USMLE Step 2 - Clinical Knowledge Exam
The USMLE Step 2 Clinical Knowledge Exam is part of the second test of the three-part United States Medical Licensing Examination that is required in order to receive a license to practice medicine within the United States. The USMLE Step II Clinical Knowledge Exam is a computerized examination that consists of 368 multiple-choice questions that cover a variety of different topics related to the medical field. The USMLE Step 2 Clinical Knowledge Exam, also known as the Step II CK, is split into 8 sections that are not separated by topic, but rather are 46 randomly distributed questions related to disease mechanisms, differential diagnosis, emergency medicine, neurology, patient care management principles, preventative medicine, radiology, and surgical subspecialties. These questions include information specifically related to human development, conditions and disorders occurring during pregnancy, childbirth, and the perinatal period, congenital abnormalities, disorders of the puerperium, diseases of the blood and blood-manufacturing organs, diseases of the musculoskeletal system, nervous system, respiratory system, and infectious and parasitic diseases. It also includes information related to cardiovascular disorders, endocrine and metabolic disorders, gynecologic disorders, immunologic disorders, mental disorders, nutritional and digestive disorders, skin disorders, neoplasms, the renal system, the male reproductive system, and questions related to symptoms, signs, and ill-defined conditions.
The Clinical Knowledge Exam is scored based on the number of correct responses and then scaled so that the individual will receive a three-digit score and a two-digit score. Scores for the three-digit scale usually fall between 140 and 260 with 184 set as the minimum score considered as passing for the exam. The two-digit scale is not actually an exact percentage score, but still ranges from 0 - 100 with 75 representing the minimum score necessary to pass the exam. The individual must pass both the Clinical Knowledge Exam and the Clinical Skills Exam in order to pass Step II of the USMLE. The current registration fee for the Step II - CK is $470, which will be raised to $480 in 2008.