Issue Seventy-Seven - March 22, 2005
Preliminary Summary of Results for USMLE Step 2 CS Released by USMLE Program
The following information, which has been released by the USMLE program, is also available on the USMLE website.
Summaries of examinee counts and pass rates for the USMLE program are typically updated once a year, with data reported for examinee groups testing over a 12 month period. This approach provides a broad picture of trends, using data that reflect the overall performance for large, stable, and meaningful groups of students and graduates. However, it is recognized that Step 2 CS represents a significant change to the USMLE program, and there is a high level of interest on the part of examinees, medical schools, state licensing authorities and others to receive some initial feedback on the impact of this examination. It is for this reason that a preliminary summary of Step 2 CS results is being provided.
The Step 2 CS examination was implemented on June 14, 2004. Through the middle of March 2005, results were sent to approximately 17,700 examinees. About half of these examinees were students of US and Canadian medical schools, and about half were students or graduates of international medical schools. The overall pass rate for these US and Canadian students was 96% and the overall pass rate for these international students and graduates was 83%. It is important to note, however, that these values are for those examinees who took Step 2 CS during the first months of Step 2 CS testing, and that it is likely that these values will change as the examinee group grows.