I'm concerned my school's tests are too easy and don't adequately prepare us for step

[argentinetango]

MS1 here... I go to a low-tier US allopathic school and my class's test averages typically hover in the high 80s, and we've even had a few tests with averages in the 90s.

Is this normal? Does it mean my school's tests are too easy?

I realize I probably sound like a huge tool for worrying if our tests are too easy but I'm concerned I'm going to have inflated confidence going into step 1 prep and do very badly. If so, how can I have the right mindset going into MS2/step 1 preparation?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Chibucks15]

MS1 here... I go to a low-tier US allopathic school and my class's test averages typically hover in the high 80s, and we've even had a few tests with averages in the 90s.

Is this normal? Does it mean my school's tests are too easy?

I realize I probably sound like a huge tool for worrying if our tests are too easy but I'm concerned I'm going to have inflated confidence going into step 1 prep and do very badly. If so, how can I have the right mindset going into MS2/step 1 preparation?

That happens with ours too...it kills class rank when you're getting high B's and A-s but still are average to 3rd quartile haha my school has a pretty good track record of board score averages so that makes it seem like it does okay for prep. Plus it seems like everyone does self study anyway for boards.

I feel like just knowing you have to bust ass and keeping it up to get as good a score as possible will be all the mindset we all need to have

 

[Reveler]

In general, this is why Step scores are so much more important. The better comparison is between a single applicant and the rest of the applicant pool, rather than a single applicant and his/her school. Sure, quartile rankings still play a role, but every school has different levels of difficulty, etc. That being said, focus on retaining as much as you can from past courses as you move through 1st and 2nd year and use resources like First-Aid, UW, pathoma, etc. to better hone in on what you need to know for your Step exams. Good luck.

 

[Goro]

Or you could be simply very good student in a class of very good students?

 

[jw3600]

Board prep is mostly on your own. You’ll be fine.

 

[libertyyne]

My school tests us with NBME exams throughout preclinicals and our average was in the mid 80s. For many practice NBMEs, 85% is around a 230. Your tests might be too easy, or they might be just right.

Wow , your class must be really great. My class is nowhere near that our class's 99th percentile was 85 on nbme score for mutliple exams.

 

[Lnsean]

MS1 here... I go to a low-tier US allopathic school and my class's test averages typically hover in the high 80s, and we've even had a few tests with averages in the 90s.

Is this normal? Does it mean my school's tests are too easy?

I realize I probably sound like a huge tool for worrying if our tests are too easy but I'm concerned I'm going to have inflated confidence going into step 1 prep and do very badly. If so, how can I have the right mindset going into MS2/step 1 preparation?

Does your school use NBME questions? If yes, then your class is on the right track. If no, then yea...your exams may be misleading you for step.

 

[Lannister]

Exam averages at my school for in-house exams vary by block but are usually mid-high 80s, and we've had a few in the low 90s. Average step 1 last year was 241. So I don't think having high averages necessarily means they're not preparing you well.

 

[Donald Juan]

I'm sure that your instructors could make questions that nobody can answer correctly to drive the class averages down. I doubt that would mean they were preparing you better.

 

[deleted645092]

I've felt the same way regarding exams at my school, but given the fact that some people still fail I don't want to be "that guy", you know, the one from middle-high school who asks if the teacher is going to collect the homework😉.

In all seriousness though, it depends on what kind of questions your professors are asking you. For the most part first order questions really don't belong, but there are times such as pharm mechanisms, identification algorithms for micro, gene mutations, etc. that they are okay, I've even seen this pop up on UWorld from time to time. My school gives too many straight recall though and even on the "harder" second and third order questions you can always get rid of 2-3 choices without any thought at all if you've studied for the class at all. On top of that they even give 2-3 questions back per subject which artificially inflates our grades even further.

Overall I would do practice questions for your classes and see how they compare, vignette and options-wise, with your school questions. If they're similar, then you are just in a very smart class. And even if they end up being different, just accept that your grades might be artificially inflated, but in the end your school has graduated plenty of students so it isn't that big of a deal that they might make their tests too easy.

 

[GEToutLADYits6AM]

Average in 90's? Our class averages are usually around 75 range. I would rather have easy exams and study ahead or review old material

 

[Scrubs101]

Our class averages usually range from low 80s to high 80s. I’ve heard some students in years ahead of me say their class averages for every semester besides the first basic science semester were floating around the 90s.

I wouldnt worry about it too much, as long as youre learning and being tested on relevant material you’ll be fine IMO but just a 1st year so idk.

 

[Levant]

I'm also MS1, mid-tier school. My school uses ~3 in house exams and then an NBME exam for a block final for each block. Our test averages are always high for the in house exams - typically 84-88. NBME exam averages are always lower, typically 75-80. I do q bank questions daily (UW and Rx) and our in-house exams are SIGNIFICANTLY easier compared to q-banks in terms of question difficulty. It's interesting, though, because our class averages have been consistently 5-10 percentage points higher than the MS2 class averages from last year.

I agree with you though; I feel like my in-house exams are not preparing me for step. I score about 85 on all in-house exams and I don't study anything but UFAP. I feel like if i went to lecture/studied my school's material, i would end up scoring a little higher obviously on my in-house exams, but i'd feel profoundly behind for step prep.