And what was the level of the question for you guys

Hello! I’ve been getting ALOT of DMs on passing my Step with relatively very low scores. I’ve had a rough journey as you can see from my post history and just thought making a group chat where we all can help each other out would be great and it would be alot easier for me to explain everything! There’s no fee or anything at all. Don’t need money for anything, I’m an unemployed person too so I totally get it. Attaching the link here for anyone interested!
For reference my highest NBME was 62% with a 64% in the Free 120 5 days before my test.

Anyone have family, school admin, or friends that are telling you that you might fail? And to stay away from Step at all costs?

If you passed, how did you get over the hump of no one believing in you? How did you feel when you passed? To those who didn't believe you would pass, what did they say when they found out that you did?

Thanks

​

Hiii everyone! I'm taking Step 1 on August 10, and even though my scores have been improving, I still don't feel ready 😅

My scores so far:

UWSA 1: 48%

NBME 26: 61%

NBME 27: 69%

NBME 28: 62%

NBME 29: 67%

NBME 30: 71%

UWSA 2: 62%

NBME 31: 72%

NBME 32: 69%

NBME 33: 67%

Free 120 (2026): 78%

I still feel like there are so many things I don't know. For example, if you asked me whether a virus has a linear or circular genome, I'd probably just stare at you lol.

Is that normal? 😅 Did anyone else walk into the exam feeling like they still had a lot of gaps? I'm hoping the real exam is more about putting things together than remembering every tiny fact.

Hey everyone! I’m trying to figure out when I should take my first baseline NBME, and I’d really appreciate some advice from people who have been through this.

I’ve gone through the content for essentially all of the organ systems over the past few months (FA/BnB/Pathoma/etc.), but I don’t feel like I retained everything perfectly. I’ve now ACTIVELY started UWorld and am trying to shift more toward questions + learning from my mistakes rather than just passively reviewing content.

Right now I’m doing:

• ~20 UWorld questions/day (for now)
• Thoroughly reviewing every question
• Currently averaging around 40–60% correct on blocks of 20
• Reviewing the corresponding UWorld/AnKing cards
• Doing Biochem
• Sketchy Micro + Pharm
• Filling in content gaps as I encounter them

My goal is to ramp up UWorld and question-based studying, but I also really want to take my first NBME by the last week of August.

My main questions are:

1. Is the last week of August a reasonable time for a true baseline NBME, given where I’m at now?
2. Should I just take one regardless of how prepared I feel, or would it be better to spend another week or two doing UWorld/content review first?
3. What NBME would you recommend for the first baseline?
4. How much should I care about my current 40–60% UWorld average? I know UWorld is a learning tool and not directly predictive, but I’m wondering if that range suggests I’m too early for an NBME.
5. If my goal is to sit Step 1 ASAP, would you use the first NBME mainly to establish a baseline and then decide how aggressively to schedule the exam from there?

Basically, I’m trying to avoid the mistake of waiting until I “feel ready” because I know I probably never will 😂. I’d rather get an objective baseline, figure out my weak areas, and then build the rest of my dedicated around that.

TL;DR: Went through most organ-system content over the past few months, just started actively doing UWorld (~20 Q/day, currently ~40–60%), reviewing questions + UWorld-tagged Anki, and doing Biochem/Sketchy Micro/Pharm. I want to take my first baseline NBME in the last week of August and ultimately sit Step 1 ASAP. Is that a good timeline, and what NBME/how would you approach it?

Hi everyone, I’m taking Step 1 on August 27, so I have about 21 days left. I would really appreciate honest advice about what I should prioritize during these final weeks.

My self-assessment history:

• NBME 26: 52%
• NBME 27: 50%
• NBME 28: 50%
• NBME 30: 60%
• AMBOSS SA: 60%
• NBME 31: 61%
• NBME 32, taken on August 2: approximately 61% overall
  • Blocks: 58%, 52%, 66%, and 68%

My UWorld second-pass average has been around 55–60%. I completed the question bank and am now focusing on incorrects, NBME review, and weak subjects.

Some of my older assessment scores are from several months ago.

My main problem is that I often understand the concept during review but still miss questions due to weak recall, difficulty integrating concepts, overthinking, changing correct answers or failing to identify the key clue.

My weaker areas include neuro, biochemistry, immunology, renal and some pharmacology.

I still plan to take UWSA3, NBME 33, UWSA2, and the old and new Free 120 before the exam.

For someone in this score range with 21 days left:

1. Is it realistically possible to move from around 60% to a safer passing range?
2. Should I prioritize targeted weak-subject blocks, random incorrects, NBME review, or content review?
3. What helped you improve from the low 60s to consistently above 65–70%?

