First NBME practice exam

[jenniferleigh]

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I just took my first official NBME exam today - Basic Science 5 and scored 380 - 193. I am 3 months out from Step and am wondering how much I can realistically bring my score up. I am still finishing classes. I will be done March 1 and will have my comprehensive basic science exam mid-March. I want to score 240+ so I am just wondering if anyone has had any experience with how much your score improves through the months leading up to the exam.

Thanks

 

[Stellar Clouds]

I just took my first official NBME exam today - Basic Science 5 and scored 380 - 193. I am 3 months out from Step and am wondering how much I can realistically bring my score up. I am still finishing classes. I will be done March 1 and will have my comprehensive basic science exam mid-March. I want to score 240+ so I am just wondering if anyone has had any experience with how much your score improves through the months leading up to the exam.

Thanks

Three months is a long time to get that score up. Study hard and you will be rewarded!

 

[Phloston]

You could definitely hit 240+ in three months. Read FA cover-to-cover and do as many practice questions as you can. That's it. Just ride the grind 8-10-hr days.

 

[RedSoxSuck]

I just took my first official NBME exam today - Basic Science 5 and scored 380 - 193. I am 3 months out from Step and am wondering how much I can realistically bring my score up. I am still finishing classes. I will be done March 1 and will have my comprehensive basic science exam mid-March. I want to score 240+ so I am just wondering if anyone has had any experience with how much your score improves through the months leading up to the exam.

Thanks

Just to make you feel better. My first NBME was 165 and i ended up with a 230. Low by SDN standards but its a very good score.

 

[survivordo]

That's not a bad place to start if you haven't put in any dedicated studying for the USMLE, Just studying for you class subjects will get you a good base of knowledge but you really need to dedicate your time to materials designed specifically for the USMLE to have success!

Survivor D.O.

 

[jenniferleigh]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I have begun to do more qbank questions and am dedicating 2-3 hours during the week to Step 1 studying and 4 hours both Saturday and Sunday until classes end. Tomorrow I have my neuro test and I believe I may even be able to up those times as our curriculum seems to be fairly light the last month.

 

[Nesir]

I was around there too when I first started (if not lower).

Ended up with a 269, so anything is possible!

NB. I think I posted my study plan on the Step 1 thread a time back

 

[jenniferleigh]

Wow that is a great score. I am working with a learning specialist from school to design a study schedule but am questioning the schedule as it seems I am spending too much time on areas I already know very well. I also purchased DIT and there are no refunds but I have been told it doesn't help so I am a bit discouraged by that. I may have spent money on something I will decide not to use.

 

[Nesir]

Wow that is a great score. I am working with a learning specialist from school to design a study schedule but am questioning the schedule as it seems I am spending too much time on areas I already know very well. I also purchased DIT and there are no refunds but I have been told it doesn't help so I am a bit discouraged by that. I may have spent money on something I will decide not to use.

I used DIT in the beginning. I think it is a fantastic program to get you started, not really useful for ALL of your studying - but hey, no 1 resource is enough. I think in the end I used Pathoma, DIT, FA, and Uworld. DIT was done in 3 weeks - the rest carried me through. 7.5 weeks or so total studying.

 

[jenniferleigh]

My problem is DIT doesn't start until mid way through my study period so I think I may only watch lectures that fall in my weak areas. I activate UWorld in about 2 weeks. I love pathoma. It has been great for all of second year.

 

[Charlie Hustle]

How good of a score predictor are the older NBMEs (ie 1-5)? I'm still about 5 months out from my exam and just scored an "unofficial" 185 on NBME 1 using the old (total # questions correct) x (1.4) equation. Is this accurate at all?

 

[Phloston]

How good of a score predictor are the older NBMEs (ie 1-5)? I'm still about 5 months out from my exam and just scored an "unofficial" 185 on NBME 1 using the old (total # questions correct) x (1.4) equation. Is this accurate at all?

1-4 are older exams. I wouldn't count too much on those. The concepts remain important, but the present question-style has changed a bit.

I had taken NBME-5 six weeks-out and it under-shot my real score by 5 points. I'd say NBME-5 is fairly accurate. The only catch is that NBME-5 is one of the easiest of the NBMEs and the curve is ridiculously sharp (i.e. you'll feel like you practically got a 100% and "only get" a certain score).

 

[CDI]

Fwiw, I just went from a 340/184 to 440/207 - 18 days apart.

Obviously, not a score to write home about, but whats promising is that it went up, by reading my 3 weakest (NBME) topics in FA and doing a UW block per day. Looks like feedback is key.

Hoping to see another big jump in the next few weeks after hitting the rest of FA. Aiming to take the exam in a month. Aiming for a 220, and I'd die happy with a 230.

 

[jenniferleigh]

That's really encouraging!

 

[sharkbaitwhohaha]

I just took my first nbme (#6). I did a lot better than I thought I would do, 226 (167/200) with no review yet (just a few hundred UW/RX questions).

So my questions: was 6 really easy? Or did it just hit all my strengths?
Thanks

 

[Ionian]

How good of a score predictor are the older NBMEs (ie 1-5)? I'm still about 5 months out from my exam and just scored an "unofficial" 185 on NBME 1 using the old (total # questions correct) x (1.4) equation. Is this accurate at all?

Wtf? No. you need the offline guide to scoring nbmes.

http://speedy.sh/THa6R/001NBME-USMLE-SCORE-TABLE.pdf

 

[Charlie Hustle]

Wtf? No. you need the offline guide to scoring nbmes.

http://speedy.sh/THa6R/001NBME-USMLE-SCORE-TABLE.pdf

Haha I posted that over a year ago. I ended up figuring everything out, but thanks for the link anyway.

 

[Modeselektor]

Strong necro is this thread.