The Trusted Leader for
USMLE® Step 1 Preparation

UWorld Step 1 practice questions are written at or above the real exam’s difficulty level to help students pass Step 1 and build a strong scientific foundation for the future. Our thorough explanations describe the logic behind each question and why answer options are right or wrong.

Our question bank consists of nearly 4,000 USMLE Step 1 sample questions written by practicing physicians. We regularly update our QBank to ensure full coverage of the USMLE Step 1 syllabus.

Historically, a 40% UWorld Step 1 QBank score has been correlated with a passing score on the USMLE Step 1. With the exam’s recent transition to pass/fail scoring, we now consider a passing UWorld Step 1 QBank score to be 45% to 50%.

UWorld Step 1 self-assessments consist of four 60-minute blocks containing 40 questions each. This is similar to the real USMLE, which consists of seven 60-minute blocks containing up to 40 questions each.

For now, based on initial feedback we’ve received, we are keeping the 3-digit score for self-assessments instead of converting it to a Pass/Fail scale. The 3-digit score lets students know how close they are to the Pass/Fail mark, both for Step 1 and Step 2. We will continue to monitor this and make adjustments as needed as we collect more data.

UWorld Step 1 self-assessments are scored using a proprietary algorithm that accounts for percentage correct, percentile rank, historical student scoring data, and similar factors.

Based on internal and independent data, there’s a notable correlation between completing UWorld Step 1 questions and improving your Step 1 score. While finishing our QBank once is enough to pass Step 1 for many students, we suggest reviewing it twice for the best results

We recommend completing the QBank twice before your exam. The first pass should be completed to help study for your medical school classes. By using the Subjects and Systems, you can fine-tune your studying to your coursework by creating flashcards for studying during classes and on your own. When you are at your dedicated study time, reset the QBank and do a mix of structured and random questions. As you get closer to your exam date, do more and more blocks of random questions for a better exam simulation.

Start using the QBank as early as possible in your medical school journey and gradually increase the volume of questions you tackle as you become more comfortable. For most topics, we recommend taking enough time to complete 8-12 questions per day to make a complete pass through the QBank before your dedicated study time. Work up to completing a dedicated 20 questions per day, but don’t overload yourself all at once. Juggling medical school and other life commitments can be challenging, so work ahead on days when you have time so that you’re prepared for the days when you don’t. If you can only dedicate 30 minutes to QBank study a day when you first start, that’s a solid foundation to build upon.

UWorld is a long-term resource that provides difficult questions that make practice feel like the exam — and the exam feel like practice. While many students focus on learning in class rather than using QBanks, we recommend you start answering our questions as soon as possible. We are a one-stop shop for preparing you for USMLE® Step 1, USMLE Step 2 CK, USMLE Step 2 CS, USMLE Step 3, ABIM®, ABFM®, MCAT®, PANCE®, and/or PANRE®. There’s a reason over 90 percent of medical students have chosen us as their primary learning and testing resource for high-stakes medical exams.

Our QBanks are designed primarily as a learning tool, and topics may be covered uniformly in questions of varying difficulty levels. For example, some difficult questions may test high-yield concepts that are important to know regardless of how hard they are. To maximize your learning, we encourage you to go through all the questions rather than risk setting false expectations based on difficulty levels. We do have an unwavering commitment to improving our resources and tools based on user feedback, so stay tuned for future innovations