Help! After 4 weeks of dedicated study time... my practice scores keep dropping

[ej37]

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Hey guys, I am starting to get really depressed because despite putting in 12 hours a day, my scores just aren't improving on practice tests or UWorld for that matter. My trendline:

(pre studying) NBME 3: 226
After 2 weeks of studying: NBME 6: 224
Just took NBME 6 after 4 weeks of studying: 224

I am only about 20% complete with UWorld, but my scores have remained in the high 60s. I've been using pretty much the standard resources that everyone has, although I am beginning to rely pretty heavilly on FA now that i am getting closer to my test date (3.5 weeks...) I really thought today woudl be the day I broke 235+, but no 🙁. Putting in so much effort and not seeing ANY results is one of the most depressing feelings ever. Anyone have any advice or ideas?

Thanks...

 

[Mr hawkings]

Maybe you need a break. Take a day off and do something for yourself, then come back to it and try not to go long hours straight studying.
Maybe you might think you're studying for 12 hrs but your true attention span may be much shorter than you realize.

 

[Scared2011]

Maybe you are memorizing facts and not understanding certain concepts ? hmmm try to focus on your weaknesses from NBME. I know I am getting burnt myself thats why I am using DIT to help me get through FA for the millionth time!

 

[ej37]

Yeah. Thats good advice. I guess part of the reason I am so disapointed is that I thought the practice test was going well. And even now, after looking over the exam in extended feedback mode I see I "only" got 29 of the 200 questions wrong. And that still only equated to a 224 on NBME 6? Obviously i know some questions are worth more than others, but still... wow...

 

[kryptik]

i am not sure some questions are worth more than others, each practice exam is just scaled differently

 

[RadOncRocks]

i am not sure some questions are worth more than others, each practice exam is just scaled differently

Agreed, I'm 99.9% sure that all questions are weighted equally...

 

[Tally]

Agreed, I'm 99.9% sure that all questions are weighted equally...

I always thought the questions were weighted equally too, but I got 29 questions wrong on practice test 6 too and that equated to a 236.

 

[warriordoc911]

I'm sure the questions are not weighted the same. this is why people get different scores based on the questions they got correct. so what do you mean they are just scaled differently? can you give example. thanks.

i am not sure some questions are worth more than others, each practice exam is just scaled differently

 

[RadOncRocks]

I'm sure the questions are not weighted the same. this is why people get different scores based on the questions they got correct. so what do you mean they are just scaled differently? can you give example. thanks.

He means basically that the three digit scores we all know and love are assigned a place on a standard bell curve, and that the number of questions correct required to reach a certain score changes.

For example: Lets say on one particular test form a 80% is a 230. On another test form 83% may be a 230. In other words, the scores we see are standardized so that residencies know that even though we all take a different test, a 230 is a 230 is a 230.

I can't find ANY information in either First Aid or the NBME website about how questions are scored. I truly was under the impression that all questions are "weighted" the same, but can't find proof either way.

 

[Orthodoc2be]

Hey guys, I am starting to get really depressed because despite putting in 12 hours a day, my scores just aren't improving on practice tests or UWorld for that matter. My trendline:

(pre studying) NBME 3: 226
After 2 weeks of studying: NBME 6: 224
Just took NBME 6 after 4 weeks of studying: 224

I am only about 20% complete with UWorld, but my scores have remained in the high 60s. I've been using pretty much the standard resources that everyone has, although I am beginning to rely pretty heavilly on FA now that i am getting closer to my test date (3.5 weeks...) I really thought today woudl be the day I broke 235+, but no 🙁. Putting in so much effort and not seeing ANY results is one of the most depressing feelings ever. Anyone have any advice or ideas?

Thanks...

From what I've heard, the NBME exams get progressively more difficult the higher up you go. So NBME exam 1 is the easiest and NBME exam 7 is the most difficult (I've also heard the the NBME exam 7 is the best predictor of your actual score). So maybe that's why you got a better score on NBME 3 than you did on NBME 6?

 

[dangit]

Ej37

It looks like the scale is different for NBME 6.

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=10850885&postcount=1693

If you look at this link, someone took NBME 6 and missed 27 and they got a 240, however they took it on 4/3. I think the scale did change. wow... why would they do that?