# The USMLE Anki Decks Tier List

> USMLE Anki decks tier list: FA Foundation Anki and NBME Booster Anki (S), NBME Images Anki, Step 2 CK NBME Booster and Tzanki (A), Sketchy Micro Pepper (B), AnKing (C), with card counts and why.

URL: https://drmarishasudani.com/tier-list-anki
Canonical: https://drmarishasudani.com/tier-list-anki

## Questions this guide answers

- **Which Anki deck is best for Step 1?** For Step 1, 2 decks are S tier: the FA Foundation Anki for First Aid, and the NBME Booster Anki for every NBME form from 20 to 34 plus the Free 120. NBME Images Anki, the Step 2 CK NBME Booster and Tzanki are A. The Sketchy Micro Pepper deck is B. AnKing is C: about 30,000 cards to maintain.

## Page text

USMLE Vault · Step 1 & Step 2 CK · Tier list 5 of 6
The USMLE Anki decks tier list
For IMGs with an exam date, not a year to maintain 30,000 cards.
By Dr. Marish Asudani · Published 26 October 2026
Which Anki deck is best for Step 1?
For Step 1, 2 decks are S tier : the FA Foundation Anki for First Aid, and the NBME Booster Anki for every NBME form from 20 to 34 plus the Free 120. NBME Images Anki, the Step 2 CK NBME Booster and Tzanki are A. The Sketchy Micro Pepper deck is B. AnKing is C: about 30,000 cards to maintain.
Read this first For Step 1 there are only 2 Anki decks I personally recommend. I built both, after going through every other Step 1 deck out there. Not 30,000-card monsters you maintain forever: lean, page-anchored, built for your exam date.
Every deck name below opens the deck. Here is how to read the tiers:
S In my stack. Use it fully.
A The best for a specific job.
B Useful in one situation.
C Good in places, but the wrong anchor, or a slot that's already filled.
D A bad trade for your hours.
F Skip it.
Students who did this
Real students, in their own words, on the exact tools in this guide. Tap to play.
Dr. Rana · Passed Step 1 An honest review of Vault Anki
Roshni · Passed Step 1 An honest review of Vault Anki
Try a free 3-day trial → usmlevault.com · no card needed
5
Tier list 5 of 6 Anki decks
Every Step 1 and Step 2 CK deck worth naming. Tap any name to open it.
S
FA Foundation Anki NBME Booster Anki
A
NBME Images Anki Step 2 CK NBME Booster Tzanki (Step 2 CK)
B
Sketchy Micro (Pepper) deck
C
AnKing
S
The top FA Foundation Anki and NBME Booster Anki
Why 2 decks? Before every NBME I did 2 things: a full revision of my notes, which was my First Aid book, and a full-cycle revision of every NBME I'd already taken. The first became the FA Foundation Anki. The second became the NBME Booster Anki. These are the best Step 1 decks there are , and that's why I built them.
Every system, then before every NBME S FA Foundation Anki
2,499 cards across 17 system decks, a page-by-page aggregation of First Aid, with the page number on every card. At about 400 a day, a full First Aid pass in 5 to 6 days.
Open the deck ↗
Open the FA Foundation Anki First Aid, page by page, as cards, with the page number on every card. Free 3-day trial, no card needed.
Open the deck →
Before every new form, and the final 1 to 2 weeks S NBME Booster Anki
4,493 cards from NBME 20 to 34 and the Free 120, sorted into 18 system decks. The NBME retires forms, not logic. Run it system by system, and before each new form, revise the forms you've already taken.
Open the deck ↗
▶ How to do Anki from the Vault 10 minutes
How to run both decks → · Anki, rebuilt →
Revise every NBME you've taken The NBME Booster Anki: 4,493 cards, NBME 20 to 34 and the Free 120, by system. Opens straight into the deck.
Open the Booster →
↓
Top to bottom The other decks, and why
Final week A NBME Images Anki
Why: every NBME image as flashcards, for the final week. The NBME repeats its images.
Open the deck ↗
Step 2 CK A Step 2 CK NBME Booster
Why: the same idea as the Step 1 Booster, for Step 2 CK: 1,840 cards, 1 per NBME question, across 16 systems.
Open the deck ↗
Step 2 CK A Tzanki
Why: in the Step 2 CK consolidation, "days 1–2 Tzanki Anki plus the Mehlman playlist." Build your Step 2 CK base with the Tzanki deck and 1 question bank, system by system. Download the Tzanki deck →
Step 2 CK resources → · Step 2 CK 250+ →
Micro B Sketchy Micro (Pepper) deck
Why: Dr. E ran it in about 8 days, alongside the FA Foundation Anki , in the schedule that took him from a 59.5% baseline to 74.5%.
Dr. E's schedule →
Step 1 C AnKing
Why: it does tag its cards to First Aid pages. The problem is size: about 30,000 cards, against 2,499 in the FA Foundation Anki . That's months of reviews you have to maintain.
The top of every list, on a schedule
Want a day-by-day schedule that tells you exactly what to study next? The Vault builds it around your exam date.
Build my schedule on usmlevault.com/schedule →
The top of every list, already in one place.
The First Aid Guide , both Anki decks ( FA Foundation and NBME Booster ), the free PDFs and your schedule . Renal is free.
Open usmlevault.com →
usmlevault.com/schedule · free for your first 3 days
Read next
The NBME Booster Anki — both decks, Step 1 and Step 2 CK.
How to run both decks — Foundation versus Booster.
NBME Images Anki — the final week.
Anki, rebuilt — Timed mode and First Aid on every card.
USMLE Vault · The USMLE Anki Decks Tier List · Created 2026-10-26
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## Source

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

Updated: 2026-10-26