This guide will demystify COMLEX percentiles. We’ll break down what these numbers mean for both Level 1 and Level 2, how they relate to your three-digit score, and how residency programs use this crucial data.
Score vs. Percentile: What’s the Difference?
Before diving into specifics, it’s essential to understand the fundamental distinction between your score and your percentile.
- Your Score (e.g., 400-800+): This is your absolute performance. It reflects how well you answered the questions on the exam based on the standards set by the National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners (NBOME).
- Your Percentile (e.g., 75th): This is your relative performance. It shows how you performed in comparison to a specific group of other students who took the exam.
Think of it like a marathon. Your score is your final finish time (e.g., 3 hours and 30 minutes). Your percentile is your rank—it means you finished faster than 75% of the other runners in the race.
COMLEX Level 1 Percentiles: The Pass/Fail Era
A significant change since 2022 is that COMLEX Level 1 is now pass/fail for all students. This has shifted the focus entirely. The primary goal is simply to pass the exam. For your residency applications, programs will only see a “Pass” on your transcript; they will not see a three-digit score or a percentile.
While you might still receive some performance data on your personal score report to help you gauge your strengths and weaknesses, the era of using Level 1 scores to screen residency applicants is over. This change places much greater emphasis on your COMLEX Level 2 performance.
COMLEX Level 2-CE: Why Your Percentile Is Crucial
With Level 1 moving to pass/fail, your COMLEX Level 2 score percentile has become one of the most important academic metrics for residency applications. This score is a key data point that program directors use to evaluate and compare candidates.
So, what is a “good” percentile? This largely depends on the competitiveness of the specialty you are applying to.
- Highly Competitive Specialties (e.g., Dermatology, Orthopedics, ENT): For these fields, you should aim for the 75th percentile and above, which generally correlates to scores of 600 or higher.
- Competitive Specialties (e.g., Anesthesiology, Emergency Medicine, General Surgery): A strong target is the 50th-75th percentile. This typically corresponds to scores in the mid-500s to low-600s.
- Less Competitive Specialties (e.g., Family Medicine, Pediatrics, PM&R): For these programs, a score above the 25th-50th percentile (high-400s to mid-500s) is often considered competitive, with passing being the most critical first step.
COMLEX Level 2 Score Percentile Estimates
To give you a clearer idea, here is a table of estimated COMLEX Level 2 percentiles based on three-digit scores.
Disclaimer: These numbers are estimates based on previously released NBOME data and can shift slightly from year to year.
| 3-Digit Score | Estimated Percentile |
| 750+ | ~99th+ |
| 700 | ~96th |
| 650 | ~90th |
| 600 | ~80th |
| 550 | ~60th |
| 500 | ~40th |
| 450 | ~20th |
Beyond the COMLEX Percentile: A Holistic Review
It can be easy to fixate on a single number, but it’s important to remember that residency program directors look at applications holistically. While a strong COMLEX 2 score percentile is a key data point, it is not the only factor they consider.
Other critical components of your application include:
- Clinical Grades (MSPE/Dean’s Letter)
- Letters of Recommendation
- Audition (Away) Rotations
- Your Personal Statement and Experiences
- Research and Extracurricular Activities
- USMLE Step 2 CK Score (if you chose to take it)
Putting Your Score in Perspective
Navigating board exams and the residency application process is a stressful journey. Understanding your COMLEX score percentiles is an important part of that, but it’s not the whole story.
Key Takeaways:
- Your score is your absolute performance; your percentile is your relative rank.
- COMLEX Level 1 is pass/fail, and scores are not reported to residency programs.
- Your COMLEX Level 2-CE percentile is a critical metric for residency applications, with target scores varying by specialty.
- Your application is a complete package—don’t let a single number define your potential.
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