For the love of all that is good, can someone succinctly explain what...........

[Knicks]

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..... the 2-digit score is and what it means and why it's there?

Just please explain in such a way that nobody will EVER have to ask this question again. (Maybe this may even become stickied).

Thanks.

 

[Solandri]

Straight from the source..
http://www.usmle.org/General_Information/FAQs/FAQs-Scores.html


"What does the 2-digit score mean?

The 2-digit score is not a percentile.The 2-digit score is derived from the 3-digit score. It is used in score reporting to meet requirements of some medical licensing authorities that the passing score be reported as 75. The 2-digit score is derived in such a way that a score of 75 always corresponds to the minimum passing score."

It's not a percentage either but for one reason or another (maybe because it makes you look better) some people, IMGs in particular, want to think it's a percentage or percentile. But it's not.
Hope that clears it up!

 

[Captopril]

..... the 2-digit score is and what it means and why it's there?

Just please explain in such a way that nobody will EVER have to ask this question again. (Maybe this may even become stickied).

Thanks.

The 2 digit score is a bunch of bulllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllsh*t.


(you wanted it succinct, and that's about as succinct as I could put it.)

 

[Faebinder]

..... the 2-digit score is and what it means and why it's there?

Just please explain in such a way that nobody will EVER have to ask this question again. (Maybe this may even become stickied).

Thanks.

In layman words....

The 2-digit score passing grade is 75 ALWAYS and it doesn't change as the 3 digit score passing grade changes. It's there so PDs can compare someone who passed for example when the passing grade of the 3 digit score was 182 vs. the guy who passed when the passing grade was 185.

E.g. Suppose Med Student A passed when passing grade was 182, he got a 185 and that's a 76. Med Student B passed when passing grade was 186 and he got 187 which was 75. Are you going to say student A failed? He actually passed with a higher grade than the student B on the two digit score. You can compare them cause 75 is always the end of pass in the two digit score.

 

[Captain Fantastic]

Straight from the source..
http://www.usmle.org/General_Information/FAQs/FAQs-Scores.html


"What does the 2-digit score mean?

The 2-digit score is not a percentile.The 2-digit score is derived from the 3-digit score. It is used in score reporting to meet requirements of some medical licensing authorities that the passing score be reported as 75. The 2-digit score is derived in such a way that a score of 75 always corresponds to the minimum passing score."

It's not a percentage either but for one reason or another (maybe because it makes you look better) some people, IMGs in particular, want to think it's a percentage or percentile. But it's not.
Hope that clears it up!

+1

Two digit score is a hold-over from years past and a way to meet regulatory requirements for those states that refuse to update their regulations or statutes to reflect the "new" scoring of the licensing exam.

 

[Knicks]

Thanks guys.

 

[FreakofMeds]

Basically if you score below 90 you are below the 50th percentile, and if you score above 90, you are above the 50th percentile of US graduates doing the same exam... I think.