NBME Psychiatry exam at a glance
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Each is a distinct question set built on the real 50-question, 165-minute pattern, with instant scoring and section-wise analysis. The first is free; unlock all 50 forever for $1.99 (one-time, no subscription).
NBME Psychiatry key facts & eligibility
| Conducting body | National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME). |
|---|---|
| Official website | nbme.org — Clinical Science Subject Exams ↗ |
| Mode | Computer-based, administered by the medical school (secure browser) or at a Prometric centre; scheduled at the end of the Psychiatry clerkship. |
| Frequency | Available year-round; each school schedules it at the end of the clerkship. |
| Scoring & marking | Typically around 110 single-best-answer clinical-vignette questions in about 2 hours 45 minutes, reported as a scaled score (national mean roughly 70, SD about 8) plus a national percentile. There is no fixed national pass mark — schools set their own standard. Separate from USMLE Step 2 CK. |
| Language | English. |
Who is eligible for NBME Psychiatry?
Enrolled medical students (mainly third-year clerkship students); administered through the school.
Last verified July 2026 against NBME — Clinical Science Subject Exams. Always confirm current details on the official website before you register.
NBME Psychiatry section breakdown
The NBME Psychiatry mock test on Wrexa Edge replicates the real exam's section structure — same names, same question count per section, same time limits. No inter-section breaks — the timer runs continuously.
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NBME Psychiatry (50 Q)
Marking scheme
+1 per correct. Try your score.
Strategy: NBME Psychiatry has no negative marking. Attempt every question — blank answers cost you potential marks but cannot pull your score down.
Scale: NBME Psychiatry (pass 700/1000).
How NBME Psychiatry is conducted
- Mode
- Test format
- Backtracking
- Mark for review
NBME Psychiatry time strategy
With 50 questions in 165 minutes, you have about 198 seconds per question on average. Successful candidates aim for the following pacing on each section:
- NBME Psychiatry (50 Q)
Wrexa Edge's analytics show your actual time-per-question after every mock so you can spot which sections you're losing time on.
NBME Psychiatry topics covered
Across the 50 Wrexa Edge variants of NBME Psychiatry, the following topics appear most often (sample distribution from one variant):
NBME Psychiatry (50 Q)
- Psych — Psychopharmacology · 11
- Psych — Mood Disorders · 7
- Psych — Substance Use · 7
- Psych — Personality Disorders · 5
- Psych — Child Psychiatry · 5
- Psych — Anxiety Disorders · 5
- Psych — Somatic Disorders · 3
- Psych — Ethics & Law · 3
NBME Psychiatry difficulty calibration
Advanced tier. Advanced-level: high-stakes exam with rigorous content depth. Expect 4-8 months of structured prep.
NBME Subject (Shelf) Exam · ~110 MCQ. Psychiatry — mood, anxiety, psychotic, personality & substance disorders, and psychopharmacology. · Official language: English.
Verified content — Wrexa Edge's NBME Psychiatry bank has been deeply curated with real exam-aligned content (estimated 100% syllabus coverage).
How Wrexa Edge prepares you for NBME Psychiatry
- Real test-day interface
- 50 distinct variants
- Detailed analytics
- Spaced repetition (Notebook)
- Optional proctoring
- Free to start
Expert take: what NBME Psychiatry really tests
The NBME Psychiatry shelf is a roughly 110-question, 2-hour-45-minute exam testing DSM-based diagnosis, psychopharmacology and psychiatric emergencies. Results are a scaled score plus percentile, with each school setting its own passing standard; it is generally regarded as one of the more manageable shelves.
Preparation tips
- Learn DSM diagnostic time-course criteria precisely (e.g. duration cutoffs).
- Master first-line drugs and their key side effects.
- Use First Aid for the Psychiatry Clerkship plus UWorld psychiatry.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Mixing up disorders that differ mainly by symptom duration.
- Underestimating the overlap with neurology and medicine (delirium, drug side effects, medical mimics).
NBME Psychiatry study plan
A phase-by-phase roadmap from your first concept to test-ready. Stretch or compress each phase to fit the time you have before your attempt.
- Learn DSM diagnostic criteria and time-course cutoffs precisely
- Use First Aid for the Psychiatry Clerkship
- Cover mood, anxiety, psychotic and personality disorders
- Master first-line drugs and their key side effects
- Do UWorld psychiatry questions
- Cover substance-use, neurocognitive and psychiatric emergencies
- Take an NBME self-assessment timed
- Re-drill disorders that differ mainly by symptom duration
- Rest before test day
Where NBME Psychiatry can take you
A strong NBME Psychiatry result opens up these careers and higher-study paths:
- Clerkship grade & honors
- Psychiatry residency
- Cross-specialty value
Best books & official prep for NBME Psychiatry
- First Aid for the Psychiatry Clerkship — Stead, Kaufman et al.
- Case Files: Psychiatry — Toy et al.
- Lange Q&A Psychiatry — Sean Blitzstein
- UWorld Step 2 CK Qbank — UWorld
Official practice: NBME Clinical Science Mastery Series self-assessments are the most accurate score predictor.
Previous-year papers: NBME does not release past papers; official practice comes from the NBME self-assessments.
Sample NBME Psychiatry practice questions
5 questions taken from the NBME Psychiatry mock tests on Wrexa Edge. Try each one, then reveal the answer.
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Q1. A 60-year-old man stable on lithium begins hydrochlorothiazide for hypertension. Two weeks later he has coarse tremor, ataxia, vomiting and confusion. What is the mechanism of this interaction?
