USMLE Step 2 CK Score and Percentile: Passing, Average and What It Means

With Step 1 now pass/fail, Step 2 CK is the main number programs see. That makes the first question most students ask a practical one: what does my score mean, and how does it compare with everyone else? This guide explains the scale, gives the passing standard and a typical average, and offers rough percentile estimates you can use for planning.

How is Step 2 CK scored?

Step 2 CK reports a three-digit score along with a pass/fail outcome. The score is derived from your performance and then equated, so a given score reflects the same level of performance across test forms and test dates. It is not a percentage of questions correct, and it is not a percentile.

What is the Step 2 CK passing score?

The minimum passing standard for Step 2 CK is 218 on the three-digit scale, for exams taken on or after July 1, 2025. The USMLE Management Committee announced the four-point increase from 214 on June 16, 2025, and it applies to retakers as well as first-time examinees. Standards are reviewed every few years, so confirm the current number on USMLE.org.

What is the average Step 2 CK score?

First-time examinees from US MD programs averaged about 250 in 2024 to 2025, with a standard deviation of about 15. Reports citing USMLE data show the mean rising from 248 in 2022 to 2023 and 249 in 2023 to 2024. Among US MD seniors who matched to their preferred specialty, the NRMP's 2024 Charting Outcomes reports a mean of 250.4 (SD 13.2). Averages for DO students and international graduates differ, so check USMLE's performance data for your group.

Step 2 CK score to percentile: estimates

USMLE does not publish an official score-to-percentile chart. What you can do is estimate. If you assume a mean near 250 and a standard deviation near 15, the table below gives a rough sense of where a score sits. Real score distributions are not perfectly bell-shaped, and the comparison group matters, so treat the numbers as planning aids rather than facts.

What counts as a good Step 2 CK score?

"Good" depends on the goal. For passing, anything at or above 218 is good enough. For competitiveness, the target depends on your specialty and the rest of your application. A score around or above the mean rarely hurts in less score-sensitive specialties, while the most competitive specialties tend to match applicants well above the average. Our Step 2 CK score by specialty guide breaks that down.

Can practice exams predict your score?

Practice assessments are the best available predictor, but they are estimates. Most students take one or two in the final weeks and compare the result with a target. Scores from a single assessment can vary by several points, and the relationship between assessment form and real exam score is not exact. Use the trend across assessments and your question bank performance, not one number.

How do you raise your Step 2 CK score?

• Do questions during clerkships, not only afterward. It ties clinical experience to exam-style reasoning.
• Review every miss. The explanation is where most of the learning happens.
• Switch to timed, mixed blocks about four to six weeks out, since the real exam does not label the specialty.
• Repeat weak areas with spaced review rather than rereading content.

See the Step 2 CK study guide for a sample schedule.

Frequently asked questions

Sources and disclaimers

This guide reflects publicly available USMLE program information as of this writing. The percentile figures are our own estimates, not official USMLE data. Passing standards, score distributions and policies are set by the NBME and FSMB and can change without notice, so confirm current details directly on USMLE.org. MedPrep Institute is not affiliated with or endorsed by NBME, FSMB, USMLE, ECFMG or any other company named here. All trademarks belong to their owners.