Step 2 CK Score Percentiles (2026)
USMLE's norm table gives, for each 5-point score, the percentage of first-takers from LCME-accredited medical schools who scored lower. It covers 67,824 examinees who tested between July 1, 2023 and June 30, 2026. The 280–300 scores are all published as 100, and every score of 205 or below as 0, so those runs are shown as one row each. Percentiles come from USMLE's own table; we do not estimate any of them.
| Step 2 CK score | Percentile | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 280–300 | 100 | |
| 275 | 98 | |
| 270 | 93 | |
| 265 | 83 | |
| 260 | 71 | |
| 255 | 58 | Above the 2025–2026 mean of 251 |
| 250 | 44 | Just below the 2025–2026 mean of 251 |
| 245 | 32 | |
| 240 | 23 | |
| 235 | 15 | |
| 230 | 9 | |
| 225 | 6 | |
| 220 | 3 | The passing score (218) sits between the 215 and 220 rows |
| 215 | 2 | |
| 210 | 1 | |
| 205 and below | 0 |
Source: USMLE Score Interpretation Guidelines, Table 2 (updated 17 August 2026). USMLE updates the norm table every year, so always check the latest version. The passing score is listed on usmle.org.
Enter a 3-digit score (150–300) to see where it falls in USMLE's norm table.
Reference group: 67,824 first-takers from LCME-accredited schools, tested 1 July 2023 – 30 June 2026. Source: USMLE Score Interpretation Guidelines, updated 17 August 2026. Nothing you type here is sent anywhere.
Read this before you quote a percentile
USMLE publishes percentiles in 5-point increments only. That means there is no published score for “the 75th percentile” — the table jumps from 260 (71st) straight to 265 (83rd). Any site handing you an exact score for the 25th, 50th, 75th or 90th percentile has interpolated it. The honest brackets are:
- 25th percentile: between 240 and 245
- 50th percentile (median): between 250 and 255
- 75th percentile: between 260 and 265
- 90th percentile: between 265 and 270
One more thing that gets misrepresented constantly: USMLE publishes one norm table, and it covers first-time takers from LCME-accredited medical schools only. There is no official percentile table for international medical graduates — if you are an IMG and a site shows you “IMG percentiles,” those numbers did not come from USMLE. Step 2 CK and Step 3 scores are also not comparable: a 220 on Step 2 CK is not equivalent to a 220 on Step 3 (see the Step 3 percentile table).
The measurement error nobody talks about
Two numbers matter more than most students realize. The standard error of measurement is about 6 points: across repeated testing on different sets of items, plus or minus one SEM covers about two thirds of an examinee's scores. The standard error of difference — the figure to use when comparing two scores — is about 8 points, and USMLE treats a gap of two or more SEDs (about 16 points) as the point where two examinees likely differ in proficiency.
Practically: a 252 and a 247 are not meaningfully different scores. A 265 and a 240 are. USMLE's own guidance is that small score differences alone should not drive selection decisions. This is also why every prediction on this site is reported as a range rather than a single number — see our methodology.
Average Step 2 CK Score (2026)
The average Step 2 CK score for first-takers from LCME-accredited medical schools was 251 in the 2025–2026 academic year, with a standard deviation of 15. That is USMLE's mean. The 50th percentile (the median) lies between 250 and 255, so the mean falls inside that bracket:
| Academic year | Mean | SD | Group |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023–2024 | 249 | 15 | LCME-accredited first-takers, U.S. and Canadian schools |
| 2024–2025 | 250 | 15 | LCME-accredited first-takers, U.S. and Canadian schools |
| 2025–2026 | 251 | 15 | LCME-accredited first-takers, Canadian schools removed |
Source: USMLE Score Interpretation Guidelines, Table 1 (updated 17 August 2026). Because the 2025–2026 group no longer includes Canadian schools, the rise from 250 to 251 is not a like-for-like comparison.
A mean is the arithmetic average of all scores; a median is the middle score. The NRMP figures further down are medians for a different group, U.S. MD seniors in the Match: 253 for those who matched to their preferred specialty (n = 14,889) and 244 for those who did not (n = 1,636; NRMP Charting Outcomes PDF). They are not USMLE norms and should not be read as percentiles.
