title: Relationship between performance on the NBME® Comprehensive Clinical Science Self-Assessment and USMLE® Step 2 Clinical Knowledge for USMGs and IMGs.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The Comprehensive Clinical Science Self-Assessment (CCSSA) is a web-administered multiple-choice examination that includes content that is typically covered during the core clinical clerkships in medical school. Because the content of CCSSA items resembles the content of the items on Step 2 Clinical Knowledge (CK), CCSSA is intended to be a tool for students to help assess whether they are prepared for Step 2 CK and to become familiar with its content, format, and pacing.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study examined the relationship between performance on the National Board of Medical Examiners® CCSSA and performance on the United States Medical Licensing Examination® Step 2 CK for U.S./Canadian (USMGs) and international medical school students/graduates (IMGs).
  
  
  METHODS
  The study included 9,789 participants who took CCSSA prior to their first Step 2 CK attempt. Linear and logistic regression analyses investigated the relationship between CCSSA performance and performance on Step 2 CK for both USMGs and IMGs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  CCSSA scores explained 58% of the variation in first Step 2 CK scores for USMGs and 60% of the variation for IMGs; the relationship was somewhat different for the two groups as indicated by statistically different intercepts and slopes for the regression lines based on each group. Logistic regression results showed that examinees in both groups with low scores on CCSSA were at a higher risk of failing their first Step 2 CK attempt.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  RESULTS suggest that CCSSA can provide students with a valuable practice tool and a realistic self-assessment of their readiness to take Step 2 CK.
authors.affiliation: a Scoring Services , National Board of Medical Examiners , Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , USA.
authors.forename: Carol A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Morrison
authors.forename: Linette P
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Ross
authors.forename: Laurel
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sample
authors.forename: Aggie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Butler
mesh_terms: D002982:Clinical Clerkship; D002983:Clinical Competence; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate / Q000592:standards*; D004521:Educational Measurement / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D008297:Male; D012647:Self-Assessment; D014481:United States; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: United States Medical Licensing Examination® (USMLE); predictive validity; self-assessment