I just took NMBE 18 today and got 209. This score left me devastated. I'm averaging 80% on UWORLD with 82% done on it. Any advice will be helpful. Thank you.
USMLE Bad score on NBME 18
- Thread starter samsamani
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Have you taken any other NBMEs? Is your UW% 1st pass, timed, and random?
Without the above knowledge, I can Only give you some general thoughts/advice. I would go through 18 and figure out why you missed what you missed. Knowledge deficits, changing answers/second guessing yourself, missing info or misinterpretation, etc. The NBMEs feel really different than UW to me, with the questions being much more vague and I really have to focus on not panicking/psyching myself out and just going with my gut to do well on them. UW on the other hand gives beautifully crafted stems to where if I miss something it’s almost always due to knowledge deficit. NBMEs I noticed I miss stuff more due to being tricked, or overthinking something and tricking myself, which hardly ever happens on UW for me. And there isn’t as high stakes a feel to doing a block of UW versus a test you are hoping will predict a good score for you.
Good luck to you.
Without the above knowledge, I can Only give you some general thoughts/advice. I would go through 18 and figure out why you missed what you missed. Knowledge deficits, changing answers/second guessing yourself, missing info or misinterpretation, etc. The NBMEs feel really different than UW to me, with the questions being much more vague and I really have to focus on not panicking/psyching myself out and just going with my gut to do well on them. UW on the other hand gives beautifully crafted stems to where if I miss something it’s almost always due to knowledge deficit. NBMEs I noticed I miss stuff more due to being tricked, or overthinking something and tricking myself, which hardly ever happens on UW for me. And there isn’t as high stakes a feel to doing a block of UW versus a test you are hoping will predict a good score for you.
Good luck to you.
This is my second pass on UW timed/random, I haven't taken other NBME's yet but planning on it soon. I guess what shocked me was that 75% correct answers correlates with 209. Do you have any recommendations on which NBME should I take next? I'm thinking UWAS 2 as well.
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In my opinion NBME 18 under predicts and I got 10 points more in the real exam than my last NMBE which was 18.
UW percentages for the correct answers are not predictive of a good eventual score at all in my opinion. I had roughly 60% correct in my first two passes combined.
You should study FA cover to cover at least once and then give another NBME like 17 or one of the latest ones.
The questions in 18 were difficult and the curse is very harsh.
UWSA 2 should be given closer to your exam date.
Now that you've given an NBME you should give UWSA1 to appreciate the differences in between both types of self assessment exam.
Best of luck!
UW percentages for the correct answers are not predictive of a good eventual score at all in my opinion. I had roughly 60% correct in my first two passes combined.
You should study FA cover to cover at least once and then give another NBME like 17 or one of the latest ones.
The questions in 18 were difficult and the curse is very harsh.
UWSA 2 should be given closer to your exam date.
Now that you've given an NBME you should give UWSA1 to appreciate the differences in between both types of self assessment exam.
Best of luck!
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The general consensus is that UW% isn’t a great predictor, especially if it’s a 2nd pass. I think taking UW2 is a great idea. As far as what other NBME, I don’t know that it matters much, they are all new. There are lots of opinions on these forms if you care to research, but they just really haven’t been around long enough. I can tell you lots of people didn’t like 20, but I thought it was fine/not much different than others I’ve taken. People like 21 but I haven’t taken that one myself so I don’t know anything about it. From what i understand, the curve is kinder on the new ones overall.
Either way, before you take UW2 or anymore NBMEs, hammer in your weaknesses and the reasons you missed questions on 18. And try not to let that score on 18 mess with your head, the mental game is just as important as knowledge when it comes to step 1/NBMEs, imo.
