Think you know USMLE Step 1?

Sample USMLE Step 1 questions

These visible examples show the question style. LearnClash turns the full topic into ranked duels and spaced repetition.

1. 1 Easy

   How many hours long is the USMLE Step 1 exam session?

   Answer: 8 hours

   Why: Only seven of those hours are real testing time. Since May 2026 they run as fourteen 30-minute blocks, plus at least 55 minutes of break.

2. 2 Medium

   Damage to which brain area causes Broca's expressive aphasia?

   Answer: Frontal lobe

   Why: Paul Broca pinned it down in 1861 in a patient nicknamed Tan, whose lesion sat in the left inferior frontal gyrus.

3. 3 Hard

   Which structure does the fetal ductus arteriosus become after birth?

   Answer: Ligamentum arteriosum

   Why: The vessel usually shuts within about two days of birth, but the left recurrent laryngeal nerve stays hooked under the remnant for life.

4. 4 Easy

   Which degree program primarily requires USMLE Step 1 for medical licensure?

   Answer: Doctor of Medicine

   Why: Osteopathic medical students earning a DO primarily take the COMLEX exam, though many take Step 1 too.

5. 5 Medium

   Approximately how many questions on the USMLE Step 1 do not count toward the score?

   Answer: 80 questions

   Why: USMLE never publishes the exact figure and says unscored items pass the same expert review as scored ones, so examinees cannot spot them.

6. 6 Hard

   Which resource is nicknamed the bible of USMLE Step 1 prep?

   Answer: First Aid

   Why: A new edition appears every year: the 2026 book is the 36th, with over 1,300 high-yield facts written by students who just sat the exam.