Step I COMLEX 2 Digit Madness!!

[corpsmanUP]

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Anyone in the class of 2006 gone to the NBME website to find that your 2 digit COMLEX score has been changed? I was just visiting it to see if my step II scores were in and found that my step I score was no longer reported as a 715/99, but now a 715/90. I read the explanation of scores where it states that 80 is the mean, and the standard deviation is roughly 3.7 or something. The problem that I have with this is that there is nothing on the report online to reflect what percentile I fall in amongst my peers, and while a 715 is freaking good, the program directors will have no idea what this means. I mean with the USMLE, pretty much a 99 score equals a 99th percentile most of the time. How the hell does a 99th percentile change to a 2 digit score of 90? Less than 20 to 30 students in the nation scored above a 715, so how can I get a 90? Only the NBOME/COMLEX could confuse matters so much. Does anyone know if the score report on ERAS actually has a percentile along with the new 2 digit score?

 

[DrMom]

Very odd. Just looked at mine & it doesn't make sense either. I don't understand why they aren't using the straigtforward percentile score that they were earlier. 😕
My understanding is that the USMLE 2-digit score is not a percentile at all, but rather a scaled score somewhat similar to what it appears that the NBOME has now done.

I don't know what actually goes to ERAS from the NBOME, though.

 

[JSandall]

That may reflect a change they've decided to make as of this year. I know for the 2007 class, the 2-digit score online is a scaled score much like the USMLE, while the % score was reported in the hard copy that is mailed to us. So Corpsman, you are a 99% with that score no matter what the COMLEX people mean by the 2-digit score online. 👍

 

[corpsmanUP]

That may reflect a change they've decided to make as of this year. I know for the 2007 class, the 2-digit score online is a scaled score much like the USMLE, while the % score was reported in the hard copy that is mailed to us. So Corpsman, you are a 99% with that score no matter what the COMLEX people mean by the 2-digit score online. 👍

Yes, but if this is not reported to the programs that I apply to (who only get a handful of DO applicants) than they will not know that I am in the 99th percentile. Unless of course they read the fine print, convert the standard deviation to graph form and actual figure it out!! All I am saying is that a 2 digit score of 90 makes little to no sense at a score of 715. I know its not the greatest score in the country but it sure merrits a score above 90. My USMLE 2 digit score was a 94 when I only made a 232, which was around the 75th percentile. Somone needs to get hold of Idiopathic and see if his 2 digit score makes sense, because at >750 I would be shocked if his is not 99. Talk about a steep sloping curve toward the higher and lower score ends!!