Is 250 a good Step 2 CK score?

Yes, 250 is a very good USMLE Step 2 CK score, often considered the national average for matched US MD applicants, placing you in the solid middle-to-upper range, making you competitive for most specialties, though higher scores (260+) are needed for extremely competitive fields like dermatology or plastic surgery. A 250 signals strong clinical knowledge, especially as Step 2 CK carries more weight in residency applications now that Step 1 is pass/fail.

Is 250 a good step 2 score for internal medicine?

The right target depends on your career goals. Here's a simplified guide: Primary Care (Family, Pediatrics, Internal Medicine) → 230–240 can be enough, though higher is always better. Mid-Competitive Specialties (Emergency Medicine, OB-GYN, Anesthesiology) → Aim for 240–250.

Is a 256 on step 2 good?

A good USMLE Step 2 CK score is between 240-260, with 256 or higher being competitive for first-choice residency programs. A good USMLE Step 3 score is above 230, and a high score can help compensate for a lower Step 2 CK performance.

How good is a 255 step 2 score?

Former minimum passing score: 214. New minimum passing score: 218 (bottom 3%) Good score: 245 (34th percentile) High score: 255 (60th percentile)

What is a decent step 2 score?

The mean Step 2 CK score is around 249, with a minimum passing score of 218. Reaching the 75th percentile can greatly strengthen an application, especially now that Step 1 is pass/fail.

USMLE Step 2 CK Score Needed for Residency📊 (By Specialty)

What score is 75% correct on step 2?

Getting 75% correct on Step 2 CK (Clinical Knowledge) is generally considered a very strong performance, often placing you well above the average (around the 75th percentile or higher), translating to a strong 3-digit score (likely in the mid-250s or higher), making you a competitive applicant for most specialties, though top-tier programs in highly competitive fields might look for even higher scores.
 

What is the average Step 2 score for residency programs?

Across all physician specialties, the average Step 2 score for matched applicants from U.S. MD-granting medical schools was 250, according to a 2024 report on characteristics of matched applicants.

Is Step 2 CK percentile more important than score?

Unlike your three-digit Step 2 score, which is fixed, percentiles shift slightly over time as more students take the test and the performance distribution changes. In other words: your percentile is relative, not absolute. It tells residency programs not just what you scored, but how you stack up against your peers.

Does step 2 score matter for residency?

Yes, your USMLE Step 2 percentile does matter. It can influence your chances of matching with your preferred residency program.

What percent of med students fail step 2?

With Step 1 being pass/fail, Step 2 CK has become the primary USMLE score that residency programs use to evaluate applicants. In 2023-2024, approximately 2,835 students failed Step 2 CK on their first attempt—2% of US MD students, 4% of DO students, and 11% of IMGs.

Is a high step 2 score worth the effort?

Of course, Step 2 CK is not the only factor that matters — clinical evaluations, letters of recommendation, research, and personal statements all remain highly important. But a strong Step 2 score can open doors, while a weaker score may make interviews harder to secure, especially in the most competitive specialties.

Is 250 a good step 2 score on Reddit?

250+ is a foot in the door score. It doesn't guarantee you anything, but it will probably get you past most screens. However, interviews are based on your app as a whole not just a score.

How much percentile is 250?

Most students scoring 250 marks fall between 99.95 and 99.99 percentile.

What score is 50% on step 2?

A 50% Step 2 score (USMLE) typically means scoring around 250, placing you at the median (average) for matched U.S. MD seniors, which is solid but may require strong application components for highly competitive specialties; it's a passing score, but scores vary by specialty, with some (like Family Med/Psychiatry) having lower averages and others (Surgery/Derm) much higher.
 

Is 240 a bad step 2 score?

To pass the Step 2 CK exam, you have to score 218 out of 300. What qualifies as a “good” score depends on many factors: what specialty you're applying for, what program you're applying to, if you're applying to a community or an academic institution, etc. Generally, a “good” Step 2 CK score is between 240 and 260.

What specialty has the lowest Step 2 score?

First up with the lowest average Step 2 score is family medicine at 244. Family medicine is a specialty that continuously has the lowest Step 2 score of all specialties. That said, note that the current 244, based on 2024 data, is an increase from 241 in 2022 and 238 in 2020.

What percent right is a 260 on step 2?

Scores around 250-255 usually place students in the 70th-75th percentile range, while scores above 260 often reach the 85th-90th percentile or higher.

Is 268 a good step 2 score?

The average score hovers around 245, with the standard deviation around 15 points. That means most students fall between 230 and 260 — but what matters most is how that score translates into a percentile compared to other examinees.

Which NBME is hardest step 2?

NBME 9 and 12 are known to be the hardest, maybe not because of true difficulty but , especially for 9, there are some poorly written questions. People tend to score slightly lower on these forms.

How hard is it to get into general surgery residency?

Statistics on the General Surgery Match

As of the most recent NRMP data, general surgery had a total of 2,400 applicants and 1,622 spots. This equates to 1.48 applicants per position. Of the 1206 U.S. MD seniors who applied, 222 did not match.

What is a 60% correct Step 2 score?

A 60% correct on USMLE Step 2 CK, which equals a score of around 218 (the new passing score as of July 2025), means you've met the minimum competency requirement, but to be competitive for residency, you generally need a much higher score, with averages often in the mid-240s to 250s, depending on the specialty, with higher scores like 245 (around 37th percentile) or 255 (around 60th percentile) being good targets for competitiveness, as residency programs look for scores well above the passing threshold.