Qbank - How long until you got up to speed?

[BigSkyDreams]

Howdy,

For those of you using the Qbank, how long (i.e. number of tests) before you started to see a consistent trend in you scoring?

I have done around 15% of the Qbank, all subjects, randomized, 50Q at a time, and I?m all over the place from 42%-60%. Over the remaining 85% I hope to see a little more precision and accuracy, what is/was your experience?

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[MedPuck]

BSD, Don't worry about getting off to that kind of start, most of us here began with those percentages/ranges. It took me about two weeks of plugging away before seeing a consistent increase in my scores (+10-15%). Even still, I get those flashback scores on 50q exams which humble me when I start thinking I am in good shape. I have only 11 days to go before my exam and I seriously can't wait to be done. My eyes are destroyed after 87% completion of qBank.

Bottom line: use it as a learning tool and don't get too caught up with the numbers, like I do most of the time! BTW, how long until your test date??

Good luck!!

 

[AlexRusso]

I'm at 50% done...did about 500 path q's first to prepare for my shelf and been doing randomized sets of 50 since then. Was pretty consistent between 68-72 on path w. 1 or 2 above that range and 1 below. With the random blocks I'm between 62-68 a lot of the time but i've managed to pull off a few mid to high 70's. Keep wanting to break that 80% mark. I dont think I'm consistent b/c that's my level of knowledge (sometimes its lucky guessing) it mostly depends on what questions you get. Sometimes i get a lot of BS and I hate those so my score suffers, when I get phyiso or pathophys i tend to do better.

Guess what I'm trying to say is don't try to look for consistency. qbank is a learning tool. Its not a real test. It can really hurt to get low scores here but remember that you are learning something each time you get a question wrong. Probably more so than if you get it right, maybe by guessing.

I'm trying to finish q-bank 1 week before my exam and then do a 350q a day in the final week. what i'm hoping for is that I at least get consistently high scores the 2nd time through. If not then I guess I'm screwed.

 

[mountaindew2006]

hey out of curiosity...i was planning on doing that too..finishing up early and then that last week do around that many (300) per day.....but...how do you get it so that those that you've answered right dont show up with the answer highlighted? I wonder if there is a way to 'reset'? I know that you can look/redo the ones you got wrong, but on the other ones it sucks cuz it appears you cant remove the highlighted answer

 

[AlexRusso]

I just did a set of questions using the "all items" option and the ones i had gotten right before appeared without any highliting. Seems to work.

 

[Idiopathic]

hey out of curiosity...i was planning on doing that too..finishing up early and then that last week do around that many (300) per day.....but...how do you get it so that those that you've answered right dont show up with the answer highlighted? I wonder if there is a way to 'reset'? I know that you can look/redo the ones you got wrong, but on the other ones it sucks cuz it appears you cant remove the highlighted answer

I have considered calling Kaplan about this, to see if they would reset my QBank...I finished about 6 weeks before my test, and now I am going back through QBank, about 100q's at a time, just looking at the explanations without wasting time on the questions.

 

[imtiaz]

it's better to finish early, qbank is a tool to learn from really. it's a collection of questions that have been seen on usmle before or something like that. basically it's your secret weapon, cause boards questions are recycled pretty much. from what i hear it takes a number of years for newly written questions to make it into the actual exam.

anyway, when i first started qbank i was in the 50s and 60s, i'm doing it by subject (which is not recommended but whatever) and after having studied i'm scoring in the 80s and even 90s. so there is definitely a change after having studied.

 

[OneStrongBro]

I wonder if QBank makes new questions every year(or periodically) too to keep up with Step 1. Anybody know? That would be interesting. Because, if Step 1 keeps evolving, and Qbank remains the same. Every year, Qbank becomes less and less relevant.

I wonder when this Qbank was renovated by Kaplan.

 

[Idiopathic]

I wonder if QBank makes new questions every year(or periodically) too to keep up with Step 1. Anybody know? That would be interesting. Because, if Step 1 keeps evolving, and Qbank remains the same. Every year, Qbank becomes less and less relevant.

I wonder when this Qbank was renovated by Kaplan.

They dont redo the whole thing, I know that. I would bet that 90% of it is the same. But how do they know whats on the test anyway? they have less insight than our own professors, I believe.

 

[fernj1975]

I just finished having Dr. Ruebush for the kaplan review section on microbiology and she told us that she constantly changes the q-bank question after receiving feedback from students (changing trends etc...) . As a matter of fact she told us she just added 15 new q-bank questions this week.

 

[fabfive5]

I am currently doing the Qbank and was wondering how the percentages earned on the tests correlate to the REAL test. I realize that repeated questions are more right the next time, etc. If anyone who took the test and did Qbank could help me (and others wondering), that would be great!

Thanks,

Fred

 

[imtiaz]

I am currently doing the Qbank and was wondering how the percentages earned on the tests correlate to the REAL test. I realize that repeated questions are more right the next time, etc. If anyone who took the test and did Qbank could help me (and others wondering), that would be great!

Thanks,

Fred

i have heard mixed things, some people say there is a good correlation (ie. multiply your qbank by 3 so 80% would be roughly a 240) and others say they scored in the 50s and 60s on qbank and got 240s. it all depends what kind of test you get, if you get a test that is heavy in a subject that you know well you are going to rock it. if you happen to get a subject that's heavy in an area that you don't know well (for me that's ovary/testicular tumors, renal physio) then you aren't going to score too great. it's all luck my friend. my ideal test would be 100% cardiovascular path.

 

[trouta]

Consistency never happens with this darn thing... have been doing reasonably well all along then scored in the high 50s on the second to last 50qs of my entire subscription. Kinda puts the fear of God in one.