Hi guys! I posted recently about feeling unsure after giving step-1. I had mixed feelings about the exam, it was unlike any exam I had taken before because I wasn’t SURE if I’d done well or not. The uncertainty was real.

I think the best advice I can offer to anyone sitting for the exam soon is this: Don’t cheat yourself.

You know the truth, you know whether that “75%” on an NBME is truly a 75 or actually a 65. Did you just take a random 30 min break in between? Or did you just pop in to chat with your mom in the kitchen for 15 mins during an NBME or have a random lunch break in the middle? Or just corrected your answer later saying “that’s what I meant” or ignored a biostats mistake bec that was only a calculation error that you OBV would get right on the real deal right? No. This is what will be your downfall

The fear of failure may lead you down this road, but trust me when I say this: a 67 given under strict exam conditions may get you a pass whereas a 78 under lax conditions may lead you to a fail.

You need to be fully prepared (mentally and physically) to sit in one space for those 8 hrs and get through 280 Qs which you won’t be able to do if you’ve not practiced under those conditions.

happy to answer any qs below

Hi everyone!

I recently found out that I passed Step 1, so I thought I’d share my experience and what worked for me. Hopefully this helps someone who’s currently preparing!

A little background:

I’m a medical student in a 6-year program, and I took Step 1 during the summer between my 4th and 5th years.

I started studying on 1.3.26, and originally scheduled my exam for 23.9.26, but eventually moved it up to 16.9.26.

One thing worth mentioning is that I was studying for Step 1 while doing my clinical rotations and preparing for my medical school exams, so Step 1 was definitely not my only priority. There were a LOT of distractions, and I had to figure out how to balance everything.

1. Bootcamp & First Aid

I started with a pretty passive review of the material.

I bought a Bootcamp subscription and went through all their videos, with the goal of finishing around 2 months before my exam. I actually finished on July 12.

I honestly can’t recommend Bootcamp enough. It’s relatively affordable, covers pretty much everything, and is super user-friendly.

For me, First Aid was a MUST. I used it alongside Bootcamp throughout my preparation, and by the end I felt like I practically knew it by heart.

Around 4 months before my exam, I started doing Bootcamp question blocks. Nothing crazy, maybe 2–3 blocks a week, just to get familiar with the question style and start practicing.

I also watched Sketchy for Microbiology and Pharmacology and listened to random relevant podcasts and YouTube videos whenever I had time.

2. UWorld & Anki

I started UWorld about 3 months before my exam, which is also when I started using Anki.

My approach was pretty simple:

Whenever I got a question wrong, I’d go back to First Aid, review the topic, and make Anki cards based on whatever I didn’t know.

I didn’t like AnKing.

I know so many people swear by it, but personally, I found it overwhelming. The number of cards was just insane, and I felt like I was spending more time worrying about how many cards I had left than actually learning.

Instead, I made my own cards.

By the time I took Step 1, I had made around 600 Anki cards in total, all based on my personal weaknesses.

And honestly, that was more than enough for me.

3. NBMEs

About 6 weeks before my exam, I started taking NBMEs every 5–7 days.

I wanted to complete all of them because I felt like they were good practice, and I noticed that a lot of concepts kept coming up again and again.

That being said, I definitely don’t think you HAVE to complete every single NBME.

After about 3–4 exams with scores above 70%, I already felt pretty confident about my chances of passing.

My strategy was always the same:

NBME → Review EVERY explanation (even questions I got right) → Go back to First Aid → Make Anki cards → Repeat.

I followed this exact method until exam day.

At this point, I had pretty much abandoned UWorld.

I actually went into Step 1 having completed only 45% of UWorld, with an average of around 60%.

I know a lot of people emphasize finishing UWorld, but personally, I felt that thoroughly reviewing my NBMEs and understanding my mistakes was a much better use of my time.

I’m attaching my NBME scores and the dates I took them for reference!

After around my 4th NBME, I felt like my scores were stable enough, so I decided to move my exam up by a week.

4. The actual exam 💀

I genuinely thought I had FAILED.

The actual exam felt NOTHING like UWorld or the NBMEs to me.

