USMLE Step 2 CK preparation course
Our USMLE Step 2 CK course focuses on clinical knowledge and patient management across the core specialties, the USMLE result residency programmes now look at most closely.
About the exam
Tests clinical knowledge and patient care. It is scored, and with Step 1 now pass/fail it is the result residency programmes look at most closely.
- Result
- Three-digit score
- Content
- Clinical knowledge and patient care
- Where
- Prometric test centres, including outside the US
- Needed for
- ECFMG certification and residency applications
Who the course is for
International medical graduates preparing for Step 2 CK, usually after Step 1.
What you will study
Clinical management across the core specialties, with timed blocks and score-focused review.
- Internal medicine
- Surgery
- Paediatrics
- Obstetrics and gynaecology
- Psychiatry
- Preventive medicine, biostatistics and ethics
- Patient safety and next-best-step reasoning
What your course includes
- Live online classes. Every class is taught live by your tutor, with interactive sessions where you ask questions as you go.
- Recordings for 6 months. Missed a class on a night shift? Every session is recorded and stays available to you for six months.
- PDF notes from your tutor. Your tutor shares PDF notes for the course, so you revise from the same material you were taught.
- MCQ solving together. Your tutor works through exam-style questions with you and explains the reasoning behind each answer.
- Free mock exams. Mock exams in the format of your exam are included in your course at no extra cost.
- One-to-one classes. Prefer to study alone with a tutor? One-to-one classes are available for every course on request.
The green signal
Booking an exam too early is expensive. Your tutor follows your mock results and your work in class, and gives you the green signal when you are ready to book. The green signal is your tutor's honest judgement of your readiness. It is not a guarantee of a pass.
Where this exam fits
ECFMG certification opens the way to US residency: USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 CK, OET Medicine and one of ECFMG's Pathways, then the Match.
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Check eligibility
Your medical school must be listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools with an ECFMG sponsor note.
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USMLE Step 1
Foundational science applied to clinical practice. Reported as pass or fail.
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USMLE Step 2 CK This course
Clinical knowledge and patient care. Scored, and the USMLE result residency programmes compare most closely.
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OET Medicine and a Pathway
350 in Listening, Reading and Speaking and 300 in Writing, in one sitting, plus one of ECFMG's Pathways.
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The Match, then Step 3
Apply for residency through the Match. Step 3 is a two-day exam taken in the United States.
Questions about USMLE Step 2 CK
Why does Step 2 CK matter so much now?
With Step 1 reported as pass or fail, Step 2 CK is the main USMLE score residency programmes can compare.
Do I also need OET?
Yes. ECFMG certification also requires OET Medicine (350 in Listening, Reading and Speaking, 300 in Writing) and one of ECFMG's Pathways.
Join the next batch
Tell us your exam and your target date. We will reserve your seat in the December 2026 batch and send you the payment link.