A common question that we receive is what is the Step 3 Format? Step 3 is the final USMLE exam required to qualify for an unrestricted medical license. The exam is a two day exam:
Day 1 includes 232 multiple choice questions divided into 6 different blocks of 38 to 39 questions. You are given 60 minutes for each block of test items.
Day 1 will be approximately 7 hours which includes 45 min of break time and an optional 5 min tutorial.
Day 2 is a longer day. This lasts approximately 9 hours. There are another 180 multiple choice questions divided into 6 blocks of 30 questions. You are given 45 min for each block.
After the multiple choice questions, there are 13 case simulations which haws both 10 minute cases and 20 minute cases of “real time.” You have 45 min of break time for this day as well. This is the Step 3 format. The CCS portion will take a significant portion of your time on the second day. Many people do not take the CCS portion seriously and focus mainly on the multiple choice questions. However, this is not recommended as the case simulations are unique in a sense that most people who have never taken Step 3 before are not familiar with the software and what is required and what is being graded.
This is what CCSCases.com specializes in. We help students who are unfamiliar with the test and provide a simulation environment to help prepare them for test day. We give feedback after the cases to give you advice on what you did right and would you could do better to maximize your score on test day. If you would like to try out our case simulation software, please go to our download page here.