A 12-week NRE Step 1 study plan
Twelve weeks, one subject block at a time, with timed questions from week one and two full mocks at the end.
On this page
How the plan works
Each day: read a topic for 2–3 hours, then do 50–80 timed questions on it and review every explanation. Keep a notebook of mistakes and revise it every Sunday.
Weeks
| Week | Focus |
|---|---|
| 1–2 | Medicine: cardiology, respiratory, endocrine, emergencies |
| 3 | Medicine: GI and liver, kidney, neurology, infections |
| 4 | Medicine: haematology, rheumatology, poisoning, dermatology |
| 5–6 | Surgery: GI, hepatobiliary, trauma, urology, vascular, breast and endocrine |
| 7 | Orthopaedics, anaesthesia basics |
| 8 | Obstetrics and gynaecology |
| 9 | Paediatrics |
| 10 | Eye, ENT, community medicine, forensic medicine |
| 11 | Basic sciences through clinical questions; weak areas |
| 12 | Two full mocks, review, rest before exam day |
Daily target
- 50–80 questions a day in weeks 1–10.
- 100–200 a day in weeks 11–12, timed.
Use the NRE-1 Prep question bank to practise by subject and take mock exams.
Six-week version
If you have only six weeks: weeks 1–2 medicine, week 3 surgery, week 4 gynaecology and paediatrics, week 5 small subjects and basic sciences, week 6 mocks and weak areas.
Frequently asked questions
How many hours a day should I study for the NRE?
Most candidates manage 5–8 focused hours a day if not working; 2–3 hours if working full time, with more on days off.