? about Step I "randomization"

[Clair de Lune]

---

Members don't see this ad.

Does anyone know how the randomization process for each test happens? Are we given a completely random selection of questions, meaning that I could theoretically get a test with a disproportionate number of pharm questions? Or, do they pick random questions for each subject, keeping the proportions of each subject in check? From the looks of a few of these posts, it seems as though the questions are completely randomized with no attempts to balance out the subjects. But others have said they received a very fair sampling of questions. 😕 😕 😕

 

[Idiopathic]

You probably will get a random 'fair' sampling of questions. The questions are ranked 0.1-0.9 based on order of difficulty, I think, regardless of whether they are biochem, path, pharm, etc. Everyone should get a reasonably similar number of 0.9 questions as everyone else...and so on. It just so happens that you can get burned if you are weak on a particular subject. The questions could be very easy, but you may miss them. That turns the easy (0.9) questions into hard (0.1) questions for you, even though they were not intended to be.

This is just a method I have seen at other schools who employ test randomization as well as MCAT studies. The degree of difficulty is based on the ~% of students who got it right when it was a 'practice' question.

This is also just my theory, but I think it makes sense when you consider some people get 25 biochem questions when other people get 3 or 4.

 

[Clair de Lune]

I hope to God I only get 3-4 biochem questions!

 

[Stinger86]

Well, don't forget that most questions are not simply "biochemistry" or "anatomy", but rather a combination of several subjects. So while you may get a question that doesn't seem to have anything to do with biochemistry directly, it may mention some biochemical aspect within its text and is thus also considered part biochemistry as well. This helps explain why some people feel they got a lot of one subject and others feel they only got a few of the same subject. In other words, it's all a matter of how a particular question is written. Also, you'll notice that most people feel they got a lot of pathology and pharmacology, but that's because those subjects are either very encompassing (pathology) or very distinct (pharm).

This is also explained on the performance profile for the NBME assessment exams.

 

[14022]

You guys are all incorrect. There is no "randomization" at all. What happens is each medical school's registrar sends the NBME a copy of your transcript. The NBME then looks at your transcript and identifies the courses in which you performed the worst. They then make sure that these areas are overrepresented on your exam. If this was a random occurrence then I am one of the unluckiest sons of b's alive because I had so many endocrine and reproductive questions on my exam I almost thought I was taking my ob/gyn shelf exam.

 

[daisygirl]

You guys are all incorrect. There is no "randomization" at all. What happens is each medical school's registrar sends the NBME a copy of your transcript. The NBME then looks at your transcript and identifies the courses in which you performed the worst. They then make sure that these areas are overrepresented on your exam. If this was a random occurrence then I am one of the unluckiest sons of b's alive because I had so many endocrine and reproductive questions on my exam I almost thought I was taking my ob/gyn shelf exam.

This has crossed my mind . I can see it now- loads of biochem, molecular bio, statistics.....

 

[Stinger86]

You guys are all incorrect. There is no "randomization" at all. What happens is each medical school's registrar sends the NBME a copy of your transcript. The NBME then looks at your transcript and identifies the courses in which you performed the worst. They then make sure that these areas are overrepresented on your exam. If this was a random occurrence then I am one of the unluckiest sons of b's alive because I had so many endocrine and reproductive questions on my exam I almost thought I was taking my ob/gyn shelf exam.