86 free guides
CCS Tips & Guides
Order sets, chief-complaint approaches, scoring, and exam-day frameworks — newest first, filterable by topic.
Start hereGuideHarsh Moolani, MD, MPH
Step 3 CCS Guide: Scoring, Timing & Strategy (2026)
CCS cases account for 25–30% of your Step 3 score and are the most improvable part of the exam. Complete guide to what CCS cases are, how CCS scoring works, how many cases appear on Step 3, time management, and the most common pitfalls.
Read the full guideAll guides
Showing 1–12 of 86
- Chief ComplaintHarsh Moolani, MD, MPHCCS Cellulitis & Soft Tissue Infection: Orders, Drainage & Don't-Miss Necrotizing Fasciitis (2026)Complete CCS approach to cellulitis and soft tissue infection on Step 3 - opening orders, purulent vs nonpurulent antibiotics, mimics, and the surgical emergency.
- StrategyHarsh Moolani, MD, MPHCCS Consults: When to Call, Who to Call & What to Do While You WaitConsults earn CCS credit only when timed right. Who to call for each presentation, what to order yourself first, and what to keep doing while the consultant comes.
- Free 137Harsh Moolani, MD, MPHFree 137 Question Types: Biostats, Drug Ads & Ethics on Step 3 Day 1The Free 137 is a clean sample of Step 3 Day 1 question types. How to attack the biostats, drug advertisement, ethics, and setting-dependent items, then move to CCS.
- Chief ComplaintHarsh Moolani, MD, MPHCCS Anaphylaxis: Epinephrine First, Then the Order SetComplete CCS approach to anaphylaxis on Step 3 — opening orders, when to repeat epinephrine, airway and beta-blocker branch points, angioedema mimics, and discharge.
- Free 137Harsh Moolani, MD, MPHFree 137 Timing: How to Run All 4 Blocks Like a Real ExamTaking the Free 137 one block at a time inflates your score. Here's how to sit all four blocks under real exam conditions, pace each one, and read the result honestly.
- ResourcesHarsh Moolani, MD, MPHIs UWorld Enough for Step 3 CCS?UWorld covers the medicine well but gives you limited full-case reps. Here's a self-check that tells you whether you need dedicated CCS practice before Day 2.
- RedditHarsh Moolani, MD, MPHCCS Timing on Reddit: Why Everyone Says They Ran Out of TimeReddit blames typing speed for running out of time on Step 3 Day 2. The real causes are hesitation and careless clock advances - here is how to tell which one is yours.
- Chief ComplaintHarsh Moolani, MD, MPHCCS UTI & Pyelonephritis: Orders, Branch Points & the Urosepsis Miss (2026)How to run a CCS urinary infection case: opening orders, cystitis vs pyelonephritis branch points, the pregnancy and obstruction rules, and the full admission order set.
- Free 137Harsh Moolani, MD, MPHRetaking the Free 137: What a Second Score Actually Tells YouThinking about retaking the NBME Free 137? Why a second score almost always looks better, how long to wait, and how to run a repeat sitting that still teaches you something.
- Chief ComplaintHarsh Moolani, MD, MPHCCS Acute Joint Pain: Septic Arthritis, Gout & the Tap You Cannot SkipThe CCS approach to a hot, swollen joint - opening orders, why arthrocentesis comes before antibiotics, synovial fluid branch points, and the don't-miss diagnoses.
- Free 137Harsh Moolani, MD, MPHNew vs Old Free 137: Which Version Should You Actually Take?There are four versions of the NBME Free 137 floating around. Here is which one is current, which ones are still worth your time, and the order to take them in.
- Cheat SheetHarsh Moolani, MD, MPHThe CCS 2-Minute Screen: What to Order After the Case EndsEvery CCS case ends with a final 2-minute window. Here is exactly what to order in it, what it can and cannot rescue, and the orders that will cost you points.
Ready to master CCS?
Stop reading and start practicing. Our simulator lets you apply everything you've learned in real CCS conditions.
See Plans & Pricing →