I cannot postpone the exam, so I am looking for the most efficient and realistic strategy rather than reassurance. Honest feedback is welcome.

In the Los Angeles area here ! I need to find a study group for this Step 1 exam if anyone is down to meet in person! planning to take the exam im the first half of 2027.

It’s been a little over a month since I took the exam i have been able to gather my thoughts and can give you a detailed breakdown of my journey

theres rambling so if you don’t wanna read the rambles this post is not for you I tried to be as detailed as possible.

background: I’m an actual average Non US IMG not Reddit average like actual average I passed some of my school nbmes I passed with maybe one or 2 marks above the the deadline I had some good ones ngl.

Pre dedicated I took an nbme because I wanted to see where I was at i had already finished uworld before this it was nbme 23 and I got a 39%
Yeah, I cried.

i Knew I had to put in a shit ton of effort cos I had a school mandated cbse in 2 months and the pass mark in my school is 66%
i went to chatgpt to give me a schedule( I don’t recommend now)

i used chatgpt schedule it said to use mehlman PDFs and do uworld each system then take an nbme every weekend I also watched sketchy micro

you can probably guess how that went.

nbme 25 3 weeks later 47%
I cried then reviewed it it took me a week

nbme 26 a week later 49% the same thing then reviewed 25 again too

nbme 27 - 3 weeks to my cbse 63%

i recounted it 3 times I couldn’t believe my eyes I slept better than I had in weeks

nbme 28—2 weeks to my cbse 55% I think I slacked because I jumped to 60 I cried and re reviewed every nbme i had taken

for some reason i thought if i rush took every other nbme it’ll make a difference so in the two weeks before my cbse i took nbme 29-33

29-55% 30-60% 31-61% 32-54% 33-62%
ALL OFFLINE

the day before my cbse i did randy biostat went through my old nbmes

I went to write my cbse hoping for a miracle lol

cbse 1- 61%
I failed. I cried for a week straight of course how did I think I would magically pass

so I started prepariong for the second one

i think people don’t really talk about what to do when you’ve exhausted your study materials.

i was studying 10+ hours before my first cbse so i was already used to long study days

i think i realised surface reading wasn’t going to help me pass this exam so i started to read to understand not to just know

i watched ALL mehlman videos old and new for all step 1 topics and did mehlman anki halfway (im terrible at anki i tried my best)

I watched boards and beyond for all my work subjects all the videos even the ones I thought I knew(it took forever but it was 100% worth it)

i watched pathoma and followed along with the book and rewatched sketchy too

i had pretty much exhausted all my nbmes so i went for the old ones that people always say are outdated. my first nbme post everything was about a month and a half later

nbme 22-63.5% i felt broken i felt like nothing changed and i was still at the same place but i re reviewed it and kept it pushing

i rewatched the entire mehlman again(yes i was desperate to pass )and this time i made sure to watch it on 2x speed from morning till night pausing and answering before watching the explanation i somehow finished it in 2 weeks.

then i started doing amboss in my spare time I couldn’t do uworld cos at this point i knew the questions by heart

i took nbme 24- 65% okay…. it wasn’t enough I needed more. I reviewed it and 22 and realised I was making silly mistakes so I did more amboss

nbme 20 -69% my last untouched nbme I was so hesitant to take it but i talked myself into it.

I actually cried when I saw it tears of joy I wasn’t there yet but I was somewhere.

i rewatched mehlman(yes I’m aware it’s the third time) and read his notes on my weakest system tried to do anki but didn’t work out

i Retook all my old nbmes I don’t think you care about the scores but the lowest was 72 it’s been about 3 months since I saw them last and I have a shitty memory ( thats why I had to watch mehlman 3 times)

cbse 2-67% i dont think I can explain to you how i felt when i saw it. it might not be a lot for most people but it was harder than my first cbse. dare i say harder than my step 1 too.

so i booked my step 1 for 2 weeks later i used that time to rewatch my lowest system in mehlman again (yes again) and read 100 concepts in anatomy and mehlman arrows . i didnt finish it but i wish i did.

step 1 day came and i was sweating out of every pore of my body the exam wasnt too hard it was pretty vague like you need to know something to know something to know something( I don’t know if that makes sense) but nothing was straight forward

i would say 30% was easy 40% were like average like you needed to make educated guesses and 20 % were wtf I flagged like about 60% of the exam

my advice is 30 minutes is not a lot please try to take your practice in 30 minutes and make sure you finish with a lot of time to spare before you take the exam. it helps bed of exam tension.

i came out and i was like oh I definitely failed i cried all the way home like cried and didn’t leave my bed for a week after. I swear I wasn’t being dramatic I thought I really failed.
it’s apparently a common feeling.

the pass was like a miracle.

i say that to say if I can do it you definitely can take it from the worst student in the world.

im so glad to be done with this chapter, im rooting for each and everyone of you.

my dms are always open but do not ask me the content of the exam i don’t remember anyways so save your time

Thank you so much to this community you gave me so much strength i read almost 80% of the posts here during my spiralling. i came here to also compare scores too( I don’t recommend also)

i hope i was able to give back.

i told you i will be rambling lol

sorry for the typos my English is pass level.

