Below is a complete list of all forms available this year for the USMLE NBME self-assessment and practice exams for USMLE Step 1, Step 2, and Step 3 offered by the NBME and some guidance on using them in your study preparation.

• Step 1 practice exams are termed: Comprehensive Basic Science Exams
• Step 2 practice exams are termed: Comprehensive Clinical Science Exams
• Step 3 practice exams are termed: Comprehensive Clinical Medicine Exams
• Clerkship practice exams are termed: Clinical Science Mastery Exams

The expanded feedback option, which is available for some of the self assessments, is an additional $10. It provides a count of incorrect items with an opportunity to review them as well as the ability to obtain a longitudinal assessment. The expanded feedback does not tell you which questions you answered incorrectly, nor does it include explanations to the exam questions. Students we have spoken with speak highly of the longitudinal assessment. The longitudinal assessment highlights your strong and weak areas and indicates lower performance, borderline performance or higher performance.

Further, the longitudinal assessment is an excellent way to determine what areas you should devote more time to studying so that you can improve. Please note, NBME practice exams taken on or after March 6, 2015 cannot be longitudinally compared to exams taken before that date. You can take the practice exams in standard-paced or self-paced mode. We recommend taking the practice exams in standard-paced mode; you can still pause in standard mode.

Step 1 NBME Advice

Based on student feedback, the following advice is what we have found most helpful to students. Take Forms 11 and 12 to get a good baseline assessment before starting your intensive review period. Forms 13, 15 and 16 appear to be the best indicators of your Step 1 score. We suggest you take these during your intensive review period to help determine if you are ready to take Step 1. The NBME removed NBME 7 and added a new NBME 17 in March of 2015. We do not have enough student feedback to make a recommendation about Form 17 at this time.

USMLE Step 1 NBME Assessments

Step 2 NBME Advice

Based on student feedback, we recommend taking all four forms from oldest to newest.

USMLE Step 2 NMBE Assessments

Step 3 NBME Advice

We recommend taking an NBME at the beginning of your study period to make decisions about your board preparation goals. We have a blog on USMLE Step 3: Preparing for Computer-Based Case Simulations that will assist you in understanding and preparing for Computer-based Case Simulations.

USMLE Step 3 NMBE Assessments

The Clinical Science Mastery exams are new for shelf practice exams and cover the following disciplines; Clinical Neurology, Medicine, Obstetrics/Gynecology, Pediatrics, Psychiatry, and Surgery.

Clerkship NBME Advice:

We recommend you take the assessment in standard mode for the Clinical Science Mastery Exams so you get used to doing that many questions.

Clerkship NMBE Assessments

Additional information on NBME practice exams can be found here: http://www.nbme.org/Students/sas/information.html