Board Exam Archives

How to Study for Medical Board Exams: Prioritize “the Big and the Bad” for Smarter Board Review

May 15, 2025 by Jack Krasuski, MD Leave a Comment Categories: All Posts, Board Exam Tags: board exam prep, board exam prep tips

No matter how much time you have remaining to prepare for your boards, you must still prioritize certain exam topics over others. This is true because even if you go through ALL the material once or even twice during your board review, there will always remain topics that you’ll perform worse on during your practice tests. How do you know which topics you’re weaker on as you’re progressing through your studies? If you took the exam previously and failed,… Click to Read More

EXACT Board Prep Accelerator Delivers Custom Board Success — Here’s How

March 28, 2025 by Jack Krasuski, MD Leave a Comment Categories: All Posts, Board Exam Tags: board exam prep, board exam prep tips, board prep

EXACT is a proprietary algorithm that customizes a study program for each learner. The learner completes a board-reflective practice test and EXACT converts the results into a personalized board prep review schedule and study plan so learners pass on their first try At American Physician Institute (API), a leading medical education and certification solutions provider, we offer EXACT — a FREE game-changing board prep program for medical professionals. API’s proprietary EXACT algorithm powers the program, which provides individuals with personalized… Click to Read More

How to Study for the Boards: The Dos and Don’ts of Preparing for Your Medical Board Exam

September 25, 2023 by Gail Clifford, MD Leave a Comment Categories: All Posts, Board Exam Tags: board exam prep, board exam prep tips, board exam studying

If you’re on the journey to becoming a board-certified medical professional, let me tell you firsthand how important passing the medical board exam is. I’ve been through this crucial phase myself, and I understand the pivotal role it plays in shaping your career. So, as your friendly board-certified physician, I’m here to share some personal insights on how to study for the boards, how a board review course can help, and how I conquered the board exams and helped my… Click to Read More

ABA BASIC Exam: Everything You Need to Know to Prepare

August 11, 2023 by Dr. Jason Barnes, DO Leave a Comment Categories: All Posts, Anesthesiology, Board Exam Tags: anesthesiology, anesthesiology board exam, Anesthesiology board exam prep, board exam prep, board exam prep tips

Prepping for an Anesthesiology Board Exam? Get a comprehensive ABA BASIC or ABA ADVANCED board review course from The Pass Machine to get your board prep on track. I had not really heard of the ABA BASIC Exam until I matched into an anesthesia residency, and after some research, I recognized that this test carries the same weight as a Step/COMLEX. The ABA basic examination determines whether or not you will be able to continue your training in an anesthesia… Click to Read More

What Is the Best Internal Medicine Board Review Course?

July 14, 2023 by Gail Clifford, MD Leave a Comment Categories: All Posts, Board Certification, Board Exam, Internal Medicine

Prepping for an Internal Medicine Board Exam? Get a comprehensive Internal Medicine Board Review Course from The Pass Machine to get your board prep on track. Looking for the best Internal Medicine Review? Choosing the right board review course is a crucial step in preparing for the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) Certification Examination. With so many options available, it’s important to consider several factors when making this decision. First, you should consider the format of the ABIM review… Click to Read More

Pediatrics Board Review: How to Study for the Exam

July 7, 2023 by Jessica Johnson, MD Leave a Comment Categories: All Posts, Board Exam, Pediatrics Tags: board exam prep, board exam study tips, how to study for the boards, pediatric board prep, pediatrics board review, peds board exam, peds board prep

Prepping for a Pediatric Board Exam? Get a comprehensive Pediatric Board Review Course from The Pass Machine to get your board prep on track. The pediatric board exam is hard and is statistically getting more and more difficult based on the declining pass rate in recent years. The American Board of Pediatrics (ABP) General Certifying Examination is offered only once a year. So, if you don’t pass, this exam and preparing for it will preoccupy your mind for nearly a… Click to Read More

Should I Maintain My Board Certification for as Long as I Practice?

June 30, 2023 by Jack Krasuski, MD Leave a Comment Categories: All Posts, Board Certification, Board Exam Tags: board certification, board-certified physician, medical board preparation

My answer for myself is: Yes, I would always maintain my board certification for as long as I see patients. I would not practice with lapsed board certification. Here I present my reason – yes, I have only one reason to remain board certified. This medical-legal reason is relevant to and resonates with me. It may or may not be relevant or resonate with you, but I think it’s good for you to at least be aware of it as… Click to Read More

USMLE: When Do You Take Step 2?

