Quick answer
The Free 120 is the name students commonly use for the free sample questions USMLE publishes. USMLE publishes no score, percent-correct or pass/fail conversion for them. Step 1: in self-reported results we collected, the share who passed was about the same across Free 120 score bands, so a Free 120 percent alone does not tell you whether you will pass. Use the probability on your NBME self-assessment report. Step 2 CK: this page turns your percent correct into an estimate with a typical range, using the same model as our Step 2 CK predictor. Free 120 is not an equated score, and real results can fall outside the range.
Step 1: What a Free 120 Score Means for Passing
Short answer: there is no Free 120 percent that tells you whether you will pass Step 1. USMLE publishes no interpretation of Free 120 results, and Step 1 has been reported pass/fail only since 26 January 2022 (on the old three-digit scale the standard was 196), so there is no Step 1 score to convert a Free 120 into. In self-reported results we collected, the share who passed was about the same across Free 120 score bands. Free 120 percent alone did not separate people who passed from people who did not.
Share who passed, by Free 120 percent band
Self-reported results, not a random sample. n = 818 reports that include a Free 120 percent and a stated pass or fail (738 reporting a pass). Where a report lists several Free 120 attempts, we use the last one listed.
| Free 120 percent | Reported passing / reports | Share who passed (95% CI) |
|---|---|---|
| Under 60% · small sample | 37 / 43 | 86% (73–93%) |
| 60–64% | 120 / 128 | 94% (88–97%) |
| 65–69% | 182 / 203 | 90% (85–93%) |
| 70–74% | 164 / 182 | 90% (85–94%) |
| 75–79% | 112 / 132 | 85% (78–90%) |
| 80–84% | 79 / 83 | 95% (88–98%) |
| 85% or higher · small sample | 44 / 47 | 94% (83–98%) |
CI = 95% confidence interval (Wilson). The bands overlap heavily and the shares do not rise with the Free 120 percent. We dropped reports flagged as possible duplicates of another report, but one person may still appear more than once, which would make these intervals look tighter than they are.
How to read this table
- Self-reported by examinees, not a random sample.
- People who failed and people who passed post at different rates, so the pass share is not the official pass rate.
- Each person's Free 120 version and timing relative to their exam are mostly unknown.
- USMLE publishes no Free 120 score interpretation.
What to use for Step 1 readiness instead
For Step 1 readiness, use the probability of passing on your NBME self-assessment report. Our Step 1 pass probability calculator uses NBME CBSSA forms 29–34 and accepts a Free 120 percent as an extra check that can only lower the readiness tier, never raise it. If your Free 120 is much lower than your NBME results, treat it as a prompt to review weak areas, not a verdict.
Step 2 CK: Free 120 Percent to Score Estimate
Enter your Free 120 percent correct. We send it to the same model as our Step 2 CK score predictor, which turns the percent into an approximate Step 2 CK score and compares it with similar records in our reference dataset. The Step 2 CK passing standard is 218 for exams on or after 1 July 2025 (it was 214 before).
Free 120 percent to Step 2 CK estimate
The same model, run for a Free 120 percent on its own. The typical range is the estimate plus and minus 20 points. Free 120 is not an equated score, and real results can fall outside this range.
| Free 120 percent | Step 2 CK estimate | Typical range |
|---|---|---|
| 65% | 235 | 215–255 |
| 70% | 241 | 221–261 |
| 75% | 248 | 228–268 |
| 80% | 255 | 235–275 |
| 85% | 263 | 243–283 |
| 90% | 270 | 250–290 |
| 95% | 276 | 256–296 |
We show 65% and up. Below that our data has almost no reports, so any number would be an extrapolation. A Free 120 percent is a thin basis for an estimate, and your actual score can fall outside the range.