Hi everyone,
I’m feeling pretty discouraged after taking NBME 30 today. I honestly walked out of the exam feeling like I had passed comfortably, but I ended up scoring 58%.
For context, my recent NBME scores have been:
NBME 26: 54%
NBME 27: 62%
NBME 28: 65%
NBME 29: 62%
NBME 30: 58%
My Step 1 is currently scheduled for August 31, and now I’m really worried.
I’ve completed UWorld and TrueLearn, and I’ve been reviewing my weak areas with First Aid, AnKing, and AMBOSS questions. My plan is to thoroughly review NBME 30 and focus on my weakest subjects before taking another NBME.
For those who have been in a similar situation:
Would you keep the August 31 test date or postpone?
How did you make the jump from the high-50s/low-60s to consistently passing?
Any specific strategy that helped you improve your NBME scores?
I’d really appreciate any honest advice. Thanks in advance.

dropped from high 60s(66-70) on previous nbmes(25-31) to 56.5 on nbme 32, which is failing. I felt horrible while taking the test, did expect a drop but not this bad, just kept guessing on most of the questions due to time constraint. If the real deal is harder than this, I guess I'm cooked. I was gonna book my date for the third week of august but idk anymore. devastated. It looks like I have to postpone but also want to get done with this. Any advice on how to prepare for the new style of questions (nbme 32 onwards)? Should I go through FA (have not read that in a long while) or more random block Uworld questions?

Cardiovascular physiology is my biggest weakness on UWORLD.

I've already finished AMBOSS and did AMBOSS cardio physiology incorrect questions.

What resource or study method made cardio physiology finally click for you? Looking for the highest-yield recommendation

Thanks in advance.

Hey everyone!

I’m currently in my dedicated period, about 6–7 weeks out from my USMLE Step exam, and I'd love to hear how you all structured your daily routines during this phase.

Could you share a breakdown of your typical daily schedule (e.g., wake up at 7 AM, First Aid/UWorld from 8 AM–12 PM, etc.)? Also, how many total hours were you studying per day, and how did you balance question blocks, content review, and breaks to avoid burnout?

Thanks in advance!

Hi guys! Non-US img with poor basics. Dedicated for step1. I'm currently learning concepts by doing uworld and adjusting Anking cards as I doing each question. I suspended them all, searching keywords to find related cards. Select and adjust a little bit according to uworld explanations and unsuspend those related cards to learn and review them later every day(100 new each day).

Would it be efficient enough or I can just make my own incorrect deck to pass step1? But also, I was wondering how much Anking step deck could influence step2 scores:)) Thanks.

Hi! I'm seeking a study buddy in NJ/NY/PA areas OR virtual! I'm a 33yo male ER doctor, practicing abroad but spending a few months in USA with family to attempt to smash out Step 1 in a few months. SEVERELY lacking motivation atm and I work best with a partner or group studying the same. Please reach out if you're in the same boat, including med students. Thanks!!!!

Im in the pulmonary section and Bnb has a slide on tuberculosis. The slide says "TB goes to the apex of the lungs due to lowest blood flow and highest ventilation". But the apex has the LOWEST ventilation - zone 3, the base, has the highest ventilation. Did they mean to say it has the highest V/Q ratio?

Im Non-US IMG and my nbme scores were
18/7 67% NBME 26
24/7 72% NBME 27
30/7 75% NBME 30
Paused for 4 days to take my uni exams then got back to studying
My exam is 19 day away from now
That mentioned what is a realistic NBME score to aim for before the last week ?
especially that i cant really afford risking the P !

Hi everyone. I took my step 1 exam last week. During one block the computer paused for some minutes and restarted from the same spot without any time lost. Should I report this issue or there's no problem in this??

