Step 1 Test Day Tips

[operaman]

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Took the beast last year but thought it might be helpful to share some ideas that helped a lot on test day and things I wish I'd done differently.

Things that worked:
1) Took 500mg Tylenol before leaving home; took 1000mg at midpoint during test. That many hours in front of a screen can give you a killer headache. If you need money, take a bottle and sell them to other test takers.
2) Caffeine pills. Nuff said. Energy toward the end can be a big factor.
3) Food/Gatorade/energy bars: snacked along and along
4) Pee early. Pee often. Nobody wants to be 10 minutes into a section and start feeling nature's call.

What I REALLY wish I'd done:
1) Taken a sleeping pill like zolpidem (ambien) or eszopiclone(lunesta) the night before. Only slept ~1 hour the night before and it definitely cost me. Still did well but feel like I could have utterly destroyed this test if I had been awake for it.

Okay, those are my tips. Anyone else want to add anything that helped them?

 

[swoopyswoop]

lol selling tylenol?! sounds like a great way to get written up for "suspicious activity." why not just give it to anyone who asked like a normal person? who sells tylenol??

 

[WilliamsEph]

If you have migraines, get a personal item exception (pie) from the NBME well ahead of time. They are super uptight about what they allow and require a letter from your doctor on his letterhead. My doc scribbled out a note on his prescription pad and they rejected it. Had to bother him again for a proper typewritten letter. I got an exception to take in excedrin migraine and a bottle of water. I'll have to leave it with the proctor sitting outside, but if I get a migraine I can get my excedrin from the proctor immediately and not have to suffer through the end of the block.

 

[Brain Bucket]

a valid message.