Average Step 2 CK Score by Specialty (2026)
These figures come from the NRMP's Charting Outcomes report for the 2026 Main Residency Match (Table 5). They cover U.S. MD seniors only, grouped by the specialty they preferred and whether they matched into it. They are not USMLE norms, and DO and IMG applicants are reported separately by the NRMP.
| Preferred specialty | Matched mean | Matched median | Unmatched mean |
|---|---|---|---|
| Family Medicine | 244 | 244 | 231 |
| Psychiatry | 246 | 247 | 237 |
| Emergency Medicine | 248 | 249 | 234 |
| Pathology (Anatomic & Clinical) | 248 | 247 | 240 |
| Pediatrics | 249 | 249 | 244 |
| Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation | 250 | 251 | 238 |
| Neurology | 251 | 252 | 236 |
| Internal Medicine | 252 | 254 | 237 |
| Obstetrics & Gynecology | 252 | 253 | 245 |
| General Surgery | 253 | 255 | 239 |
| Anesthesiology | 254 | 255 | 239 |
| Neurological Surgery | 255 | 256 | 245 |
| Diagnostic Radiology | 257 | 257 | 242 |
| Dermatology | 258 | 258 | 249 |
| Orthopaedic Surgery | 258 | 259 | 250 |
| Otolaryngology | 258 | 261 | 248 |
| Plastic Surgery (Integrated) | 258 | 259 | 249 |
Source: NRMP, Charting Outcomes: U.S. MD Seniors, 2026 Main Residency Match (July 2026), Table 5. Some “not matched” groups are small (pediatrics: 6 applicants). Across all specialties, matched U.S. MD seniors had a median Step 2 CK score of 253 and unmatched seniors 244 (Charting Outcomes PDF).
Step 2 CK Passing Score and Pass Rate
The minimum passing score is 218 for exams taken on or after July 1, 2025. It was 214 until June 30, 2025. On USMLE's norm table, 218 sits between the 2nd percentile (215) and the 3rd percentile (220); USMLE does not publish a percentile for 218 itself. USMLE reviews the passing standard periodically and may change it, so check usmle.org for the current figure.
Most examinees from U.S. schools pass on the first attempt. Percent passing (number tested) in USMLE's published performance data:
| Group | 2023–2024 | 2024–2025 |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. MD first-takers | 98% (22,439) | 98% (22,249) |
| U.S. DO first-takers | 96% (5,318) | 96% (5,025) |
| Non-U.S. school first-takers | 89% (15,064) | 90% (16,186) |
| U.S. MD repeaters | 74% (451) | 70% (440) |
| U.S. DO repeaters | 72% (36) | 69% (32) |
| Non-U.S. school repeaters | 61% (1,573) | 64% (1,762) |
Source: USMLE Performance Data. Canadian schools were grouped with U.S. schools in 2023–2024 and are grouped with non-U.S. schools from 2025, so the non-U.S. rows are not like-for-like across the two years. Repeater rows count examinations given, not examinees, and the DO repeater counts are small.
Why Step 2 CK Matters More in 2026
When Step 1 reported a three-digit score, many programs used it as a first numeric filter. Step 1 results have been pass/fail for exams on or after January 26, 2022, so for most applicants Step 2 CK is now the only USMLE score they can show programs as a number. In NRMP's 2026 data, U.S. MD seniors who matched to their preferred specialty had higher Step 2 CK scores than those who did not in most specialties — though the NRMP notes that course evaluations, reference letters and the MSPE also contribute to Match outcomes.
That means a “good” Step 2 CK score is the one that clears the bar for your specialty and programs. A 248 is close to the matched mean for emergency medicine (248) but below it for dermatology (258). The most useful thing you can do during dedicated study is track where your practice scores are trending and how much margin you have. If your latest practice test was a UWorld self-assessment, put it through the UWSA score converter first. Test-takers commonly report that UWSA results don't match their real score exactly, and the converter applies a small correction — treat the result as approximate.
Predict your real Step 2 CK score
Enter your NBME, UWSA 2, UWorld, or Free 120 scores into our free predictor for an estimate with a range, then compare it with USMLE’s reported mean of 251 and your target specialty above. The predictor is built from our reference dataset and calibrated against real score reports shared by students — it is an estimate, not an official score.
