Fewer questions on test?

[lilnoelle]

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Added May 9, 2008: Currently Step 1 examinations contain 350 items, divided into seven 60-minute blocks with 50 items in each block. New Step 1 examinations will contain 336 items, divided into seven 60-minute blocks, with 48 items in each block.

[Posted April 22, 2008]

Starting on or around May 15, 2008, a transition period will begin in which the number of items in current forms of the Step 1 examination will change from 350 items to 336 items. Although the transition will occur quickly at many test centers, there may also be some locations where the changes take slightly longer to complete. The overall transition period will likely last approximately 6 weeks. The length of the examination day will remain unchanged.

The decrease in the number of items per form will be accounted for in scoring the examination results, so that scores on new and old forms will be comparable. Because of these changes in timing, as well as modifications to the test item pool and the processing load caused by a heavy volume of test takers, there will be a delay in score reporting for most Step 1 examinations administered in the second half of May and June.

The target date for reporting Step 1 scores for most examinees testing from May 15 through late June will be Wednesday, July 16, 2008.

 

[lilnoelle]

This is the first I've heard of this. Anyone have shorter tests so far?

 

[synapse lapse]

Yes, some people have reported them on the 2008 experiences thread, and some had A/V questions as well.

 

[Knicks]

Wasn't the reason for the fewer number of questions the fact that the A/V questions would take longer do?

 

[DrFraud]

Wasn't the reason for the fewer number of questions the fact that the A/V questions would take longer do?

The reason they did this instead of just changing the # for one section - and this is only my guess, is consistency. Eventually, there might be a few more av type questions, so instead of having 3 blocks with 48 questions and 4 with 50, its just more fluid to make each section 48.

I can give you my 2 cents that I really didn't notice a difference when I did the step 1 48 question blocks vs. the NBME 50 question blocks.

Plus, I believe, and again, this is just my opinion, that experimental questions are grouped in an entire section, not scattered throughout the test, so to better compare sample and real questions, the experimental and real sections are given equal time.

 

[myrtle]

I think it depends on your testing center - some have changed over and some haven't yet - ask people who have taken it there recently. My testing center has changed to 48 questions per block + 1 A/V question on the whole test (from what I've heard). Overall it's not a bad thing since we get the same amount of time and if there's only one A/V question, it doesn't change much (plus, that HAS to be experimental).

One more thing thrown at us!

 

[SirCuneus]

Took it yesterday, June 9, and had 48 questions per block and 1 a/v question.