The USMLE Step 1 is a computer-based, multiple-choice exam that US physicians must pass to practice medicine. It covers topics such as anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, pathology, and behavioral sciences. The exam lasts approximately eight hours and consists of seven one-hour sections with 46 questions each. The required score to pass is 188 on the three-digit scale and 75 on the two-digit scale.
The United States Medical Licensing Exam (USMLE) is a professional exam that US physicians must pass to practice medicine, and the USMLE Step 1 is the first part of the exam. It has a computer-based, multiple-choice format and contains 322 questions spaced into seven main sections, each lasting one hour. US medical students usually take the USMLE Step 1 after their first two years of medical school. International students must also take the exam if they want to practice medicine in the US after school.
Specific topics covered by USMLE Step 1 are classified as general principles or individual organ systems. Within the category of individual organ systems, there are four main concepts tested, including normal processes, abnormal processes, therapeutic principles, and other considerations related to culture, environment, and psychosocial factors. Each topic is tested with these ideas in mind, although the topics themselves have a wide range that matches the traditional curriculum taught during the first two years of US medical school. Anatomy and physiology, pharmacology, pathology, biochemistry and molecular biology, and behavioral sciences are usually the main topics tested. Additional topics include empathy and ethics in medicine.
USMLE Step 1 is approximately eight hours in length and consists of seven one-hour sections, each of which contains 46 questions. During the test, there are several opportunities for breaks, which total about 45 minutes for the duration of the exam, excluding the optional 15-minute tutorial that can be skipped. An additional break may occur if the student finishes any section early. Because the exam is computer-based, it is usually taken at a professional testing center, where time is carefully monitored.
Scoring for the USMLE Step 1 occurs in two-digit and three-digit format, each of which can be calculated separately from the other. The three-digit score is based on a maximum of 300 points, but this score has never been seen by various medical licensing boards. Triple-digit average scores on Step 1 typically hover around 221, with a standard deviation of 24 points. The required score to pass the exam is 188 on the three-digit scale and 75 on the two-digit scale. Contrary to some common assumptions, the two-digit score does not represent the test taker’s percentile status, as percentile scores have not been used since 1999.
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