How do I create a USMLE Step 1 study schedule?

Learn how to make a USMLE study schedule and study plan in 5 simple steps! Great for acing the USMLE Step 1, Step 2, or Step 3!

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USMLE Study Schedule

USMLE Step 1, Step 2, and Step 3 are important milestones to becoming a licensed provider.

Preparing for the USMLE can feel overwhelming and daunting at first, and it can be challenging to know where to begin.

Fortunately, you have come to the right spot!

One of the first tasks when preparing for the USMLE is to create a study schedule.

Having a study plan will help you stay organized, and it will keep you on track to ensure you study for all the topics tested on the exam. 

This post will show you how to make a successful study schedule in 5 steps, and will ultimately guide you down the path to acing your exam!

By the end of this post you will know how to make a study schedule similar to the 4-week and 6-week examples below.

Make sure to also check out EZmed’s “10 Study Tips to Ace the USMLE” and the “Top 3 USMLE Resources” used by most students.

Let’s get started!

4-Week Study Schedule

USMLE Study Schedule: Example 4-Week Study Plan and Guide

6-Week Study Schedule

USMLE Study Schedule: Example 6-Week Study Plan and Guide

Creating a USMLE Study Schedule

There are 5 main steps to creating your study schedule:

1. Mark your USMLE date

2. Count the number of days until the exam

3. Schedule 3 NBME self-assessments

4. Block off 3 special dates - DAYS OFF!

5. Other days are study days

**It is important to note that everyone studies differently, and these steps are designed to help guide you.

Feel free to make any adjustments, additions, or omissions to your study plan that you feel works best for you.

Let’s walk through the above 5 steps, as well as elaborate on how to organize and prepare for your study days (the final step).

USMLE Study Schedule: 5 steps to make a study plan.

5 Steps to a USMLE Study Schedule

We will now walk through each of the 5 steps to create your USMLE study plan.

We will use the 4-week calendar below as our example.

USMLE Study Schedule: Example 4-Week Study Plan and Guide

Step 1: Mark Your USMLE Date

The first step in creating your study plan is to write down your scheduled USMLE date.

Let’s say we are scheduled to take the USMLE on the Saturday of the 4th week as shown below.

USMLE Study Schedule: Example 4-week study plan showing the USMLE is scheduled for Saturday of Week 4

Step 2: Count the Number of Days

The second step is to count the number of days until your exam.

Most people use 4-6 weeks as their dedicated USMLE study time (especially for USMLE Step 1), in which the majority of their time is spent intensely preparing for the exam.

The 4-6 weeks is simply an average, and you may require more or less time.

You know your own study habits the best, so trust your gut as to how much time you think you will need to prepare. 

The 4-6 weeks only refers to the dedicated study time, and not to any review that takes place over your first 2 years of medical school.

USMLE Step 2 and Step 3 dedicated study time might vary a bit, and you may not require quite as much time to prepare for those.

If we look at our example schedule we can see there are 28 days until the USMLE, with 27 full days and the 28th day being the exam date. 

USMLE Study Schedule: Example 4-week study plan showing 28 days until the USMLE

Step 3: Schedule 3 Self-Assessments

The third step is to schedule 3 practice exams (self-assessments) throughout your study timeline.

It is important to take self-assessments when preparing for the USMLE in order to evaluate your predicted score, practice taking a timed exam, and get a feel for the types of questions asked on the test. 

The self-assessment results will also provide you with feedback to help you make any necessary adjustments to your studying.

The self-assessment exams are different from the practice questions in a question bank.

While questions banks are useful and should be used as part of your study plan, it is equally important to replicate the actual USMLE. 

Below are 2 self-assessment resources that resemble the USMLE well.

Make sure to check out the “Top 3 USMLE Resources” to learn more about what students are commonly using.

NBME Self-Assessments

The NBME practice exams are great self-assessment tools. They closely replicate the USMLE, and many students choose to use them as a result.

The NBME self-assessments are approximately 75% the length of step 1, and they are divided into timed blocks similar to the actual exam. 

Each NBME self-assessment contains 4 blocks of 50 questions, totaling 200 questions.

