Basic (Noob) Questions about the Step 1

[Ibn Rushd]

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I'll be starting med school next year, but I'm still interested in at least learning about the Step 1. I've got a lot of basic questions about the test and would appreciate if anyone can help me understand what this exam is all about.

So how is it organized, exactly? I've heard something about there being "blocks." How long are these and how many questions are asked in each block? How is the exam scored? What's considered a "good" score? Is it true that if you pass the exam, you can't take it again? What's a passing score? How much does it cost to take? How long does one wait for the results to be released? Is a passing Step 1 score required before starting third/fourth-year rotations? When do people generally take the test?

I've researched these questions before, but unfortunately, never really got complete answers to them all. I figure there are others like me also interested and a thread like this could be stickied?

Thanks in advance for any help!

 

[wAyRadikull]

I'll be starting med school next year, but I'm still interested in at least learning about the Step 1. I've got a lot of basic questions about the test and would appreciate if anyone can help me understand what this exam is all about.

So how is it organized, exactly? I've heard something about there being "blocks." How long are these and how many questions are asked in each block? 7 blocks, 48 questions each = 336
How is the exam scored? No one knows, its supposed to be out of 300, but thats just an estimate.
What's considered a "good" score? Average mean is 220ish, so anything above that.
Is it true that if you pass the exam, you can't take it again? Yes
What's a passing score? 185
How much does it cost to take? 600ish
How long does one wait for the results to be released? 3 Wednesdays after you take the test, so approx. 3 weeks
Is a passing Step 1 score required before starting third/fourth-year rotations? Depends on your school, most do require completion of USMLE Step 1, this is in the case of US grads. IMGs normally take it after medical school and decent Caribbean schools also require completion before starting 3rd year
When do people generally take the test? Its offered year round, but AMGs normally take it during April and July.

I've researched these questions before, but unfortunately, never really got complete answers to them all. I figure there are others like me also interested and a thread like this could be stickied?

Thanks in advance for any help!

Look for bolded answers above to your questions.

 

[Ibn Rushd]

Thank you!! That really helps. Test-takers are allotted an hour for each block, correct? And what's this about a two-digit score? Aren't scores reported as ###/##? Also, what's the correlation between a certain score on the step 1 and the chances of matching into a given residency (for example, people with X Step 1 scores have such and such a chance of matching into radiology, etc)?

 

[wAyRadikull]

Yeah, its about an hour for each block, plus you get a break sometime in the middle.

As for the two-digit score, its function is to satisfy certain licensing needs for certain states, these states require a two-digit score to grant licensure. The two-digit score is NOT a percentile, rather it is derived from the three-digit score, so a 185 would likely be a 70 which would indicate a passing a grade.

As for the correlation b/w a residency and step score.. you'll have to look at the NRMP charting outcomes (google it) to see what the average step score is for a person who matched into a certain specialty. By the same note, competitive specialities (derm, ortho, plastics and some others) tend to have have higher USMLE score requirements.