Best Exam for a Diagnostic

[futuredoctor10]

At the start of the dedicated prep period, what is the best exam to use as a diagnostic?

NBMEs? UWSAs? (what specific #s for NBME/UWSA)? Kaplan or other?

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[johndoe3344]

The best (i.e. most realistic compared to the actual exam) diagnostic is always the NBME.

As to the best NBME form:
http://lmgtfy.com/?q=best+nbme+form+usmle+step+1&l=1
(Not sure if allowed to link to other forums)

 

[maxxor]

I tried PMing you, but it wouldn't go through.

I felt NBME 11 was the hardest for me. Here's how I did diagnostics:
1. Kaplan Diagnostic
2. NBME11
3. NBME12
4. UWorld SA1
5. NBME 13

Some say 13 is hard. Some say it is easy. I thought 13 was the easiest and 11 the hardest. It really depends on how you think and organize information in your brain. I also think 11 most represented the format of the NBME, so perhaps take 13 first, and save 11 for closer to the real thing?

 

[kaleerkalut]

I tried PMing you, but it wouldn't go through.

I felt NBME 11 was the hardest for me. Here's how I did diagnostics:
1. Kaplan Diagnostic
2. NBME11
3. NBME12
4. UWorld SA1
5. NBME 13

Some say 13 is hard. Some say it is easy. I thought 13 was the easiest and 11 the hardest. It really depends on how you think and organize information in your brain. I also think 11 most represented the format of the NBME, so perhaps take 13 first, and save 11 for closer to the real thing?

What do you mean 11 most represented the NBME format? Do you mean the real deal? How does 12 stack up by your scale? Thanks

 

[maxxor]

Yeah, my bad, I meant USMLE, not NBME there. That'll teach me to post at 1:45 AM... I found 11's phrasing of questions and topics to be most representative of the USMLE I took. I thought 12 and 13 were very similar, so much so that I can't remember any significant differences really while I was taking them, but man I wanted to cheat while I was taking 11.

 

[gravitywave]

you could take an NBME, but i wouldn't start with 11.

you could also take one of the UWSAs, that will give you a good idea of where you stand.

or you could just jump into UW, since we have pretty robust data on what the % correct suggests about your preparedness (recommended)

 

[kaleerkalut]

Yeah, my bad, I meant USMLE, not NBME there. That'll teach me to post at 1:45 AM... I found 11's phrasing of questions and topics to be most representative of the USMLE I took. I thought 12 and 13 were very similar, so much so that I can't remember any significant differences really while I was taking them, but man I wanted to cheat while I was taking 11.

you could take an NBME, but i wouldn't start with 11.

you could also take one of the UWSAs, that will give you a good idea of where you stand.

or you could just jump into UW, since we have pretty robust data on what the % correct suggests about your preparedness (recommended)

I think I'm only going to have enough time to take one more NBME (I already took 12). Not sure if I should take 11 or 13. Thoughts?

 

[maxxor]

Take 11.

 

[IntelInside]

Out of the NBME's the most used are: 6, 7,11, 12, and 13

What did people think of 12 and 13 relative to the others?

 

[newdoc2013]

I'd say do 6 as a diagnostic and save 11 for later in your study period to assess where you stand before your exam. I felt that it was more representative of what was actually on my real test.