June 22, 2023 by Simon Padanilam, MD Leave a Comment Categories: Board Exam, USMLE Tags: medical school, medical students, USMLE Step 2 CK, when do you take step 2

Prepping for your USMLE Step 2 exam? Try 200 free USMLE Step 2 CK practice questions from The Pass Machine to help get your USMLE prep on track. Medical students who plan to pursue residency in the United States must complete the USMLE board examinations, the aim of which is to certify a baseline level of knowledge and competence in patient care. The first component in certification is USMLE Step 1, which is most often completed at the conclusion of… Click to Read More

How to Study for USMLE Step 3

June 2, 2023 by Nicole A. Colwell, MD Leave a Comment Categories: Board Exam, USMLE Tags: How to prepare for USMLE step 3, How to study for USMLE Step 3, USMLE prep courses, USMLE Step 3, USMLE Step 3 prep course

Prepping for your USMLE Step 3 exam? Try 200 free USMLE Step 3 practice questions from The Pass Machine to help get your USMLE prep on track. If you are currently wondering how to study for USMLE Step 3, by now, you have probably heard the adage in medical school: “Two months to study for Step 1; two weeks to study for Step 2; and for Step 3: all you need is a #2 pencil.” Clearly, the reality of studying… Click to Read More

USMLE Step 1: What’s on It?

May 26, 2023 by Simon Padanilam, MD Leave a Comment Categories: All Posts, Board Exam, USMLE Tags: USMLE, usmle qbank, USMLE step 1

Prepping for your USMLE Step 2 exam? Try 200 free USMLE Step 2 CK practice questions from The Pass Machine to help get your USMLE prep on track. Taking Step 1 of the United States Medical Licensing Examination Any medical student hoping to become a doctor in the United States must take the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) as part of their medical education requirements, starting with USMLE Step 1. This rigorous exam consists of three “steps” designed to… Click to Read More

USMLE Step 3 Exam: Optimize Your Performance on Test Day

May 19, 2023 by Nicole A. Colwell, MD Leave a Comment Categories: All Posts, Board Exam, USMLE Tags: USMLE, USMLE Step 3, USMLE Step 3 exam

Prepping for your USMLE Step 3 exam? Try 200 free USMLE Step 3 practice questions from The Pass Machine to help get your USMLE prep on track. The USMLE Step 3 exam is the final assessment first-year residents take before they can practice medicine independently. The exam assesses a physician’s knowledge of advanced clinical medicine and is different from the other two USMLE examinations taken in medical school. The experience of sitting for Step 3 of the USMLE will be… Click to Read More

USMLE Step 3 Content: What’s on the Exam?

May 12, 2023 by Jack Krasuski, MD Leave a Comment Categories: All Posts, Board Exam, USMLE Tags: passing the USMLE, Step 3 Content, USMLE Step 3, USMLE Step 3 examples

Prepping for your USMLE Step 3 exam? Try 200 free USMLE Step 3 practice questions from The Pass Machine to help get your USMLE prep on track. The USMLE Step 3 exam is the final examination first-year residents need to pass to practice medicine independently. USMLE Step 3 content assesses a practitioner’s knowledge of advanced clinical medicine and is vastly different from the other two USMLE examinations, so interns should know what to expect and how to prepare to face… Click to Read More

The USMLE Step 2 CK Score

May 5, 2023 by Jack Krasuski, MD Leave a Comment Categories: All Posts, Board Exam, USMLE Tags: understanding USMLE score, USMLE Score, USMLE Step 2 CK

Prepping for your USMLE Step 2 exam? Try 200 free USMLE Step 2 CK practice questions from The Pass Machine to help get your USMLE prep on track. Each United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step exam is scored differently. Understanding what your USMLE Step 2 score means and how it is calculated can help you prepare in a more focused way. Understanding your USMLE Step 2 CK score Scores for the USMLE Step 2 exam range from 1 to… Click to Read More

USMLE vs. COMLEX: What’s the Difference?

April 27, 2023 by Nicole A. Colwell, MD 2 Comments Categories: All Posts, Board Exam, USMLE Tags: complex, medical licensing exams, USMLE, usmle vs complex

Prepping for a USMLE Step exam? Try 200 free USMLE Step 2 or Step 3 practice questions from The Pass Machine to help get your USMLE prep on track. USMLE vs. COMLEX: Is one exam for MD students and the other for DO students? It’s not that simple. Traditionally speaking, osteopathic medical students have been required to take the COMLEX (Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination) to be eligible for licensure, whereas allopathic medical students are required to take the USMLE… Click to Read More

What Is “Irregular Behavior” on the USMLE? How Do I Avoid It?

