Step 1 form guide Medium

Step 1 NBME 13: what's on it and how hard it is

NBME 13 has 138 questions in our copy. The average question is 74 words long and 68% take two or more steps to answer. It leans most on blood and immune system, brain and nerves and lungs.

Difficulty (0–100): 55
Average question: 74 words
Take 2+ steps: 68%
Have an image: 9%

When to take it

Extra practice early on. It is an older form: shorter questions and more straight recall than today's exam, so don't read much into the score.

Students say it feels about as hard as it is.

Our original practice exams

Systems it tests most

Share of the questions in each system.

Blood and immune system17%
Brain and nerves11%
Lungs11%
Kidneys and urinary9%

The full breakdown

Every system and subject, what the questions ask, and what changed from older forms.