Got your Step I score? Check your '03 percentile!

[Mustafa]

Score %ile*
182 8
190 14
192 16 (-1 STD)
195 19
200 25
205 32
210 40
216 50 (mean)
220 57
225 64
230 72
235 79
240 84 (+1 STD)
245 89
250 92
255 95
260 97
264 98 (+2 STD)
270 99
275 99
288 ~100 (+3 STD)

*Norm group 02/03 examinees
Assumes mean = 216 and STD = 24 (as noted on recent score reports). Calculated from z table.

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[southerndoc]

Prepare to get a lot of PM's giving you hell about this.

I speak from experience. A lot of people couldn't believe I posted a z table last year. Go figure.

 

[WakeMedHeel]

You assume a 216 average and 24 standard deviation...could be very different in the end.

 

[Mustafa]

Yes you're right, i'm sure by next June the mean will be 220 with an STD of 25.

Scores are not what they once were....a 230 today is 72nd %ile; a 230 in 1996 was 87%ile.

To get an 87%ile today, you need at least a 243.

That is, a 243 today is yesterday's 230, RELATIVE TO OTHERS WHO TOOK THE EXAM IN A GIVEN YEAR (ie, percentile-wise).

check out...http://psych.colorado.edu/~mcclella/java/normal/normz.html to calculate your %ile given means and STDs

People are getting so good at taking this exam....what with qbank, previous exam ?s posted online, more schools giving 5+ weeks to study....now NBME for $100 offers you 400 questions from their test bank database. I had plenty of repeats on the real exam.

and Step I already tests more superfluous details (with much better written questions however) than ever before. They are forced to do this, because scores are coming in as high as upper 260s and lo 270s. Expect the exams to increase in difficulty and the passing score to rise.

 

[BellKicker]

Holy ****. Talk about inflation.

Does anyone know whether residency programs are given the mean and SD for the score when they get the score report? How do they compare applicants who took the test at different times?

I guess this would apply only to foreigners but it seems like a definite disadvantage to have taken the test early, doesn't it?

 

[TulaneKid24]

Originally posted by BellKicker
Holy ****. Talk about inflation.

Does anyone know whether residency programs are given the mean and SD for the score when they get the score report? How do they compare applicants who took the test at different times?

I guess this would apply only to foreigners but it seems like a definite disadvantage to have taken the test early, doesn't it?

That is some big time inflation. Are medical students getting smarter?? Amazing!

 

[Mustafa]

yeah it is definitely to your benefit to take the exam as late as possible, and apply for residency ASAP, in terms of avoiding the effects of step I score inflation.

As far as residency progs, they know the mean and SD. To calculate percentiles, they can easily use a Z table, and will probably use the latest mean and SD, NOT the mean and SD of the year of when you took your exam. Since people are doing markedly better year to year, this is to our disadvantage.

check out...

http://www.studentdoctor.net/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=40782

http://www.studentdoctor.net/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=40065

 

[BellKicker]

Wow, that sucks. Mustafa, are you absolutely sure they don't get the mean and SD with the score report? Why would they only get the latest one? At least, there's probably a sense of scores inflating so if they see the test date they can put two and two together. Still, it would be easier if they just gave away your percentile.

What about the 2-digit score? Is a 99 still, say, 90th percentile or does that score inflate also?

Thanks.

 

[MD'05]

Originally posted by Mustafa
now NBME for $100 offers you 400 questions from their test bank database.

I checked the NBME website and I don't see a link to anything for $100. If you don't mind sharing, where did you see this?

 

[Mustafa]

Sorry, I think is ~$90. I'm talking $45 per 200q test and there are two forms for the NBME Comprehensive Online Basic Sci. Test

 

[MD'05]

Originally posted by Mustafa
Sorry, I think is ~$90. I'm talking $45 per 200q test and there are two forms for the NBME Comprehensive Online Basic Sci. Test

Ohhhhh ... Ok I took that test, I don't feel cheated now! Thanks!!

 

[ArrogantSurgeon]

Who in the world can pull a 270+

Anybody know of anybody who has? What and where did they match into?

 

[Mustafa]

apparently some recent score reports are noting that the mean is now 217 with an SD 24.

So the %iles I posted are already slightly out of date. You can calculate your new ones at:

http://psych.colorado.edu/~mcclella/java/normal/normz.html

The steady increase in scores (almost 20 point increase in the mean in ~10 years) is mindboggling!

 

[Jaded Soul]

That link is broken. Here's the fixed one:

http://psych.colorado.edu/~mcclella/java/normal/normz.html

 

[puffy1]

how does this website work? What numbers do you punch in to get your percentile?

 

[Jim Picotte]

"Y" is your score, the mean is...well the mean and the SD is the SD. I'd use the "cumulative" button as well and whatever the number in the box to the right...multiply by 100 and that's your percentile. This of course assumes that the test follows the standard curve which I think it does but I'm not positive.

 

[ktat72]

when i took my exam in may, the mean was 216 and the SD was 24

 

[gwyn779]

I took it in June and on my report it has 217 as the mean and 24 as the SD.
The standard error of measurement, which is ~6 points, should really be taken into account as well, but I guess they have to draw arbitrary lines.