NBME 28 Score CalculatorThe Easiest Active Step 1 Form — Know What Your Score Actually Means
200 questions · The most forgiving Step 1 score calculator available. Enter your wrong answers to convert them to a predicted 3-digit score with the NBME 28 formula — then read the interpretation guide below before making any scheduling decisions.
NBME 28 Overpredicts by 3–5 Points — Adjust Before Scheduling
NBME 28 is the easiest-scoring active Step 1 form and consistently overpredicts actual Step 1 by 3–5 points (community consensus). A score of 225 on NBME 28 corresponds to approximately 220–222 of true readiness. Do not use NBME 28 alone to schedule your exam — always validate with NBME 29, NBME 30, or UWSA 2.
Why NBME 28 Scores Run Higher Than Your Real Readiness
NBME 28 has the most forgiving scoring slope of any active Step 1 form: 1.048 points lost per wrong answer, compared to 1.09 for NBME 29 and 1.15 for NBME 30. In practical terms, 40 wrong answers on NBME 28 costs ~42 points off the intercept; the same 40 wrong answers on NBME 30 costs ~46 points — a built-in 4-point gap that has nothing to do with your knowledge.
Students also report that NBME 28 de-emphasizes Microbiology and Pharmacology — subjects most students spend the most preparation time on — and instead weights toward Neurology/Neuroanatomy, Musculoskeletal anatomy/imaging, and clinical reasoning from longer, less-structured vignettes. If your preparation happened to be strong in those emphasized areas, your NBME 28 score may not reflect your full readiness profile.
Your NBME 28 score − 3 to 5 pts = estimated true readiness
A drop of ~5 points from NBME 28 to NBME 29 or NBME 30 is expected and normal (mathematical slope difference). A drop of 15+ points signals hidden content gaps that the forgiving curve masked.
NBME 28 Score Benchmarks — Raw vs. Adjusted True Readiness
Adjusted score subtracts a mid-range 4-point overprediction estimate. Use the adjusted column for scheduling decisions.
| Wrong | Predicted | Adjusted (−4 pts) | Signal |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25 | ~249 | ~245 | Exceptional |
| 35 | ~239 | ~235 | Strong |
| 47 | ~226 | ~222 | Above average |
| 55 | ~218 | ~214 | Passing after adjustment — validate with harder form |
| 65 | ~208 | ~204 | Below threshold after adjustment |
| 75 | ~197 | ~193 | Do not schedule |
NBME 28 score formula: 275.67 − 1.048 × wrong answers. Passing threshold: 196. Always use the adjusted column for scheduling decisions — the raw score overpredicts by 3–5 points.
What NBME 28 Tests More — and Less — Than Other Forms
Students report NBME 28 shifts subject weighting in ways that can mask preparation gaps. Understanding these differences helps you interpret a high score correctly.
Microbiology & Pharmacology
Students who invested heavily in these areas may score higher on NBME 28 than their true readiness justifies. A strong NBME 28 score does not guarantee these subjects are exam-ready.
Neurology, Anatomy & Clinical Reasoning
Neuroanatomy lesion localization, Musculoskeletal anatomy/imaging, and longer vignettes without classic buzzwords. Questions require identifying a diagnosis from incomplete clinical pictures — pattern recognition over direct recall.
Content distribution reflects community observations, not official NBME documentation. Individual question sets vary.
NBME 28 / 29 / 30 / 31 — Difficulty & Timing Comparison
| NBME 28 | NBME 29 | NBME 30 | NBME 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Slope (pts/wrong) | 1.048 | 1.09 | 1.15 | 1.08 |
| Difficulty | Easy | Moderate | Hardest | Hard |
| Recommended timing | Week 5–6 | Week 6–7 | Final 1–2 wks | Final 1–2 wks |
| Score bias | Overpredicts +3–5 | Underpredicts ~2 | Underpredicts ~4 | Minimal |
| Primary use | Confidence builder | Readiness check | Final checkpoint | Content check |
Community consensus data. Slope values from regression formulas calibrated against reported score pairs on r/step1 and SDN.
NBME 28 Score Conversion Table — Step 1
| Wrong | Correct | % Correct | Predicted Score | Pass Prob |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 200 | 100% | 276 | 99.9% |
| 5 | 195 | 97.5% | 270 | 99.9% |
| 10 | 190 | 95% | 265 | 99.9% |
| 15 | 185 | 92.5% | 260 | 99.9% |
| 20 | 180 | 90% | 255 | 99.9% |
| 25 | 175 | 87.5% | 249 | 99.9% |
| 30 | 170 | 85% | 244 | 99.9% |
| 35 | 165 | 82.5% | 239 | 99.9% |
| 40 | 160 | 80% | 234 | 99.9% |
| 45 | 155 | 77.5% | 229 | 99.7% |
| 50 | 150 | 75% | 223 | 99.2% |
| 55 | 145 | 72.5% | 218 | 98.1% |
| 60 | 140 | 70% | 213 | 95.5% |
| 65 | 135 | 67.5% | 208 | 89.7% |
| 70 | 130 | 65% | 202 | 74.6% |
| 75 | 125 | 62.5% | 197 | 54.5% |
| 80 | 120 | 60% | 192 | 32.7% |
| 85 | 115 | 57.5% | 187 | 16.5% |
| 90 | 110 | 55% | 181 | 6.3% |
| 95 | 105 | 52.5% | 176 | 2.7% |
| 100 | 100 | 50% | 171 | 1.1% |
| 105 | 95 | 47.5% | 166 | 0.4% |
| 110 | 90 | 45% | 160 | 0.2% |
| 115 | 85 | 42.5% | 155 | 0.1% |
| 120 | 80 | 40% | 150 | 0.1% |
| 125 | 75 | 37.5% | 145 | 0.1% |
| 130 | 70 | 35% | 140 | 0.1% |
| 135 | 65 | 32.5% | 140 | 0.1% |
| 140 | 60 | 30% | 140 | 0.1% |
| 145 | 55 | 27.5% | 140 | 0.1% |
| 150 | 50 | 25% | 140 | 0.1% |
| 155 | 45 | 22.5% | 140 | 0.1% |
| 160 | 40 | 20% | 140 | 0.1% |
| 165 | 35 | 17.5% | 140 | 0.1% |
| 170 | 30 | 15% | 140 | 0.1% |
| 175 | 25 | 12.5% | 140 | 0.1% |
| 180 | 20 | 10% | 140 | 0.1% |
| 185 | 15 | 7.5% | 140 | 0.1% |
| 190 | 10 | 5% | 140 | 0.1% |
| 195 | 5 | 2.5% | 140 | 0.1% |
| 200 | 0 | 0% | 140 | 0.1% |
About NBME 28
Easier-scoring form — good confidence booster before final push.
Easiest scoring among forms 25–30. Typically overpredicts by 3–5 pts. Use alongside a harder form.
Other Step 1 Practice Exams
NBME 28 Step 1 Calculator — FAQ
This tool is for educational purposes only. Not affiliated with NBME® or USMLE®. Predictions carry an estimated error of ±5–8 points. Overprediction figures and content emphasis observations reflect community consensus from r/step1 and SDN; no peer-reviewed study has published form-specific bias data for NBME 28.