COMLEX scores

[desaiha1]

Hello,
I have read quiet a few posts about the USMLE scores (about around 182) for passing.
My question is what is the criteria for COMLEX. Please share. I have no clue as to what is the passing and what percent of questions do we need to get correct for the same.
Any input is apprecited.

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[BrooklynDO]

Hello,
I have read quiet a few posts about the USMLE scores (about around 182) for passing.
My question is what is the criteria for COMLEX. Please share. I have no clue as to what is the passing and what percent of questions do we need to get correct for the same.
Any input is apprecited.

passing is 400, average is 500 I think, and ive heard the SD is in the 70's

 

[DRealDrZ]

I second that...

 

[Plinko]

Regardless of what raw score you receive, NBOME just instituted a new policy that 10% of the students will fail Step 1. So if you are just worried about passing, essentially all that means is that you have to get yourself into the top 90%.

 

[BrooklynDO]

Regardless of what raw score you receive, NBOME just instituted a new policy that 10% of the students will fail Step 1. So if you are just worried about passing, essentially all that means is that you have to get yourself into the top 90%.

is it just me or is that a really really stupid policy? sorta like lobotomizing yourself

 

[DRealDrZ]

How is that possible when we take them at so many different times? They would have to have a "cut off" anyway wouldn't they? Or are they failing 10% during a given time frame?

 

[Idiopathic]

Regardless of what raw score you receive, NBOME just instituted a new policy that 10% of the students will fail Step 1. So if you are just worried about passing, essentially all that means is that you have to get yourself into the top 90%.

This is a lie. The NBOME representative who visited us in January explicitly denied this, and said there is no punitive cutoff, except for that if you are within 1.5 SD below the mean, you will pass.

 

[Idiopathic]

How is that possible when we take them at so many different times? They would have to have a "cut off" anyway wouldn't they? Or are they failing 10% during a given time frame?

The COMLEX is administered at the same time, isnt it? Or around the same time?

 

[DRealDrZ]

Yeah...I'm a *****...I thought it said NBME...was thinking about USMLE. Now the COMLEX is just twice a year so they could do that, but glad they aren't.

 

[klite]

This is a lie. The NBOME representative who visited us in January explicitly denied this, and said there is no punitive cutoff, except for that if you are within 1.5 SD below the mean, you will pass.

Umm.. do the math, It's way easier to in the top 90% than score 1.5 STDV below the mean (which I think would put you in the top 82-83% although I threw away my normal distribution curve when I left undergrad.) What Plinko is referring to is that a faculty member who writes Comlex told us they had raised the bar this year wheras 6-7% failed in previous years this year around 10% will. This is no different from what is done on tets like the SAT or MCAT, the distribution of students does not vary much from year to year so by setting the bar at X or Y you know what percent will score over/above that. So think about it.. (Of course you could just believe whatever the NBOME rep tells you if that makes you feel better).

 

[MED123]

Sorry for asking. But, I really want to know as I may be entering into a DO school this fall. What percentage of those who take COMLEX, pass? I hear DO students who takes both USMLE and COMLEX do better on the USMLE. If its true, does that mean COMLEX is harder than USMLE?

 

[Plinko]

This is a lie. The NBOME representative who visited us in January explicitly denied this, and said there is no punitive cutoff, except for that if you are within 1.5 SD below the mean, you will pass.

No. You are wrong. What I stated in my initial response has been repeated to me several times by professors of mine that all write questions for and proofread the COMLEX. I called NBOME today to verify this fact. Klite understands what I am talking about. Idiopathic does not.

 

[klite]

Sorry for asking. But, I really want to know as I may be entering into a DO school this fall. What percentage of those who take COMLEX, pass? I hear DO students who takes both USMLE and COMLEX do better on the USMLE. If its true, does that mean COMLEX is harder than USMLE? [/QUOTE

you could argue COMLEX is "harder" since it covers more material like OMM, but a much higher percentage of DO students taking USMLE fail than those taking COMLEX. It is HARDER for DO students to pass the USMLE since 1)it is not "exactly" our material 2) in all honesty MD students are better at taking those kind of test as shown by their slighty higher MCATS. Your board scores are usaully a measure of your 1)MCATS (how clever you are at taking standardized tests 2)how hard you study your first two years of med school 3) how hard you study the board material leading up to the test. Unless you're really weak in 2 or more of those three you shouldn't have a problem passing it.