All form guides
Step 1 form guide Medium
Step 1 NBME 30: what's on it and how hard it is
NBME 30 has 190 questions in our copy. The average question is 72 words long and 79% take two or more steps to answer. It leans most on brain and nerves, blood and immune system and general principles.
- Difficulty (0–100)
- 68
- Average question
- 72 words
- Take 2+ steps
- 79%
- 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 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%
- General principles11%
- Heart and vessels10%
The full breakdown
Every system and subject, what the questions ask, and what changed from older forms.