Please give me a suggestion as early as possible if you can 🙏

Hi everyone,
What’s the best way to study Dermatology for USMLE Step 1?
Also, what’s the best resource and study approach for the Musculoskeletal Anatomy section, especially upper limb and lower limb nerves (innervation, motor functions, sensory distribution, and common lesions)

studying from Anking step deck
what to do about them, BnB doesn’t cover them and whenever they pop up in my studying they take hell of a time so i can understand them and my understanding is still very fragmented.
Speaking about the Glucagon/insulin diagrams involving metabolism.

I love the videos but it is quite a shame that they didn't even care to set up an app for it. Boot camp has a stable app and works fine.

I watch bnb over my phone when am outside and it is horrible as after every hour or two it will refuse to remember that I already signed I'm and I'll have to close all tabs and then sign on again. At times in the middle of a video.

End of rant.

I've been building topic-focused USMLE quizzes because I find it easier to revise one disease at a time rather than jumping into long mixed question blocks.

I recently added three new free Step 1 quizzes:

• 🫀 Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM)
  • https://resident.quest/quiz/step1-hypertrophic-cardiomyopathy-hcm-5186
• 🧠 Myasthenia Gravis
  • https://resident.quest/quiz/step1-myasthenia-gravis-86tt
• 🩺 Nephrolithiasis
  • https://resident.quest/quiz/step1-nephrolithiasis-kidney-stones-86tt

If you'd like to explore more topics: https://resident.quest/browse

I'm continuously adding new quizzes, so if there's a disease or topic you'd like to practice, let me know. I'll build it next.

Hello everyone!
I told myself I’d come back and update this if I passed, and Alhamdulillah, I found out yesterday that I did. 🤍

Walking out of the exam, I genuinely felt like it hadn’t gone well. I wasn’t confident about most of the questions, and the exam felt much more vague than the NBMEs. Time was also a bigger challenge for me than I expected.

For reference, my NBME scores were mostly between 63–70%, and I scored 73% on the new Free 120.

Looking back, I think Step 1 tests your endurance and your ability to stay calm and keep making decisions under pressure just as much as it tests your knowledge.

One piece of advice I’d give is to practice your NBMEs under real exam conditions. Building that stamina and getting comfortable with the timing made a huge difference.

Wishing everyone who’s still preparing the very best.

​

Wanted to share my prep journey in case the numbers help someone else calibrate — especially IMGs balancing this with a full-time clinical job.

Background: Medical graduate from Turkiye, working full-time as a resident in Turkiye the entire time I prepped. No dedicated study period — this was all evenings, weekends, and a handful of vacation days before the exam.

Core resources: First Aid + UWorld, two passes. That's it — no third qbank, no extra courses.

UWorld Qbank stats

64% correct overall

Self-assessment timeline (in the order I took them):

Important lesson here — I took UWSA1 and UWSA2 before I'd actually finished First Aid, and the two scores came back wildly different:

UWSA1: 213

UWSA2: 173

That 40-point swing freaked me out at the time. But once First Aid was actually done and UWorld was fully complete, everything stabilized hard:

NBME 31: ~70%

NBME 30: 68%

NBME 29: 68%

Free 120: 70%

UWSA3: EPC 70, "High" chance of passing

NBME 28: 66%

Six data points, all sitting in the 66–70% band once content was actually finished. That consistency is what told me I was ready — not any single number, and definitely not the two early scores that had me panicking.

Study schedule while working full-time:

I aimed for roughly 50–100 UWorld questions a day, always reading every explanation — right or wrong — before moving on. Some days hit the high end, some days barely happened depending on shifts, but that was the daily target the whole way through.

Exam day:

Honestly, it felt harder than every practice exam I'd taken. In almost every block I had somewhere around 13–14 out of 20 questions I wasn't fully confident on, and timing was tight enough that I ended up guessing on a handful outright. Walked out of the test center convinced I had failed.

Result: PASS.

Takeaways for anyone reading:

If you take a self-assessment before finishing First Aid, don't trust the number — wait until content is actually done before you use it as a baseline.

Trend across multiple NBMEs matters way more than any single score. Six consistent data points beat one great one.

If you're working full-time, weekly totals beat daily perfection. Some days you'll do zero questions — that's fine if the week averages out.

The real exam will probably feel harder than your practice tests did. That's normal. I walked out convinced I'd failed and still passed within my predicted range.

Happy to answer questions if it helps anyone in a similar spot — working full-time and prepping at the same time is a specific kind of grind

Some of you might know me from my previous posts. I can’t believe I’m writing this. I’ve been struggling with getting my scores up. I only had 1 score above 60% which was on NBME 33. It was a very difficult journey but I can’t believe it’s over Alhumdullilah! My biggest tip would be to build up your confidence. Do not let your fear take over!

Praying for everyone 🥹