USMLE Step 1 · 7–11% of the exam
USMLE Step 1 cardiology questions
Cardiovascular System makes up 7–11% of Step 1 on the official content outline. Argonaut has 95 Step 1 cardiovascular questions, each a full clinical vignette mapped to the official content outline.
Free to try
Free Step 1 cardiology questions
Full explanations, no account. Each opens on its own page.
- CardiomyopathiesA 46-year-old woman with lymphoma is receiving doxorubicin.AQ-1060
- Complications of myocardial infarctionA 64-year-old man is hospitalized 4 days after an inferior myocardial infarction.AQ-1072
- Dyslipidemias Daily #22A 9-year-old boy is evaluated after a second episode of acute pancreatitis.27 Oct 2026
What to expect
What Step 1 asks in cardiology questions
General guidance from the content outline and how questions on this subject are usually built.
- Physiology you can apply: the cardiac cycle, pressure–volume loops, and how preload, afterload and contractility shift them.
- Valve lesions and their murmurs, and what bedside maneuvers do to them.
- Ischemic heart disease, and the complications of myocardial infarction by timeline.
- Cardiomyopathies, pericardial disease and heart failure, with the drugs that change outcomes.
- Congenital heart disease, aortic disease and vasculitis.
- Pharmacology: antihypertensive, antianginal, lipid-lowering and antiarrhythmic drugs and their adverse effects.
Share from the official USMLE Step 1 content outline, checked 11 October 2026.
Coverage
Topics in the bank
27 topics, with the number of Step 1 questions on each. Topics with a chapter link to the Library.
- DyslipidemiasFree8
- Rheumatic fever8
- Pericardial disease7
- Aortic aneurysm and dissection6
- Peripheral arterial disease6
- Arrhythmias5
- CardiomyopathiesFree5
- Coarctation of the aorta5
- Venous thromboembolism5
- Cardiac tumors4
- Complications of myocardial infarctionFree4
- Heart failure4
- HypertensionFree4
- Antianginal drugs3
- Antihypertensive drugs3
- Aortic regurgitation3
- Ischemic heart disease3
- Congenital heart disease2
- Aortic stenosis1
- Autonomic drugs1
- Mitral regurgitation1
- Mitral stenosis1
- Mitral valve prolapseFree1
- Myocarditis1
- Orthostatic hypotension1
- Renovascular hypertension1
- Vasculitides1
Keep going
Read, then practice
- CardiomyopathiesExplain that cumulative doxorubicin exposure can injure cardiac myocytes and reduce left ventricular function. Cardiac imaging can detect ventricular dysfunction before symptoms appear.Free chapter
- Complications of myocardial infarctionRecognize acute severe mitral regurgitation as a cause of sudden pulmonary edema and a new apical systolic murmur after myocardial infarction. Infer that an inferior infarction places the posteromedial papillary muscle at risk because it typically has a single arterial supply from the posterior descending artery.Free chapter
- DyslipidemiasFibrates activate PPAR-α and lower triglycerides partly by increasing lipoprotein lipase activity. Complete lipoprotein lipase deficiency removes this pathway and can limit the triglyceride response.Free chapter
- HypertensionIn an overweight adult with established hypertension, prioritize weight loss as the lifestyle intervention with the greatest expected blood-pressure benefit. Dietary and activity changes can support weight loss or complement it.Free chapter
- Mitral valve prolapseRecognize mitral valve prolapse from a midsystolic click followed by a late systolic murmur. Reduced preload with standing causes the click and murmur to occur earlier, distinguishing this pattern from other dynamic systolic murmurs.Free chapter
- Step 1 neurology questions10–14% of Step 1
- Step 1 gastrointestinal questions6–10% of Step 1
- Step 1 renal questions11–15% of Step 1
- Step 1 biostatistics questions4–6% of Step 1
Cardiology questions, answered.
01How many Step 1 cardiology questions does Argonaut have?
95 in the bank today, each a full clinical vignette with every answer choice explained. 3 of them are free to try on this page.
02How much of Step 1 is cardiology content?
The official Step 1 content outline puts Cardiovascular System at 7–11% of the exam. Shares are ranges because items can count toward more than one area. Read the outline.
03Are these cardiology questions free?
The questions listed here are free, with full explanations and no account. The rest of the Step 1 bank comes with Full access: $48 once, which also covers Step 2 CK. See pricing.
04What's the best way to practice cardiology questions?
Do a mixed block first to find your weak topics, then drill them, and read every explanation, not only the ones you missed. Our guide on reviewing USMLE questions shows how. In Full access, ARGO picks those topics for you.
All 95 cardiology questions, for $48.
Full access unlocks the whole Step 1 bank and the Step 2 CK bank, with ARGO drilling your weakest topics.
$48 · once · Step 1 + Step 2 CK