An estimated score is provided once the exam is completed.

The NBME format may change over time, so make sure to check the official NBME website for any updated information.

UWorld Self-Assessments

In addition to their question banks, UWorld also offers self-assessments depending on the package you use.

The UWorld self-assessments are 4 blocks of 40 questions, and they also resemble the actual USMLE.

Again, formats can change over time so make sure to visit the UWorld official website.

When to Schedule Your 3 Self-Assessments?

Take your first practice exam day 1 of your study period. This will give you a baseline score and assessment of your knowledge. 

You will also use the results of the first practice exam to learn your weak and strong subjects, which will be used later on when preparing for your study days - more on that down below!

Take the second practice exam halfway through your study timeline.

In the case of a 4-week schedule, you will take the second practice exam at the end of week 2. If you are on a 6-week study schedule, then take it at the end of week 3. 

The second practice exam will measure your progress and help you make any necessary study adjustments. 

Lastly, take the third practice exam 5-7 days before your actual USMLE. This will reinforce your pace and timing throughout the exam.

USMLE Study Schedule: 4-week study plan showing 3 NBME self-assessments scheduled

Step 4: Block Off 3 Special Dates - DAYS OFF!

The fourth step is to block off 3 special dates.

These will be your days off in which no studying takes place.

Studying for the USMLE can be stressful and mentally taxing, so taking a few days off will actually increase your productivity in the long run.

It is important to be mindful of your mental and physical health. Make sure to take care of yourself during the dedicated study period, especially on days off.

Spend time with family, visit friends, travel, hike, go outdoors, exercise, meditate, etc.

You should also take the remainder of the day off after each of the 3 NBME self-assessments.

The practice exams can be mentally exhausting, and it will take you most of the day to complete the exam and review the correct and incorrect responses.

So relax and take the rest of the day off afterwards.

When to Schedule Days Off?

You should take at least 3 days off during your dedicated USMLE study period.

A day off should be scheduled the day before your USMLE.

Cramming right before the exam might harm you, and it is highly unlikely whatever you study the day before the exam will actually benefit your score in any significant way. 

Take another day off approximately 1 week before the exam. 

Lastly, take a day off about halfway through your study period. 

You could time 2 of your days off after the 2nd and 3rd NBME self-assessments as shown below.

This is a great way to recharge and refresh after taking a self-assessment, especially before you return to studying. 

Feel free to adjust your 2nd and 3rd NBME dates by a couple of days, especially if you want more time to study during the final week. 

Everything in this post is simply a guide, and it is up to you to determine what will work best for you. 

USMLE Study Schedule: 4-week study plan showing 3 scheduled days off

Step 5: Study Days

After you have:

1. Marked your USMLE date

2. Counted the number of days until your exam

3. Selected 3 self-assessment dates

4. Scheduled 3 days off

Then the rest of the days are study days.

Each study day should be spent reviewing the topic planned for that particular day using the resources you have chosen.

Learn “How to Choose the Resources Best for You”.

How do you know which topic to study each day and how to spend your day reviewing?

There are 4 simple steps to help organize and plan your study day which will be discussed next.

USMLE Study Schedule: 4-week plan showing study days

Planning Your Study Days

As mentioned above, there are 4 steps to help organize and plan your study days:

1. List all of the topics covered on USMLE

2. Rank the topics from your weakest to your strongest

3. Allocate 1-3 study days per topic

4. The day will be spent studying/reviewing that topic

USMLE Study Plan: 4 steps to organizing your study days

4 Steps to Planning Your Study Days

We will now walk through each step to help organize and plan your study days.

Step 1: List USMLE Topics

The first step is to list all of the topics covered on the USMLE.

We will use the USMLE Step 1 topics below as an example.

Make sure to check the official USMLE website as topics and information can change. 

As demonstrated below the USMLE covers a wide variety of topics and can be overwhelming if not organized properly, which brings us to the second step.

USMLE Study Schedule: List of USMLE Step 1 topics

Step 2: Rank Topics from Weakest to Strongest

The second step after listing all of the USMLE topics is to rank them from your weakest to your strongest as shown below.

