# The RPSR Method — How to Solve UWorld

> The RPSR method for UWorld: 4 days of First Aid prep per system — First Aid attacked from 4 angles before UWorld, 20-question untimed tutor blocks, and First Aid-based bookmark review.

URL: https://usmlevault.com/blog/uworld-rpsr.html
Canonical: https://usmlevault.com/blog/uworld-method
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## Summary

Explains the four-move RPSR method — Read, Pre-solve, Solve, Review — for using UWorld as a learning tool rather than a first-pass resource. Part 1 covers the 4-day per-system foundation, which attacks the same First Aid pages from 4 angles before UWorld: read them in the First Aid Guide and test them with its Test Yourself MCQs (2 days, 10–12 min per page, 4–6 pages/hour), learn how the exam asks them with the Mehlman Medical videos (short ~5-minute videos, not PDFs, that teach how to rule answers in and out; 1 day), and recall them actively with Foundation Anki for that system (1 day, core, not optional). Part 2 covers exact UWorld settings (unused, all subjects, one system, untimed tutor mode, 20-question blocks), a three-scenario per-question protocol, and a review method built on finding and highlighting the matching First Aid line. Six non-negotiable rules close it out.

## Key facts

- RPSR = Read, Pre-solve, Solve, Review
- Students went from 45% to 75% in under four weeks using this method
- 4 days of prep per system before opening UWorld in that system
- First Aid is attacked from 4 angles before UWorld: read (First Aid Guide), test (Test Yourself MCQs), think (Mehlman videos), recall (Foundation Anki)
- Mehlman Medical videos are short ~5-minute videos, not PDFs; they teach how to reason through a USMLE MCQ — ruling answers in and out
- Foundation Anki for the system is a core step, done before UWorld
- 60–70% of UWorld questions trace directly from First Aid lines
- Each First Aid page takes ~10–12 minutes, or 4–6 pages per hour
- UWorld settings: Unused, All Subjects, one system only, Tutor Mode untimed, 20 questions per block
- Expect ~10–11 bookmarks per 20-question block; review after 2 blocks (~20 bookmarks)
- Spend no more than 5–6 minutes on any single bookmarked question
- Target ≥65% by mid-system; first system often starts at 40–50%
- If the last two blocks are under 60%, go back to the Mehlman videos for the missed topics, then the First Aid pages behind them

## Covers

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## Source

USMLE Vault — https://usmlevault.com
Author: Dr. Marish Asudani

Updated: 2026-08-26