I promised myself that if I passed, I’d come back and make one of these posts because reading them helped me a lot during prep.

Result: PASS 🎉

My practice scores:
NBME 25: 44%
NBME 27: 54%
NBME 28: 59%
NBME 29: 65%
NBME 30: 67%
NBME 31: 61%
NBME 32: 61% (raw)
NBME 33: 66% EPC
Free 120 (2026): 67%
I know these aren’t the crazy 75–80% scores you often see posted, so if you’re hovering in the mid-60s, don’t automatically assume you’re doomed.

Exam day ordeal
The actual exam was stressful before I even got to the questions.
During my exam, the testing center had technical problems with my computer. It shut down unexpectedly, and I had to be moved to another workstation. Anyone who’s taken Step 1 knows how much that can throw you off mentally. I lost my focus for a while and spent the next block trying to settle back into the exam instead of thinking purely about the questions.
Despite that, I kept going one block at a time. Once I accepted that I couldn’t change what had happened, I focused on answering the next question instead of replaying the interruption in my head.

After the exam
Like many people, I started remembering mistakes… and then more mistakes… and then even more. I convinced myself I’d failed because I could recall so many incorrect answers.
In reality, your brain remembers mistakes much better than the hundreds of questions you answered correctly. That’s completely normal.
The wait for results was honestly harder than the exam itself.

What helped me pass
Trusting the NBMEs instead of obsessing over individual questions afterward.
Reviewing my incorrects instead of trying to memorize everything.
Learning patterns rather than isolated facts.
Staying calm when I didn’t know an answer and moving on.

For anyone taking Step 1
If your scores are trending upward and you’re consistently around the passing range, don’t let Reddit convince you that everyone passes with 80% NBMEs. People with average scores pass every single week they’re just less likely to post.
Good luck to everyone still studying. I hope this gives someone with similar scores a little more confidence.

I walked into my first block of Step 1 and double checked that it wasn’t step 2. I walked out of step 1 feeling like I failed. I couldn’t remember a single question and sobbed for 2 weeks straight. I got a P today.

I also reported a testing interruption to NBME and they told me that my score would be on hold for a minimum of 15 days. I got my score on time, no delays. Please don’t let that score hold dissuade you from reporting. If you passed anyways they are likely to conclude the investigation.

I’m so beyond relieved to see that I passed and thought I would share my study plan in case anyone needs it.

First off, I barely touched UWorld during dedicated. I used about 59% during basic sciences for our in house exams and then never touched it again. What I did use from UWorld was their medical library.

I did every single NBME online with testing conditions. I would use the UWorld library to study my incorrects and guesses. And write out notes on those topics.

I did one NBME a week and 2-4 Pathoma Chapters per week for 6 weeks until Step. I reviewed ALL of Pathoma chapters and annotated the book.

I also watched DirtyMed on YouTube for Biochem.

NO MEHLMAN, NO ANKI — these things didn’t match my learning style that I had cultivated in basic sciences and I am grateful that I stuck with what I knew. Stay consistent to a few resources and don’t listen to the noise

No words for how shitty this feels. I might as well go back to my country.

Hello everyone! I hope you are all doing great. Just a message to give back to the community that has given me so much! I took my exam on 7/7 and I just received the P today!

My personal opinion on the exam is that it is very doable. It is definitely difficult, no doubt, but believe it or not, it covers STEP 1 content you have been studying all this time!!!! No alien science here! If you are doing well on NBMEs, if you feel prepared enough, and if you have the knowledge and a solid grasp of every system, then go for it! This comes from someone who used to manually calculate my NBME scores because I was too afraid to believe I could score high! I know everyone has a different exam experience, and I am truly sorry for anyone who wasn’t lucky enough to pass this time, but next time, you'll do it!

When I left the exam, my first instinct was that it wasn’t that bad, just another NBME, but longer! Yes, I remembered some questions I got wrong, but that’s okay; it’s a 280-question exam, and you’re supposed to get only about 120 right!

Lastly, just go when you are happy and confident with your NBME scores. Because that’s what will keep you steady during the wait for the results!

i feel so defeated. i’ve just been crying like a baby for two hours and i feel so stupid for it. i spread my studying out over a year and for the month leading up to the exam, i studied 12 hours a day. i didn’t leave my house for 3 weeks. i feel like i wasted so much time and all for nothing and now just thinking about having to retake it is making me genuinely sick. for the past year at med school everything has been spiralling out of control and i feel like im floundering. i feel so immature and incompetent compared to everyone else in my class (there’s a reason for it that im not sharing because im scared of people finding this post). i’ll also be spending my last remaining “break” on studying for the retake (next summer i’ll be doing back to back electives to prepare for the match) and i feel so sad that i wont get to spend time with my family and friends whom i dont get to see for 3 quarters of the year while i’m abroad. i feel so guilty because my family has sacrificed so much for me and have supported me so much and everyone in my life is rooting for me but nothing is working out. my world has felt so bleak for the past year and i feel like this has just drained all the remaining colour from it. i feel so burnt out and exhausted but i know i need to start studying again for my retake. i just don’t know what to do anymore. i won’t quit because everyone has sacrificed so much for me to get to this point, but i don’t know if i can keep doing this.

