Your USMLE Step 2 Clinical Knowledge (CK) percentile is the percentage of first-time takers from LCME-accredited (mainly US MD) medical schools who scored lower than you. In USMLE’s official table, updated 17 August 2026, a 240 is the 23rd percentile, a 250 the 44th, a 260 the 71st and a 270 the 93rd.
Written by Derek Nicolas, medical student. Facts checked against the USMLE Score Interpretation Guidelines (updated 17 August 2026), the USMLE pages “Examination Results and Scoring” and “Common Questions”, and NRMP Match Data on 12 November 2026.
Step 2 CK key facts
- Score type: Step 2 CK is not pass/fail. Your score report shows a three-digit score and a pass/fail outcome (USMLE: Common questions). Reported scores range from 1 to 300 (Score Interpretation Guidelines).
- Passing score: 218, for exams taken on or after 1 July 2025 (USMLE: Examination results and scoring).
- Average score: 251, standard deviation 15, for first-time takers from LCME-accredited schools in the 2025-2026 academic year (Score Interpretation Guidelines, Table 1).
- 90th percentile: there is no official row for it. It falls between 265 (83rd) and 270 (93rd).
- Measurement error: about 6 points. Two scores need to differ by about 16 points before USMLE treats them as likely different, so a 250 and a 255 are not reliably different (Score Interpretation Guidelines).
What percentile is my Step 2 CK score?
Find your score in the table below and read the number next to it. That number is the percentage of the reference group who scored lower than that score. For example, 240 is the 23rd percentile: 23% of the group scored lower than 240.
| Step 2 CK score | Percentile (Step 2 CK) |
|---|---|
| 280 | 100 |
| 275 | 98 |
| 270 | 93 |
| 265 | 83 |
| 260 | 71 |
| 255 | 58 |
| 250 | 44 |
| 245 | 32 |
| 240 | 23 |
| 235 | 15 |
| 230 | 9 |
| 225 | 6 |
| 220 | 3 |
| 215 | 2 |
| 210 | 1 |
| 205 | 0 |
| 200 | 0 |
The official table lists 100 for every score from 280 to 300, and 0 for every score from 205 down to 155 and below.
USMLE only lists every fifth score. If your score falls between two rows, your percentile is between those two numbers. For example, a 247 is between the 32nd (245) and the 44th (250). Any exact percentile for a 247 is an estimate, not an official figure.
What percentile is a 240, 250, 260 or 270 on Step 2 CK?
- 240: 23rd percentile. Many students think a 240 is close to the middle. It is not: the average is 251, and 77% of the reference group scored 240 or higher.
- 250: 44th percentile. Just under the average of 251.
- 260: 71st percentile.
- 270: 93rd percentile.
- 280: 100th percentile (275 is the 98th).
Other websites often give different numbers for the same score. Some use an older edition of the table. Always check the edition date. This page uses the edition updated 17 August 2026.
What is the 90th percentile on Step 2 CK?
USMLE does not publish a score for the 90th percentile. In the 17 August 2026 table, a 265 is the 83rd percentile and a 270 is the 93rd. So the 90th percentile falls somewhere between 265 and 270. Any single number for it is an estimate.
The same method works for other common targets. The 50th percentile (the middle) falls between 250 (44th) and 255 (58th). The 75th percentile falls between 260 (71st) and 265 (83rd).
Keep the measurement error in mind: the 5-point gap between 265 and 270 is smaller than the Step 2 CK measurement error of about 6 points.
Is Step 2 CK pass/fail?
No. Only Step 1 is reported as pass/fail, for exams taken on or after 26 January 2022 (USMLE: Examination results and scoring). For Step 2 CK, your score report shows both a three-digit score and a pass/fail outcome (USMLE: Common questions).
What is the passing score and the average score on Step 2 CK?
The minimum passing score is 218 for exams taken on or after 1 July 2025 (USMLE: Examination results and scoring). USMLE reviews the passing score about once every four years (same page), and the Score Interpretation Guidelines say it can change without prior notice. Check the official page before your exam.
In the table, 215 is the 2nd percentile and 220 is the 3rd. So a score just above the passing line is near the bottom of the reference group.
The average (mean) score for first-time takers from LCME-accredited schools was 251, with a standard deviation of 15, in the 2025-2026 academic year. It was 250 in 2024-2025 and 249 in 2023-2024 (Score Interpretation Guidelines, Table 1).
How precise is a Step 2 CK score?
