Step 2 CK System
The Step 2 CK System coaches you through clerkships, shelves, dedicated, and score release. It has 6 phases, 25 phase skills, and a 7-skill memory system.
Price: $29, or $39 in the Step 1 + Step 2 Bundle. Folder: step2-pack/. First line: "Set me up for Step 2 CK".
The six phases
| # | Phase | You are here when | Typical window |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Orientation and intake | First session, or a full re-intake | 1 to 2 sessions |
| 2 | Clerkship-integrated prep | Core clerkships under way, test more than about 10 weeks out | Most of M3 |
| 3 | Test date and planning | Choosing a date, or dedicated within about 10 weeks | 2 to 6 weeks alongside rotations |
| 4 | Dedicated execution | Dedicated day 1 | Commonly 4 to 6 weeks |
| 5 | Final weeks and test day | Exam within about 14 days, or a postpone decision is needed | Last 1 to 3 weeks |
| 6 | After the exam | Exam taken | 2 to 8 weeks |
What's different from Step 1
- Step 1 carryover. If you used the Step 1 System, the intake reads your profile and
step1/handoff.mdand asks only what changed. - Clerkship study system. Studying around call, clinic, and long days, learning from your own patients, and a wellbeing guard for rotations.
- Shelf exam prep for each clerkship, plus help with clerkship evaluations and feedback.
- A score goal. Step 2 CK is scored, so the planning phase includes score goal setting and a test date strategy.
- Score release and reporting after the exam, and a hand-off to residency applications.
The 2026 exam format
For exams on or after May 7, 2026, the pack's fact sheet describes one 9-hour day of 16 blocks of 30 minutes, up to 20 items per block, with at least 55 minutes of break time. The stamina rehearsal skill practices that format. Always confirm current facts at usmle.org; the coach asks you to.
What you can ask
- "Plan my week around surgery call."
- "My medicine shelf is in three weeks."
- "When should I take Step 2?"
- "What score should I aim for?"
- "Make my dedicated schedule."
- "I got my CCSSA back."
- "Am I ready, or should I push?"
- "Scores are out. What now?"
Built-in loops
Daily check-in, weekly review, miss logs, printable PDFs, a local HTML dashboard, and the optional account dashboard.