Maya Berger, OMS-III

COMLEX1/STEP1 Study Tips

by Maya Berger, OMS-III

May 12, 2026

The best way to study is to do as many practice questions as you can before your board exam day. I completed 100 questions each day. These sessions consisted of two blocks of 40 questions on COMQUEST/TrueLearn (you get really fast at it) and review. Afterward, I would open the First Aid book and highlight the topics correlated to the questions I guessed on or missed. I would then write everything out on my iPad. Writing it out was so helpful.

Next, I would go to UWorld and complete a block of 20 questions on bugs and drugs (it was one test of 20 mixed questions, but it only tested me on those two topics). I also used Anki to study those topics. That saved me on Boards because it helped me understand all the drugs and their mechanisms of action, as well as all of the bugs, both of which got me quick and easy points. I used the Anki deck to move the “sketchy bugs” and “sketchy drugs” each to their own decks and unsuspended those based on the questions I got. While I didn’t use Anki for prep every day, I did study their bugs and drugs decks daily. That was manageable and easy to keep up with.

All of this was what I did during my dedicated time. During dedicated, it’s also a good idea to take lots of active breaks. Go on walks, work out, or sit outside. DON’T doomscroll—it'll make you sleepy, and time will get away from you.

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