USMLE Step 2, already?

This morning I made a mistake that cost me 4.5 hours of study time. I was signing up for my first "real" practice test through the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) website, which offers half-length (4-hour) self assessments composed of retired questions used on past exams. The Comprehensive Basic Science Self Assessment (CBSSA) is for students studying for Step 1, while the Comprehensive Clinical Self Assessment (CCSSA) is for students studying for Step 2. I accidentally bought a CCSSA instead of a CBSSA.

As I was taking the test, I noticed that the questions were a lot more difficult than those from my USMLE World and USMLE Rx question banks. Friends from the class above me had told me to expect that. It was only after I finished and saw my failing score that I knew something wasn't right.

As aggravated as I was at myself for the mistake - and for the lost time and energy - some good did come out of the situation. I took a short lunch break then finished a second practice test, this time an actual CBSSA. Doing two practice tests back to back allowed me to experience exhaustion similar to the real exam, which is 8 hours long.

I also got a sneak-peek at Step 2. The exam is more clinically-oriented, as its name implies, but the material and knowledge-base is essentially the same. The question stems are all much longer and more involved clinical vignettes that require more careful reading, and they all end with a question like, "Which of the following tests would be most useful in diagnosing this condition?" or "Which of the following is the best course of action in treating this condition?" There's still only one most-correct answer, but these questions have multiple answer choices that are plausible. So that turns Step 2 into a test of clinical judgment.

Customer Service at NBME was forgiving: they kindly gave me credit for another self-assessment, so at least I didn't end up wasting money on the CCSSA.