Free USMLE Step 1 question bank
Board-style practice questions with full explanations, free for every medical student and international medical graduate.
What you can do today
- Build your own blocks. Choose subjects and subtopics, then pull from unused, incorrect, correct, or bookmarked questions.
- Study in tutor or timed exam mode. See the answer and explanation after each question, or simulate a timed block and review at the end.
- Review the reasoning. Open the explanation after submitting an answer in tutor mode, or review explanations after submitting an exam-mode block.
- Track your progress. See accuracy by subject and subtopic, time per question, and trends, always with how many answers each number is based on.
Subjects covered
Questions are organized by organ system and discipline, each broken into subtopics so you can target weak areas:
- Biochemistry
- Cardiology
- Dermatology
- Endocrine
- Gastrointestinal
- Hematology and Oncology
- Immunology
- Microbiology
- Musculoskeletal
- Neurology and Special Senses
- Pulmonology
- Renal
- Reproductive
- Psychiatry
For a focused review, select a category and keep all of its subtopics, or narrow the selection to particular subtopics. Leave categories unselected for a mixed block across the bank. Hematology and Oncology appears as “Heme Onc” in the subject selector.
Practice questions with explanations
Try the free sample questions before creating an account. They include biochemistry, cardiology, microbiology, neurology, pulmonology, and renal questions. Read the vignette and answer choices, decide on your answer, then open “Show answer and explanation” to compare your reasoning with the correct answer and review the other choices.
In your own practice blocks, tutor mode lets you review the answer and explanation immediately after you submit each response. Exam mode keeps answers and explanations hidden until you submit the block. Timing is a separate setting, so you can choose whether to use a timer in either mode.
How to start a Step 1 practice block
- Create a free account and complete your profile, then open Create a test from your dashboard.
- Choose your question pool: all eligible, unused, previously answered, incorrect, correct, or bookmarked questions.
- Select the subjects and subtopics you want to review, or leave categories unselected for mixed practice.
- Choose your block size, tutor or exam mode, and whether to use a timer. Check the available-question notice and broaden your filters or reduce the block size if needed.
- Start the test, answer the questions, and review the explanations. After completing the block, use your subject and subtopic results to choose your next review.
Why it’s free
Practice questions shouldn’t be another bill on the way to becoming a doctor. DrillMD is built to make Step 1 preparation accessible to everyone. Read about our mission.
Studying abroad? See our USMLE guide for international medical graduates. Preparing for Step 2 CK? That question bank is coming soon.