Going to take my first NBME tomorrow - which should I take??

[nope80]

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Which one should I buy off the website for my first test? I've been studying for a little over a week now, have gotten through a few systems, and want to begin the practice. Any suggestions??

 

[Depakote]

I apologize for piggybacking onto this question, but I'm trying to make the same decision... but throw UWorld Self Assessments 1 and 2 into the option pool.

 

[carn311]

Same here.

 

[Slide]

If you're looking for a test to scare the bejeezus out of you and assess your biochem/immunopath, NBME 4. 6 is pretty good but I would save it for later on.

 

[nope80]

how about not to scare the bejeezus out of me, but just to be like a normal well rounded test?

 

[Depakote]

how about not to scare the bejeezus out of me, but just to be like a normal well rounded test?

I took Form I a little over a week ago, it wasn't terrible as far as the content, but I don't know how representative it is. I didn't like the interface, though...

anyone know if they're all like that? I know it's not the FRED interface.

 

[Disinence2]

Hey,

I'm also trying to figure out which one to take first.

I paid for the practice test at pro metric, and want to make sure I don't buy the same test twice. Anyone know what they use for the practice?

Thanks,

 

[carn311]

Hey,

I'm also trying to figure out which one to take first.

I paid for the practice test at pro metric, and want to make sure I don't buy the same test twice. Anyone know what they use for the practice?

Thanks,

people have said that it is the free 150 you get online.

 

[Dr Angel]

So far I have done Form 1 and Form 2 (awhile ago so I can't remember specifics). They both seemed pretty well rounded on the science material but the behavioral stuff was light (there is some in there, just not a lot, if memory serves). I'm taking form 3 next (on Sunday) and then 4, 5, or 6 a little later (I'll probably pick one at random unless someone sings the diagnostic praises of one of them).

I did UW SA1 after my first week of dedicated study to get a baseline and motivate myself. I hadn't even started UW questions at that point. Now, as I'm about 80% done with the qbank, I can see trends (or, better, subject focuses) between questions in the UW SA and the UW qbank questions. This is not to say they are the same questions, but there were a couple of instances where I wanted to kick myself for getting a qbank question wrong b/c I remembered the explanation from the SA later.

If you're looking to accurately measure your progress, the consensus as far as I can see it on this forum is to weigh your NBME forms, UW qbank% and UW SA scores together. Some have suggested USMLE Clinical Review Calculator as a tool to accurately predict your score based on these variables--although I can't attest to it b/c I take the test on June 5.

 

[sprinkibrio]

I took Form I a little over a week ago, it wasn't terrible as far as the content, but I don't know how representative it is. I didn't like the interface, though...

anyone know if they're all like that? I know it's not the FRED interface.

Agreed... it's hard to read a question that runs across the whole page rather than a question that's more in a box. I opened the labs to push the wording over and they stayed open even when moving through the test. I know this seems trivial but it really annoyed me.

 

[Zweisamkeit]

Agreed... it's hard to read a question that runs across the whole page rather than a question that's more in a box. I opened the labs to push the wording over and they stayed open even when moving through the test. I know this seems trivial but it really annoyed me.

I had to do the exact same thing! 👎

Is form 2 the "easy" one? That's what some 3rd years told me...

 

[Slide]

I had to do the exact same thing! 👎

Is form 2 the "easy" one? That's what some 3rd years told me...

Word around SDN is that Form 1 and 2 are the easiest ones, but are kinda old as well; not very representative of what you'd see on the real thing, but if you need a "throw-away" practice test to get you warmed up, it should be fine to take.

 

[carn311]

I will probably do three total.

What do you guys think of doing them in this order:

1. free 150

2. form 3

3. form 6

 

[DrCurious]

Ok im about to buy the nbme 3 i think, anyone have any advice if should take maybe 4 or 6 instead?

 

[Terpskins99]

Form 3. Its one of the tougher tests. So if you stink on it, you'll have comfort in knowing you have time to shore up stuff. If you ace it... well, you're in terrific shape.

Save Form 1 and 2 (or whatever is supposedly easiest) for just before the real thing. Gives you a little boost of confidence right when you need it.

 

[Re3iRtH]

Form 3. Its one of the tougher tests. So if you stink on it, you'll have comfort in knowing you have time to shore up stuff. If you ace it... well, you're in terrific shape.

Save Form 1 and 2 (or whatever is supposedly easiest) for just before the real thing. Gives you a little boost of confidence right when you need it.