Use the free Step 2 CK predictor → · See data, method & limits →Related reading
- USMLE Step 2 CK score prediction guide — how ensemble predictors work and how to read a prediction range.
- Which NBME form is most accurate? — how the main practice exams compare as predictors.
Frequently asked questions
What is the average Step 2 CK score in 2026?
USMLE reports a mean of 251 (standard deviation 15) for first-time takers from LCME-accredited medical schools in the 2025–2026 academic year, up from 250 in 2024–2025 and 249 in 2023–2024. The 2023–2024 and 2024–2025 groups included Canadian schools; they were removed from the 2025–2026 group. In the 2026 Main Residency Match, the median Step 2 CK score of U.S. MD seniors was 253 for those who matched to their preferred specialty and 244 for those who did not (NRMP Charting Outcomes 2026).
What percentile is a 250 on Step 2 CK?
On USMLE’s norm table a 250 is at the 44th percentile: 44% of first-takers from LCME-accredited medical schools who tested between July 1, 2023 and June 30, 2026 (N = 67,824) scored lower. A 255 is at the 58th percentile, a 260 at the 71st and a 265 at the 83rd. USMLE publishes 5-point steps only, so a score such as 252 has no published percentile; it falls between the 44th (250) and 58th (255).
How are Step 2 CK percentiles calculated?
USMLE’s percentile rank is the percentage of first-takers from LCME-accredited medical schools in a three-year reference group who scored lower than a given score. For Step 2 CK the current group is the 67,824 examinees who tested between July 1, 2023 and June 30, 2026. USMLE updates the table every year by dropping earlier examinees and adding newer ones, so published percentiles can change from year to year. It is a single table for LCME first-takers; USMLE does not publish a separate table for international medical graduates or repeaters.
What is a good Step 2 CK score for residency?
It depends on your target specialty. In NRMP’s 2026 data, U.S. MD seniors who matched had mean Step 2 CK scores of 244 in family medicine, 249 in pediatrics, 248 in emergency medicine, 252 in internal medicine, and 258 in dermatology, orthopaedic surgery, otolaryngology and integrated plastic surgery. Scores are one factor among many, so use these as reference points rather than cut-offs.
What is the Step 2 CK passing score?
The minimum passing score for USMLE Step 2 CK is 218, effective for exams taken on or after July 1, 2025 (it was 214 until June 30, 2025). On USMLE’s norm table, 218 sits between the 2nd percentile (215) and the 3rd percentile (220). The USMLE periodically reviews the passing standard, so confirm the current threshold on usmle.org. Most matched applicants score far above the passing line.
Does Step 2 CK matter more now that Step 1 is Pass/Fail?
For most applicants, yes. Since Step 1 results became pass/fail for exams on or after January 26, 2022, Step 2 CK is the only USMLE score most medical students can show programs as a number. NRMP’s 2026 data also show higher Step 2 CK scores among U.S. MD seniors who matched to their preferred specialty than among those who did not, across most specialties.
What Step 2 CK score do I need for a competitive specialty?
In NRMP’s 2026 data, U.S. MD seniors who matched into dermatology, orthopaedic surgery, otolaryngology and integrated plastic surgery had a mean Step 2 CK score of 258, and neurological surgery 255. Many applicants who did not match in those specialties still had scores near 250, so research, clerkship grades and letters matter alongside the score.
How can I predict my Step 2 CK score before the exam?
Enter your NBME, UWSA, UWorld, or Free 120 practice scores into our free Step 2 CK predictor for an estimate with a range. It is built from our reference dataset and calibrated against 4,700+ real score reports shared by students, so treat it as one input. Your NBME self-assessment report’s own estimated probability of passing is the more authoritative number.
Disclaimer
USMLEPredictor.com is an independent educational tool and is not affiliated with the NBME, FSMB, the USMLE program, or the NRMP. Specialty figures come from NRMP Charting Outcomes 2026 (U.S. MD seniors) percentiles from the USMLE Score Interpretation Guidelines (updated August 2026) and pass rates from USMLE Performance Data; these change every year and vary by program. Use them as guidance, not a guarantee, and confirm official figures on usmle.org and nrmp.org.
Last updated: October 2026