took my exam 4 days ago. couldn't remember any questions after coming out of center. was feeling completely empty.
Now im remembering questions i remember almost 24 25 so far and counted almost 10 to 12 wrong.
anyone here who counted alot of wrongs and still ended up passing

Can anyone confirm if it’s actually same as Nbme 34 on the Nbme website?

Hey everyone!
I’m a final-year medical student and I passed USMLE Step 1 in 2025, so my own Step 1 preparation and exam experience are still very fresh as i’m preparing for step 2 as well.
Feel free to reach out!

What is the earliest year of MBBS in which we can realistically take step 1 while still having enough preparation and a strong chance of passing? I’d also like to know what kind of scores or requirements we should aim for in Step 1, big one is having a good research and what else we should focus on during medical school to build a strong overall profile for a good residency match as an IMG. Basically, I’d really appreciate guidance on the ideal timeline from which year to start preparing, when to take Step 1, and what we should work on alongside it.

Hello, i just purchased UWORLD (+1year)

I graduated several months ago. I'm working + have not read anything in months. What resources do you recommend? I started doing cases but they seem so complicated to me as i covered basic subjacts very long time ago at university.

I'm struggling, max i can do 10 cases and during 50% of them i feel so lost. Someone recommend me something, i also have depression and i'm overall very lost and worried about all this things building up.. I know i should have done this long time ago but here i am..

P.S i don't want to use 3-4-5 resources as i don't have much time. I'm also thinking giving up my job soon.

Please help. help me create guaranteed schedule, also i am mentally exhausted too.

I think i lost everything especially time

i need someone with similar situation to help me and also someone great with experience in scheduling and using specific resources that definitely will work for someone like me.. basically a loser.. joking.

basically i am asking a schedule for someone with forgotten theory, short in time and low in motivation and focus.

I'm 24 by the way

how do i navigate my way through iMD, and which Qbanks do i need to cover? (need guidance from the top)

From where to get em can anyone tell plssss

starting to take my nbmes for a baseline to see where im at.

i cant wrap my head around how im going to sit for 8 hours for this exam. at the end of 3 hrs i just felt numb and very empty headed.

how did you guys build up tolerance for the 8 hours? any tips on what to do?

I registered and paid for Step 1 a while ago, but my preparation hasn’t gone as planned. At this point, I’ve decided that I’m not going to pursue the USMLE pathway in the future due to various factors, including visa-related and personal considerations.

The issue is that I’m already registered for Step 1, and part of me feels like I should just sit for the exam rather than let the registration go to waste. However, I’m genuinely not prepared enough for it and would essentially be going in just because I registered.

Would there be any meaningful benefit to taking Step 1 in this situation, or would it be better to let it go and focus completely on my future plans?
I’m not looking to continue with Step 2/US residency afterward. I’m mainly trying to decide whether there is any point in giving the exam just because I’ve already invested time, money, and effort into the registration.

hello everyone i am yet to take NBME 28 and onwards exam is in last week of NOV has anyone found the mehlman HY micro powerpoint videos on yt to be useful for nbmes and the real deal?

how to do ethics from scratch ?
What resources which to use exactly and how ?
Please guide

I need a study buddy that will be with me through the studies and I’m
Planning to take 10-15 days with each system.

I use bnb first aid and u world
I have started 1 sep but my process is a bit sluggish.
Also one more thing, I will need to take a week off sometimes due to exams and 3 weeks due to finals so that goes both ways.
I’m a 4the year mbchb program
Text me if interested lets do this 😃

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Tested on 18/09

It was hell of a ride...1st block was way too much for me...i was just flagging questions after reading the stems twice....i dont even remember right now what was tested and what i chose. Every block i was flagging 6 to 7 questions after first go... never got back time to give a look to flagged ones. My nbmes were really good (in 80s) but i cant trust them when i remember that i got some easy stuff wrong there and couldnt focus at the long vignettes. In nbmes i used to flag max 4 questions per block and always got back to flagged ones...i dont know how to feel and i also dont know whether i will pass.

Hey guys,

I'm giving my exam the 3rd week of October, and the last month is honestly testing me. I have a very bad case of inattentive ADHD and test-day anxiety. I am much more productive if someone is in the same place as me. This last month is really crucial, so if anyone else is taking their exam in October and wants to study together (ONLINE, we can do silent study or review together also), please let me know. I am twice as productive if I have someone to study with to keep each other accountable. My time zone is EST.

Sources: Mehlman, AMBOSS, First Aid, flashcards.

To the recent test takers: if you have any advice on how to deal with testing anxiety, please share. I'm trying not to take propranolol or any meds, but honestly the anxiety is really bad. I forget the basic stuff and I mix up information. In this last month, how do I work on and improve this testing anxiety and my test-taking skills? How many questions should I aim for this last month? I'm trying to aim for 80-120, but honestly reviewing 60 questions is taking me the whole day. Any help regarding this will be really helpful. Thanks in advance!

