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Step 1 form guide Medium

Step 1 NBME 6: what's on it and how hard it is

NBME 6 has 158 questions in our copy. The average question is 54 words long and 71% take two or more steps to answer. It leans most on brain and nerves, general principles and blood and immune system.

Difficulty (0–100)
54
Average question
54 words
Take 2+ steps
71%
Have an image
19%

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 easier than the questions really are.

Our original practice exams

Systems it tests most

Share of the questions in each system.

  • Brain and nerves14%
  • General principles14%
  • Blood and immune system11%
  • Heart and vessels10%

The full breakdown

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

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