The questions were incredibly long, unnecessarily complicated, and seemed to focus on the tiniest, most random details.

It honestly felt like everything I had spent months focusing on barely showed up.

I walked out of that testing center feeling absolutely defeated.

I was convinced I had failed, and the only thing that made me feel slightly better was reading posts from other people saying they felt exactly the same way.

And yet…

I PASSED!!! ❤️

5. Final thoughts

You don’t necessarily have to finish 100% of UWorld.

You don’t have to do thousands of AnKing cards.

And you don’t have to follow the exact same study schedule as everyone else.

Find what works for YOU.

Trust your preparation and your NBME scores more than your post-exam feelings.

Good luck to everyone preparing! You’ve got this! ❤️

Feel free to ask me anything :)

Practice progress:

• %62, 31.7.2026, NBME 26
• %74, 9.8.2026, NBME 27
• %70, 16.8.2026, NBME 28
• %71, 23.8.2026, NBME 29
• %77, 26.8.2026, NBME 31
• %75, 31.8.2026, NBME 33
• %77, 6.9.2026, Old free120
• %81, 8.9.2026, NBME 32
• %72, 13.9.2026, NBME 30

this community was such a big help throughout.
ask me anything!

So, I took the exam yesterday, 27th October 2026.

So, first of all, I feel horrible, having felt like guessed almost all of the questions, I feel like maybe I knew like 25% of all the questions for sure.

It felt unnecessarily vague and long. Time management was the hardest thing overall I felt like I got stuck in several questions and ended up spending quite sometime in those questions and then ended up rushing towards the end.

I took breaks of 5-7 minutes after 2-2 blocks and a long break to eat some food whenever my head started spinning from all these questions.

On top of all this, in my second last block, my computer showed an error saying 'connectivity lost, click on cancel to restart the test, your progress and time will not be lost', I called the proctor and they restarted the system and launched the test interface again. The test started from the question where it got interrupted. So, this was my final straw. I think I finally lost it there, but then I tried to keep my cool and took a break after this block for the last one block and powered through it. After the exam, I asked the proctor will my scores be affected or cancelled or something due to this glitch, they said no need to worry. At the end of the test, they give you a survey too, I mentioned this incident there as well as sent an email to [testadmin@nbme.org](mailto:testadmin@nbme.org) regarding what happened, just in case anything happens. So I hope all goes well.

On the plus side, if I fail, I can calm myself by just thinking it was due to the glitch, so thats a win, I guess?

Anyways, here are my scores:

NBME 26: 69% (baseline after one pass of the important systems)

NBME 27:  76%

NBME 28: 70% (experienced a drop here due to some health issues)

NBME 29: 74%

NBME 30: 78%

NBME 31: 82%

NBME 32: 78% (the drop was brutal and my confidence took a hit)

NBME 33: 80%

NBME 34: 82%

Free 120: 82% (Free 120 was especially confusing and i had given up by the time i finished the 2nd block, but I made it up in the third block; ie. 1st block: 82%, 2nd block: 75%, 3rd block: 88%)

I started my prep like in august, and I was in a time constraint so i just decided to book a date and go with it. So I had to fastrack my prep and just sit for it. Atleast I didn't have to go through this for a longer time than this much itself, it took my heart and soul, this prep. I though I'll tell fully bout my prep if, and when I pass. Otherwise it would be misleading, I think.

So anyways, the waiting for the results start now. And along with it, losing my shit.

If anyone had a similar experience, pls reach out. Maybe we can suffer together. :')

NBME
28: 68.5
29: 67.0
27: 70
30: 66
24: 80.8
25: 75
26: 74.5
31: 70.5
32: 73
33: 77.5
34:
Free 120:
Given in order I’ve written them?
Am I good to go? Paper on 6th Nov

UWorld USMLE Step 1 subscription for!
75 days remaining, including a reset option and 3 Self-Assessments.
.

Maycohen2001@gmail.com

Just finished my first nbme. Any advice on how to review it in a very efficient way?
Keep in mind that i didn’t finish my preparation and i still have systems to finish.