Alhamdulillah.

With extreme gratitude and happiness, I share that I passed Step-1. Got my P just now 1 hour ago. Tested 6th July

Like I started off well by watching the videos from BnB and then after the system was done. I would complete its questions from UWorld.

After that, I got into doing the NBMEs from 26-33. I didn't understand how to properly review my mistakes. I kept making notes of the mistakes and the topics. And kept reading the whole of that system mainly emphasizing on the topic I got wrong. Gave it a thorough read. And thought of how else could this be asked.

My Scores:

26 - 65
27 - 67
28 - 67
29 - 73
30 - 72
32 - 74
31 - 71
33 - 73
Free 120 (Old) - 71
Free 120 (New) - 69

I wish I knew why the abrupt increase in the 29th test. But I just felt the questions were much easier 29th NBME onwards. Which is how I was able to maintain the 70s range. So thank god for that.

Regarding test day,
I went with the motto of trusting my NBMEs . I kept telling myself that the whole week following the exam. And believe me, You have to keep yourself motivated till the exam and even after the exam. You fumble big time if you dont keep yourself up and about.
So, the exam in itself was very much similar to the NBMEs and Free 120. And its completely doable you guys. TRUST ME, YOU GOT THIS. This is coming from a person who failed in a subject in MBBS. I am a very average student. I just make do with what I got. And this is such a huge blessing to me indeed.

Resources Used
- First AID (dahhh)
- UWorld
- Boards and Beyond

I tried hard to use ANKI, But I could never get myself to do it at all. But hey, each to their own.

So all the best you guys. Trust me. YOU GOT THIS. FIGHTING!!!

It feels so surreal to see that pass! Tested 07/07.

Thanks to the community in this subreddit because they helped me a lot when I really needed.
I thought I would not pass this because I did not follow the normal rules that everyone said was a must to pass this exam. As someone with difficulties in financial side I didn’t get any qbank. I was just using amboss that was for the school. I also did my medical school in Somalia where basic science was not thought in a way that is possible for one to pass step 1 exam. This required me to put extra hard work on the means to pass.

My resources were mainly amboss and first aid. I also did listen to pathoma 1-3 chapters.
My nbmes
27: online 65
28: 70 offline
29: 71 offline
30,31,32,33: 72 offline all
32 online 85% was mostly same as the one I did offline
Free 120 2026 81%

Got my score report today; tested 07/09 ! So happy

I CANNOT BELIEVE I PASSED!!
Tested: 08/07

NBME 26: Baseline 53%

NBME 27: 63%

NBME 28: 67%

NBME 29: 71%

NBME 30: 75%

NBME 31: 73%

A GAP OF ALMOST 20 day!

NBME 32(25 june): 65%

NBME 33(29 june): 64%

New Free 120(3 july): 68%

Walked out of the center being 90% sure I failed,flagged almost 15/20 questions on every block.Even started making strategies about re attempting but here I am.😂

I almost corrected many mcqs. I dont know how it got failed. Should i do rechecking? And will it help me?

Honestly really thankful for this community, helped me get through these two grueling weeks!

I found the test to be fair, but definitely the hardest one I’ve taken in my life, no debate. I studied for around 8 weeks (started May 2nd) and tested July 7th. Everyone’s different, but here’s what worked for me:

My prep was based solely on UWorld, did very little content review. When I had to, I would read First Aid for 30 minutes on the topic I felt most weak in and then did a 10-40 question block (depending on how I felt after reading) on that topic, then headed onto mixed Qs (120-140 per day… seems like a lot, but I didn’t spend too much time dwelling on explanations). Resources were Sketchy, Boards & Beyond (didn’t really use it much during dedicated, it was mostly during first and second year), Pathoma (same thing, mostly used during the year), and First Aid. Towards the end of my prep I spent time on Amboss (really good Q banks and library!) and Mehlman HY Risk factors. I did get Mehlman’s Qbank but only got through around 15% of it. Here are my stats:

UWorld: ~80% used, 55% correct
Free 120 (new): 73%
Free 120 (old): 71%
NBME 33: 73%
NBME 32: 70%
CBSE (school administered): 69% (had to get a 62%+ to be able to sit for the test)
NBME 31: 64%
NBME 30: 64%
NBME 29: 68%
NBME 28: 62%
NBME 27: 63%
NBME 26: 47% (was the first one I took the first week of prep and was definitely not in the right headspace; this test is mostly psychological, this score and my following ones proved it)

Please don’t feel discouraged if you’re not in high 70s or in 80s, it’s not needed!!! This is such a difficult test, but it’s mostly based on your mindset. I left the prometric center feeling good, then following days I spiraled so bad. TRUST YOUR NBMES!!! TRUST YOUR NUMBERS!!! They don’t lie!! Wishing you all the best of luck and success!!

A quick guide of what I did that isnt too complicated:

- All of pathoma

- All of sketchy micro

- 90-95ish% of sketchy pharm

-50ish% of uworld (65ish% correct)

- Pixorize biochem (lysosomal storage & glycogen diseases and a few others; i would recommend doing any that uworld didnt cover for you tbh)

- Bootcamp immunology

- ANKI High yield, relatively high yield, and HY temporary for all the above resources; ended up getting through about 50% of ANKING

- HY Images & Mehlman Arrows

Biggest advice is to not overcomplicate studying with a gagillion resources. I picked a few that worked for me and supplemented w smaller things to fill in the gaps.

Hi everyone, I'm already done with my steps but just want to go over pharm and micro bc I have forgotten so many things already. My old computer which has all the Sketchy videos is not working anymore so I do not have an access to them unfortunately. Free trial from Sketchy medicine website has already been used several years ago. Does any one of you have sketchy videos or know how to get them for free? Thank you.

Passed Step 1! 🎉
I got the P today, and I wanted to share what worked for me in case it helps someone else.
Resources:
First Aid
UWorld (almost two complete passes)
Pathoma
Mehlman PDFs
Offline NBMEs
My main resources were First Aid and UWorld. I completed almost two passes of UWorld. During my first pass, I used tutor mode and referred back to First Aid after every question to reinforce concepts. I also watched Pathoma system-wise whenever I needed a better understanding of difficult pathology topics.
My dedicated study period was 2 months.
During the last month, I focused on offline NBMEs and Mehlman PDFs, which I found especially helpful for retaining high-yield information. I found the offline NBMEs through a Reddit thread and completed them untimed to get familiar with the style of questions rather than to simulate test conditions.
Practice scores:
NBME 31: 73.5%
NBME 32: 74.5%
NBME 33: 74%
Free 120: 75%
The real exam felt like a mix of NBME and UWorld question styles. I felt confident about roughly 50% of the questions, made educated guesses on about 40%, and around 10% were questions I had absolutely no idea how to answer.
The biggest challenge wasn’t necessarily the difficulty—it was the length of the exam. I’m really glad I took a substantial lunch and had some coffee before the later blocks because it helped me stay focused through the end. The testing center was comfortable, and the proctors were professional and helpful throughout the day.
I walked out of the exam with very mixed feelings, so getting the Pass today was an incredible relief.
If anyone has any questions about my preparation or exam day, I’d be happy to answer. Good luck to everyone preparing for Step 1—you’ve got this!

Long shot but can I get a refund back or is the money gone now lmaoo

I got tested in 10/7. My score is below the curve, like I didn't answer anything right, which makes me believe it's invalid. I didn't copy or cheat. I answered the questions in an irregular order. At the end of most blocks, also had no time and marked questions fast. I suspect I triggered the algorithm. What can I do?

I just got my pass (tested July 10)!!! My testing conditions here honestly horrible with a few site issues (it was what I’m pretty sure is a one off issue so not something everyone else should have to worry about facing too) and I was so anxious I got zero hours of sleep before.

I wanted to do this write up to mostly say, I promise you nothing you see here is going to help you (at least 90 percent of the time) before your exam or during the grade wait period. The biggest thing I got from Reddit was panic attacks and worsening self doubt every time I checked and saw a post about how horrific the test is or a “my nbme scores are high 70’s/80’s am I ready or should I postpone post”. No hate to anyone who posted either of the threads either, but it’s important to acknowledge that for those of us who have anxiety, we need to know our own limitations with stuff like that and just stay off of Reddit for a bit. I’m saying this as someone who was on Reddit and honestly regrets it.

Now for the test, since I know a lot of people will ignore my previous advice/maybe it doesn’t impact them I’ll still do a more traditional debrief. I want to give you some background so I don’t lead you astray. I’m a Canadian attending a Caribbean school. I got pretty decent/honours grades in preclinical. Somewhere in the top 10-15 percent. That said my nbme scores were not above 70 for the most part. I did get above a 70 for my second cbse (we have to do two, although I also passed the first one). There’s a few reasons I know I didn’t break 70, I have a hard time fully committing to tests I know aren’t real so I couldn’t take it seriously being the biggest factor but one that I have repeatedly seen in myself so not a shocker. I did a full pass of uworld and reset my questions and then also started doing amboss. I did anki where I could but not very commited though if I went back in time I would have been more dedicated to anki from the beginning to keep it manageable. I also watched pathoma 1-6 and used first aid as well as dirty med and mehlman here and there.