What students reported for their Step 2 CK score
For comparison, this is what students who shared a Free 120 percent and a Step 2 CK score reported. It is self-reported results, not a random sample, and people who share scores tend to share higher ones, so these medians probably sit above where a typical examinee lands. Bands with too few reports are left out.
| Free 120 percent | Median reported score | Middle half of reports | Reports (n) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 70–74% | 250 | 243–255 | 94 |
| 75–79% | 255 | 248–261 | 170 |
| 80–84% | 262 | 255–266 | 182 |
| 85–89% | 267 | 262–271 | 129 |
The two tables answer different questions: the first is the model's estimate for one exact percent, the second is what people with a percent anywhere in that band reported.
How to Use the Free 120 Well
USMLE offers more than 100 free sample questions for each Step, as a PDF booklet and as an interactive practice experience (Step 1, Step 2 CK). Treat it as a format check: the interface, timing and stamina. USMLE's own booklet says the sample questions “may not reflect the content coverage on individual examinations.” For Step 2 CK, USMLE's page points examinees to the newer interactive experience to get used to the 30-minute blocks.
Sit it timed and in blocks, the way you will sit the exam, and note where the pacing slips. We do not reproduce or discuss the questions themselves. The percent you get is one data point, and it is not an equated score.
How Precise Is a Free 120 Estimate?
Not very. USMLE puts the standard error of measurement of a Step 2 CK score at about 6 points and the standard error of difference at about 8 points (USMLE Score Interpretation Guidelines, updated 17 August 2026). That is the exam's own noise, before any practice-test noise is added. With a Free 120 percent alone our range is plus or minus 20 points, wider than the range you get when you enter several practice scores on the Step 2 CK predictor. If you also have an NBME or UWSA result, add it there, or try the NBME score calculator and the UWSA score converter.
Sources: USMLE Exam Results & Scoring, Step 1 sample questions, Step 2 CK sample questions and the Score Interpretation Guidelines (updated 17 August 2026). Every other figure on this page comes from our own model and from score reports students shared.
Free 120 FAQs
What is the Free 120?
“Free 120” is the name students commonly use for the free sample test questions that USMLE publishes on usmle.org, as a PDF booklet and as an interactive practice experience. It is not an official exam name. USMLE's Bulletin of Information describes the sample questions as a way to become familiar with the test software, and USMLE publishes no score, percent-correct or pass/fail interpretation for them. The number of questions depends on the exam and version: the Step 1 PDF booklet (updated April 2026) has 119 questions and the Step 2 CK PDF booklet (updated July 2023) has 120.
Does the Free 120 predict whether I will pass Step 1?
In the self-reported results we collected, the share who passed was about the same across Free 120 score bands, so a Free 120 percent alone did not separate people who passed from people who did not. For Step 1 readiness, use the estimated probability of passing printed on your NBME self-assessment report. The table in the Step 1 section of this page shows the bands, the number of reports behind each one and how uncertain each share is.
What Free 120 percent do I need to pass Step 1?
There is no such figure. USMLE publishes no passing percentage for the sample questions, and Step 1 has been reported pass/fail only since 26 January 2022 (on the old three-digit scale the standard was 196). Aiming for a particular Free 120 percent is not a reliable way to judge readiness. If your Free 120 is much lower than your NBME results, treat it as a prompt to review weak areas, not a verdict.
What is a good Free 120 score for Step 2 CK?
USMLE sets no target for the Free 120. Our single-input estimate for 80% correct is 255, with a typical range of 235 to 275. In the score reports students shared, those with a Free 120 of 80% to 84% reported a median Step 2 CK score of 262. These are not random samples, people who share scores tend to share higher ones, and Free 120 is not an equated score, so use the table as a rough guide and read the whole range.
Is the Free 120 harder or easier than the real exam?
USMLE publishes no difficulty statement for the sample questions, so we do not claim either. The Free 120 is best used as a check of the interface, timing and stamina, not as an equated score.
Does my Free 120 score go to your server?
Only if you use the Step 2 CK calculator on this page: the percent you enter is sent to our server to run the same model as our Step 2 CK predictor, and no account is needed. Our usage analytics never receive the percent you type or the estimate we return, and session recordings mask the results screen. The Step 1 section of this page is static and sends nothing.
Estimates only, not official scores. Not affiliated with USMLE, NBME or UWorld. Last updated October 2026.