Hey everyone, I just got my passing score for CS yesterday so I thought I would share my prep and exam experience.Prep:To prepare you only need 4 things: FA, UW,a dedicated study partner, Goldusmlereview cs intensive workshop, the gold workshop was very good gave me the confidence to go to the exam they are very good atphysical exams and pt note review I was very impressed I learned alot.., study partner should be someone who will be taking the exam around the same time as you.Make sure that both of you have reviewed the cases in-depth on your own before you practice together. For me, one of my best friends and I prepared together, because our exams were only a few days apart.Our total prep time was about 4-5 weekends for about 10 hrs/day. This was because our rotation schedules didn't really match up so the only times we could meet were on weekends.Because of our scheduling issues, we would study 10 cases/week on our own and run through those 10 cases on the weekends. This is totally doable. 10 cases/week, works out to about 2 cases/day. Along with this, we also studied the mini cases every day. These are EXTREMELY helpful when trying to think of differentials and tests to order.You can find the template for typing patient notes on the USMLE Step 2 CS website. I highly recommend using this because it is the EXACT same one they use on Test Day.After every case we would discuss the mistakes we made both in the Patient Encounter and on the Patient Note, as well as, discuss the rationale behind the differentials and tests ordered.Exam Day:First thing's first, regardless of how much you prepare, you WILL be nervous on test day. It's natural. I had persistent tachycardia starting from 6 am that morning lol.I took my test in Philly. I know everyone says that Philly is the hardest, but after comparing my experience with my friends that took it at other sites, I'd have to say that they are all about the same.Do NOT treat this as a cakewalk, despite what people say. I thought it was a very difficult and challenging exam.As far as the patient encounters went, most of them were very pleasant to work with. There were a few that were challenging, but then again, that's all part of the test.The test itself is 8 hours long. They first register you and show you the orientation video before they take you into the testing center. Btw, the orientation video can also be downloaded off the Step 2 CS website. I recommend watching it before taking the exam.Each encounter is 25 minutes. 15 minutes.TipsRead the doorway info carefully, and start thinking of a few differentials to help direct your questioningI'm sure you'll probably read this 1000x on these forums, but be as courteous and professional as possible to the patient. Every little bit helps, believe me!Do not wait until the end to counsel the patient. If a patient tells you they've been smoking 2 packs of cigarettes per day for the past 30 years, talk to them about the dangers and health risks. (If they say they've heard it all before, say that you understand but as their doctor, you want to make sure they stay informed, or something to this effect)Some patients will get annoyed or aggravated with you. This is all part of the act. Don't get intimidated. Just express to them how as their doctor, it is your responsibility to ensure they get the best of care.At your closure, be as detailed as possible. Sometimes they won't understand something, but won't say anything. For example, until I asked a patient if they knew what a CT scan was, they didn't know.In closing I'd like to say that while I just wrote out this detailed message about my experiences, everyone is different. What worked for me, may not work for you. So if you find that this doesn't work for you, try to figure out what does. If you have anymore questions, don't hesitate to PM me. Best of luck to you all!

I took my exam oct 21 at philly test center in philly it is not that bad for imgs there were alot of amgs its all about confidence if you have it you can overcome any problem

thanks ehsan for the tips

alot of my friends also passed with gold cs workshop