When faced with the tough decisions of when to start studying, what resources to use, and how to study, the idea of boards can be overwhelming long before the test is near.
One of the most important things is to make sure you do well and study hard for your M2 classes, as that material is a large portion of boards. If you learn your M2 material well, you'll save yourself time when it comes to reviewing, and you can spend more time on M1 subjects.
I typically take my time on tests and have had a tough time with standardized tests in the past. However, hard work and practice pay off for Step 1. Regardless of how you take tests, standardized or not, you can do well on this test if you put in the effort.
Kaplan's Q-Bank is an essential tool to have for practice. I began using it a few months before my scheduled test date. I would try to complete about 50 questions per night for the several weeks before M2 year was over. Once classes were completed and I began studying during the day, I would start each day with 50 questions. After reviewing the answers, then I would study for a few hours, each lunch, study a few more hours and do more questions (50-100) at night. People study differently, so if you're not someone who studies long hours, DO NOT change your study schedule to something unrealistic for you. Pay attention to how you feel while you're studying. If you are tired and not absorbing what you're reading, then take a break or do some questions as an alternative. Stay with what works for you.
Besides Q-Bank, I outlined a calendar schedule and allowed myself a certain amount of time for each subject from M1 year and M2 year. Typically the bigger subjects and those I was less comfortable with were the ones I spent 2-3 days on. The important thing is to stick to your schedule. If you fall behind on a subject, move on. Otherwise, you won't get through all your subjects by the time the test comes around.
These are the books I used for Step 1. I used individual study books and only used Kaplan books for the histology and genetics section.
Just remember questions are key to getting good practice. Even if you haven't reviewed the subject yet, do questions. You'll find that as you study more and more, you'll get more questions right. Also, I found that I often learned more from reading the explanations from getting questions wrong than I did from reading chapters out of a textbook.
For test day, make a mental schedule on how you're going to take the test. I took a break after nearly every section and had a snack, coffee, etc... Other students went several sections before taking a break. Again, do what you think will work best for you. Good luck.
Read more USMLE tips.
Alpha Omega Alpha
http://www2.uic.edu/stud_orgs/hon/aoa/