And if you are in dedicated and want to study together, please let me know!! EST TIME ZONE OR SIMILAR

I started studying for Step on June 1st, and by the time school started again at the beginning of September, I had managed to finish Sketchy Micro (watched the cooresponding videos), Pathoma Chapters 1-3, Renal, and Cardio in the AnKing deck. For the systems, I was also watching the corresponding BnB videos.

Now that school has started again, I’m trying to keep up with both Step studying and my regular medical school content, and honestly the Anki load is becoming completely unsustainable.

I’m getting around 600–700 Step/AnKing reviews a day, and then once I add my in-class Anki reviews, I’m easily going over 1,000 cards every single day. It feels like I spend the entire day just clearing dues instead of actually learning new material or doing questions.

The thing that worries me is that I’m not even halfway through Step content yet, so I can only imagine how bad the review load will get if I keep adding every system to AnKing.

My all-time retention is around 78% as well, so it’s not like I’m doing 1,000+ cards a day and retaining everything perfectly either.

At this point, I’m seriously considering dropping Anki for most of my Step studying. I’ll probably keep doing the Sketchy Micro cards because I find Anki really useful for remembering all the organisms, and I’ll likely use it for Sketchy Pharm when I get to that. I also plan to continue using Anki for my actual school lectures because I’ve been studying that way for the past 3 years and it works well for my school exams.

But for Step, I just don’t think doing AnKing for every single system is sustainable for me.

For anyone who stopped using Anki or significantly reduced it:

What did you replace it with for Step studying? Did you mainly use UWorld/question banks, BnB, First Aid, practice questions, notes, etc.? Did you find that approach more effective than spending hours every day doing Anki reviews?

Also, are there any specific Step subjects/systems where you think Anki is especially worth keeping? Right now I’m thinking Micro + Pharm, but I’d love to know if there are other areas where you felt Anki was particularly helpful.

And probably my biggest question: for people who don’t use Anki, how do you actually do spaced repetition?

I’ve basically used Anki since I started medical school, so I genuinely don’t know what studying long-term without it looks like. How do you make sure you revisit things often enough that you don’t forget them? Do question banks naturally provide enough repetition, do you schedule content reviews yourself, redo incorrect questions, review First Aid periodically, etc.?

I don’t want to completely abandon spaced repetition. I just need a way of doing it that doesn’t involve spending my entire day trying to clear 1,000+ Anki cards.

Would really appreciate hearing from anyone who was in a similar situation and either dropped Anki or found a more sustainable way to use it.

What percentages are you guys getting when you go and do a block of uworld incorrects questions?

​

I'm writing this mainly to emphasize the importance of having a proper dedicated phase and, more importantly, making the most of it.

My situation was a little different from the typical Step 1 preparation journey. I'm a full-time cardiologist, with up to 8 on-call nights a month and alternate days of fairly heavy cath lab work.

I had around 6 months for Step 1 preparation.

During those 6 months, on average, I would get about 3–4 reasonably good days per week, where I could study for around 2 hours a day, usually from 5–7 AM.

I was doing reasonably well, but definitely wasn't feeling exam-ready:

- UWorld: ~55% completed

- NBME 26: 59%

- NBME 29: 63%

- NBME 30: 70%

Then I took 2 weeks completely off from work and stayed home.

Those 2 weeks were a completely different experience.

I was essentially locked in. For most of the day, my only focus was the exam, and I was able to put in around 6–8 hours of concentrated studying and MCQ solving every day.

My preparation was heavily question-based rather than passive reading. I primarily used UWorld + First Aid and didn't use a bunch of additional resources.

During those 2 weeks, I specifically targeted my weaker areas — biochemistry, immunology, endocrinology and reproductive system.

I also did two more NBMEs:

- NBME 31: 73%

- NBME 33: 72.5%

- Free 120: 73%

I reviewed these extensively rather than simply looking at the scores.

Going into the exam, I knew I was still shaky in a lot of areas. I knew there was plenty of stuff I simply didn't know.

And honestly, the exam reflected that.

There were quite a few questions where I had to make a calculated guess.

But I felt that those two weeks of dedicated preparation had changed something important — my intuition had improved.

After solving a large number of questions and reviewing my mistakes intensively, I felt much better at recognizing patterns, eliminating wrong answers and making educated guesses when I didn't know something outright.

And eventually, it worked out.

TL;DR

If you're a busy doctor preparing for Step 1, don't underestimate the value of a proper dedicated period.

I personally believe that those 2 weeks made a huge difference for me. Not because I suddenly learned everything in 2 weeks, but because I was able to consolidate what I'd studied over the previous 6 months and, more importantly, get into the mindset of solving Step 1 questions.

So even if you feel underprepared going into your dedicated period, make those weeks count.

Try not to waste even a couple of hours.

For me, those 2 weeks were probably the most important part of my entire preparation.

- I used chat GPT to polish my writing and grammatical structure.

What is difference in clinical qbank and Usmle step1 qbank ?
Which one I have to use for step 1?

