I've got beef with the NAPLEX

[Pharmguy171]

And their NNT questions.

Let's assume a NNT calculates to be 40.2.

The question asks what is the NNT and in parenthesis at the end of the Question it states to round your answer to the nearest whole number.

Well the answer to the question, what is the NNT, is 41. The rounding 'tip' makes it sound like the answer should be rounded to 40 even though that is NOT the correct NNT...

Make these questions multiple choice or give them non decimal answers. Pointless semantics going on here.

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[Carbon14]

You have a good point. However, the NNT calculations rarely result in perfect whole number answers. Real world results would end in a decimal. Therefore its a decent question to ask.

If the NNT is 40.2 and you publish results of a trial where you treated 40 people, your results should have shown 41 or more. You wouldn't round down to 40 in most real life scenarios. This so called pointless semantic forces you to think logically instead of robotically.

 

[Pharmguy171]

I would completely agree with you (I think) that the answer in the above scenario is 41. And I had answered as such on my naplex... Multiple times. The problem is I haven't talked to a single person from my class who feels the same way I do, leading me to believe that what the naplex actually wanted is for us to round down to the incorrect answer, which is pretty awful.

How did the rest of you answer these questions? Did you round your numbers down if the scenario presented itself or did you round up to the next whole number since that is how NNTs are actually done?

 

[OmiPharmD]

Carbon14 is correct. The answer in this scenario is 41. You cannot treat 0.2 patient - it must be a whole person. You round up. Don't worry about how your former classmates answered. It will only make you feel like this -->

 

[Silvermist]

And their NNT questions.

Let's assume a NNT calculates to be 40.2.

The question asks what is the NNT and in parenthesis at the end of the Question it states to round your answer to the nearest whole number.

Well the answer to the question, what is the NNT, is 41. The rounding 'tip' makes it sound like the answer should be rounded to 40 even though that is NOT the correct NNT...

Make these questions multiple choice or give them non decimal answers. Pointless semantics going on here.

You know... I saw this thread weeks ago, and I took the NAPLEX today, and I got that EXACT question. It was so explicit--round to the nearest whole number. So I did round down, even though I know it's not right in the real world, and even though I have no clue what the right answer was "supposed" to be. The directions were exact, and so I followed them, even though it's illogical and stupid and I'm mad about it for the same reason you are. I hope that was a test question, and that they throw it out.