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Step 1 form guide Medium

Step 1 NBME 25: what's on it and how hard it is

NBME 25 has 107 questions in our copy. The average question is 67 words long and 79% take two or more steps to answer. It leans most on blood and immune system, heart and vessels and reproductive.

Difficulty (0–100)
68
Average question
67 words
Take 2+ steps
79%
Have an image
21%

When to take it

Middle of dedicated (weeks 3–4), once you have a first score to compare with.

Students say it feels harder than the questions really are.

Our original practice exams

Systems it tests most

Share of the questions in each system.

  • Blood and immune system12%
  • Heart and vessels11%
  • Reproductive9%
  • General principles8%

The full breakdown

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

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