So I’m studying step one and I’m doing systems first . I don’t understand, so when I’m doing system then doing the u world questions related to the system. Then when I’m done studying the systems with the questions how then I can do uworld agin in my dedicated period even though I did the questions isn’t it like memorizing the answers .
Please can someone help me with that

I am a third year DO student scheduled to take Step 1 in two days, this Thursday. I have been preparing for months alongside clinical rotations and have postponed my exam several times. I dont want to take the exam and fail it since we dont need to take it. Nevertheless I am feeling pretty discouraged by my inconsistent practice scores and burning through thoroughly reviewing exams, especially after todays Free 120.

My score progression throughout third year

5/18 NBME 30: 50%

6/8 NBME 31: 61%

7/9 NBME 29: 61%

7/14 NBME 32: 50%

9/27 NBME 28: 61%

10/15 NBME 33: 62%

10/19 NBME 34: 65%

10/23 NBME 27: 69%

10/27 New Free 120: 62% (74/120)

UWorld: 77% completed (2,805/3,655 questions), 46% correct overall (been hovering at 50s-65s mostly with occasional floor of 45% each 40 block)

COMLEX Level 1: Passed in June.

Free 120 block breakdown: 70%, 45%, 70%, 60%, 55%, 70%.

I was finally feeling encouraged by my recent NBME improvement, particularly the 69% on NBME 27, but the Free 120 really shook my confidence.

I think one of my biggest weaknesses is making quick decisions under timed conditions. I tend to reason through questions rather than immediately recognize patterns, and I sometimes second-guess myself. The new 20-question block format felt particularly challenging, and Block 2 completely threw me off.

I have already pushed this exam back multiple times, and it is frustrating to feel like Im getting closer but still not achieving consistent results. I really want to get it over with but I also don’t want to rush into the exam if I’m not ready.

For those who recently took Step 1:

Would you sit Thursday with these scores or postpone?

Open to all suggestions, thank you guys!!

Hi. I took the exam on 10/15 as an IMG. Immediately afterwards I emailed NBME about a short malfunction that caused a pause for about 15' and afterwards a question got un-checked while I had previously answered it, resulting in me seeing only 5" before the block ending so it went unanswered. They responded the usual "please allow up to 15 days for the investigation". Normally, my results are supposed to come out tomorrow, but I've seen posts about delays, and other saying the results weren't delayed and just got a response back about the investigation yielding unsignificant findings, like an hour after the on-time results release. Has anyone experience with this? Were your results on time?

Update: Passed

Anyone feel like shit doing Uworld (like avging 50 on recent blocks) then did an NBME and get surprised with a decent score (>60%)???

I'm not looking for some reassurance but I mean to ask people in 60s or people who closely know someone who was scoring in 60s in nbmes, did you/they pass or fail?

A 58-year-old man with type 2 diabetes and persistent microalbuminuria takes metformin and lisinopril. An additional oral glucose-lowering drug is started.

Four weeks later:

• HbA1c: 8.4% → 7.8%
• Serum creatinine: 1.0 → 1.24 mg/dL
• Urine glucose: negative → 3+

He feels well, has no edema or signs of volume depletion, and his BP is 126/76 mmHg.

Which physiological change within the juxtaglomerular apparatus best explains the acute change in renal hemodynamics?

A. Increased NaCl delivery to the macula densa → afferent constriction
B. Decreased NaCl delivery → efferent dilation
C. Reduced Ang II signaling → efferent dilation
D. Reduced prostaglandins → afferent constriction
E. Increased nitric oxide → efferent constriction

Stupid question but are the NBME’s on coursology the real deal? Since these are paid tests and i already have them as a part of my subscription to coursology (life time sub)

I also took the nbme 25 on it, had the usual 200q, 10 blocks of 20 each, and it gave me a 3 digit score too

Seemed a lil too good to be true so wantwd to make sure

hi before 5 month. I made onenbme it was 26 and I scored 45 then I repeated the whole uworld and I made the half of incorrect what should I do now ? should I make nbme and which is the best one to evaluate myself?