- Induction of hepatic lithium metabolism
- Displacement of lithium from albumin binding sites
- Inhibition of lithium absorption
- Increased proximal tubule lithium reabsorption
Show answer
Answer: D — Increased proximal tubule lithium reabsorption
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Q2. A 28-year-old woman describes irritability, breast tenderness, bloating and marked mood lability that begin each month about a week before menses and resolve within days after menses begin. What first-line pharmacotherapy is most appropriate?
- Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor
- Alprazolam daily throughout the luteal phase
- Spironolactone daily
- Lithium carbonate
Show answer
Answer: A — Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor
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Q3. A 32-year-old man has a long history of conning people, repeated arrests, lack of remorse and impulsivity. As a child he set fires and was cruel to animals. What is the most likely diagnosis?
- Narcissistic personality disorder
- Antisocial personality disorder
- Borderline personality disorder
- Conduct disorder
Show answer
Answer: B — Antisocial personality disorder
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Q4. A 10-year-old boy has had motor tics such as blinking and shoulder shrugging and vocal tics such as throat clearing for over a year. Which comorbid conditions are most commonly associated?
- Autism and bipolar disorder
- Schizophrenia and depression
- ADHD and obsessive-compulsive disorder
- Conduct disorder and nocturnal enuresis
Show answer
Answer: C — ADHD and obsessive-compulsive disorder
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Q5. A 34-year-old man with schizophrenia has gained 15 kg and developed type 2 diabetes after a year on his antipsychotic. Which agent is most likely responsible?
- Aripiprazole
- Ziprasidone
- Lurasidone
- Olanzapine
Show answer
Answer: D — Olanzapine
Frequently asked questions
- What is the NBME Psychiatry exam pattern?
- NBME Psychiatry Subject Exam (Shelf) contains 50 questions across 1 section: NBME Psychiatry (50 Q). Total duration is 165 minutes (about 198 seconds per question).
- Does NBME Psychiatry have negative marking?
- No — NBME Psychiatry has no negative marking. Each correct answer is worth 1 mark, so attempt every question.
- How is NBME Psychiatry scored?
- Scaled score range: 100 to 1000. NBME Psychiatry (pass 700/1000).
- How can I practise NBME Psychiatry online for free?
- Wrexa Edge gives you a free full-length NBME Psychiatry mock test — with instant scoring, detailed explanations and analytics — plus 49 more with a one-time $1.99 unlock that never expires. Start practising in under a minute, no card required.
- What is the difficulty level of NBME Psychiatry?
- NBME Psychiatry is rated Advanced difficulty on Wrexa Edge. Advanced-level: high-stakes exam with rigorous content depth. Expect 4-8 months of structured prep. NBME Subject (Shelf) Exam · ~110 MCQ. Psychiatry — mood, anxiety, psychotic, personality & substance disorders, and psychopharmacology. · Official language: English.
- How long is the NBME Psychiatry exam?
- NBME Psychiatry runs for 165 minutes total. On Wrexa Edge the timer is enforced exactly as on the real exam — including no inter-section breaks.
- What topics are covered in NBME Psychiatry?
- NBME Psychiatry is split into: NBME Psychiatry (50 Q). Each section is timed and weighted separately. NBME Subject (Shelf) Exam · ~110 MCQ. Psychiatry — mood, anxiety, psychotic, personality & substance disorders, and psychopharmacology. · Official language: English.
- What tools or aids are allowed during NBME Psychiatry?
- No special tools are required. Note: real exam is proctored — Wrexa Edge mirrors this with a webcam-based proctoring flow you can enable.
- Is the NBME Psychiatry test adaptive?
- No — NBME Psychiatry is a fixed-form (linear) test. Every candidate sees the same number of questions per section.
- How many NBME Psychiatry mock tests does Wrexa Edge offer?
- Wrexa Edge generates 50 distinct NBME Psychiatry variants — each with different question content, not just shuffled options — the first one free for everyone and 49 more with a one-time $1.99 unlock. That's 2500 unique practice questions in the real test-day interface.
- Is there a free NBME Psychiatry test series 2026?
- Yes. The Wrexa Edge NBME Psychiatry test series for 2026 gives you a free full-length mock test (50 in total) plus subject-wise and topic-wise tests — instant scoring and detailed analysis, no card required.
- Are NBME Psychiatry previous year question–style papers included?
- Every NBME Psychiatry mock is modelled on the official exam pattern and the style of previous years' papers — the same 50-question structure, sections and marking — so your practice mirrors the real paper you'll sit.
- Which is the best free NBME Psychiatry mock test online?
- Wrexa Edge's NBME Psychiatry mock test replicates the real exam interface, timing and marking scheme, with instant score, section-wise analysis and 50 fresh variants — a strong free choice for 2026 preparation.
- Can I take the NBME Psychiatry mock test on mobile?
- Yes. NBME Psychiatry mock tests run in any browser on mobile, tablet or desktop — no app or download needed. Start on your phone and your progress and analytics sync when you sign in.
- What is the NBME Psychiatry syllabus?
- The NBME Psychiatry syllabus maps to its 1 section: NBME Psychiatry (50 Q). Wrexa Edge's mock tests cover the complete syllabus topic by topic — see the topics-covered breakdown above — so you practise every area at real exam difficulty.
- What is the eligibility for NBME Psychiatry?
- Enrolled medical students (mainly third-year clerkship students); administered through the school. Wrexa Edge focuses on realistic NBME Psychiatry practice: a free full-length mock in the exact exam pattern, ready whenever you are.
- When is the NBME Psychiatry exam and how should I prepare?
- Official NBME Psychiatry exam dates are announced by the conducting body for each cycle — check the latest notification for the current schedule. To be ready, follow a phased study plan and take full-length timed mocks; Wrexa Edge gives you a free NBME Psychiatry mock with instant scoring so you can track your readiness week by week.
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