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Step 1 form guide Medium
Step 1 NBME 28: what's on it and how hard it is
NBME 28 has 190 questions in our copy. The average question is 69 words long and 77% take two or more steps to answer. It leans most on blood and immune system, brain and nerves and heart and vessels.
- Difficulty (0–100)
- 65
- Average question
- 69 words
- Take 2+ steps
- 77%
- Have an image
- 27%
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 examsSystems it tests most
Share of the questions in each system.
- Blood and immune system12%
- Brain and nerves11%
- Heart and vessels11%
- General principles10%
The full breakdown
Every system and subject, what the questions ask, and what changed from older forms.