Step 1: basic questions

[nychila]

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Maybe this is common knowledge that everyone knows except me because I can't seem to find this anywhere:

1. Do Prometric centers offer Step 1 only on set days of the week/month or can they be offered everyday?

2. Do you take the exam with other Step 1 examinees at the same time or alone in the exam room or can other people be taking completely different exams with you with different break schedules, eg. SAT, GMAT, etc.?

3. Can you take the Step 1 at ANY Prometric center in the world, eg. Australia, Canada, etc.?

4. Do the above apply to the Step 1 practice exam as well?

 

[WaylonS]

Maybe this is common knowledge that everyone knows except me because I can't seem to find this anywhere:

1. Do Prometric centers offer Step 1 only on set days of the week/month or can they be offered everyday?

2. Do you take the exam with other Step 1 examinees at the same time or alone in the exam room or can other people be taking completely different exams with you with different break schedules, eg. SAT, GMAT, etc.?

3. Can you take the Step 1 at ANY Prometric center in the world, eg. Australia, Canada, etc.?

4. Do the above apply to the Step 1 practice exam as well?

1. It can be scheduled on almost any day. However, for the Steps, you register/pay the NBME, and then you are given a code to register with Prometrics. As part of you registration with NBME, you select a three month period during which you would like to take your exam, and when you log into the Prometrics website, you'll be able to pick an available date within that time block

2. Yes, you will share the testing center with people taking other exams

3. There are a limited number of sites outside the US that offer the exams (except CS)

 

[NickNaylor]

With respect to #2, people will be coming and going, but at least in my case the combination of people not being obnoxious and the airfield-grade ear muffs didn't make distractions much of an issue. Otherwise I agree with Waylon.

 

[evilbooyaa]

The worst part about Prometric testing centers are any people taking exams that involve lots of typing. Especially when people don't know how to type with their hands resting on their keys, so that each button press is like a pop-cap gun sound. There were times I had to recompose myself during Step 2 (same idea as step 1) because there was a person literally taking their hands 6 inches vertically from the keyboard between each key press. I can handle click-clacking if it's consistent as my brain ignores it, but the pauses this person took gave me temporary hope they were done with the section. When they finally brought their gangly hand down to hit the next key, my brain thought it was super important.

So, yes, to answer your question, other people are taking the exam. The over the ear headphones were uncomfortably tight on my big head, otherwise they would've been a god-send.

 

[shangrila]

And I assume that every Prometric center that administers the real exam also allows booking the practice exam there so you could familiarize yourself with the setting beforehand?

 

[deleted500612]

In regards to #3, you can take the step 1 in Canada and Australia, but only in limited locations. In Australia you can take step 1 in either Melbourne or Sydney. Not sure about exact locations for Canada.