High-yield Step 2 CK, ranked by what the NBME actually tests
We broke down 3,298 NBME and CMS practice questions for USMLE Step 2 CK into the concept each one tests. Here is where those questions come from, the topics that come up again and again, and how the exam asks about them.
How Step 2 CK asks the question
Step 2 CK is a clinical decision exam. Out of 2,894 questions we tagged by what they ask, about 34% want the next step in management or the next test, not a definition. Knowing a disease is not enough: you need the order of steps, who is stable enough for imaging, and which first-line drug the NBME expects.
| Area | Questions | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Most likely diagnosis | 786 | 27.2% |
| Next best step in management | 609 | 21.0% |
| Next best diagnostic test | 374 | 12.9% |
| Risk factor or cause | 292 | 10.1% |
| Best drug or drug adverse effect | 233 | 8.1% |
| Screening and prevention | 158 | 5.5% |
| Mechanism | 155 | 5.4% |
| Complication or prognosis | 117 | 4.0% |
| Ethics and communication | 87 | 3.0% |
| Biostatistics | 62 | 2.1% |
Most-tested Step 2 CK topics
The individual topics tagged most often across all 3,298 questions. The number is how many questions touch each topic.
- Hypertension 62
- Diabetes 53
- HIV 49
- Depression 45
- Stroke 34
- Anemia 31
- Anxiety 29
- Psychosis 29
- Heart failure 28
- Dementia 28
- Sepsis 25
- AKI 21
- Headache 20
- Asthma 20
- Contraception 19
- Congenital heart disease 19
- SSRI 18
- Meningitis 18
- IBD 18
- Acid base 18
- Infertility 17
- STI 17
- Hypercalcemia 17
- Opioids 17
The high-yield list for each specialty
The topics tested most often inside each of the larger specialties.
Pediatrics
- Congenital heart disease13
- Anemia10
- Puberty9
- Jaundice9
- Hypertension8
- Newborn8
- Murmur7
- Otitis media7
Obstetrics and gynecology
- Infertility15
- Contraception15
- AUB13
- Prenatal care13
- Amenorrhea12
- Menopause12
- Fetal monitoring12
- Endometritis10
Neurology
- Stroke29
- Headache18
- Dementia16
- Epilepsy13
- Multiple sclerosis12
- Neuromuscular10
- Migraine8
- TIA7
Psychiatry
- Depression40
- Psychosis28
- Anxiety27
- Schizophrenia17
- SSRI16
- Bipolar disorder15
- MDD14
- OCD14
Surgery
- Hernia7
- DVT6
- ATLS6
- Appendicitis5
- Thoracic surgery5
- Venous insufficiency4
- AAA4
- Breast cancer4
Cardiology
- Hypertension23
- Heart failure22
- ECG11
- Pericarditis9
- Aortic stenosis7
- Atrial fibrillation7
- Endocarditis7
- Angina6
Gastroenterology
- IBD13
- Ulcerative colitis10
- Pancreatitis9
- SBO8
- Dysphagia7
- PUD7
- Achalasia6
- GERD5
Endocrinology
- Diabetes25
- Hypercalcemia11
- DKA7
- Thyroid7
- Hypertension6
- Hyperthyroidism6
- Hyperparathyroidism6
- Thyroid nodule5
Infectious disease
- HIV24
- Tuberculosis8
- Sepsis7
- Travel medicine6
- PPD5
- Pneumonia5
- Prevention5
- Syphilis5
Pulmonology
- Asthma13
- COPD11
- Pneumonia8
- Empyema5
- PFTs4
- Bronchiectasis4
- Pleural effusion4
- Pulmonary embolism4
How to study high-yield for Step 2 CK
Start from the questions, not the textbook
Every point you review should trace back to something a practice question actually tested. If a fact has never decided a question, it can wait until the end.
Learn the algorithm, not just the diagnosis
For each high-yield condition, know the stable versus unstable branch, the best initial test, the most accurate test and the first-line treatment. That is what most Step 2 CK questions turn on.
Weight your time by specialty
Pediatrics, OB/GYN, neurology and psychiatry make up about half of the questions. A specialty that makes up 15% of questions deserves more of your last month than one that makes up 2%.
Turn misses into flashcards the same day
After each NBME or UWorld block, turn the concept behind every miss into a card and review it with spaced repetition until the exam.
Save some NBME forms for the end
Use them as checkpoints. Study the concepts they test without reading the questions themselves so your score stays an honest predictor.
Step 2 CK high-yield questions
What is high-yield for USMLE Step 2 CK?
High-yield means the concepts the exam keeps coming back to. In 3,298 NBME and CMS practice questions, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology and neurology make up the largest share, and about 34% of questions ask for the next best step in management or the next diagnostic test rather than a fact recall.
Which NBME forms is OnlyHighYield built from for Step 2 CK?
Step 2 CK content is built from 8 NBME self-assessment forms (NBME 9 to NBME 16) and 34 NBME Clinical Mastery Series (CMS) forms across internal medicine, pediatrics, surgery, OB/GYN, psychiatry and neurology.
Does OnlyHighYield show the real NBME questions?
No. Summaries and flashcards teach the concept each question tests without quoting its wording. References to the form, block and question number stay off until you turn them on, so you are not spoiled for forms you have not taken yet.
Is OnlyHighYield free?
Yes. OnlyHighYield is free with unlimited access during the beta. No credit card is needed to sign up.
Does it work with Anki?
Yes. The free OnlyHighYield Anki add-on shows what the NBME tests about the card you are reviewing, with optional form and question references, directly under the answer.
Study only what's tested
Ask about any topic and get a summary built only from what NBME questions test, then drill it as flashcards. Free while we are in beta.
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