Crazy raise in COMLEX 1 average

[Jinxapotato]

So we've all speculated that the COMLEX 1 average was high this year. Well this just got confirmed.

check: Percentile Scores — NBOME

a 520 was the 52nd percentile last year, a 550 is a 48th percentile this year, 520s are in the 30s percentile...

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[Rekt]

So we've all speculated that the COMLEX 1 average was high this year. Well this just got confirmed.

check: Percentile Scores — NBOME

a 520 was the 52nd percentile last year, a 550 is a 48th percentile this year, 520s are in the 30s percentile...

Yeah most of us that frequent the DO forum saw this coming from the previous thread. I really hope people without Step one apply very broadly and conservatively.

 

[MedicineZ0Z]

Two important questions.

1) Why? Is NBOME attempting to improve the odds of matching given the merger etc ?


2) Anecdotally are we noticing less PE failures this year? (still too soon to wonder about level 2 scores)

 

[MedicineZ0Z]

Yeah most of us that frequent the DO forum saw this coming from the previous thread. I really hope people without Step one apply very broadly and conservatively.

I doubt PDs will be that clued in on comlex scores.

 

[Rekt]

I doubt PDs will be that clued in on comlex scores.

This argument doesn't make sense. Either it's a PD that follows comlex already because they're AOA or prior AOA or an ACGME that accepts a lot of DOs and they'll notice the change or it'll be ACGME programs that never cared about comlex in the first place.

Overall, it just makes the comlex even more worthless. One more step in the direction of that silly exam disappearing.

 

[BorntobeDO?]

I doubt PDs will be that clued in on comlex scores.

agree and I expect the hammer to come down on this years average. I bet they are hoping to 'bring it back under 520.' Its already bad that the test is highly variable can't they at least make it reasonably comparable year to year rather than using the 'magic statician in a box' approach.

 

[TheBoneDoctah]

agree and I expect the hammer to come down on this years average. I bet they are hoping to 'bring it back under 520.' Its already bad that the test is highly variable can't they at least make it reasonably comparable year to year rather than using the 'magic statician in a box' approach.

Why do you think they would want to bring it back down?

 

[2021Doctor]

Absolutely amazing.
50th percentile score for 2017-2018 is 554.
If you look at the converter ( CBT Score Conversion ) you can see that a 500 COMLEX 1 score was the 57th percentile in 2006-2007 while a 500 COMLEX 1 was the 27th percentile in 2017-2018.
Also a score of 400 was the 12th percentile in 2006-2007, a 400 COMLEX 1 was the 7th percentile in 2016-2017, and the 4th percentile in 2017-2018.

 

[2021Doctor]

agree and I expect the hammer to come down on this years average. I bet they are hoping to 'bring it back under 520.' Its already bad that the test is highly variable can't they at least make it reasonably comparable year to year rather than using the 'magic statician in a box' approach.

I doubt they "will hammer it down".
Increasing the average score helps more students make the cutoffs for different residency programs.
Here is an example from Kaiser's FM residency program.
"Achieved a USMLE score of 210 or higher on their first attempt and not failed either Step 1 or 2. The minimum COMLEX score is 500."
Medical Student Opportunities | Family Medicine Residency

Also NBOME published a guide in March 2018 for program directors regarding the COMLEX:
https://www.nbome.org/docs/RPD.pdf

 

[Jinxapotato]

Absolutely amazing.
50th percentile score for 2017-2018 is 554.
If you look at the converter ( CBT Score Conversion ) you can see that a 500 COMLEX 1 score was the 57th percentile in 2006-2007 while a 500 COMLEX 1 was the 27th percentile in 2017-2018.
Also a score of 400 was the 12th percentile in 2006-2007, a 400 COMLEX 1 was the 7th percentile in 2016-2017, and the 4th percentile in 2017-2018.

And what’s your problem?
This bump in average is significant, as to be an “average” DO you need to score 30pts higher than last year, wgich is significant, as our school is still telling their students that 550 is “above average”.
Quoting stuff from 10 years ago is meaningless,
nor is making a separate post saying pass rate is 96% while it has always been around that number.
I couldn’t care less if 10 years ago USMLE average is 190 but I will freak the f out if you tell me I gotta score a 240 on step 1 to be average next year

 

[BorntobeDO?]

Why do you think they would want to bring it back down?

Its a readjustment year. They do this every 4 years or so, but previously the average had never gotten so high. Its why they are delaying the score report for the late may early june takers for 6 weeks. Also NBOME has stated that they are looking at increasing the passing level (as USMLE did last January). Since they adjust the scores anyway, this will mean a 400 this year will be harder than a 400 last year.

The USMLE, to my understanding, is an exam where a 250 this year would have been equivalent to a 250 ten years ago. COMLEX just isn't like that. The scores are not comparable year to year, and they are adjusted down every few years. So a 500 this year isn't the same as 500 last year, and is probably alot higher (percentage wise) correct than it was 10 or 15 years ago. This would be expected as the caliber of DO matriculants has increased substantially over that time period.
Standard Setting — NBOME

 

[QueenJames]

If you put a tuxedo on a turd ... it's still a piece of ****.

COMLEX is the turd and this raise in scoring is just a stupid tuxedo that means jack.

🙂

 

[Black Coffee 24/7]

I hope that the average remains high. Nobody deserves to fail this poorly written exam.

 

[2021Doctor]

And what’s your problem?
This bump in average is significant, as to be an “average” DO you need to score 30pts higher than last year, wgich is significant, as our school is still telling their students that 550 is “above average”.
Quoting stuff from 10 years ago is meaningless,
nor is making a separate post saying pass rate is 96% while it has always been around that number.
I couldn’t care less if 10 years ago USMLE average is 190 but I will freak the f out if you tell me I gotta score a 240 on step 1 to be average next year

Not sure what you are upset about.
However, your statement that "pass rate is 96% while it has always been around that number." is demonstrably false.
The converter site has 12 years worth of data: CBT Score Conversion
Pass rates for May 2006- April 2017 appear to all be from 88-93%.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

I put on my tinfoil hat about this a little while ago: They're artifically inflating COMLEX scores right now in order to make it look like every applicant is "above average". Because statistically, the huge increase in scores shouldn't be possible; In order for this individual year's average to be that high, we would have to be, on average, scoring as well as the top 30% of last years test-takers, and I highly doubt that every year's class is getting that much smarter than the previous year.

Admittedly, with the new readjustment of scores my COMLEX is now just 10 percentile higher than my USMLE. Idk if it's inflating, but I think what is more reasonable an explanation is that the body of people taking COMLEX peaked in our year.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

Regardless of the fact that they set the minimum to pass as an absolute and not a percentile on the standard curve, if they are going to group us into percentiles, the scores above passing still need to be


I would agree with you if the jump weren't so drastic. Are those of us in the classes of 2019 and 2020 so much smarter than even the few years before us that our "average" classmates are on par with the top 30% of those previous classes? I'm inclined to say no. I would expect a small increase as people get advised by those taking it before them and we have more efficient review materials, but not to the extent that we're seeing.

But I also do like a good conspiracy theory, so I might be biased.

At my school the average step 1 score went up by 2 or 3 my year.