NBME 30 EXAM PREP
NBME 30 EXAM PREP LATEST 2025/2026 ACTUAL
EXAM COMPLETE 200 QUESTIONS AND CORRECT
ANSWERS WITH DETAILED RATIONALES GRADED A+
GUARANTEED PASS- ACE YOUR EXAM
1
Exam Section 1: Item 1 of 50
National Board of Medical Examiners®
Comprehensive Basic Science Self-Assessment
1. A 33-year-old woman comes to the physician because of a 3-day history of
nausea and light-headedness. Her last menstrual period was 5 weeks ago. She is
apprehensive. Physical examination shows no abnormalities. Her serum B-human
chorionic
gonadotropin concentration is increased. At this stage in the pregnancy,
progesterone is most likely produced within which of the following structures?
A) Corpus albicans
B) Corpus luteum
C) Pituitary gland
D) Placental cytotrophoblast
E) Placental syncytiotrophoblast - Correct Answer-B.
Pregnancy is suspected when there is a missed or delayed menstrual period.
During a normal menstrual period, follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinizing
hormone (FSH and LH, respectively) concentrations increase and stimulate the
developing follicle. The
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, NBME 30 EXAM PREP
follicle produces estrogen, which leads to proliferation of the endometrium in
preparation for implantation of a fertilized ovum. As estrogen rises, a surge occurs,
which in turn stimulates a surge in LH that causes ovulation. Immediately
following ovulation, the corpus
luteum forms. The corpus luteum secretes progesterone to maintain the
endometrial lining. If no implantation occurs, the corpus luteum degrades to the
corpus albicans and estrogen and progesterone concentrations decrease, causing
menstruation. However,
during pregnancy, the placenta develops from embryo implantation. The placenta
then begins to secrete human chorionic gonadotropin, which acts to maintain the
corpus luteum and its secretion of progesterone, which is necessary for
maintenance of the
pregnancy. As the placenta develops, it becomes primarily responsible for
progesterone production around seven to ten weeks of gestation. As this patient is
at five weeks of gestation, her progesterone production is still primarily performed
by the corpus luteum.
Incorrect Answers: A, C, D, andE.
The corpus albicans (Choice A) is the degraded corpus luteum that develops
because of the absence of embryo implantation. It does not secrete hormones.
The pituitary gland (Choice C) is responsible for secreting FSH and LH, as well as
prolactin and thyroid-stimulating hormone. While FSH and LH play a role in the
development of an ovarian follicle, the pituitary gland does not directly produce
progesterone.
Placental cytotrophoblast (Choice D) is the inner layer of the chorion and is vital
for the implantation of a
2
Exam Section 1: Item 2 of 50
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, NBME 30 EXAM PREP
National Board of Medical Examiners®
Comprehensive Basic Science Self-Assessment
2. A study is done to determine the relationship between use of oral
contraceptives and cervical cancer. Study subjects include 50,000 women who are
using oral contraceptives and 50,000 women who have had a tubal ligation. After
2 years of follow-up, the
rate of in situ cervical cancer is 18 per 10,000 in the oral contraceptive group and
3 per 10,000 (p < 0.05) in the tubal ligation group. Which of the following is the
estimated relative risk of cervical cancer among women who have had a tubal
ligation compared
with women who use oral contraceptives?
A) 3 - 50,000 = 0.00006
B) 3 18 = 0.17
C) 18 - 3 = 6
D) 18 - 3 +10 = 17.7
E) 18 - 3 = 15
F) 18 + 3 = 21
G) Indeterminable from the data given - Correct Answer-B.
Relative risk (RR) describes the difference in likelihood of the occurrence of a
particular disease outcome between two groups of patients with or without a
particular exposure. In this case, the outcome of cervical cancer in situ is compared
between two exposures,
the use of oral contraceptives or the use of tubal ligation for contraception.
Calculations of relative risk are commonly performed in cohort studies. RR is
calculated by dividing the fraction of patients with a positive exposure and who
developed disease (a) amongst
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, NBME 30 EXAM PREP
all patients who were exposed which includes those exposed who did not develop
disease (b), (a + b), by the fraction of patients with a negative exposure and who
developed disease (c) amongst all patients who were not exposed which includes
those who did not
develop disease (d), (c + d). RR thus equals (a / (a + b) / (c/ (c + d)). RR values
greater than 1.0 indicate an increased risk for developing disease in association
with the exposure, whereas values less than 1.0 indicate a reduced risk for
developing disease, and
RR equal to 1.0 indicates that the disease outcome and the exposure are not
related. In this case, RR of cervical cancer in situ among women who have had a
tubal ligation compared with women who use oral contraceptives is calculated as
(3/ 10,000) -
(18/10,000) = 3 18 = 0.17.
%3D
Incorrect Answers: A, C, D, E, F, and G.
3 - 50,000 = 0.00006 (Choice A) is an incorrect computation of the total fraction of
women with a tubal ligation who developed cervical cancer in situ, as the data are
presented per 10,000 patients. Therefore, if the fraction of women with a tubal
ligation who
developed cervical cancer in situ were to be calculated, it would be 3/10,000
persons or 15/50,000 in absolute numbers.
18 3 = 6 (Choice C) computes the RR of developing of cervical cancer in situ among
wo
3
Exam Section 1: Item 3 of 50
National Board of Medical Examiners®
4|Page
NBME 30 EXAM PREP LATEST 2025/2026 ACTUAL
EXAM COMPLETE 200 QUESTIONS AND CORRECT
ANSWERS WITH DETAILED RATIONALES GRADED A+
GUARANTEED PASS- ACE YOUR EXAM
1
Exam Section 1: Item 1 of 50
National Board of Medical Examiners®
Comprehensive Basic Science Self-Assessment
1. A 33-year-old woman comes to the physician because of a 3-day history of
nausea and light-headedness. Her last menstrual period was 5 weeks ago. She is
apprehensive. Physical examination shows no abnormalities. Her serum B-human
chorionic
gonadotropin concentration is increased. At this stage in the pregnancy,
progesterone is most likely produced within which of the following structures?
A) Corpus albicans
B) Corpus luteum
C) Pituitary gland
D) Placental cytotrophoblast
E) Placental syncytiotrophoblast - Correct Answer-B.
Pregnancy is suspected when there is a missed or delayed menstrual period.
During a normal menstrual period, follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinizing
hormone (FSH and LH, respectively) concentrations increase and stimulate the
developing follicle. The
1|Page
, NBME 30 EXAM PREP
follicle produces estrogen, which leads to proliferation of the endometrium in
preparation for implantation of a fertilized ovum. As estrogen rises, a surge occurs,
which in turn stimulates a surge in LH that causes ovulation. Immediately
following ovulation, the corpus
luteum forms. The corpus luteum secretes progesterone to maintain the
endometrial lining. If no implantation occurs, the corpus luteum degrades to the
corpus albicans and estrogen and progesterone concentrations decrease, causing
menstruation. However,
during pregnancy, the placenta develops from embryo implantation. The placenta
then begins to secrete human chorionic gonadotropin, which acts to maintain the
corpus luteum and its secretion of progesterone, which is necessary for
maintenance of the
pregnancy. As the placenta develops, it becomes primarily responsible for
progesterone production around seven to ten weeks of gestation. As this patient is
at five weeks of gestation, her progesterone production is still primarily performed
by the corpus luteum.
Incorrect Answers: A, C, D, andE.
The corpus albicans (Choice A) is the degraded corpus luteum that develops
because of the absence of embryo implantation. It does not secrete hormones.
The pituitary gland (Choice C) is responsible for secreting FSH and LH, as well as
prolactin and thyroid-stimulating hormone. While FSH and LH play a role in the
development of an ovarian follicle, the pituitary gland does not directly produce
progesterone.
Placental cytotrophoblast (Choice D) is the inner layer of the chorion and is vital
for the implantation of a
2
Exam Section 1: Item 2 of 50
2|Page
, NBME 30 EXAM PREP
National Board of Medical Examiners®
Comprehensive Basic Science Self-Assessment
2. A study is done to determine the relationship between use of oral
contraceptives and cervical cancer. Study subjects include 50,000 women who are
using oral contraceptives and 50,000 women who have had a tubal ligation. After
2 years of follow-up, the
rate of in situ cervical cancer is 18 per 10,000 in the oral contraceptive group and
3 per 10,000 (p < 0.05) in the tubal ligation group. Which of the following is the
estimated relative risk of cervical cancer among women who have had a tubal
ligation compared
with women who use oral contraceptives?
A) 3 - 50,000 = 0.00006
B) 3 18 = 0.17
C) 18 - 3 = 6
D) 18 - 3 +10 = 17.7
E) 18 - 3 = 15
F) 18 + 3 = 21
G) Indeterminable from the data given - Correct Answer-B.
Relative risk (RR) describes the difference in likelihood of the occurrence of a
particular disease outcome between two groups of patients with or without a
particular exposure. In this case, the outcome of cervical cancer in situ is compared
between two exposures,
the use of oral contraceptives or the use of tubal ligation for contraception.
Calculations of relative risk are commonly performed in cohort studies. RR is
calculated by dividing the fraction of patients with a positive exposure and who
developed disease (a) amongst
3|Page
, NBME 30 EXAM PREP
all patients who were exposed which includes those exposed who did not develop
disease (b), (a + b), by the fraction of patients with a negative exposure and who
developed disease (c) amongst all patients who were not exposed which includes
those who did not
develop disease (d), (c + d). RR thus equals (a / (a + b) / (c/ (c + d)). RR values
greater than 1.0 indicate an increased risk for developing disease in association
with the exposure, whereas values less than 1.0 indicate a reduced risk for
developing disease, and
RR equal to 1.0 indicates that the disease outcome and the exposure are not
related. In this case, RR of cervical cancer in situ among women who have had a
tubal ligation compared with women who use oral contraceptives is calculated as
(3/ 10,000) -
(18/10,000) = 3 18 = 0.17.
%3D
Incorrect Answers: A, C, D, E, F, and G.
3 - 50,000 = 0.00006 (Choice A) is an incorrect computation of the total fraction of
women with a tubal ligation who developed cervical cancer in situ, as the data are
presented per 10,000 patients. Therefore, if the fraction of women with a tubal
ligation who
developed cervical cancer in situ were to be calculated, it would be 3/10,000
persons or 15/50,000 in absolute numbers.
18 3 = 6 (Choice C) computes the RR of developing of cervical cancer in situ among
wo
3
Exam Section 1: Item 3 of 50
National Board of Medical Examiners®
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