Boards and Beyond vs Sketchy:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Boards and Beyond had more branded searches than Sketchy among USMLE prep courses in the United States. Boards and Beyond had about 22,200 branded searches, while Sketchy had 3,600. Boards and Beyond made up 22.2% of all USMLE prep course searches we track, and Sketchy accounted for 3.6%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about USMLE prep courses, Sketchy appeared in two of the five answers and Boards and Beyond in one. Sketchy was mentioned before Boards and Beyond in every answer that named either.
Who do people search for more?
Boards and Beyond, about 6 searches for every 1 for Sketchy
Who does AI mention more?
Sketchy, mentioned in 2 of 5 answers, Boards and Beyond in 1
Who does AI recommend more?
Sketchy, named ahead of Boards and Beyond in 2 of 2 answers
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Top USMLE prep courses in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Sketchy was mentioned in two out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Boards and Beyond was mentioned in one out of five: not in any of the three ChatGPT answers, but in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Sketchy was listed before Boards and Beyond in every answer that named either.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
UWorld4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
AMBOSS3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Pathoma2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers- Sketchy2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Boards and Beyond1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Kaplan1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Lecturio0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about USMLE prep courses
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best resources for USMLE Step 1?”
Asked ChatGPT
“Which question bank should I use for Step 2 CK?”
Asked ChatGPT
“How should I plan my dedicated study period for Step 1?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“usmle prep”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“usmle step 1 prep”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in United States on October 28, 2026.
Is Boards and Beyond or Sketchy more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Boards and Beyond and Sketchy by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all seven USMLE prep course brands we track, month by month, from searches in United States.
Share of searches by month for Boards and Beyond, Sketchy. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | AMBOSS | Boards and Beyond | Pathoma | Sketchy | UWorld | Lecturio | Kaplan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 57.3% | 21% | 7.7% | 4.2% | 4.9% | 4.2% | 0.7% |
| Nov 2025 | 53.4% | 23.9% | 8.7% | 3.9% | 5.3% | 3.9% | 0.92% |
| Dec 2025 | 55.9% | 20.4% | 9.1% | 4.1% | 6.4% | 3.3% | 0.73% |
| Jan 2026 | 55.2% | 20.3% | 9% | 4% | 6.6% | 4% | 0.89% |
| Feb 2026 | 59% | 17.7% | 7.9% | 3.5% | 7.7% | 3.5% | 0.67% |
| Mar 2026 | 55.3% | 20.3% | 7.4% | 3.3% | 10.6% | 2.6% | 0.51% |
| Apr 2026 | 56.4% | 20.7% | 7.5% | 2.7% | 9.4% | 2.7% | 0.61% |
| May 2026 | 58.3% | 17.4% | 7.8% | 2.8% | 10.3% | 2.8% | 0.63% |
| Jun 2026 | 60.4% | 18.1% | 6.6% | 2.9% | 8.7% | 2.9% | 0.43% |
| Jul 2026 | 59.4% | 17.8% | 6.5% | 2.9% | 10.7% | 2.3% | 0.45% |
| Aug 2026 | 58.8% | 21.5% | 7.9% | 3.5% | 5.5% | 2.3% | 0.45% |
| Sep 2026 | 60.5% | 22.2% | 6.6% | 3.6% | 3.4% | 2.9% | 0.74% |
How has the Boards and Beyond and Sketchy comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Boards and Beyond was ahead of Sketchy in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Boards and Beyond’s share of searches among USMLE prep courses in the United States moved from 21% to 22.2%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 22.2K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Sketchy’s share of searches among USMLE prep courses in the United States moved from 4.2% to 3.6%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 4.4K to 3.6K.
How did search popularity change for United States USMLE prep courses in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Boards and Beyond gained share of searches among USMLE prep courses in the United States, from 21.5% to 22.2%.
In September 2026, Sketchy rose from 5th to 4th among USMLE prep courses in the United States.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Boards and Beyond’s and Sketchy’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Boards and Beyond
1 branded search term
- boards and beyond
Sketchy
1 branded search term
- sketchy medical
Other head-to-heads among USMLE prep courses
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