Huge Score Discrepency in NBME VS UWSA

[wannabie]

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Yes hello, if anyone could offer me some advice about the situation I'm in, I'd appreciate it.

In early June I took NBME6 and got 204
In early July I took NBME3 and got 180
I took UWSA today and got 247.
UWorld first run through 60%
UWorld second run through 80% (about halfway through)

I'm scheduled to take the step ten days from now and all I have no idea how I'm going to do...or if I'm even going to pass. These scores are not exactly typical of this forum...

The one big confounding factor was that I had taken the UWSA in December 2013 before I started studying--(I burned out and took a few months off)--when I took it then, I got a 225. I don't think I reviewed it at that time and I didn't remember any questions from it, but I don't know how it might have affected my score.

Any advice or explanations would be greatly appreciated.

 

[tripwm]

Take NBME 4. I don't know how much reliance I would put on a test I had previously done.

 

[Bagheera]

As tripwm said, try NBME 4. NBME 2 was also good for me, but i found it a little bit harder than 4. But out of all the forms, 4 and 2 were the most accurate.

 

[wannabie]

I'll do that in the morning then. Do you guys recommend reviewing the NBME's and going over the answers? Do some of those questions show up on the actual exam?

 

[Bagheera]

I'll do that in the morning then. Do you guys recommend reviewing the NBME's and going over the answers? Do some of those questions show up on the actual exam?

Yes I would recommend going over the answers. Several similar concepts showed up on my exam.

 

[CaliAtenza]

As tripwm said, try NBME 4. NBME 2 was also good for me, but i found it a little bit harder than 4. But out of all the forms, 4 and 2 were the most accurate.

2 isnt available on the NBME website anymore.

 

[wannabie]

2 isnt available on the NBME website anymore.

I'm guessing he meant 4 and 6? I got a low passing score. I think I'm just going to cram as hard as I can for the next ten days and then go for it. Just sick of studying. Guess I'll start sending out applications for Starbucks and the like too after the exam

 

[evilbooyaa]

UWSA was nearly dead accurate for me, but if you took it a second time for the 240+, it may have been you subconsciously remembering questions (even if you didn't explicitly review them).

 

[wannabie]

UWSA was nearly dead accurate for me, but if you took it a second time for the 240+, it may have been you subconsciously remembering questions (even if you didn't explicitly review them).

That makes a lot of sense...

So basically I can implicitly recall questions from a test I took eight months ago, but not remember any of the information I studied in the months in between? FML

 

[RedSoxSuck]

That makes a lot of sense...

So basically I can implicitly recall questions from a test I took eight months ago, but not remember any of the information I studied in the months in between? FML

I hear ya. So how did your last nbme go? Just curious!

 

[RedSoxSuck]

.

 

[RedSoxSuck]

FML

 

[wannabie]

Bad. Really really really bad. 212. I'm reviewing the UWSA (247) that I did and I was totally on my game......so I'm hoping I can get a score in between the two..

But I'm out of time. July 28th's the latest I can take it and still make it for match--and it has to be in for match because I'm a fourth year IMG. According to my NBME's, in 6 weeks of cramming UWorld, my score went up 8 points total. That's 1.33 points per week of studying. My UWorld %'s have been trending up and I'm 2/3 the way through my second run of it, but it doesn't seem to make a difference.

 

[RedSoxSuck]

Bad. Really really really bad. 212. I'm reviewing the UWSA (247) that I did and I was totally on my game......so I'm hoping I can get a score in between the two..

But I'm out of time. July 28th's the latest I can take it and still make it for match--and it has to be in for match because I'm a fourth year IMG. According to my NBME's, in 6 weeks of cramming UWorld, my score went up 8 points total. That's 1.33 points per week of studying. My UWorld %'s have been trending up and I'm 2/3 the way through my second run of it, but it doesn't seem to make a difference.

Which NBMe did you end up taking? I took Nbme 4 2.2 weeks ago and didn't go well. Took Nbme 3 this past sunday and was much better.

 

[wannabie]

I took NBME 4..which is supposed to have the best prediction? According to these forums

 

[tripwm]

I took NBME 4..which is supposed to have the best prediction? According to these forums

NBME 4 is it.

 

[MEN2C]

Well the % needed is very high in NBME 4. Look at the questions you got wrong...you might have made obvious mistakes you wouldn't make on test day (I do that with practice exams all the time when I don't care or am anxious to get through it). I'd personally trust the USWA but that's me. You're not going to need the 90% or whatever that you need on the NBME to do well on the real thing..

 

[Bagheera]

During the exam, we dwell too much on the few questions that seem hard, not realizing how many instant clicks we had during the exam. The way I felt after my exam and after blocks of questions were very similar to the NBMEs, and much easier than UWSA. So if you are going to freak out about a few questions each block that are tough, this will distort your perception of the exam, and you will think its so much harder than your practice NBMES

 

[wannabie]

Am I the only idiot here who finds NBME questions to be harder than UWorld questions? Because I do. I'll take Bagheera's advice and try and review them 🙂

 

[CaliAtenza]

Am I the only idiot here who finds NBME questions to be harder than UWorld questions? Because I do. I'll take Bagheera's advice and try and review them 🙂

no you aren't the only one, i do too, sometimes.

 

[exudate]

Yes hello, if anyone could offer me some advice about the situation I'm in, I'd appreciate it.

In early June I took NBME6 and got 204
In early July I took NBME3 and got 180
I took UWSA today and got 247.
UWorld first run through 60%
UWorld second run through 80% (about halfway through)

I'm scheduled to take the step ten days from now and all I have no idea how I'm going to do...or if I'm even going to pass. These scores are not exactly typical of this forum...

The one big confounding factor was that I had taken the UWSA in December 2013 before I started studying--(I burned out and took a few months off)--when I took it then, I got a 225. I don't think I reviewed it at that time and I didn't remember any questions from it, but I don't know how it might have affected my score.

Any advice or explanations would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you for posting. I am in a very similar situation. Please share your exam experience when you take it.

 

[brianmed]

Im alittle scared- I got a 232 on UWSA but a 250 on NBME 6- did anyone else find UWSA kinda rough?

 

[wannabie]

Im alittle scared- I got a 232 on UWSA but a 250 on NBME 6- did anyone else find UWSA kinda rough?

You could take NBME4 to get a better idea. Do the free 150 too.. In the 235+ range, the NBME's seem pretty predictive (n>100ish). You see my scores above? I personally didn't find UWSA rough, but the exam really really rough for me and a lot of other people--just look at the CK experiences threat. "ugh think I failed that." "Oh hey look turns out I got a 266".

Good luck...