Time for Preparation
The general preparation time for the USMLE Step 1 exam takes about 1.5-2 years of medical school education and about 1-3 months of dedicated study time which is an independent, uninterrupted review of everything that you have learned. Most of the Step 1 content should be covered in the first two years of medical school. Therefore, during dedicated study students are mainly reviewing material they have already learned, doing practice questions, and taking full-length practice exams.
The amount of dedicated study time depends on two things: how confident you feel with the material AND how much dedicated time your school allows. It usually ranges from 4 weeks to 12 weeks. However, many students find that 8 weeks is a fair amount since too little time can be detrimental, and too much time can be counterproductive.
Last updated: August 25, 2020