Every test has measurement error. The Score Interpretation Guidelines give three numbers for Step 2 CK:
- Standard error of measurement (SEM): about 6 points. On different sets of questions covering similar content, about two out of three of your scores would fall within 6 points of your true level.
- Standard error of difference (SED): about 8 points. Two scores need to differ by two SEDs or more (about 16 points) before USMLE says the two people are likely different in ability. So a 250 and a 255 are not reliably different.
- Standard error of the estimate (SEE): about 8 points. If you took a new set of questions on the same content, without learning or forgetting anything, your score would fall within 8 points of your current score about two times out of three.
Can I compare my Step 2 CK score with Step 1 or Step 3?
No. Step 1 is now reported as pass/fail only, so there is no current Step 1 score to compare. For Step 3, USMLE says the scores are not directly comparable: a 220 on Step 2 CK is not the same as a 220 on Step 3 (Score Interpretation Guidelines). Step 3 has its own percentiles; see our Step 3 passing score guide.
USMLE also advises against comparing individual scores taken more than 3-4 years apart, because exam content changes over time.
If you are an IMG, who are you compared with?
The percentile compares your score only with first-time takers from LCME-accredited medical schools. Today these are US MD schools. Canadian schools were also in the group until the 2025-2026 academic year, so the current table (July 2023 to June 2026) still includes Canadian takers from its first two years (Score Interpretation Guidelines).
International medical graduates (IMGs) are not part of this group, and the guidelines have no separate table for IMGs. So if you are an IMG, your percentile shows where your score sits among US (and some Canadian) MD first-time takers, not among other IMGs.
For match data on IMGs, see NRMP’s Charting Outcomes reports for non-US citizen IMGs and US citizen IMGs (2026 Main Residency Match).
How do residency programs use your Step 2 CK score?
USMLE says the main purpose of its exams is medical licensure, but it recognizes that scores are also used for residency selection (USMLE: Common questions). Its own guidance for selection decisions says, in short:
- Look at Step scores together with other information, such as course grades and faculty evaluations. Do not use a test score as the only reason for a decision.
- Treat scores as approximate, not exact, measures of medical knowledge.
- Do not choose between applicants because of small score differences alone.
- Older scores may not show what a person knows today.
Your percentile tells you your rank among first-time takers from LCME-accredited schools. It does not tell you your chance of matching in a specialty. For that, see NRMP’s report Charting Outcomes: USMLE Step 2 CK Exam Baseline (July 2026), which shows how Step 2 CK scores relate to matching in a preferred specialty.
Can I retake Step 2 CK to raise my percentile?
No. If you pass a Step, you may not retake it to raise your score (USMLE: Common questions). Once you pass, that score is final, so prepare fully before you book. To check your readiness first, see our NBME CCSE and CCSSA guide.
Will my Step 2 CK percentile change?
Your score stays the same, but the percentile for that score can move a little. USMLE updates the norm table every year: it drops the oldest test takers and adds newer ones. USMLE asks everyone to use the most recent table on its website (Score Interpretation Guidelines). This page uses the edition updated 17 August 2026.
How should I use my Step 2 CK percentile?
- Find your row. If your score is between two rows, your percentile is between those two numbers.
- Check the date. Use only the latest official table. Numbers from older tables or other websites can be a few points off.
- Allow for error. A difference smaller than about 16 points (two SEDs) is not reliable. Do not over-read it.
- Look beyond the percentile. For specialty choices, read NRMP Charting Outcomes and talk to your advisor.
Our revision notes: If you are still preparing and want one condensed resource for revision, our USMLE Step 2 CK High-Yield Notes are a paid, typed PDF written by the Recall Mastery team, organised by topic, with tables, charts and diagrams. Use them alongside question practice, not instead of it.
Related guides
- Step 2 CK study schedule: 8-week plan with 4-, 6- and 12-week versions
- ECFMG certificate expiry and Step 3 eligibility
- Step 3 CCS cases: how they are scored and how to prepare
Sources
- USMLE Score Interpretation Guidelines (PDF), updated 17 August 2026: percentile table, means, measurement error, guidance for selection decisions.
- USMLE: Examination results and scoring: passing scores, how often they are reviewed, and the Step 1 pass/fail date.
- USMLE: Common questions: what the score report shows, retake rule, uses of scores.
- NRMP: Match Data, including Charting Outcomes (July 2026).
All sources checked on 12 November 2026. Recall Mastery is not affiliated with USMLE, NBME, FSMB or ECFMG.