I don't see how knowing ahead of time that this test will give you an
artificial boost of confidence will actually boost your real confidence.
I know we are med students, but lets stop overanalyzing everything.
Sometimes knowing too much about your sources is more bad than
good. You know what you know, period. And this talk about not taking
the hardest NBME right before your exam, because it may *oh boy*
destroy your morale. We already know damn well (thanks to SDN) that
that NBME is hardest, so I don't get this reasoning I always read on
here at all.

 

[pseudoknot]

The scores are also scaled to the difficulty of the questions, so it doesn't really matter which one you take.

 

[chubbykid]

i've read it's better to do the nmbe untimed so as to look up qs that you're unsure of, since they don't provide answers at the end. have people been doing it this way?

 

[Terpskins99]

I don't see how knowing ahead of time that this test will give you an
artificial boost of confidence will actually boost your real confidence.
I know we are med students, but lets stop overanalyzing everything.
Sometimes knowing too much about your sources is more bad than
good. You know what you know, period. And this talk about not taking
the hardest NBME right before your exam, because it may *oh boy*
destroy your morale. We already know damn well (thanks to SDN) that
that NBME is hardest, so I don't get this reasoning I always read on
here at all.

Funny, because I don't see the reason why you bothered posting. Well, actually I do. Its because you feel the need to be smarmy and obnoxious.

The OP asked for an opinion about which NBME to take first. I gave one with an explanation. If you don't like it, then shut up and don't follow it.

Anyhow, supposedly NBME 1 and 2 are most similar in difficulty to the real test anyhow. So that makes for even more reason to do them closer to your test date.

 

[Depakote]

Anyhow, supposedly NBME 1 and 2 are most similar in difficulty to the real test anyhow. So that makes for even more reason to do them closer to your test date.

👍
That's the sort of input I was looking for when I came into this thread... I was trying to gauge which ones are considered "tougher" so I could brutalize myself now and get a better assessment of my weaknesses.

 

[BoneNibbler]

I don't see how knowing ahead of time that this test will give you an
artificial boost of confidence will actually boost your real confidence.
I know we are med students, but lets stop overanalyzing everything.
Sometimes knowing too much about your sources is more bad than
good. You know what you know, period. And this talk about not taking
the hardest NBME right before your exam, because it may *oh boy*
destroy your morale. We already know damn well (thanks to SDN) that
that NBME is hardest, so I don't get this reasoning I always read on
here at all.

I like how when someone is trying to put someone else down and be obnoxious, spelling and grammar go out the window.

 

[njshibby]

👍
That's the sort of input I was looking for when I came into this thread... I was trying to gauge which ones are considered "tougher" so I could brutalize myself now and get a better assessment of my weaknesses.

i haven't taken any of them other than form two but seemed very easy compared to world. it's scaled but haven't heard anyone say that the real deal had easy q's.

 

[sebsvenmdc]

i haven't taken any of them other than form two but seemed very easy compared to world. it's scaled but haven't heard anyone say that the real deal had easy q's.

I don't think the difficulty affects things that much. If it's easy, you better get a ton more right. I did better on the second CBSE than NBME form 2, and the latter was easier.

Also, the BS shelf exam seemed pretty easy...but I didn't do that well, probably because everyone thought it was easy.

So, if anything, easier exams are harder to do well on...relatively.

 

[silas2642]

Form 3. Its one of the tougher tests. So if you stink on it, you'll have comfort in knowing you have time to shore up stuff. If you ace it... well, you're in terrific shape.

Save Form 1 and 2 (or whatever is supposedly easiest) for just before the real thing. Gives you a little boost of confidence right when you need it.

Ha, ha, ha... I just finished NBME 3 and although I didn't do great, it was sooooo much easier than UWorld (in my humble opinion). I was like, "seriously? I actually sort of have an idea of what the disease/tx might be."

 

[Re3iRtH]

Funny, because I don't see the reason why you bothered posting. Well, actually I do. Its because you feel the need to be smarmy and obnoxious.

The OP asked for an opinion about which NBME to take first. I gave one with an explanation. If you don't like it, then shut up and don't follow it.

Anyhow, supposedly NBME 1 and 2 are most similar in difficulty to the real test anyhow. So that makes for even more reason to do them closer to your test date.

Its nice that you gave your opinion, but anyhow, your logic is flawed.
If you can't understand why, then oh well life goes on.
Smarmy... you serious?

 

[Re3iRtH]

I like how when someone is trying to put someone else down and be obnoxious, spelling and grammar go out the window.

Actually, that grammar is correct.
You never heard of two consecutive thats used in a sentence?
Read the sentence before that, and then read that sentence
again, its perfectly correct. If you are upset at me for another thread,
at least make an insult that is valid. You = failed again.