100+ Free OB-GYN Shelf Practice Questions
Pass your NBME Clinical Science Subject Examination in Obstetrics and Gynecology exam on the first try — instant access, no signup required.
A 26-year-old woman wants reliable contraception. She has migraine with aura and smokes no cigarettes. Which option is most appropriate?
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Key Facts: OB-GYN Shelf Exam
110
Official Exam Items
NBME Timing Chart
2h45m
Official Testing Time
NBME Timing Chart
40%-45%
Pregnancy/Childbirth/Puerperium Weight
NBME OB-GYN Outline
40%-45%
Female Reproductive System/Breast Weight
NBME OB-GYN Outline
45%-50%
Diagnosis Task Weight
NBME OB-GYN Outline
100
Practice Questions Here
Open Exam Prep
The official NBME Obstetrics and Gynecology Subject Exam is a 110-item, 2 hour 45 minute proctored exam. NBME's current public outline lists Pregnancy, Childbirth, and the Puerperium at 40%-45% and Female Reproductive System and Breast at 40%-45%. Diagnosis accounts for 45%-50% of physician tasks, pharmacotherapy/intervention/management for 20%-25%, and health maintenance/prevention/surveillance for 13%-17%.
Sample OB-GYN Shelf Practice Questions
Try these sample questions to test your OB-GYN Shelf exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.
1A 28-year-old woman comes for preconception counseling. She has no medical problems, takes no medications, and has never had a pregnancy affected by a neural tube defect. Which recommendation should be made now to reduce the risk of neural tube defects?
2A 24-year-old woman at 9 weeks' gestation presents for her first prenatal visit. She feels well and has no significant history. Which laboratory test should be included in routine initial prenatal evaluation?
3A 36-year-old woman at 12 weeks' gestation has cell-free DNA screening that is high risk for trisomy 21. Ultrasound shows a viable intrauterine pregnancy. She asks what should happen before making decisions about the pregnancy. What is the most appropriate next step?
4A 31-year-old woman with chronic hypertension wants to become pregnant. Her blood pressure is well controlled with lisinopril. Which medication change is most appropriate before conception?
5A 26-year-old Rh-negative woman at 10 weeks' gestation has light vaginal bleeding. Ultrasound shows a viable intrauterine pregnancy. Antibody screen is negative. What is the most appropriate management to prevent alloimmunization?
6A 22-year-old gravida 1 para 0 at 37 weeks' gestation has a positive rectovaginal group B streptococcus culture. She has no medication allergies. What management is indicated during labor?
7A 30-year-old woman at 14 weeks' gestation has a routine urine culture with 120,000 CFU/mL of Escherichia coli. She has no dysuria, fever, or flank pain. What is the best next step?
8A 25-year-old woman at 10 weeks' gestation has persistent vomiting, 8% weight loss, ketonuria, and hypokalemia. She appears dehydrated. What should be included in initial management before giving dextrose-containing fluids?
9A 19-year-old woman has severe nausea and vaginal bleeding at 11 weeks' gestation. The uterus is larger than expected, serum hCG is markedly elevated, and ultrasound shows diffuse echogenic tissue with no fetus. What is the most appropriate treatment?
10A 29-year-old woman at 26 weeks' gestation has a 1-hour 50-g glucose challenge test result of 158 mg/dL. She has no symptoms. What is the next step in diagnosis?
About the OB-GYN Shelf Exam
The NBME Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinical Science Subject Exam is commonly used at the end of a medical school OB-GYN clerkship. The public NBME outline emphasizes pregnancy, childbirth, puerperium, female reproductive system and breast, preventive care, diagnosis, diagnostic testing, management, and applied foundational science.
Questions
110 scored questions
Time Limit
2 hours, 45 minutes
Passing Score
School-defined; NBME provides scaled scores and norms
Exam Fee
Institution-dependent (National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME))
OB-GYN Shelf Exam Content Outline
Pregnancy, Childbirth, and the Puerperium
Preconception care, prenatal screening, normal pregnancy, medical complications, obstetric emergencies, fetal assessment, labor, delivery, postpartum complications, lactation, and medication safety.
Female Reproductive System and Breast
Normal reproductive physiology, menstrual disorders, infertility, contraception, menopause, pelvic pain, vulvovaginal and cervical infections, breast complaints, and neoplasms of the cervix, ovary, uterus, vagina, and vulva.
Other Systems and Multisystem Processes
Systemic disease in pregnancy or gynecology, including endocrine, renal, cardiovascular, infectious, psychiatric, hematologic, and emergency overlap.
General Principles, Endocrine, and Social Sciences
Well-patient care, age-related findings, endocrine overlap, communication, ethics, confidentiality, consent, intimate partner violence, and health equity.
Clinical Reasoning Tasks
Most questions require the next best diagnostic step, immediate stabilization priority, screening or prevention choice, pharmacotherapy, procedure selection, or recognition of obstetric and gynecologic complications.
How to Pass the OB-GYN Shelf Exam
What You Need to Know
- Passing score: School-defined; NBME provides scaled scores and norms
- Exam length: 110 questions
- Time limit: 2 hours, 45 minutes
- Exam fee: Institution-dependent
Keys to Passing
- Complete 500+ practice questions
- Score 80%+ consistently before scheduling
- Focus on highest-weighted sections
- Use our AI tutor for tough concepts
OB-GYN Shelf Study Tips from Top Performers
Frequently Asked Questions
How many questions are on the official NBME OB-GYN shelf exam?
The NBME Subject Exam Timing Chart lists the Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinical Science Subject Exam as 110 items with a 2 hour, 45 minute testing time. This site's practice bank contains 100 original practice questions.
What topics are most important for the OB-GYN shelf?
NBME's public outline lists Pregnancy, Childbirth, and the Puerperium at 40%-45% and Female Reproductive System and Breast at 40%-45%. Students should be ready for prenatal care, labor and delivery, postpartum complications, gynecologic infections, menstrual disorders, infertility, contraception, menopause, oncology, pelvic pain, breast complaints, screening, diagnosis, and management.
Is the OB-GYN shelf mostly obstetrics?
No. Obstetrics and gynecology are both major parts of the public outline. Pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum care form one 40%-45% band, while female reproductive system and breast topics form another 40%-45% band.
Who sets the passing score?
NBME provides equated scores and normative feedback, but medical schools determine how the score is used for clerkship grading, honors cutoffs, remediation, and retakes.
How should I use this qbank?
Work in timed mixed blocks, then review every explanation. For missed questions, identify whether the error was diagnosis, screening, urgent stabilization, medication choice, procedure selection, or longitudinal management.