1-on-1 USMLE Step 2 CK tutoring that moves your score

Step 2 CK is a 9-hour computer-based exam with 318 multiple-choice questions that tests your ability to diagnose, treat, and manage patients across clinical disciplines. The content breakdown based on official USMLE specifications is:

• Medicine: 55-65% (largest component, including internal medicine and its subspecialties)
• Surgery: 20-30% (general surgery and surgical subspecialties)
• Pediatrics: 17-27%
• Obstetrics/Gynecology: 10-20%
• Psychiatry: 10-15%

Questions focus on clinical scenarios requiring you to interpret symptoms, order appropriate tests, make diagnoses, and select optimal treatments. The exam emphasizes practical decision-making skills you'll use in residency, with heavy emphasis on diagnostic reasoning (34-46% of questions) and patient management rather than memorization of facts.

The exam is administered year-round at Prometric testing centers across the United States and internationally. You'll have 9 hours to complete 318 questions divided into eight 60-minute blocks, with optional break time between blocks. The computer interface allows you to mark questions for review and navigate within each block.

Step 2 CK uses a three-digit scoring scale from 1-300. The current passing score is 218 (increased from 214 in July 2025). Most students score between 200-270, with the mean around 249. Competitive specialty programs typically require scores of 250+ for US students and 260+ for international medical graduates.

The right number depends on your starting NBME, target score, and timeline. Most students choose between 10-, 20-, 30-, or 40-hour packages — see the section above for use cases at each level.

As a general guide: students with a solid baseline often do well with 10–15 hours focused on weak areas and timing, those starting from a low NBME typically need 20+ hours for a structured rebuild, and retake candidates usually benefit from 30–40 hours of comprehensive content and strategy work. We'll recommend a specific package on your free consult based on your situation.

Most students need 4-12 weeks of dedicated preparation, but the ideal timeline depends on your clinical rotation performance, target score, and study efficiency.

Students with strong shelf exam scores typically require 4-6 weeks, while those needing significant improvement may need 10-12 weeks or more. If you're retaking the exam, plan for at least 8-10 weeks to address knowledge gaps and rebuild confidence. Students targeting competitive specialty scores (250+) often benefit from 10-12 weeks of intensive preparation.

With personalized Step 2 tutoring, many students can achieve their goals more efficiently, often reducing preparation time by 25-30% through focused, high-yield strategies.

A "good" score depends on your specialty goals. For competitive specialties like dermatology or orthopedic surgery, aim for 255+. Most other specialties are competitive with scores of 245+. Family medicine and internal medicine programs typically accept students with Step 2 scores in this range. International medical graduates generally need scores 10-15 points higher than US students for equivalent competitiveness. Our USMLE Step 2 tutoring helps you achieve your specific target score.

We can still help you — and many students do come back stronger after a first attempt. Before retaking, the most important step is an honest diagnostic: was the issue content, timing, strategy, anxiety, or some combination? Each cause needs a different plan, and our tutors specialize in retake prep that addresses the specific gap rather than restarting from zero. Individual results vary.

You can retake Step 2 CK up to four times total (three retakes after initial failure). However, there are important timing restrictions: you cannot take the exam more than three times within any 12-month period. If you need a fourth attempt, it must occur at least 12 months after your initial attempt and at least six months following your most recent try. There's also a mandatory 60-day waiting period between attempts, and you must wait for your official score report before reapplying.

Each retake requires paying the exam registration fee — for 2025, students at LCME/COCA-accredited U.S./Canadian schools pay $680 per Step 2 CK registration, while international applicants register through ECFMG and pay $1,020 (an additional $230 international test-delivery surcharge may apply if testing outside the U.S./Canada).

Each attempt appears on your transcript, so it's crucial to be fully prepared before retaking.

Shelf exams are subject-specific (e.g., medicine, surgery, peds), shorter (110 questions in 165 minutes), and timed against a busy clinical rotation. Step 2 CK is comprehensive across all clerkships and runs 9 hours. The good news: strong shelf prep builds directly toward Step 2 CK, so well-structured shelf tutoring is rarely "wasted" work.

If you're focused on a specific NBME subject exam right now, our dedicated Shelf Exam Tutoring page covers all seven clinical rotation exams in depth, including content breakdowns and study tips for each.

First, don't panic — a low NBME is a data point, not a verdict. The next step is a careful review of why the score was low: content gaps, timing issues, question approach, or test anxiety. Each cause has a different fix, and a generic "study harder" plan rarely works.

Tutoring after a low NBME is one of the most common reasons students reach out to us. We start by reviewing your form-by-form performance to identify the dominant issue, then build a revised study schedule that targets it directly. Many students see meaningful improvement when the plan and the effort line up, though individual results vary.

Yes — that's one of the most common reasons students work with us. Tutoring focused on NBME-by-NBME review, weak-area remediation, and question strategy is designed to help students close the gap between current and target performance.

We can't promise a specific score, but many students see meaningful improvement when the plan and the effort line up. We'll review your most recent NBME together on a free consult and recommend a realistic plan based on your timeline and goals.