Are USMLE and COMPLEX like MCAT?

[zoner]

Hi all

Quick question

Are USMLE and COMPLEX as screwy as MCAT was? I studied a ton for MCAT, but turned out that you can't really study for that test because its all common sense and basic. Are USMLE and COMPLEX pretty straight forward and direct based on specific topics?

Thanks

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[Azipropofol]

Hi all

Quick question

Are USMLE and COMPLEX as screwy as MCAT was? I studied a ton for MCAT, but turned out that you can't really study for that test because its all common sense and basic. Are USMLE and COMPLEX pretty straight forward and direct based on specific topics?

Thanks

Hi Zoner, the board exams are more content driven but still have a large aptitude test component to them. For example I'd say the MCAT was 40% knowledge and 60% IQ test. The boards are more like 70% knowledge and 30% IQ test.

Maybe IQ test is not the best term butI think you know what I'm getting at. They try to test your reading comprehension and solving skills in many questions. Good luck in your pre-med!

 

[Kaputt]

Step 1 is not really like the MCAT at all, except for maybe the stand alone questions. Like the above poster said, Step 1 is a lot more of a content-driven test. There is a set amount of information you need to know to pass. Having great critical thinking skills is required to do well, but you can't get by with critical thinking skills alone (without knowing your content cold).

The MCAT, in my mind, is a science-themed aptitude test (ignoring verbal, of course). You need some core knowledge, but the fact that it's passage-based means that a lot of it comes down to your ability to analyze information and answer questions.

I'd agree with the above poster's % breakdown for both tests.

 

[zoner]

Well, I kinda disagree about MCAT, I thought it was 70 % IQ and 30 % knowledge. For example, verbal and written portion is all about IQ. Plus, the other two sections, I went into the test knowing ALL equations I had learned but never used even one of it or didn't even come close when it actually came to the real test.

 

[shan564]

I think Step I is 20-30% IQ and 90% knowledge. Yes, it adds up to more than 100%, but that's because they're overlapping areas on a Venn diagram. If I took Step I before med school, I might have known the answers to about 10% of the questions. But even after med school, even if you know a topic really well, you still have to be fairly intelligent to be able to answer a lot of the questions.