Could COVID-19 impact the STEP 1 Pass/Fail change?

[r3vue]

Hello everyone!

I was wondering if anyone thinks that COVID could impact the pass/fail step 1 change?

Do you think that they will go ahead with trying to change it as soon as possible? Or could the global pandemic push back their change implementation?

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[justaperson274939135]

I wonder this too. One thought is it could be pushed back due to COVID if it’s a large administrative lift. If it’s not, then I wonder if the huge mess of everything will make them more prone to just making if P/F. First year of med school is going to be unconventional for the class of 2024 with mixes between starting online, or having a hybrid that is fully prepared to shift back into online following the unknown cycle of the pandemic that it is predicted to continue until there is a vaccine widely available

 

[Goro]

Hello everyone!

I was wondering if anyone thinks that COVID could impact the pass/fail step 1 change?

Do you think that they will go ahead with trying to change it as soon as possible? Or could the global pandemic push back their change implementation?

No, why should it?????????

 

[rdyotz]

What would need to be changed? Unless I have missed an update, the change would take effect no earlier than January 2022. It could take effect in August 2064.

Outside of that, why would it change? There is literally no physical changes being made, just a script that will say if you score over an xxx, you pass, if not you fail. That fix could be implemented from home in 5 minutes (plus about 6 years due to various contract issues).

 

[Med Ed]

I was wondering if anyone thinks that COVID could impact the pass/fail step 1 change?

Do you think that they will go ahead with trying to change it as soon as possible?

The NBME has been very clear and very consistent on this: they are not moving the transition to P/F earlier than January 1, 2022.

 

[Med Ed]

Outside of that, why would it change? There is literally no physical changes being made, just a script that will say if you score over an xxx, you pass, if not you fail. That fix could be implemented from home in 5 minutes

It's actually a lot more complicated than that. If they moved up the date for P/F there would likely be a cohort taking the exam where some takers know they are getting a score and others know they are not. This will completely screw up the statistical item analyses they have to run on the back end.

Step 1 is not a singular exam anymore, it's an ever-changing bucket of questions and up to 280 get chosen for a given test. When a student takes it the result has to be calibrated based on item difficulty (which is a moving target) in order to generate a valid result.

 

[justaperson274939135]

The NBME has been very clear and very consistent on this: they are not moving the transition to P/F earlier than January 1, 2022.

It's actually a lot more complicated than that. If they moved up the date for P/F there would likely be a cohort taking the exam where some takers know they are getting a score and others know they are not. This will completely screw up the statistical item analyses they have to run on the back end.

Step 1 is not a singular exam anymore, it's an ever-changing bucket of questions and up to 280 get chosen for a given test. When a student takes it the result has to be calibrated based on item difficulty (which is a moving target) in order to generate a valid result.

Oh I was replying under the assumption that January 22, 2022 would be the earliest too! I thought OP meant like sticking to the early side of the timeline as opposed to pushing it back to 2023 or something!

 

[Med Ed]

Oh I was replying under the assumption that January 22, 2022 would be the earliest too! I think OP meant like sticking to the early side of the timeline as opposed to pushing it back to 2023 or something!

I'm sure your interpretation is correct. My own was colored by a persistent rumor that Step 1 is going to be suddenly shifted to P/F this year.

 

[deleted913806]

So there is a chance that this year’s incoming M1s won’t have P/F step. I hope they give us an exact date soon

 

[rdyotz]

I'm sure your interpretation is correct. My own was colored by a persistent rumor that Step 1 is going to be suddenly shifted to P/F this year.

Oh I was replying under the assumption that January 22, 2022 would be the earliest too! I thought OP meant like sticking to the early side of the timeline as opposed to pushing it back to 2023 or something!

This is how I originally perceived it. Now I am wondering if it was meant the way Med Ed perceived it. Hopefully the OP can clarify and put my mind at ease.

So there is a chance that this year’s incoming M1s won’t have P/F step. I hope they give us an exact date soon

If I recall correctly, they were expecting to release more info by the end of this year, but who knows if COVID affected anything.