General information
Step 1 is a written exam for 8 hours and is taken on a computer in one day. It consists of 7 blocks of questions and has all together 322 multiple-choice questions. You can freely take breaks between the blocks but the total time for breaks is 45 minutes. That means you will have just enough time to go a few times to the bathroom and eat a quick snack. If you divide the available time by the number of questions you come up with 1 minute and 18 seconds per question. That is not too much time. It is therefore crucial to be able to read quickly in English and get quickly oriented in the essential parts of the question. One method that worked for me is quickly skimming the answers and than looking in the question body for relevant information to make the best choice. This is because there is often unnecessary information in the text (the body) that takes time to read and is unnecessary to answer the question. Pay attention to various details like “not” and “except for” that are frequent and probably intended to confuse you. The exam obviously also tests your attention and overall endurance.
Step 1 is “advertised” as an pre-clinical knowledge exam but most questions are case presentations.
Test questions:
- You can test your knowledge and exam taking skills on the official web site www.usmle.org/practice-materials/index.html or directly on http://download.usmle.org/2012/Step1Download.zip.
- It is also possible to arrange a simulated exam USMLE Step 1 or Step 2 CK directly in one of the Prometric Centers www.prometric.com.
- www.usmleworld.com is a commercial paid web site with test questions and a discussion forum for participants. I have never tried it myself but it seems that participants like this site.
- Paid courses and test questions Kaplan
Text books:
- First Aid for the USMLE Step 1
- Lippincott’s illustrated reviews (quite detailed, each book about 300 pages): Biochemistry, Pharmacology, Immunology, Anatomy&Embryology, Cell and Molecular Biology, Microbiology, Physiology
- High-Yield Series (more concise, each books about 100 pages): Gross Anatomy, Cell and Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Behavioral Science, Immunology, Microbiology&Infectious Diseases, Embryology, Neuroanatomy
- Rapid Review Pathology Revised Reprint, Edward Goljan
There is more confusion and inconsistency among students on which texts are the best for Step 1 as compared to Step 2 CK. I believe that First Aid for the USMLE Step 1 is essential. Then you will likely need either High-Yield Series or Lippincott’s illustrated reviews and/or Rapid Review Pathology.
I suggest you read opinions from several students before making a decision which text books to purchase. You can also read the observations of one keen Slovak student in the forum on this web site "Poznatky z USMLE Step 1"
You can find more information on www.usmle.net or www.kevinmd.com/blog/2012/04/scored-257-usmle-step-1.html (experience of an American student)