Important Notice Regarding Message Prompts
When Media Exhibits Are Being Played

[Posted August 22, 2007]

USMLE recently introduced test items with associated media exhibits into the Step 2 CK examination.  Under certain circumstances while viewing test items with media exhibits, the examination can appear to “freeze” (i.e., examinees cannot close the media exhibit, answer the associated item, or move to another item).  If this should happen, the examinee should simply press the Enter key to continue with the exam. 

The NBME test delivery software is designed to display a variety of message prompts during the examinations.  Examples of these message prompts include the “Two-minute warning” message that appears when there are two minutes remaining in a block or in the examination day, and the warning message that appears 30 seconds before an unauthorized break screen appears due to inactivity. 

If one of these message prompts is activated when a media exhibit is being played, the message prompt will appear behind the media exhibit (and be invisible to the examinee) and the exam will appear to be “frozen”, ie, examinees cannot close the media exhibit, answer the associated item, or move to another item.  Simply press the Enter key.  This action will allow the examinee to continue with the block. After hitting the Enter key, the examinee should check the Block Timer and Day Timer at the top left of the screen, because they may have missed a “Two-minute warning” message.

If the examinee inadvertently hits the Enter key in a situation other than the one described above, the exam will move to the next item.

Sample screen captures of these message prompts appear below: