USMLE Step 1 · 6–10% of the exam
USMLE Step 1 gastrointestinal questions
Gastrointestinal System makes up 6–10% of Step 1 on the official content outline. Argonaut has 91 Step 1 gastrointestinal questions, each with every answer choice explained.
Free to try
Free Step 1 gastrointestinal questions
Full explanations, no account. Each opens on its own page.
- Esophageal disordersA 21-year-old man with asthma and seasonal allergies has had intermittent difficulty swallowing solid food for 8 months.AQ-1069
- Portal hypertensionA 52-year-old man with recurrent episodes of pancreatitis is evaluated after an episode of hematemesis.AQ-1073
- Functional gastrointestinal disorders Daily #7A 29-year-old woman has 10 months of bothersome fullness after meals and early satiety, often after eating only a small amount.12 Oct 2026
- Ischemic bowel disease Daily #35A 72-year-old woman develops cramping abdominal pain and then passes a small amount of blood-streaked stool several hours after an operation complicated by prolonged…9 Nov 2026
What to expect
What Step 1 asks in gastrointestinal questions
General guidance from the content outline and how questions on this subject are usually built.
- Esophageal and gastric disease, from reflux and motility disorders to gastritis and cancer.
- The liver: hepatitis, cirrhosis, portal hypertension and drug-induced injury.
- The pancreas and biliary tree: pancreatitis, gallstones and cancer.
- Malabsorption, inflammatory bowel disease and diarrheal infections.
- Polyposis syndromes and colorectal cancer.
- GI embryology and congenital anomalies.
Share from the official USMLE Step 1 content outline, checked 11 October 2026.
Coverage
Topics in the bank
37 topics, with the number of Step 1 questions on each. Topics with a chapter link to the Library.
- Esophageal disordersFree11
- Gastritis6
- Colorectal cancer5
- Gastric neoplasms5
- Oral cavity disorders5
- PancreatitisFree5
- Polyposis syndromesFree4
- Diarrheal infections3
- Gallstone disease3
- Pancreatic cancer3
- Portal hypertensionFree3
- Anorectal disorders2
- Ascites2
- Congenital gastrointestinal anomalies2
- ConstipationFree2
- Drug-induced liver injury2
- Inflammatory bowel disease2
- Ischemic bowel disease2
- Liver function tests2
- Liver tumors2
- Malabsorption2
- Oral candidiasis2
- Viral hepatitis2
- Abdominal trauma1
- Appendicitis1
- Celiac disease1
- Cirrhosis1
- Colorectal polyps1
- Functional gastrointestinal disorders1
- Hepatic encephalopathy1
- Hepatic vascular disorders1
- Hernias1
- Hirschsprung disease1
- Jaundice1
- Mesenteric ischemia1
- Peritonitis1
- Wilson disease1
Keep going
Read, then practice
- ConstipationOpioid-associated constipation can be managed with a first-line laxative such as scheduled senna while needed opioid analgesia is continued. Further imaging or an opioid antagonist is not the initial intervention in an uncomplicated case.Free chapter
- Esophageal disordersDiagnose eosinophilic esophagitis by integrating esophageal dysfunction with a biopsy showing at least 15 eosinophils per high-power field. Recognize that normal endoscopic appearance or improvement of heartburn with proton pump inhibitor therapy does not exclude the diagnosis.Free chapter
- PancreatitisUse pancreatic calcifications and markedly reduced fecal elastase to recognize exocrine pancreatic insufficiency. Reduced pancreatic lipase secretion impairs triglyceride digestion and can cause steatorrhea despite preserved intestinal mucosa and bile delivery.Free chapter
- Polyposis syndromesRecognize juvenile-type hamartomatous polyp architecture and use the polyp burden and family history to identify juvenile polyposis syndrome. Link this syndrome to impaired BMPR1A/SMAD4-mediated BMP/TGF-β signaling rather than APC-driven adenomatous polyposis.Free chapter
- Portal hypertensionSplenic vein thrombosis can cause localized, or left-sided, portal hypertension by raising pressure in the short gastric veins that drain into it. Isolated gastric varices with a patent portal vein and preserved liver function favor this mechanism over generalized portal hypertension.Free chapter
- Step 1 cardiology questions7–11% of Step 1
- Step 1 neurology questions10–14% of Step 1
- Step 1 renal questions11–15% of Step 1
- Step 1 biostatistics questions4–6% of Step 1
Gastrointestinal questions, answered.
01How many Step 1 gastrointestinal questions does Argonaut have?
91 in the bank today, each a full clinical vignette with every answer choice explained. 4 of them are free to try on this page.
02How much of Step 1 is gastrointestinal content?
The official Step 1 content outline puts Gastrointestinal System at 6–10% of the exam. Shares are ranges because items can count toward more than one area. Read the outline.
03Are these gastrointestinal 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 gastrointestinal 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 91 gastrointestinal 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