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Step 1 form guide Medium
Step 1 NBME 27: what's on it and how hard it is
NBME 27 has 190 questions in our copy. The average question is 74 words long and 79% take two or more steps to answer. It leans most on brain and nerves, blood and immune system and muscles, bones and joints.
- Difficulty (0–100)
- 63
- Average question
- 74 words
- Take 2+ steps
- 79%
- Have an image
- 29%
When to take it
Middle of dedicated (weeks 3–4), once you have a first score to compare with.
Students say it feels about as hard as it is.
Our original practice examsSystems it tests most
Share of the questions in each system.
- Brain and nerves13%
- Blood and immune system12%
- Muscles, bones and joints9%
- Lungs8%
The full breakdown
Every system and subject, what the questions ask, and what changed from older forms.