COMLEX questions

[Pisiform]

I was just browsing NBOME website to look for some information about COMLEX-1 and I found a sample exam of 50 questions. I did those questions and did pretty well considering I am just OMS-1.
I was surprised to see all the questions were 2 liners without any detailed clinical correlation. It was either like you know the answer or you don't.
I have also looked at USMLE questions and they go for like good 4-5 lines and are more in depth.
So my question is, the real COMLEX, is it 2 liner questions too like the one they showed in sample or is it different from the sample?

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[koan]

Mine was some of each. There were questions like you said that were cut and dry. But more often it was a long clinical vignette with extraneous labs and OMT findings. You had to separate the chaff and narrow down the answers, and it was still difficult in many cases. I found like many others that the USMLE had more straightforward questions that tested medical knowledge / pathophysiology / straight pharm. On the COMLEX I found myself guessing more often, feeling more frustrated and nearly running out of time on one or two blocks.

 

[costales]

So my question is, the real COMLEX, is it 2 liner questions too like the one they showed in sample or is it different from the sample?

Not necessarily. You might see inscrutable long ones, often with irrelevant/misleading clues.

 

[Charlie Hustle]

In my experience, the two exams test exactly the same material (with the obvious exception of OMT). Consequently, you don't "have to study for two exams" like so many people claim. If you truly understand basic medical science, you will do excellent on both exams.

The only real difference between COMLEX and USMLE is how the questions are presented. On the USMLE, you will be given every single piece of information needed to answer the question correctly, whereas you might have to make some assumptions and read between the lines a little more on COMLEX.

I studied exclusively USMLE-based resources (because they are higher quality IMO) and did very well on both exams, so don't buy into the whole "studying for two tests" thing. I know that's not really what your question was about, but it's a fairly common misperception in my experience.

 

[SLC]

All the responses so far are right on the money in my experience (having taken both exams).

It's especially true about how straightforward the USMLE is. I found that with very little exception I knew exactly what the question was asking, and I either knew the answer or I didn't.

COMLEX left me guessing about what the question might have been about a fair bit more.

 

[babdoc]

The only real difference between COMLEX and USMLE is how the questions are presented. [...]

I studied exclusively USMLE-based resources (because they are higher quality IMO) and did very well on both exams, so don't buy into the whole "studying for two tests" thing. I know that's not really what your question was about, but it's a fairly common misperception in my experience.

I agree that the studying is the same for both tests (plus the OMT part). However, I found it helpful to do some practice questions for each test since they can be presented differently. Though I'm still not impressed with the COMLEX question banks you can buy. UWorld was much more user friendly and comprehensive than something like COMBANK

 

[HarryPlopper]

In my experience, the two exams test exactly the same material (with the obvious exception of OMT). Consequently, you don't "have to study for two exams" like so many people claim. If you truly understand basic medical science, you will do excellent on both exams.

The only real difference between COMLEX and USMLE is how the questions are presented. On the USMLE, you will be given every single piece of information needed to answer the question correctly, whereas you might have to make some assumptions and read between the lines a little more on COMLEX.

I studied exclusively USMLE-based resources (because they are higher quality IMO) and did very well on both exams, so don't buy into the whole "studying for two tests" thing. I know that's not really what your question was about, but it's a fairly common misperception in my experience.

Charlie, I am glad that you did well on both but I suggest to OP that he takes your advice with a grain of salt. The material you need to study is nearly the same but the tests are clearly different, even in content. COMLEX has a bit more anatomy and more on ethics while USMLE has more biochemistry. In addition, COMLEX often skew more toward one subject on any particular test while the USMLE is more consistent with the content.

Even if it is just how the question is presented, this does not mean that not studying for the COMLEX is a good idea. COMLEX often straight up tries to mislead you and some of the answers in questions aren't even real. In addition, some of the questions are purposely very difficult to answer as a detail question. Those not accustomed to such questions will be feeling uneasy throughout the entire test.

The timing of breaks are also different and people unfamiliar with how the breaks work in the USMLE and COMLEX. There have been many accounts of students being deprived of time in one of the COMLEX sections because of lack of knowledge of how the breaks work. This is incredibly important for those who need that extra time.

OP, if you study for the USMLE in general and be somewhat familiar with the COMLEX question presentation, you SHOULD be alright. I still suggest you take a look at the COMLEX questions to become familiarize, even if it is only for 1-2 weeks.

 

[scummie]

When I took the COMLEX back in my young and free M2 years, the questions were either filled with buzz words or were incredibly vague. For instance, "Child comes in with fever and rash. What's the disease?" You either knew it or you didn't. Compared to the USMLE, I thought there were less key words and more of the medical jargon. You can study for both and get your 65% on UWorld. Difference is, when you walk out of COMLEX you pray that you got a 401. Leaving the USMLE, you will have the sense that what you studied is what was on the exam.

 

[dermpathdoc]

I was just browsing NBOME website to look for some information about COMLEX-1 and I found a sample exam of 50 questions. I did those questions and did pretty well considering I am just OMS-1.
I was surprised to see all the questions were 2 liners without any detailed clinical correlation. It was either like you know the answer or you don't.
I have also looked at USMLE questions and they go for like good 4-5 lines and are more in depth.
So my question is, the real COMLEX, is it 2 liner questions too like the one they showed in sample or is it different from the sample?

The practice exam you see in the website consists of retired exam questions from before 2000...the exam has more considerably since that time

 

[ShyRem]

those practice questions were NOTHING like the COMLEX exam. NOTHING. The practice questions were cake, and straightforward. The real exam ones were considerably more difficult.

 

[421822]

Can anyone comment on the COMSAE D and how close it is to the real deal?

 

[eimaise]

Can anyone comment on the COMSAE D and how close it is to the real deal?

Pretty close I felt. Took D last summer and the real deal about 10 days later. Had the same "feel" to me. Very comparable OMM questions. I scored 630's on Comsae D and 660's on COMLEX 1 (I had taken A about a 5 days before D prior and gotten 550's... and the feel of A was not as close to the real deal).

 

[421822]

Pretty close I felt. Took D last summer and the real deal about 10 days later. Had the same "feel" to me. Very comparable OMM questions. I scored 630's on Comsae D and 660's on COMLEX 1 (I had taken A about a 5 days before D prior and gotten 550's... and the feel of A was not as close to the real deal).

Thank you!

 

[421822]

I just took part A this morning, scored a 476. I'll be taking part D tomorrow I'm hoping for a bit of a jump because it sounds like part A undershoots your score pretty substantially.

 

[eimaise]

I just took part A this morning, scored a 476. I'll be taking part D tomorrow I'm hoping for a bit of a jump because it sounds like part A undershoots your score pretty substantially.

Don't be discouraged if it doesn't jump though or if it is not as high as you'd like. It's only March and boards are probably 12 weeks away for you potentially. I took my COMSAE A and D forms in early June about 10 days before my real deal so I was pretty much completely ready for the exam.

 

[The Creeper]

My score on COMLEX jumped roughly 75-100 points from COMSAEs to COMLEX when I took it this past summer. (seems to be pretty common)