USMLE Score Report Reader
Copy the box marked for each content area on your score report. The reader puts the areas in the order to study them. It weights each area by the share of items USMLE prints beside it.
No account. Your entries stay in this browser.
Which Step is the report for?
Step 1
Your boxes compare you with examinees whose overall result was a low pass, meaning above but near the minimum passing score.
| Area | Lower | Same | Higher |
|---|---|---|---|
| MK: Applying Foundational Science Concepts60 to 70% of items | |||
| PC: Diagnosis20 to 25% of items | |||
| Communication & Interpersonal Skills6 to 9% of items |
| Area | Lower | Same | Higher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reproductive & Endocrine Systems12 to 16% of items | |||
| Respiratory and Renal/Urinary Systems11 to 15% of items | |||
| Behavioral Health & Nervous Systems/Special Senses10 to 14% of items | |||
| Blood & Lymphoreticular/Immune Systems9 to 13% of items | |||
| Multisystem Processes & Disorders8 to 12% of items | |||
| Musculoskeletal, Skin & Subcutaneous Tissue8 to 12% of items | |||
| Cardiovascular System7 to 11% of items | |||
| Gastrointestinal System6 to 10% of items |
| Area | Lower | Same | Higher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pathology45 to 55% of items | |||
| Physiology30 to 40% of items | |||
| Nutrition15 to 20% of items | |||
| Gross Anatomy & Embryology10 to 20% of items | |||
| Microbiology10 to 20% of items | |||
| Pharmacology10 to 20% of items | |||
| Behavioral Sciences10 to 15% of items | |||
| Biochemistry5 to 15% of items | |||
| Histology & Cell Biology5 to 15% of items | |||
| Immunology5 to 15% of items | |||
| Genetics5 to 10% of items |
Step 2 CK
Your boxes compare each area with your own overall Step 2 CK performance. Lower on a passing report means weaker than your own average.
| Area | Lower | Same | Higher |
|---|---|---|---|
| PC: Diagnosis40 to 50% of items | |||
| PC: Management35 to 45% of items | |||
| Ethics/Professionalism5 to 10% of items | |||
| Systems-Based Practice/Patient Safety5 to 10% of items |
| Area | Lower | Same | Higher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nutrition15 to 20% of items | |||
| Renal/Urinary & Reproductive Systems7 to 13% of items | |||
| Cardiovascular System6 to 12% of items | |||
| Musculoskeletal Sys/Skin & Subcutaneous Tissue6 to 12% of items | |||
| Behavioral Health5 to 10% of items | |||
| Blood & Lymphoreticular/Immune Systems5 to 10% of items | |||
| Gastrointestinal System5 to 10% of items | |||
| Nervous System & Special Senses5 to 10% of items | |||
| Respiratory System5 to 10% of items | |||
| Multisystem Processes & Disorders4 to 8% of items | |||
| Endocrine System3 to 7% of items | |||
| Pregnancy, Childbirth & the Puerperium3 to 7% of items |
| Area | Lower | Same | Higher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medicine55 to 65% of items | |||
| Pediatrics17 to 27% of items | |||
| Obstetrics & Gynecology10 to 20% of items | |||
| Psychiatry10 to 15% of items | |||
| Surgery5 to 15% of items |
Step 3
Your boxes compare each area with your own overall Step 3 performance. Lower on a passing report means weaker than your own average.
| Area | Lower | Same | Higher |
|---|---|---|---|
| PC: Diagnosis30 to 40% of items | |||
| PC: Health Maint & Disease Prevent/Pharmacotherapy14 to 22% of items | |||
| PC: Clinical Interventions/Mixed Mgmt12 to 20% of items | |||
| MK: Applying Foundational Science Concepts10 to 15% of items | |||
| Systems-based Practice/Patient Safety & PBLI10 to 15% of items |
| Area | Lower | Same | Higher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Advanced Clinical Medicine: Computer-based Case Simulations13 to 14 cases |
| Area | Lower | Same | Higher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nutrition15 to 20% of items | |||
| Renal/Urinary & Reproductive Sys & Pregnancy12 to 16% of items | |||
| Bhv Health & Soc Sci: Comm Skills/Ethics/Pt Safety11 to 15% of items | |||
| Immune/Blood & Lymph/Endocrine/Multisystem11 to 15% of items | |||
| Biostatistics & Epidemiology/Population Health10 to 14% of items | |||
| Musculoskeletal Sys/Skin & Subcutaneous Tissue10 to 14% of items | |||
| Cardiovascular System8 to 12% of items | |||
| Nervous System & Special Senses7 to 11% of items | |||
| Respiratory System7 to 11% of items | |||
| Gastrointestinal System5 to 9% of items |
Rate at least one area to see your study order.
The report shows your performance in several views, so the lists overlap. Pick one section to plan your study blocks around.
USMLE recommends reviewing every content area before a retake, because the exam is highly integrative.
How to read the boxes on a USMLE score report
The strengths and weaknesses pages of a USMLE score report mark one box for each content area. Lower and Higher mean the difference was statistically meaningful. Same means no meaningful difference from the reference the report uses for that Step.
The percentage beside each area is the share of exam items it carries. This reader uses the midpoint of that range to decide which area to study first.
Step 1 compares you with examinees who barely passed
On Step 1 the comparison group is examinees whose overall performance was a low pass, just above the minimum passing score. Lower in an area means you scored below that group there. Same means you scored about where they did. Those examinees only just passed, so Same is no sign that an area is safe.
Step 1 reports pass or fail only, so there is no three-digit score to enter for it.
Step 2 CK and Step 3 compare you with your own score
On Step 2 CK and Step 3 each area is compared with your own overall performance on that Step. Lower on a passing report marks your weaker areas. It does not mean you failed them.
The report also prints a standard error of the estimate (SEE). On the 2026 sample reports it is 8 points for Step 2 CK and 7 for Step 3. USMLE says that if you retested under the same conditions on different items covering the same content, without learning or forgetting, your score would fall within one SEE two times in three. Enter your score below to see that band.
How this reader orders your study
Areas marked Lower come first, then areas marked Same. Inside each group, the area with the larger share of items comes first. Areas marked Higher stay at the end of each list for review.
The reader gives a study order for each section of the report. It does not estimate a new score or a chance of passing.
Questions people ask
What does Lower mean on a USMLE score report?
On Step 1 it means you performed below examinees who barely passed. On Step 2 CK and Step 3 it means that area was weaker than your own overall performance on the exam.
Does Same on Step 1 mean I am safe in that area?
No. Same on Step 1 means you performed like examinees who only just passed. Those areas still need work.
Does Lower on a passing Step 2 CK report mean I failed that area?
No. Step 2 CK and Step 3 compare each area with your own overall score. Lower marks your weaker areas compared with yourself.
Which USMLE areas should I study first?
Start with areas marked Lower that carry the largest share of items, then the areas marked Same. USMLE also recommends reviewing every area before a retake.
Is anything I enter uploaded?
No. The reader runs in this browser and nothing you enter leaves it.