You can use the results of your first self-assessment exam to help determine your weak and strong subjects.

The rank list will ultimately be the order in which you study each topic.

You should first study your weak topics for a couple of reasons: 

1. You will likely be the most motivated and mentally fresh early in the study period.

2. You will have more time to revisit and review the weaker topics throughout your study period.

First, you will likely be the most motivated and productive at the beginning of your study period, as the risk for burnout and mental exhaustion from studying increases later.

Therefore, it is in your best interest to review the topics you are less comfortable with early on. 

It can be tempting to study your strong subjects first as this can be a confidence booster.

However, try to refrain from this as you will only reinforce getting the questions correct on the exam that you likely would have gotten correct in the first place. 

Study what you don’t know first. That is a very important key.

While it may seem obvious, it is very easy to fall into the trap of wanting to review the content you already know well. 

By the end of the study period you will likely be more mentally exhausted than you were at the beginning. Save the topics you know the best for this time period.

The second reason you should start with your weak topics is it will give you more time to frequently revisit and review the subject throughout the rest of your study period.

This repetition will help you become more comfortable with your weak subjects. 

USMLE Study Schedule: Rank topics from weakest to strongest

Step 3: Allocate 1-3 Study Days per Topic

The third step is to allocate 1-3 days of study time per topic depending on your comfort level of that subject, how dense the material is, and how much dedicated study time you give yourself.

If you have 4 weeks dedicated study time, then you might only have 1-2 days to study each topic with an occasional 3 days for some subjects. 

If you have 6 weeks dedicated study time (or more), then you may have 2-4 days available per topic. 

Let’s insert our above ranked list into our example calendar below, beginning with our weakest subjects.

You can see how we have allocated 1-3 days of study time per topic.

Again, the number of days you allocate will depend on how long your study period is. 

You can also shift the practice exams and/or days off by 1-2 days in order to avoid breaking up a topic.

USMLE Study Schedule: Example 4-week study plan showing order of topics

Step 4: Day Spent Studying Topic

You will then spend each study day reading, reviewing, and completing practice questions on the topic scheduled for that day using your chosen resources.

A great way to split up each study day is the following:

• Morning - Study

• Afternoon - Practice Questions

• Late Afternoon/Evening - Review

**This is simply a guide and you should spend the day in a way that works best for you.

Morning

If you follow this guide, then the morning should be spent studying that particular topic using your chosen resources. 

Keep a notebook with you as you are studying, and take brief one liner notes every time you come across a piece of information you forgot or do not know well.

You can write your notes in a “buzzword” format to help condense the information.

Your notebook will eventually be full of brief notes covering the less known content.

This notebook will be reviewed each evening. 

For common buzzwords that show up on the USMLE, make sure to check out the EZmed posts below!

10 Buzzwords to Know for Medical Tests and Board Exams #3

10 Buzzwords to Know for Medical Tests and Board Exams #2

10 Buzzwords to Know for Medical Tests and Board Exams #1

Afternoon

The afternoon should be spent completing practice questions from your question bank. 

Try to complete as many practice questions as you can (80-100% of your question bank).

Practice questions will help you learn the format and types of questions asked on the exam.

Divide the total number of questions in your bank by the number of study days, and this should be about how many questions you complete per day.

Late Afternoon/Evening

Late afternoon and/or evening should be spent reviewing your notebook of the information you do not know well.

This repetition every night will help commit the content to memory. 

You should also spend this time reviewing the answers to the practice questions from the afternoon, and any other resources from the morning you want to look over again. 

Make sure to take breaks between sessions, eat healthy, and be mindful of your physical and mental health. 

USMLE Study Schedule: Example of how to organize your study days

Example 6-Week Study Schedule

Below is an example 6-week schedule if you have a longer dedicated study period for the USMLE.

The concept in creating your study plan is still the same.

You will mark your USMLE date, count the number of days until the exam, schedule 3 NBME dates, and choose 3 days off. 

You will then rank the USMLE topics from weakest to strongest, and allocate 1-4 study days per subject beginning with your weak ones.

USMLE Study Schedule: Example 6-week study plan and guide

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