free sample MCQs vs. $40 prometrics practice test

[neoserenity333]

stupid question, but: are those the same thing?

would i basically be paying $40 just to be in the testing site environment, but doing the same questions as the sample set from http://www.usmle.org/Orientation/2008/menu.html ?

thanks for help in advance.

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[crazy_cavalier]

stupid question, but: are those the same thing?

would i basically be paying $40 just to be in the testing site environment, but doing the same questions as the sample set from http://www.usmle.org/Orientation/2008/menu.html ?

thanks for help in advance.

Yes, they are 100% exactly the same. It's $42 to schedule a practice session at Prometric. The only advantage, as you noted, is that you get to be in Prometric's testing environment, but as far as questions go you have those available for free.

Personally, I thought it was worth the $40 just to "go through the motions" of the testing day and see what things would be like. Forced me to wake up at the appropriate time, figured out how to commute there and where to park, got used to the facilities including the bathroom, rules/procedures, even stuff like got a sense of the room climate and general noise level. Having gone through it all on a practice session beforehand made the actual test day a little less stressful and there was a certain "comfort" in having that familiarity.