1 more practice test until the real thing- NBME or USMLEworld exam?

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I have about 2 weeks left until my exam. I want to take one more practice test but I am not sure as to whether I should take my second USMLEworld one or if I should take another NBME. I have only taken a couple NBME's and one USMLEworld exam. What would you people recommend?

I've heard the USMLEworld exams inflate the grades alot with curves (I know I did alot better on my first World exam than my first NBME), but at the same time the NBME doesn't provide as much in depth feedback to the ones you got wrong. Still, I'm leaning towards the NBME because I heard it's a better predictor of your score, and might help me figure out which subjects to "hammer home" in the last several days. Any ideas/experiences would be much appreciated!

Originally Posted by AspiringOne

I have about 2 weeks left until my exam. I want to take one more practice test but I am not sure as to whether I should take my second USMLEworld one or if I should take another NBME. I have only taken a couple NBME's and one USMLEworld exam. What would you people recommend?

I've heard the USMLEworld exams inflate the grades alot with curves (I know I did alot better on my first World exam than my first NBME), but at the same time the NBME doesn't provide as much in depth feedback to the ones you got wrong. Still, I'm leaning towards the NBME because I heard it's a better predictor of your score, and might help me figure out which subjects to "hammer home" in the last several days. Any ideas/experiences would be much appreciated!

UWorld. No question in my mind. (1) you can check over your answers (2) Do you really want a "reality check" two weeks before your exam? That would unnerve me to no end.

(Unless you feel that you might not be passing and that doing poorly would cause you to change your test date, in which case I would say take the NBME.)

Good luck.

As much as I respect quepatho I'm going to have to disagree

My real test was so stinking similar to NBME 11 and 12 that I think having done both of those was invaluable and irreplaceable. Don't get me wrong, it was different, and hard and challenging, but as I look back at my study plan I really am glad I did those NBME's.

Like always, it depends on your goals. Do you want an assessment to figure out where you will be and perhaps brush up on a few areas or do you want the equivalent of 4 more blocks of uworld questions? Although, going back over them, the uworld assessments seem to not have nearly as many of the 10-20% get correct type questions as the normal blocks do.

I have two practice NBMEs that I got and don't think I can justify wasting, so I'm probably just going to rip that bandaid off and do them both at the same time. I'm kind of scared of seeing a score estimate and getting that kick to the groin, but oh well.

Haha, or listen to Sheldor, he DID take the actual exam...I'm not until Thursday!

You could always start with the NBME and end with the UWSA if you don't like your NBME score. Or do the NBME and UWSA back-to-back to simulate real testing conditions.

Originally Posted by MossPoh

Like always, it depends on your goals. Do you want an assessment to figure out where you will be and perhaps brush up on a few areas or do you want the equivalent of 4 more blocks of uworld questions? Although, going back over them, the uworld assessments seem to not have nearly as many of the 10-20% get correct type questions as the normal blocks do.

I have two practice NBMEs that I got and don't think I can justify wasting, so I'm probably just going to rip that bandaid off and do them both at the same time. I'm kind of scared of seeing a score estimate and getting that kick to the groin, but oh well.

Which ones are you doing back to back? I'm planning on doing 11 and 7 on Friday.

Originally Posted by ATrim7

Which ones are you doing back to back? I'm planning on doing 11 and 7 on Friday.

I did 11 and 7 back to back a couple weeks ago and thought it was a great experience. It got me used to answering questions for that long! I'd definitely do it again if I had to. (But wow do I never want to do it again, haha)

Minor point, but I'd suggest doing 7 and then 11. 11 is a little tougher, and I also felt like my real test got tougher as the day went on so that would be good practice.

Originally Posted by quepatho

Haha, or listen to Sheldor, he DID take the actual exam...I'm not until Thursday!

You could always start with the NBME and end with the UWSA if you don't like your NBME score. Or do the NBME and UWSA back-to-back to simulate real testing conditions.

I think you give great advice! And I didn't take any of the UWSA so I can't really compare them, I just know that I was glad I had taken as many NBME's as I had. I'm sure the best thing to do would be to combine our advice

Originally Posted by Sheldor

I did 11 and 7 back to back a couple weeks ago and thought it was a great experience. It got me used to answering questions for that long! I'd definitely do it again if I had to. (But wow do I never want to do it again, haha)

Minor point, but I'd suggest doing 7 and then 11. 11 is a little tougher, and I also felt like my real test got tougher as the day went on so that would be good practice.

I'll plan on doing this exactly. Thanks!

I recently took the test and I agree with quepatho.

I did NBME 7, UWSA 1 & 2 - I don't think doing the NBME helped me at all during the actually test day. The real test looked and felt more similar to the UW tests. And I actually learned things from the UW tests that showed up on my real exam. I learned nothing from the NBME; all it gave me was a score and my weak areas (which I knew were weak and was going to study anyways)