consist of a series of questions related to a common topic. All matching sets contain set-specific instructions, a list of lettered response options, and at least two questions. There are 4-26 response options. Each set is preceded by a box that indicates the number of questions in the set associated with the response options that follow. Examinees are to select one answer for each question in the set. Set questions are presented one at a time, with instructions and response options repeated for each subsequent question.
Related topics:
