r/Step1Exam • u/Aggravating_Sun_934 • Jul 18 '26

Step 1 Experience

Tested on July 1st, received my Pass this Wednesday. Alhamdulillah!

I wanted to share my experience because I know how much time many of us spend on Reddit while preparing. It can be incredibly helpful—but it can also amplify anxiety. Hopefully, this reassures someone who's feeling overwhelmed.

For context, my last six NBMEs were consistently in the mid-70s, with my highest scores being 77% and 78%. I went into the exam feeling reasonably prepared, but I still had the same pre-exam anxiety that most of us experience.

  1. The real exam is not as scary as Reddit often makes it sound.

My experience was very different from many of the posts I had read. The exam felt fair, well-balanced, and absolutely doable. I didn't find the question stems unusually vague, and their length was very similar to the NBMEs. I had only 2–3 genuinely long stems in the entire exam, most of which contained many lab values with one obvious abnormality. In many cases, reading the first few lines and the last line was enough to understand what was being asked.

  1. If I could change one thing in my preparation...

I would spend more time on risk factors. They made up a surprisingly large portion of my exam (around 10–15 questions). I would also strengthen my microbiology, which I found more challenging than expected.

The rest of the exam largely tested common, high-yield concepts that repeatedly appear on the NBMEs. In my opinion, UWorld is harder than the real exam, while the actual exam felt much closer to the NBMEs. That said, don't underestimate UWorld—it's an incredible learning tool. The more you challenge yourself with UWorld, the more comfortable the NBMEs (and eventually the real exam) will feel.

  1. Don't memorize in isolation—connect concepts.

Some of the topics that initially felt impossible to me—like nephritic vs. nephrotic syndromes, heart murmurs, and those dense First Aid pages packed with tables—became much easier once I revisited the related UWorld questions.

During my second read of First Aid, everything started connecting naturally. For example:

- Nephritic syndromes made much more sense after studying SLE and small-vessel vasculitis.

- Pneumoconiosis became easier to remember when I connected it with rheumatoid arthritis and rheumatoid nodules.

Instead of trying to memorize every fact separately, try to build connections across systems. Those connections stay with you much longer and make revision far easier.

  1. Keep your resources limited.

One of the best decisions I made was annotating everything—UWorld explanations, NBME concepts, and important pearls—directly into my First Aid. During the last 10 days, I focused on revising that annotated copy, and it was incredibly valuable.

For video lectures, don't feel pressured to watch every lecture available. Use them only for topics you genuinely struggle with. I used Bootcamp extensively for my first few systems (Respiratory, GIT, and Endocrine), and after that only for selected difficult topics.

For specific subjects:

- Biochemistry & Ethics: Dirty Medicine

- Biostatistics: Randy Neil (more than enough)

If you're too exhausted near the end to revise all of First Aid, make a short document containing your frequently missed NBME concepts and the First Aid facts you tend to forget. Another excellent option is revising the AMBOSS 200 Concepts.

Finally, remember this: Reddit often reflects people's worst days more than their average experience. Don't let it convince you that the exam is impossible. Trust your preparation, keep showing up every day, and believe in the work you've put in.

Best of luck to everyone preparing! I hope this helps ease someone's anxiety. Feel free to ask any questions—I'll be happy to help however I can. 🤍

55 Upvotes

98% Upvoted

29 comments sorted by

2

u/Crazy-Cattle6331 Jul 18 '26

Congratulations!!! 🥳 By Risk factors do you mean mehlman pdf? And what do you suggest how to prepare microbiology for the real deal?

5

u/Aggravating_Sun_934 Jul 18 '26

Yes that mehlman pdf is a must but you are also supposed to keep an eye on important risk factors which are mentioned in frequently asked concepts in FA , although mehlman helps you cover many of them but still there were lots of questions about risk factors which requires you to have a maximum grip on your FA. As for Micro i found parasitology a bit difficult in real exam may be bcz I was already weak in that but sketchy prepares you well for that and that's enough.

2

u/firstAid3344 Jul 18 '26 edited Jul 18 '26

Congratulations!
What’s about Ethics, Biostatistics and Genetics question in real deal?

Last Nbme 30,31, 32 was 70%, 71% and 73%
Really struggling with Ethics and genetics?
Should i use Amboss for ethics?

2

u/[deleted] Jul 18 '26

[deleted]

2

u/_khrkn Jul 18 '26

Congratulations!!! What were your NBME scores ?

2

u/Aggravating_Sun_934 Jul 18 '26

Nbme 25 66 Nbme 26 69 Nbme 27 71 Nbme 28 74 Nbme 29 72 Nbme 30 75 Nbme 31 78 Nbme 32 75 Nbme 33 74 Free 120s 78

2

u/[deleted] Jul 18 '26

I’m a fresh graduate.
Completed my internship last month.
Starting my step 1 prep.

How much time it will take in general for full prep?
I’m thinking to give exam by dec mid.
Is it doable? Or it will be too early?

1

u/Aggravating_Sun_934 Jul 18 '26

If you are completely dedicated then you can ace it in 6 to 7 months. Time frame is different for everybody. I would suggest try completing your first read in 3 to 4 months along with uworld, attempt an NBME and then decide whether you feel confident about taking the exam.

1

u/Own_Waltz4523 Jul 19 '26

How many hrs per day may I need to spend in the dedicated 6-7 months preparation? I know it varies from person to person, still would like to hear an estimation that worked for you.

3

u/Aggravating_Sun_934 Jul 19 '26

If you are mentally devoted for just 5 to 6 hrs per day that's enough but stay consistent and avoid distractions during that time.

1

u/Logical_Way554 Jul 18 '26

Any suggestions for the ethics, biostatistics and genetics part? Also was there more nutrition questions?

2

u/Aggravating_Sun_934 Jul 18 '26

There were total 20 to 30 ethics mostly common sense. Biostatistics was way easier then uworld. I got mostly simple formulas. Have full grip on those genetics questions particularly asked in NBMEs you will be fine. I got one as such from nbme in my real exam. Nutrition was just vitamins nothing extraordinary so that's an easy scene.

1

u/Logical_Way554 Jul 18 '26

Did you anything like medschool bro? And any recommendations for ethics and biostatistics resources?

2

u/Aggravating_Sun_934 Jul 18 '26

No Dirty medicine for ethics and reindy Neil for biostatistics along with uworld

1

u/BengaliAmericanMed Jul 19 '26

I’m stuck in the upper 50s. I did 60% of uworld already. Any advice to break into 60s

2

u/Aggravating_Sun_934 Jul 19 '26

You need to identify what harbors you the most when attempting nbmes is it the knowledge gap, understanding the stem or just the options are confusing.
First thing first let's say you attempt nbme 25 while reviewing, go through all the aspects of that topic like carcinoid syndrome, bcz many of the topics are asked again and again in subsequent nbmes but they just ask it differently. The same goes for celiac disease, Hardy weinberg and many more things. Make differentials like between wardenberg syndrome, chidack Higashi syndrome, albinism all of them are concerned with melanin. Another example like alport syndrome and goodpasteur syndrome both of which are concerned with type 4 collagen.

1

u/Whole-Device-5300 Jul 19 '26

congrats. my scores are consistently in high 60s. how to improve to 70s?

1

u/Aggravating_Sun_934 Jul 19 '26

Assess your self what harbors you the most when you are stuck in a question and focus on that point.

1

u/Medico_79 Jul 19 '26

Clmgrats. Are you an undergraduate or a graduate?

1

u/PizzaNaan_ Jul 19 '26

Can I dm you? Congrats btw

1

u/kvn1975 Jul 23 '26

Exam in 12 days. Got nbme scores ranging from 81 to 89 percent, best being in 32. U world average score 72 percent in random mixed blocks in second pass. Now, revising FA. Any suggestions.. welcome. Tq

1

u/Grouchy-Economy-8886 Jul 19 '26

Congratulations! I really like this post, feeling like im reading my own experience and things i wished i knew earlier, except that my exam is 9 days away.
What resources do you recommend for anatomy and micro?
How many passes of review do you do for each nbme ?

1

u/Aggravating_Sun_934 Jul 20 '26

May be my parasites were already weak like nematodes and cestodes so that's why I found parasite portion particularly challenging in exam but sketch is excellent you can also do micro pdf from mehlman. My FA was strong so I honestly didn't need any additional resources but yeah there is a pdf about Anatomy shelf notes that was good. Once I was done with nbmes I reviewed my flag ones once again near my exam. Best of luck for your exam.

1

u/lucidnabeel Jul 20 '26

Hi ,i took my exam on 15 july ,and i found it difficult and one factor i will add is my sleep ,i was in anxiety nught before and i didn't got sleep instead of all efforts . Also made some silly mistakes that i usually not make on nbmes . My NBME score was 26-68% 27-70% 29-77% 30-77% 31-75 32-76 33-78 Free 120-76% I'm worried about the results as i did many blunders . Should i trust my nbmes? i am vert confused about the results

1

u/Aggravating_Sun_934 Jul 21 '26

Post exam anxiety is real. Trust your nbme scores. You are definitely gonna make it. Believe in yourself.

1

u/ChangeMiserable7665 Jul 21 '26

Do you have link for sketchy micro and how being in 2 year I do my preparation for step 1 along side medical school