Change in Minimum Passing Requirements for Step 2 Clinical Skills

Change in Minimum Passing Requirements for Step 2 Clinical Skills

The USMLE Step 2 Committee is responsible for setting and monitoring pass/fail standards for the Clinical Knowledge (CK) and the Clinical Skills (CS) examinations. Initial standards for the CS examination were set by the Committee in November 2004. Because this process was completed with less than a full year’s cohort of examinees, the Committee decided to closely monitor cumulative data on CS during the following year and to undertake a review of the CS standards in the Spring of 2006. This review has been completed. Based upon the review, the Step 2 Committee has decided to raise the performance levels required to receive a passing outcome on two of the three Step 2 CS subcomponents: Integrated Clinical Encounter (ICE) and Communication and Interpersonal Skills (CIS). There will be no change to minimum passing requirements for the third subcomponent of Step 2 CS, Spoken English Proficiency (SEP). The new passing requirements will be applied to Step 2 CS examinations taken on and after July 16, 2006.

Read more about this at:
http://www.usmle.org/step2/Step2CS/Step2Indexes/Step2CSIndex.htm#change