What does the Biostats QBank cover?

20 exhibits (14 pharmaceutical advertisements and 6 structured abstracts), each with a 10-question set: 200 questions in total. Questions cover calculations, patient applicability, bias and validity, graph and table reading, significance, study design, and whether an ad's claims match its data.

Is it like the drug ad questions on Step 3?

Yes. Each exhibit is written in the NBME format: a one- or two-page drug ad or abstract with tables, curves, and footnotes, shown in a split pane beside the question in the same blue exam interface we use for the Free 137.

Are the explanations detailed?

Every question explains the correct answer with the numbers worked from the exhibit, and every wrong option has its own note on why it is wrong and when it would be right.

Can I do timed blocks?

Yes. Build blocks of 5 to 40 questions, choose tutor or exam mode, turn the timer on at 90 seconds per question, and filter to unused or missed questions. A biostats cheatsheet opens in a side panel during the block.

The Biostats QBank is included with every StudyCCS plan, along with the CCS case simulator, SpeedOrder, the Rapid QBank, the Images QBank, and the rest of the StudyCCS tools.

NewIncluded with every StudyCCS plan

Step 3 Biostats QBankDrug ads and abstracts, NBME style

200 questions on 20 pharmaceutical advertisements and structured abstracts. Read the exhibit, work the numbers, and check whether the headline claim holds up—the same way Step 3 asks it.

Get the Biostats QBank Try a free question

Exam interface · Tutor or timed · A note on every wrong answer

200: Questions
20: Exhibits
14: Drug ads
6: Abstracts

Try one

A question from the first exhibit, exactly as it appears in the QBank. The ad sits beside the question, as on test day. Click the exhibit to open it full size.

Item 2 of 10 · Corvasta™ (relastatin)Exhibit 1 of 2

Corvasta™ (relastatin) pharmaceutical advertisement, page 1

Based on the table in the advertisement, approximately how many patients similar to those enrolled in SENTINEL would need to be treated with Corvasta for the duration of the trial (median 1.9 years) to prevent one primary endpoint event?

Pick an answer to see the explanation.

What it tests

Every question is tagged by skill, so you can see where you lose points. Most of the bank is about applying a trial to a patient and doing the arithmetic.

Patient applicability53 questions
Would this patient have qualified for the trial, and does the result apply to them?
Calculation49 questions
NNT, NNH, ARR, RRR, sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values from the exhibit's own numbers.
Bias & validity35 questions
Confounding, selection and lead-time bias, intention-to-treat, and loss to follow-up.
Graph / table reading23 questions
Kaplan–Meier curves, forest plots, and hazard ratios with their confidence intervals.
Significance & precision18 questions
P values, confidence intervals, power, and what “not significant” does and does not mean.
Claim vs evidence11 questions
Whether the headline claim is supported by the data printed under it.
Study design & methods11 questions
Noninferiority, case–control, platform trials, early stopping, and blinding.

All 20 exhibits

Fictional drugs modeled on the classes Step 3 likes to advertise, plus abstracts of landmark trials and diagnostic accuracy studies. Ten questions each.

01
Corvasta™ (relastatin)Ad
Primary prevention of ASCVD (statin)
02
Thrombexa™ (zarixaban)Ad
Stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation (DOAC vs warfarin)
03
Veltrova™ (belaglutide)Ad
Chronic weight management (GLP-1 receptor agonist)
04
Cordaxa™ (sacuvalsartan)Ad
Heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (ARNI vs ACE inhibitor)
05
Amyvanta™ (relucanemab)Ad
Early Alzheimer disease (anti-amyloid monoclonal antibody)
06
Nocturel™ (tasorexant)Ad
Insomnia (dual orexin receptor antagonist)
07
Aerovia™ (RSV vaccine, adjuvanted)Ad
RSV prevention in older adults (vaccine)
08
Multitarget stool DNA vs FITAbstract
Colorectal cancer screening (diagnostic accuracy)
09
Dexamethasone in hospitalized COVID-19 (RECOVERY)Abstract
Hospitalized COVID-19 (randomized, open-label platform trial)
10
Fluoroquinolones and aortic aneurysm/dissectionAbstract
Drug safety (nested case–control with cohort commentary)
11
Glyvara™ (renagliflozin)Ad
Type 2 diabetes with ASCVD (SGLT2 inhibitor CV outcome trial)
12
Quitavra™ (tabrenicline)Ad
Smoking cessation (nicotinic partial agonist; placebo- and active-controlled)
13
Migrelta™ (cetrenumab)Ad
Episodic migraine prevention (anti-CGRP receptor antibody)
14
BNP for acute dyspnea (Breathing Not Properly)Abstract
Emergency diagnosis of heart failure (diagnostic accuracy)
15
Ossivant™ (velodronic acid)Ad
Postmenopausal osteoporosis (IV bisphosphonate)
16
Bronchara™ (tiovarium)Ad
COPD maintenance (long-acting muscarinic antagonist)
17
Aspirin in healthy older adults (ASPREE)Abstract
Primary prevention in older adults (RCT stopped for futility)
18
Estrogen plus progestin (WHI)Abstract
Postmenopausal hormone therapy (RCT stopped for harm; RCT vs observational)
19
Omnicyn™ (ravacycline)Ad
Community-acquired bacterial pneumonia (noninferiority trial)
20
Arachova™ (peanut allergen powder)Ad
Pediatric peanut allergy (oral immunotherapy)

Built like the exam

1
Build a block
Pick 5 to 40 questions from ads, abstracts, or both. Draw from all, unused, or missed questions.
2
Work in the exam interface
The exhibit opens in a split pane beside the question, with zoom, notes, a calculator, and flagging.
3
Choose tutor or timed
See each explanation as you go, or run the block at 90 seconds per question and review at the end.

Get access

On every question

An explanation that points to the exact table, curve, or footnote and works the numbers.
A note on every wrong option: why it is wrong and when it would be right.
The concept being tested, so the same trap is easier to spot next time.
A biostats cheatsheet you can open in a side panel mid-block.

Questions

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The Biostats QBank comes with the full StudyCCS platform: the CCS case simulator, SpeedOrder, the Rapid QBank, the Images QBank, and the Step 3 walkthrough course.

✓100+ interactive CCS cases✓200 biostats questions✓Biostats cheatsheet

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