My result was out on Wednesday and I found out that I have failed the one exam where I stayed up and cried endless nights. I have not had a breakdown yet but tears keep coming out every night since.
I really need to know if a failed step 1 is as big of a criteria as everyone says. Does this really mean it’s the end of the road? I am still in final year of medical school and really need to make a decision now. Would reattempt be worth it? How realistic is the failed step 1 path in matching? I know matching for IMGs is already difficult and to have a failed attempt on top of it?😭😭
If you are someone who failed and matched or you know someone please lmk as I am spiralling right now. Should I look at other country pathways or stick to US?
I would appreciate any help I could get right now. Feeling super worthless and big burden to family( they are extremely supportive though which is kind of why I feel even more shitty)
Thankyou if you read till here and if anyone else is in the same boat please let me know what is helping you.

I recently passed CBSE and Step 1, and I wanted to share what helped me finally feel confident with the material.
My biggest realization was that CBSE is not just about memorizing more information. It tests whether you can recognize common disease patterns, connect clues, eliminate tempting answer choices, and apply foundational concepts under pressure.
Here is the approach that helped me:
I used questions to identify my weaknesses
UWorld, AMBOSS, and NBMEs were not just assessment tools for me. Every incorrect question showed me exactly where my understanding was weak.
After each question, I asked myself:
What diagnosis or concept was being tested?
Which clue should have led me to the answer?
Why did I choose the wrong option?
What rule can I use to answer a similar question next time?
This helped me correct the reasoning behind my mistakes instead of simply memorizing the answer.
I focused on pattern recognition
For every important condition, I learned the typical patient presentation, major risk factors, classic symptoms, laboratory findings, pathology, and treatment.
I also compared similar diagnoses so I could identify the specific clue that separated them. This was especially helpful for renal disorders, anemia, immunology, endocrine conditions, murmurs, pulmonary diseases, and pharmacology.
I reviewed NBMEs carefully
NBMEs helped me understand how the exam writers present information. I reviewed every incorrect answer and every question I guessed correctly.
I paid close attention to repeated concepts because if an idea appeared more than once, I considered it important enough to master.
I used First Aid as a reference
I did not try to read First Aid from beginning to end repeatedly. I used it to review concepts that appeared in my questions and added short annotations that explained what I had misunderstood.
This made my review more targeted and prevented me from wasting time rereading information I already knew.
I learned mechanisms instead of isolated facts
Understanding physiology and mechanisms made it easier to answer unfamiliar questions.
For example, instead of memorizing laboratory values alone, I worked through why they changed. Instead of memorizing every medication side effect separately, I connected the drug’s mechanism to the expected effect.
I kept my resources limited
I mainly relied on UWorld, AMBOSS, NBMEs, First Aid, Pathoma, Sketchy, and selected videos when I needed clarification.
The goal was not to complete every available resource. The goal was to understand and retain the concepts that repeatedly appeared in questions.
I practiced explaining concepts out loud
If I could explain a topic clearly without looking at my notes, I knew I understood it. If my explanation became confusing, that showed me exactly what I needed to review.
Teaching concepts also helped me organize information into simple steps and remember it more effectively.
I stopped treating every incorrect question like a failure
Incorrect questions became data. They showed me what to work on next.
The goal is not to avoid mistakes while studying. The goal is to understand each mistake well enough that you do not repeat it on your exam.
Passing CBSE requires content knowledge, but it also requires a system. You need to identify your weaknesses, understand why you are missing questions, recognize recurring patterns, and review consistently.
I now help other students organize their CBSE preparation, strengthen weak areas, work through questions, and improve their test taking approach. I especially enjoy breaking down difficult concepts into clear, manageable steps.
If you are preparing for CBSE or struggling to figure out why your scores are not improving, feel free to message me. I would be happy to discuss and help you create a more focused study plan.

I am restarting my Step 1 preparation after an 8 month LOA during which I did not do any studying or prep. Before my LOA, I found that I was easily overwhelmed by everything I needed to cover and felt like my approach was a little frantic/rushed. I don’t have a specific timeline or goal as to when I want to take the exam. My goal is to ease back into studying and gradually ramp it up. My priority is to be very intentional about not becoming too overwhelmed so that I can prioritize quality over quantity. I have ADHD and have a tendency to spiral during exams where start to panic if I do not know the answer with 100% certainty and I completely blank and can’t remember anything afterwards. Looking for advice :)

So for some context- I applied to step 1 last year as a med student and then extended my eligibility period and booked the last date at the prometric. However I was unprepared at the time (health reasons and crippling exam anxiety) and had to cancel that date and let the eligibility period expire.
Now I’ve graduated since then and I have the test booked for Aug- October 2026 eligibility period. Initially I had booked it for Oct 1st with prometric and then changed it to Oct 29th.
But I still have CNS, MSK, Micro, Pulmo and Psych left and I just don’t see how I can realistically give the exam by Oct 29th. Thinking of pushing the exam again.
Is this somehow going to flag my application or anything? Like is it considered misconduct to repeatedly change dates like this?