The actual test was a mix of everything. I did all the nbme’s from 25 onwards so at a certain point you get an idea of some topics that are basically guaranteed to show up so keep track of that. I PERSONALLY (and I’m not going to debate this with other test takers, because as I stated this is what I personally felt) didn’t think the questions were super long. A part of that is because I went in so terrified I was about to read article length questions for each question based on what I saw others say on Reddit which helped I guess. I also am a fast reader, but the average question was maybe 4-6 sentences? So although I admit it wasn’t one liners like we saw on earlier nbme’s it wasn’t super long either. I had a few chart style questions but not many. The longest questions tended to be biostats or the odd genetic question. I think reading speed was a big advantage for sure but even if your not it should be doable.

I took the whole time in each block just because I always tend to do that, a few blocks I had to rush the last few questions but that was mostly time management/focus issue were I lost focus halfway through the question and had to go back to reread. So keep your focus in check but it being in 20 question blocks in my opinion is a huge help with this since rushing 3 questions is a lot better than having to rush let’s say 10 if you were doing a 40 question block. Take it one block at a time. As someone with anxiety totally get how hard that is but it honestly is what you have to do. I (shockingly) did a great job of that during the test and fully just forgot about each previous block as I moved on. This is absolutely what helped save me despite me having such a thrown off exam day. At a certain point i feel like I blacked out and essentially went into autopilot. This is where your practice is key, despite my lack of confidence previously, knowing I passed now and being able to look back, I know I did know the content. You can’t do that many practice tests and content and not to some level know the answer. You have to trust your gut instinct at a certain point (again easier said than done).

Also, have a few things you know you will almost always get right, for me that was psych and ethics. Biostats I’m decent at but honestly most of the calculation questions, although there wasn’t many because most questions were theory, I did guess on because I felt it wasn’t worth the time it would take for me to

I took a break for 5 min every two/three blocks which worked for me as well.

Overall the test is doable if you just keep your stress in check (assuming you put in the work beforehand) but make sure your also prioritizing your mental health because it’s so easy for it to suffer through this process. The test is not easy by any means but for others like me who also catastrophize things, it’s also not as bad as you make it seem in your head.

To everyone who passed I’m so proud of us!! If you didn’t pass I’m still so proud of you and I know you can do this!! And to everyone who’s going to write it you’ve got this!!

EDIT: just because I’ve been dm’d a few times here’s a quick summary of stats and resources

Nbme30-33 all between 65-69 with a dip in 33 to 65, free120 was 69 and the earlier nbme 25-29 were low to mid 60 other than 25 which was my very first nbme before cbse and I got a 56 I think.

I also did uworld SA 1-3 scoring low 60’s and med school bro 120 (78%) mehlman SA (65%) and AMBOSS SA (70ish)

Resources
-pathoma 1-6 multiple times and then I watched the other chapters during my preclinical blocks

-sketchy micro and pharm during my preclinical blocks and some I reached again

-first aid cover to cover at various points throughout the last two years and skimmed again in dedicated

-mehlman arrows and topics I specifically felt I wanted to fully ensure the highest questions in/rapid review

-dirty med: biochem for a few topics, disease overviews, pharm

-uworld did a full pass and then reset

-Amboss: 200 concepts (did this like 4 times throughout my cbse and dedicated time), nutrition/ethics/chart questions (not all but some of them) and then some random questions on topics I felt would for sure come up

-anki: did not keep up as well as I wish but did do it here and there

-100 concepts for anatomy and the high yield image doc

Again my tips are: have 2-3 categories you are 100 percent in, don’t skip out on biostats, even if your micro is strong review it well because the questions are asked weirdly, and only focus on the block your working on!

hii

i took nbme 24 a few weeks ago and scored around 50%. i recently took nbme 25 and scored 51%, my exam is less than 2 months away. any advice on how to improve them? i completed 58% of uworld.

Hello everyone, I hope you are all doing well.

I am looking for a comprehensive source covering everything we need to know about nutrition.

Thank you 😊

Expecting my result today
Will I be getting a mail? Or do I check on FSMB/ MyIntealth account ?

Was it as twisted as I make it out to be? (Say yes). Help your fellow test taker!
What the hell was that 🫪

Hello, I appeared for the Step 1 exam and I wanted to report a technical issue that occured on that day. It was a bit of a lagging problem between questions a few times but the timer stopped each time the lagging occured. Will that affect my score in my transcript? Should I report it? Will it delay my result? And by how long?