Basically what the heading says. I’m 18 days out

I Have been using the Free 120 website to do the timed NBME forums, I compared the questions to the pdf files and they seem similar, but my scores are high when i did it on the free 120 website. are nbmes accurate and updated?

They also have a section called q world, qmelhman, are the questions on that the same as uworld or mehlman

Its just that it is too good to be true to me lol, they ask for 60 dollars for 6 months!

im planning on taking step 1 in march/april. i haven't done any prep at all and a big reason is because i genuinely have no idea where to start. everyone recommends so many resources like pathoma amboss sketchy uworld and it seems so daunting. i also dont know which study tools to purchase especially because theyre pretty expensive so i cant just commit hundreds to tools im not sure will help.

The green tick boosts my dopamine, I look forward to seeing it. If it shows, I’m happy and I feel great and proud. If it doesn’t, my mood crashes down and i feel like yanking my hair out/flipping the table/breaking the tablet…etc.

Help?

Hi everyone! I am currently planning out my upcoming dedicated period but am struggling to decide how to plan around a friend’s 4-day bachelorette trip and could use some advice!

Basically, if I try to fit my dedicated period in the time before the trip, it would be about 4 weeks, which I know is common, but feels like it could be a bit rushed. Although I’ve gotten through 100% of UWorld for shelfs so far during MS3, I haven’t taken any practice exams, am ending on OBGYN. I have scored in the low to high 70s so far on my shelf exams and halfway done with rotations. I am thinking of rads/anesthesia, so my goal is most likely a 260+.

My other option is to give myself 6 weeks of dedicated, with the last day of the trip being 8 days away from my test date. 6 weeks is honestly what I was hoping for, but I am a little worried about how a trip might mess up my studying/scores. Would 8 days be enough time to catch up if I need it?

Of note, the bachelorette trip is in a cabin in the mountains and I could most likely find downtime to study and avoid alcohol during, even though that’s not ideal.

Any advice is appreciated!

Posting this as I am currently on the fence between freaking out and feeling I have plenty of time to improve. My class (US MD school) just received our first CBSE exam results before finishing preclinical this December, and mine were pretty rough. 41 overall, struggled significantly in pathology, physiological, and nutrition disciplines. Throughout preclinical I’ve passed all of our NBME-based exams +/- 4 points from the class average, so I feel that I decently understood the material at the time I was actively working on it. However, I have a bad tendency to brain dump and immediately move on after finishing a block, and while I knew this would come back to bite me, I didn’t expect it to bite this much. For additional context, I hadn’t studied prior to taking the CBSE, we haven’t covered neuro/psych (which was on the exam), and had very poor sleep the night before. While I’m still months out from taking actual Step 1, I’m still slightly freaking out, worried I’m screwed, and looking for any advice. Thanks in advance!

I’ve heard people say the exam felt similar to the NBMEs, Free 120, or even UWSAs, but I’m curious how much of that similarity was in the actual questions versus the underlying concepts.

My take is that we might be looking at it the wrong way. The person writing your actual exam isn't necessarily using the same wording or clinical scenarios you've practiced in UWorld or the NBMEs. You might recognize the underlying concept, but the way it's presented could be completely different from what you're used to.

That can feel uncomfortable at first because you're suddenly applying familiar knowledge to unfamiliar scenarios. But if you've prepared thoroughly, worked through the NBMEs, and consistently scored in a range that suggests you're ready, you should have the foundation to reason through questions you've never seen before.

For those who've taken the exam, did this match your experience? Did the questions feel familiar because you'd seen similar concepts before, or did the exam genuinely challenge you with unfamiliar ways of testing them?

Hey everyone,

I’m looking for some advice and reassurance. My exam is in exactly 10 days and I just experienced a score drop on NBME 33, which has me feeling pretty anxious.
Here are my scores
NBME 26 (Baseline): 60%
NBME 29: 68%
NBME 30: 73%
NBME 31: 76%
NBME 33: 69% (Recent drop)

I felt like my upward trend was solid until this last form. I still have the New Free 120 left to take. What should i do ??

As i heard recently anatomy is heavily tested for step 1?

So which system is more spotted on???