The cheapest USMLE question banks in 2026, for Step 1 and Step 2 CK
Short answer: The cheapest USMLE question bank for both exams is Argonaut, at $48 once for Step 1 and Step 2 CK with no expiry. For one exam, TrueLearn is the cheapest large Step 1 bank ($149 for 30 days) and iatroX the cheapest Step 2 CK subscription ($99 a year). UWorld costs $349 to $749 per exam. Prices checked 31 October 2026.
The Argonaut editorial team wrote this page, and we sell Argonaut. To keep it fair, every fact about another bank is taken from that company's own website on 31 October 2026 and linked below, we say where other banks beat us, and there are no affiliate links. Kaplan's website blocked our check that day, so its figures are from 11 October 2026. Prices change: check each site before you buy.
How our own questions are made is set out in our editorial policy. UWorld, AMBOSS, Kaplan, USMLE-Rx, TrueLearn, Lecturio, iatroX, QuantaPrep and MedAll are trademarks of their owners; Argonaut is not affiliated with any of them.
Argonaut is the cheapest way to get Step 1 and Step 2 CK questions: $48 once, with no renewal and no expiry. Every other bank here either sells each exam separately or sells time: one to twelve months of access, then you pay again. The table shows the cheapest listed way into both exams' questions, and what that money buys.
Cheapest listed way to cover USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 CK, as of 31 October 2026
Bank
Lowest price for both
What that buys
Longer options
Argonaut
$48
Both exams, once, no expiry
None needed
AMBOSS
$298
1-month Qbank + 1-year membership (the Qbank includes both exams)
$378 for 6 months, $448 for 12 months; membership renews at $149 a year
USMLE-Rx
$299
12 months of Qmax, both exams
$399 for the Rx360+ bundle; plans of 1 to 36 months are offered
TrueLearn
$348
30 days of each SmartBank ($149 + $199)
$999 for 365 days of each (USMLE Mastery Bundle)
Kaplan
from $358
two Qbanks, from $199 + $159
Access length varies by plan
UWorld
$698
30 days of each QBank ($349 + $349)
$1,158 for 360 days of each; $1,498 for 730 days of each
Listed prices in US dollars from each company's website, checked 31 October 2026 (Kaplan: 11 October 2026). iatroX and Lecturio are left out because we found no listing that covers both exams.
Step 1
The cheapest USMLE Step 1 question banks
The cheapest Step 1 question bank is Argonaut at $48 once, and it includes Step 2 CK. If you want a large Step 1-only bank, TrueLearn is the cheapest at $149 for 30 days or $199 for 90 days, with 3,200+ questions. Lecturio's subscription has the lowest monthly rate for Step 1, from $19.99, but bills each term in advance. UWorld, the most expensive, is $349 for 30 days.
Price per question divides the cheapest listed price by the advertised question count, so a bank that covers both exams is divided by its count for both. It is a rough guide to value, not quality: a 30-day plan is cheap per question only if you can finish the bank in 30 days.
Cheapest USMLE Step 1 question banks, as of 31 October 2026
Bank
Cheapest listed price
What that buys
Advertised questions
Price per question
Before you pay
Lecturio
from $19.99
a month, billed per 3, 12 or 24-month term
2,200+
Not comparable
7-day free trial, then billed
Argonaut
$48
Once, Step 1 and Step 2 CK, no expiry
1,090 Step 1 (1,827 across both exams)
2.6¢
113 free questions, no account, no time limit
TrueLearn
$149
30 days
3,200+
4.7¢
5-day trial with 120 questions per exam
Kaplan
from $199
starting plan
3,200+
from 6.2¢
7-day free trial
AMBOSS
$298
1-month Qbank + 1-year membership, both exams
2,840+ Step 1 (5,800+ in the whole Qbank)
5.1¢
5-day free trial
USMLE-Rx
$299
12 months, both exams
5,500+ across both exams
5.4¢
5-day free trial of Rx360+, no card needed
UWorld
$349
30 days
3,600+
9.7¢
No trial account; a demo with a few sample questions
Advertised counts include different things; some include shelf questions. QuantaPrep and MedAll describe free Step 1 banks: see free options. iatroX has no Step 1 bank.
Step 2 CK
The cheapest USMLE Step 2 CK question banks
The cheapest Step 2 CK question bank is Argonaut at $48 once, which covers Step 1 as well. Among Step 2 CK-only options, iatroX costs $99 a year (or $29 a month) and also covers Step 3, and Kaplan's Step 2 CK Qbank starts at $159. TrueLearn's Step 2 CK bank costs more than its Step 1 bank: $199 for 30 days to $449 for 365 days. UWorld is $349 to $749.
Step 2 CK banks are larger because most include shelf-exam questions: TrueLearn advertises 4,300+, UWorld 4,250+ and AMBOSS 4,100+ for Step 2 CK and the shelves together.
Cheapest USMLE Step 2 CK question banks, as of 31 October 2026
Bank
Cheapest listed price
What that buys
Advertised questions
Price per question
Before you pay
Argonaut
$48
Once, Step 1 and Step 2 CK, no expiry
737 Step 2 CK (1,827 across both exams)
2.6¢
113 free questions, no account, no time limit
iatroX
$99
1 year; or $29 a month
Not stated
Not comparable
Up to 10 questions a day without an account, shared across exams
Kaplan
from $159
starting plan
3,100+
from 5.1¢
7-day free trial
TrueLearn
$199
30 days
4,300+ Step 2 CK and shelf
4.6¢
5-day trial with 120 questions per exam
AMBOSS
$298
1-month Qbank + 1-year membership, both exams
4,100+ Step 2 CK and shelf (5,800+ in the whole Qbank)
5.1¢
5-day free trial
USMLE-Rx
$299
12 months, both exams
5,500+ across both exams
5.4¢
5-day free trial of Rx360+, no card needed
UWorld
$349
30 days
4,250+ Step 2 CK and shelf
8.2¢
No trial account; a demo with a few sample questions
iatroX doesn't publish a question count, so price per question can't be worked out. The official Step 2 CK sample questions are free.
$0
Free USMLE question banks and trials
Free questions are the cheapest way to choose a bank, and the official USMLE samples are the benchmark to compare every bank against. They are rarely enough for a whole dedicated period on their own.
USMLE sample questions (Step 1 and Step 2 CK): Official sample questions in the interactive testing experience, from the USMLE program itself. Free from usmle.org, no purchase needed.
QuantaPrep (Step 1): Describes itself as a free Step 1 question bank, “free forever”, covering all 18 Step 1 systems. No question count stated.
MedAll (Step 1): Advertises 3,500+ free board-style questions. The same page also asks you to register interest for its launch, and says MedAll is “exploring options” to keep it free.
iatroX (Step 2 CK and Step 3): Sample questions with explanations, no account needed. Up to 10 a day, shared across exams.
Trials of paid banks, as listed:
TrueLearn: 5-day trial with 120 questions per exam.
Kaplan: 7-day free trial.
Lecturio: 7-day free trial, then billed.
USMLE-Rx: 5-day free trial of Rx360+, no card needed.
AMBOSS: 5-day free trial.
UWorld: No trial account; a demo with a few sample questions.
A trial gives you a few days to judge a bank you'll use for months. Free questions you can return to let you compare banks question by question against the official samples and our free Step 1 and Step 2 CK questions.
Read the small print
What a cheap headline price leaves out
The cheapest-looking plan is often not the cheapest way through both exams. Five costs hide behind headline prices:
A second purchase for Step 2 CK. UWorld, Kaplan and TrueLearn sell Step 1 and Step 2 CK separately, so the price you see covers half the job.
A clock you can't stop. Most plans run 1 to 12 months from activation, and UWorld's can't be paused. Step 1 and Step 2 CK are often a year or more apart, and a delayed exam date means paying again.
Renewals. AMBOSS packages include a membership that renews at $149 a year unless you cancel. iatroX ($29 a month or $99 a year) and Lecturio are subscriptions.
Self-assessments. UWorld's 30-day plan includes none; they come with 90-day and longer plans or cost $50 each ($120 for Forms 1 to 3). The official NBME self-assessments cost from $62 each whichever bank you choose.
Billing in advance. Lecturio's headline is a monthly rate billed for the whole term up front, and the term totals only appear at checkout.
Two things work in your favour. TrueLearn lets you activate up to 365 days after buying and USMLE-Rx up to 6 months after, so you can buy during a sale without starting the clock. USMLE-Rx plans don't auto-renew.
Worked example: both exams, a year apart, about three months of practice each
Listed cost of practicing for USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 CK a year apart
Bank
Total
How
Argonaut
$48
One payment covers both exams; access doesn't expire
Our arithmetic from listed prices, checked 31 October 2026 (Kaplan: 11 October 2026). USMLE-Rx lists prices for its 12-month term only. Your total depends on your own timeline.
Quality
Is a cheap question bank good enough?
A low price doesn't make a bank worse, and a high one doesn't make it exam-like. What matters is how the questions are written and checked. Before you buy any bank, cheap or not, check five things in its free questions:
Written to the exam's rules. USMLE questions follow the NBME Item-Writing Guide: a clinical vignette, a lead-in you can answer before reading the options, one best answer and no cues.
Every choice explained, including why each wrong answer is wrong, not only the right one.
Mapped to the official outline, so system and discipline weighting matches the USMLE content outline.
Reviewed by a clinician before it goes live, with a way to report errors.
The current exam format: timed blocks of 20 questions in 30 minutes, the format in use since May 2026 (see the 2026 exam format).
Argonaut meets all five: every question is written to the NBME Item-Writing Guide, mapped to the content outline and approved by a clinician (MD or DO), as set out in our editorial policy. Where it falls short is size: 1,090 Step 1 and 737 Step 2 CK questions today, fewer than the established banks, and no full-length self-assessments of its own. ARGO, its adaptive engine, spends your questions on your weak spots rather than in bank order, which helps a smaller bank go further.
Official USMLE samples, Argonaut's 113 free questions and Library, QuantaPrep for Step 1 and iatroX's 10 a day for Step 2 CK. Good for choosing a bank and for early practice, thin for a dedicated period.
From $172
One bank, both exams
Argonaut ($48) for Step 1 and Step 2 CK, plus one NBME self-assessment per exam (from $62 each). Add more NBME forms as your exam gets close.
From $371
Two banks for Step 1
Argonaut plus TrueLearn's 90-day Step 1 SmartBank ($199) for extra volume during dedicated, with an NBME form per exam. That's less than a single 30-day UWorld QBank plus one NBME form ($411), and it covers both exams.
Totals from listed prices checked 31 October 2026; NBME self-assessments start at $62 each.
The banks
Each cheap USMLE question bank, reviewed
01
Argonaut: cheapest for both exams
Best for: Students who want exam-accurate, adaptive practice for both exams without paying hundreds of dollars or racing a clock. Price: $48 once for Step 1 and Step 2 CK, no expiry (2.6¢ per question).
Strengths
$48 once for Step 1 and Step 2 CK: no subscription, no renewal, no expiry.
Every question written to the NBME Item-Writing Guide, mapped to the official content outline and approved by a clinician.
ARGO chooses each session from your answer history: weak spots, confusion drills, spaced retests.
113 free questions and 73 free Library chapters, with no account and no time limit.
Timed 20-question, 30-minute blocks that match the 2026 exam format.
Trade-offs
A smaller bank: 1,090 Step 1 and 737 Step 2 CK questions today.
No full-length self-assessments; use the NBME's official ones.
A newer name than the established banks.
02
TrueLearn: cheapest large Step 1 bank
Best for: Students who want a large, low-cost Step 1 bank for one dedicated period. Price: Step 1 $149 (30 days); Step 2 CK $199 (30 days). Each exam is a separate SmartBank with its own clock. Step 1 runs $149 for 30 days to $419 for 545 days; Step 2 CK $199 for 30 days to $449 for 365 days.
Strengths
The cheapest of the big Step 1 banks: $149 for 30 days or $199 for 90 days.
A real trial: 120 questions over 5 days for each exam.
Up to 365 days to activate after you buy, so you can buy early without starting the clock.
Trade-offs
Step 1 and Step 2 CK are separate purchases, each time-limited.
Its Step 2 CK bank costs more than its Step 1 bank: $199 to $449.
Best for: Step 2 CK or Step 3 students who want a low-cost subscription with an AI tutor. Price: Step 2 CK $99 (1 year; or $29 a month). It doesn't cover Step 1, it doesn't state how many Step 2 CK questions it has, and it is a subscription: $99 a year or $29 a month.
Strengths
$99 a year covers Step 2 CK, Step 3 and three US specialty boards.
Ten free questions a day with explanations, no account needed.
Best for: Students who want both exams in one subscription, with First Aid-linked flashcards. Price: $299 (12 months, both exams). Twelve months is often not enough to reach both exams: Step 1 and Step 2 CK are frequently a year or more apart.
Strengths
Step 1 and Step 2 CK in one purchase.
5,500+ questions and three self-assessments.
Plans don't auto-renew, and you have up to 6 months to activate.
Kaplan: cheap entry price, practice tests included
Best for: Students who want practice tests bundled with a Qbank and Kaplan's lecture notes. Price: Step 1 from $199 (starting plan); Step 2 CK from $159 (starting plan). The listed prices are starting prices: access length and the full price depend on the plan you pick.
Strengths
Two full-length practice tests with each Qbank.
A 7-day free trial.
Questions link to Kaplan's Lecture Notes books.
Trade-offs
Step 1 and Step 2 CK are separate purchases.
No adaptive question selection described: you build your own quizzes.
Access length and pricing vary by plan, so the real cost takes some digging.
Best for: Preclinical students who want lecture videos and a Qbank in one subscription. Price: Step 1 from $19.99 (a month, billed per 3, 12 or 24-month term). The headline is a monthly rate billed in advance for the whole term, and the term totals only appear at checkout.
Strengths
Video lectures, a medical library and a Qbank in one plan.
A 7-day free trial.
Longer terms lower the monthly rate.
Trade-offs
A subscription: the monthly rate is billed per term.
2,200+ Step 1 questions, fewer than TrueLearn, Kaplan, AMBOSS or UWorld advertise.
Best for: Students who want a Qbank tied to a full medical reference library. Price: $298 (1-month Qbank + 1-year membership, both exams). Every package includes a membership that renews at $149 a year unless you cancel.
Strengths
Questions link straight into the AMBOSS medical library.
Optional adaptive sessions that resurface old misses.
One Qbank covers Step 1, Step 2 CK, shelf and Step 3.
Trade-offs
Qbank access is time-limited (1 to 12 months), with a membership that renews at $149 a year.
Only a 5-day free trial.
Fewer Step 1 questions advertised than UWorld or Kaplan.
Best for: Students who want the largest single-exam bank and can pay for each exam separately. Price: Step 1 $349 (30 days); Step 2 CK $349 (30 days). The 30-day plan includes no self-assessments; they come with 90-day and longer plans or cost $50 each ($120 for Forms 1 to 3).
Strengths
The largest advertised banks for Step 1 and Step 2 CK.
Self-assessments included with 90-day and longer plans.
Familiar to most students and tutors.
Trade-offs
$349 to $749 per exam, and Step 2 CK is a second purchase.
Access runs on a clock and can't be paused once activated.
Order: the cheapest way to cover both exams first, then the banks by what each is cheapest at. Each source link above was checked on 31 October 2026, except Kaplan (11 October 2026).
Choosing
Which cheap question bank should you choose?
You're taking Step 1 and Step 2 CK
Argonaut. $48 once covers both, and your access doesn't run out between them.
You want the biggest Step 1 bank for the least
TrueLearn's 90-day SmartBank at $199, or $149 for 30 days if you'll finish fast.
You only need Step 2 CK or Step 3
iatroX at $99 a year, or Argonaut at $48 once if you want questions you can come back to.
You want videos with your questions
Lecturio, from $19.99 a month, or USMLE-Rx's Rx360+ bundle at $399 for 12 months.
Your school pays, or money isn't the issue
UWorld, bought per exam. Add Argonaut as a second bank for fresh questions.
You're not sure yet
Do 113 free Argonaut questions and the official USMLE samples first, then take the trials.
For both exams, Argonaut: $48 once for Step 1 and Step 2 CK, with no subscription and no expiry. The next cheapest ways to cover both are AMBOSS at $298 (one month of Qbank plus a membership that renews at $149 a year) and USMLE-Rx Qmax at $299 for 12 months. Prices checked 31 October 2026.
02What is the cheapest Step 1 question bank?
Argonaut at $48 once (it includes Step 2 CK too). For a Step 1-only bank, TrueLearn is the cheapest of the large ones: $149 for 30 days or $199 for 90 days, with 3,200+ questions. Lecturio's subscription starts at $19.99 a month, billed per term. QuantaPrep describes its Step 1 bank as free.
03What is the cheapest Step 2 CK question bank?
Argonaut at $48 once, which covers Step 1 as well. Among Step 2 CK-only options, iatroX costs $99 a year (Step 2 CK and Step 3, no Step 1) and Kaplan's Step 2 CK Qbank starts at $159. UWorld's Step 2 CK QBank costs $349 to $749.
04Is there a free USMLE question bank?
Yes, with limits. The USMLE program publishes free official sample questions for Step 1 and Step 2 CK. Argonaut has 113 free questions with full explanations and no account. QuantaPrep (Step 1) and MedAll (Step 1) describe free banks, and iatroX gives 10 free Step 2 CK or Step 3 questions a day. Paid banks offer 5 to 7-day trials; UWorld offers only a demo.
05How much does UWorld cost for Step 1 and Step 2 CK?
UWorld sells each exam separately, from $349 for 30 days to $749 for 730 days ($459 for 90 days, $519 for 180 days, $579 for 360 days). A year of both exams costs $1,158. Self-assessments come with 90-day and longer plans, or cost $50 each.
06Can you pass the USMLE with a cheap question bank?
Price doesn't decide whether you pass; how many good questions you do and how carefully you review them does. Check that a bank writes one-best-answer clinical vignettes to the NBME Item-Writing Guide, explains every answer choice and maps to the official content outline. Then measure your readiness with official NBME self-assessments, whatever bank you use.
07How much are NBME self-assessments?
The NBME lists its Comprehensive Basic Science (Step 1) and Comprehensive Clinical Science (Step 2 CK) Self-Assessments from $62 each, with seven forms of each. Budget for two or three per exam on top of any question bank.
08How do I spend less on a USMLE question bank?
Buy one bank that covers both exams instead of two, avoid access that expires before your second exam, cancel membership renewals you don't need, and use the free trials and free questions to choose before you pay. Buying early is safer where activation is delayed: TrueLearn gives you up to 365 days to activate and USMLE-Rx up to 6 months.