What NBME tests should I purchase?

[wiki23]

It seems that the NBME tests are quite expensive ($45) and I will probably only have time to do a couple. I heard the #2 is a good score predictor, but are the more recent ones (#5 and 6) better (i.e. closer to the actual questions)?

Any information would be really helpful!

Thanks!

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[theophylline]

It seems that the NBME tests are quite expensive ($45) and I will probably only have time to do a couple. I heard the #2 is a good score predictor, but are the more recent ones (#5 and 6) better (i.e. closer to the actual questions)?

Any information would be really helpful!

Thanks!

5 and 6, as you suggest, are the most recent. I would run with those. Other tests have certain "tendencies" and are heavier in certain topics.

NBME Form 4 is known to be biochemistry- and immunology-intensive.

They are all good score predictors as studies have shown and anecdotally here and elsewhere people report +/- 10 within their actual score from any of them.

If you only wish to invest in 1 or 2 (despite, and don't take this the wrong way, paying > $40,000/yr for medical school), then so be it. But if I were you I'd buy and do them all if time permits. Unless you're going into family medicine.

 

[Tablet PC]

It seems that the NBME tests are quite expensive ($45) and I will probably only have time to do a couple. I heard the #2 is a good score predictor, but are the more recent ones (#5 and 6) better (i.e. closer to the actual questions)?

Any information would be really helpful!

Thanks!

lolz you are worried about $45? Most people probably can't get a full tank of gas on $45

 

[wiki23]

Does the NBME work on Macs? It says it is only good with Windows...but I'm just wondering if anyone tried it with a Mac?

 

[Tristy]

It seems that the NBME tests are quite expensive ($45) and I will probably only have time to do a couple. I heard the #2 is a good score predictor, but are the more recent ones (#5 and 6) better (i.e. closer to the actual questions)?

Any information would be really helpful!

Thanks!

If you think that's expensive....consider how much you have already invested in your medical education, and you still have the next 2 years. For the importance of this exam I would not think twice about spending 45$ on a mini mock exam.

I don't think it's wise (that's just MHO) to go cheap when preparing for this. Heck, if I had the time I would do a Kaplan course (I need some structure because I've been out of school for a year), but I won the Boards Bootcamp one so I'm trying that one for a week to see if my scores go up (NMBE 2 didn't go too well...).

Long story short: don't sweat it over 45$ x 5 or 6. Considering the debt we have already accumulated, 45$ is "nothing" compared to that. And, that score will come back to haunt you soon . But again, that's just me.

 

[Tablet PC]

Does the NBME work on Macs? It says it is only good with Windows...but I'm just wondering if anyone tried it with a Mac?

from their site

System requirements:

• Microsoft® Internet Explorer 6.0, Netscape® Navigator 7.0, Firefox 1.5, and Safari 3.0. All later versions of these browsers are also supported. Internet Explorer is recommended
• PC with Windows® 98, 2000, ME, XP, NT, or Vista
• Mac with OS X
• Color monitor capable of displaying 800 x 600 with 32-bit color. For best results, use a 17-inch or larger monitor with 800 x 600 resolution.
• Disable pop-up blockers
• Computer security must be set to accept cookies

Mac should be fine as long as your use latest Firefox or Safari.

 

[Dr. Love Pants]

been wondering about these NBMEs... sorry if this is a n00b question:

I've heard there are no explanations to these questions provided, and you spend all day on each test for diagnostic purposes to feel out where you're at... so what's the purpose of doing all 6 of them?

I can see why you might do one early on to see where your baseline is and one later, as in weeks later, but doing 1/week - how is that going to be time efficient let alone the money part? I've heard there are some repeat questions from NBME on people's actual exams, but assuming that the average student usually only has anywhere from 4-6 weeks to prepare, is it really worth doing all 6 in that time?

more Qbank questions or anything else with explanations provided to work through would seem like a better time investment + maybe 2 or 3 max NBMEs to track progress overtime - please correct me if I'm wrong or offer counterpoints to my thoughts.

 

[Mortal_Lessons]

been wondering about these NBMEs... sorry if this is a n00b question:

I've heard there are no explanations to these questions provided, and you spend all day on each test for diagnostic purposes to feel out where you're at... so what's the purpose of doing all 6 of them?

I can see why you might do one early on to see where your baseline is and one later, as in weeks later, but doing 1/week - how is that going to be time efficient let alone the money part? I've heard there are some repeat questions from NBME on people's actual exams, but assuming that the average student usually only has anywhere from 4-6 weeks to prepare, is it really worth doing all 6 in that time?

more Qbank questions or anything else with explanations provided to work through would seem like a better time investment + maybe 2 or 3 max NBMEs to track progress overtime - please correct me if I'm wrong or offer counterpoints to my thoughts.

I took one not too long ago and from my experience, taking one exam certainly doesn't take up your whole day. In fact, you can probably finish each block with time to spare (~10-15 minutes), leading you to spend a max total (I understand some people are at different levels and whatnot) of 2.5-3.5 or so hours on 4 blocks. Also, you can jot down notes on the questions you're unsure of and look them up later. There was also another post about being able to find answers online via torrent searches and whatever other means are out there. I don't have as much in the way of providing a counter-argument to your point about how taking 1 per week is really helpful in terms of showing improvement, since taking them without having much study time in between won't show the dramatic results we'd all enjoy seeing. But it is nice to be exposed to everything that's out there, especially when it comes straight from the administrators. Perhaps doing 2 each time you sit down to take an exam will allow you to cut down on the number of days spent simulating these exams, and also increase your endurance.

 

[Tristy]

It's true that there aren't answers officially, but I'm sure you might be able to find them in da intarwebs. And from personal experience, from looking up the answers (and the explanations) you can learn something new not to mention the rumor that some questions from the NBME's may apppear in the real thing as you mentioned.

But you don't spend all day on an NBME exam (the Kaplan exam is another story, that one is long), it's only 4 blocks of 50 questions each. It's not thaaaat long. I plan on taking 3 or 4 more in my prep if I have the time (I've already done Form 2, and Form 1 last year when I was supossed to take it)

I already took one to have a baseline, and to gauge which areas I am weakest on, and I plan on doing one every week or so to keep gauging my (hopefully) improvement, tweak the areas where I suck at, and see if my study method is working for me. I bought only UW this time around, and I think I will skip on Kaplan (last year I bought both and I didn't like the Kap one, way too many WTF questions ).

My parents had -baaack in the day- a business like Kaplan, and they threw mock exams at us all the time, and it worked back then . I don't know, it makes sense to me. I actually asked my mom about it the other day and she said that it's a good idea to take the mock exams regularly.

Definitely do the qbanks, but also the mock exams, especially the NBME ones (I think those are the best because they are written by the USMLE people, but I might be wrong on that, I don't know, it's late down here and my brain is fried from studying today, lol).

Personally, I am not going to go cheap now. I already have a debt that makes me nauseaus (sp?) just to think about it, and a few hundred more now isn't going to break me. This thing is too important to _____ (I don't know the word in English) the money now. That's how I see it. Hope it helps and best of luck to us!

Edit: and you can save, via whatever program you use, your exam to be able to revise it, and maybe print it if you want it on paper, and jot notes on it about the answer. Disclaimer: I am talking about legal things, not encouraging illegal things.

 

[nope80]

Does anyone have any suggestions about which NBME test to do first??? Which one to do last??