April 21, 2023 by Simon Padanilam, MD Leave a Comment Categories: All Posts, Board Exam, USMLE Tags: board exam prep, how to pass the USMLE, how to study for the boards, USMLE, USMLE exam prep, USMLE Step 2CK

Prepping for a USMLE Sexam? Try 200 free USMLE Step 2 CK practice questions or 200 free USMLE Step 3 practice questions from The Pass Machine to help get your USMLE prep on track. What Is “Irregular Behavior?” The USMLE examinations are tightly regulated and have a high level of security in place to maintain the integrity of their content and ensure their value in assessing candidates for medical licensing. As a result, there are certain actions of examinees that… Click to Read More

How to Study for USMLE Step 2: 6 Tips for Success

April 13, 2023 by Jack Krasuski, MD Leave a Comment Categories: All Posts, Board Exam, USMLE Tags: exam prep, study tips, USMLE Step 2, USMLE Step 2CK

Prepping for your USMLE Step 2 exam? Try 200 free USMLE Step 2 CK practice questions from The Pass Machine to help get your USMLE prep on track. Studying for USMLE Step 2 Now that USMLE Step 1 is a pass/fail exam, many residency programs will put greater importance on your USMLE Step 2 CK score. Earning a high score on this national board exam will help set you apart from other students and applicants. This article will focus on… Click to Read More

What You Need to Know About Updates to the Step 2 CK Exam

April 6, 2023 by Jack Krasuski, MD Leave a Comment Categories: All Posts, Board Exam, USMLE Tags: HIPAA, USMLE exam, USMLE Physician Tasks/Competencies outline, USMLE Step 2 CK, USMLE topics

January 2022: Change to Step 2 CK Passing Standard In April 2022, the USMLE Management Committee announced a five-point increase in the passing standard for the USMLE Step 2 Clinical Knowledge (CK) exam. Effective July 1, 2022, the minimum passing score on the three-digit scale rose from 209 to 214. This change resulted from a scheduled review of the exam’s passing standard, a process that typically occurs every three to four years to ensure alignment with current expectations for medical… Click to Read More

USMLE Step 2 CK Content Tests Clinical Knowledge Base

March 31, 2023 by Michael Sapko, MD Leave a Comment Categories: All Posts, Board Exam, USMLE Tags: board exam, career options, clinical knowledge, how to pass the USMLE, residency options, Step 2 CK, USMLE, USMLE Content, USMLE Step 2, USMLE Step 2CK

Prepping for your USMLE Step 2 exam? Try 200 free USMLE Step 2 CK practice questions from The Pass Machine to help get your USMLE prep on track. Learn More About USMLE Step 2 CK Content Now that Step 1 of the United States Medical Licensing Exam (USMLE) has become a pass/fail exam, your USMLE Step 2 CK score is more important than ever in deciding your medical residency and career options. In this article, we will review the USMLE… Click to Read More

USMLE: 10 Tips to Ace the Exams

March 30, 2023 by Simon Padanilam, MD Leave a Comment Categories: All Posts, Board Exam, USMLE Tags: USMLE exam, USMLE prep, USMLE prep courses, USMLE step 1, USMLE Step 2, USMLE Step 3, USMLE tips?

Prepping for a USMLE Step exam? Try 200 free USMLE Step 2 CK practice questions or 200 free USMLE Step 3 practice questions from The Pass Machine to help get your USMLE prep on track. USMLE Step Exams The USMLE Step exams can be difficult not just in content but in terms of USMLE preparation and learning how to effectively use the resources at your disposal. In this article, we break down the top 10 tips to most effectively help… Click to Read More

A Perfectionism That Will Kill Your Board Exam Performance

August 12, 2022 by Jack Krasuski, MD 1 Comment Categories: All Posts, Board Exam Tags: exam performance challenges, How to Prepare For Your Board Exam, medical board preparation, perfectionism

This week we completed our 5-Day Psychiatry Board Prep Course in Chicagoland. (It was great to see and speak with so many colleagues there.) At the course, I received several questions from our attendees about what turns out to be a single problem described in different ways – board exam performance. The problem is a manifestation of one type of perfectionism in exam performance. It arises as a feeling of a strong need to get complete and/or definitive information about… Click to Read More