Free 150 at prometric site signup/registration

SDN Members don't see this ad. (About Ads)

Where do you go to sign up for this? I might be retarded but I'm having troubling googling for the website to sign up for this.

In Usmle official web site you will find the link under practice materials. You may simply follow the instructions. You should be registered for step 1 and have a scheduling number and candidate ID number in hand to do this. Once you get the permit you can take a date with pro metric. Good luck.

Here is the link: https://apps.nbme.org/CBTPSRegistrat...gistration.jsp

On a side note...when would be a good time to take this? Weekend before? Two weeks before?

Thanks all!

Also I've heard that it's not 100% like the real thing (e.g. they use an older version of the software). How different is it really? Can anyone comment on the other differences between this and the real thing?

Originally Posted by Aclamity

Also I've heard that it's not 100% like the real thing (e.g. they use an older version of the software). How different is it really? Can anyone comment on the other differences between this and the real thing?

On this note...what does the actual interface look like? I've heard it's like UWorld. But never anything conclusive.

Originally Posted by Aclamity

Also I've heard that it's not 100% like the real thing (e.g. they use an older version of the software). How different is it really? Can anyone comment on the other differences between this and the real thing?

Yeah I've taken it and it's definitely NOT like the current interface. It actually looked like it coulda been from the 1990s or something. It looks NOTHING like UW, which is what actual Step will look like. Or if you download the Free 150 from the NBME website--it looks nothing like that.

Also, compared to the Free 150 that you can download from the NBME website, there were a lot of questions that were NOT on the one that you can download from the website. I would say it's 50% questions from the website & 50% other questions.

So if you do take it at the prometric center, I would definitely recommend still going through the Free 150 at the NBME website because you'll see a whole bunch of new questions.

I took it at the prometric center to familiarize myself with the testing center--that's the ONLY reason. I was kind of irritated that nowhere it mentions that the interface is pre-2000s or that it the test is different from the one on their website. I would still do it again because the whole point for me was to familiarize myself with the testing facility, but besides that ... I wouldn't recommend it.

I took it last week, ~3 weeks before my test. I think it was a good motivator because I've been studying (not intensely) since January, but only now I've had some dedicated study time and its draining.

The questions seemed super straight forward for the most part. Anything I missed is because I didn't know the concept well enough I think.

Interface is seriously something out of pre-windows 95. Even the little buttons in the interface remind me of pre-windows 95. The lab values are particularly annoying because when I see something is out of range, I like to highlight in the question, but you can't highlight and have the labs open at the same time.

I think it was a good experience though, really made me comfortable with the testing location, and shot my motivation back up.

Yes, software is crap, and they don't have calculator as well even though i think there was one question for sensitivity.

It felt similar to the easier questions of UW / NBME with a few medium to difficult ones. There were a few questions out side what's on the practice web site.There were a few molecular genetics very similar to the main one. Its more to ease you out with the test center than about test questions.

Originally Posted by jatt12

Yes, software is crap, and they don't have calculator as well even though i think there was one question for sensitivity.

Do you get a calculator on the real thing?

Also, do they give you a score report with the bar graphs for things or do you just get a % correct?

Thanks!

Originally Posted by DroptheBop

Do you get a calculator on the real thing?

Also, do they give you a score report with the bar graphs for things or do you just get a % correct?

Thanks!

Yes, there is calculator in actual exam. For practice exam you get a print out which shows how many questions you got wrong in each block, and overall percentage but no performance graph.

Thanks for the answer.

I submitted my registration for taking this practice test on that USMLE website on Monday, but I haven't gotten an e-mail about my practice exam examination permit/license yet. I know they say you should receive it within 7 days, but I don't know why it would take them so long to send an automated e-mail.... Does anybody know if it's an e-mail or actual mail that they're sending it by? Should I call them to see what happened or just wait until the seven days have passed? Thanks.

I got an email with a scheduling number within 4 days.

Yeah I got it in around 7 days but you'll get an email eventually.

It's a good test. Had a 256 on mine and a 257 on the real thing. Good test. So is USMLEWORLD 1 and 2. Both predicted my score within 2 pts. I took mine about 5 days before the real test.