UWorld vs Amboss for Step 2 CK price and which bank to buy

For a full year of Step 2 CK and shelf prep, Amboss costs $448 and UWorld costs $579, but UWorld's price includes all three of its self-assessments and a one-time reset, while Amboss charges $49.99 for its Step 2 CK self-assessment and renews at $149 a year. UWorld has 4,250+ Step 2 and shelf questions, Amboss 4,100+. Amboss refunds in full within 30 days; UWorld refunds are pro-rated with a 10% fee. Prices read from both vendors on October 24, 2026.

Most third-year students buy one bank for the whole clerkship year and then use it for the boards, and the two names on the shortlist are almost always UWorld and Amboss. The question bank is the single biggest prep purchase after the $695 Step 2 CK fee, and the two vendors price it in completely different shapes: UWorld by access length, Amboss by a yearly membership with a Qbank add-on. Comparing the sticker prices without that context leads to the wrong answer in both directions. Here is what each one costs for the plan lengths students actually buy, what the price includes, and which to pick for your situation.

UWorld vs Amboss Step 2 CK price by access length

UWorld figures come from its USMLE Step 2 CK product page and Amboss figures from its Step 2 CK page, both read on October 24, 2026. The Amboss membership renews at $149 a year unless you cancel it. The full UWorld grid, including QBank Plus and renewals, is on our UWorld Step 2 CK price page.

What the price includes on each

On sticker price Amboss wins at every length, by $51 to $141. The gap narrows once you count what is bundled.

Self-assessments. UWorld's Step 2 CK plans include self-assessments by length: none on 30 days, one on 90, two on 180 and all three on 360 and 730 days. A standalone UWorld form is $50, or $120 for all three. Amboss sells one Step 2 CK self-assessment with a three-digit score estimate for $49.99 on its own, or includes it in its Student Life plan. So a student comparing the twelve-month options is really comparing UWorld at $579 with three forms against Amboss at $448 plus $49.99, which is $497.99 for one form. Most students also take the NBME forms, which neither vendor includes.

Reset. UWorld gives a one-time reset on its 180, 360 and 730 day plans. That matters more for Step 2 CK than for any other exam, because students work the bank by clerkship during the year and have seen most of it by dedicated study. Amboss does not advertise a reset on its Step 2 CK page. What it does advertise is scope: one Qbank add-on covers Step 1, Step 2 CK and Step 3 questions, with no data split between separate purchases, while UWorld sells each Step as its own subscription.

Library and videos. The Amboss membership includes its medical library, which is the main reason students pick it: every question links into articles you can read in the middle of an explanation. UWorld includes its own Medical Library on every plan, and sells 500+ narrated videos as QBank Plus for $99 more at each length.

AI assistants. Both now ship one. UWorld's UAsk allows up to 100, 250 or 1,000 prompts depending on plan length. Amboss promotes its AI on the same Step 2 CK page.

Question counts

UWorld lists 4,250+ Step 2 and shelf exam questions, and Amboss lists 4,100+ clinical questions for Step 2 CK and the shelves. Several comparison blogs still quote Amboss at 3,500+, an older figure. At this size the count is not the deciding factor. Neither bank runs out before a student does, and the questions you actually have left in dedicated study depend on how much of the bank you used for shelves.

UWorld organizes its bank into Shelf Review, grouped by clerkship, and Step 2 CK Review, the full mixed bank. Amboss adds study plans on top of its bank, including a set of 200 concepts it says appear on every Step 2 exam and separate plans for ethics, biostatistics and nutrition. Both approaches work. What matters is that a question used for a shelf is not fresh for the boards, on either platform.

Refunds and trials

This is the clearest difference between the two, and it matters if you are unsure.

• Amboss: a five-day free trial, then a full refund within 30 days of purchase if you email your receipt, for purchases made directly through Amboss.
• UWorld: no free trial, only a demo with sample questions. Refunds are case by case, pro-rated by days elapsed or questions used, whichever is higher, with a 10% processing fee (minimum $10). No refund after a reset, after expiry, for self-assessments or for in-app purchases. Requests must come within 360 days.

If you cannot decide, Amboss is the lower-risk first purchase: try it for five days, and you still have 30 days to get your money back. UWorld's refund terms favor students who buy early and activate later, because the clock starts at activation, not at payment.

Buy on the website, not in the app

UWorld's in-app purchases in the US App Store cost $499 for 30 days, $659 for 90, $749 for 180 and $829 for 360 days, $150 to $250 more than the same plans on medical.uworld.com, and UWorld cannot refund them. Buy on the website and log in to the app with the same account. The same rule applies to any prep subscription offered both ways: check the website price first.

Which to buy for your situation

You start third year next month and sit Step 2 CK at the end of it. UWorld's 360-day plan at $579 covers the year, includes all three self-assessments and gives you a reset for dedicated. It is the plan most students buy for a reason. Amboss at $448 is cheaper if you will rely on its library during rotations, and you will want to buy at least one self-assessment separately.

Your Step 2 CK is in fourth year. UWorld's 730-day plan at $749 covers both years with one purchase. On Amboss, plan on a second year of membership and a second Qbank purchase; the renewal alone does not include the Qbank.

You are buying only for a dedicated period. For two to three months, UWorld's 90-day plan at $459 includes one form, and the 180-day plan at $519 includes two forms and the reset. Amboss's six-month Qbank at $378 is $141 less than UWorld's 180 days. If you already know UWorld's explanations from Step 1, most students stay with it.

You already own one bank. Do not buy the second full bank by reflex. If you own UWorld, buy Amboss only if you want the library for clerkships. If you own Amboss, UWorld's self-assessments at $50 each give you a second score estimate without a second bank, as we explain on the UWorld self-assessment price page.

Where to save money on Step 2 CK prep

The biggest savings are not discount codes. Buy on the website instead of the app. Pick the plan length that already includes the self-assessments you will take, instead of adding forms later. Renew an active UWorld subscription before it expires ($139 for 30 days) instead of buying a new one ($349). Ask your school, because many buy UWorld or Amboss through institutional programs. And skip a second video course if you already pay for one; if you are deciding between video libraries for clerkships, our comparison of OnlineMedEd vs Boards and Beyond on price covers that choice.

Clerkship directors often hand out a long syllabus or objectives document for each shelf. If yours is a 60-page PDF, you can ask questions of a long clerkship syllabus PDF to find what the shelf actually emphasizes before you choose which questions to drill.

Whichever bank you pick, it is a fixed set. After a year of shelves, the topics you keep missing are exactly the ones you no longer have fresh questions for. Aspirants.ai writes new USMLE style vignettes on any topic you choose, explains every answer choice, and answers follow-up questions at any hour, from $24 a month billed yearly or $49 month to month. For the other exams, see how much UWorld costs for each exam and what Amboss costs with the Qbank.