Inconsistency on UW?

[Cards21aceking]

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So, I've been doing sets of questions, usually either 25 (nice round number) or 48 (practice for real thing), and my scores are all over the place, ranging from 50-80%. I'm pretty much just getting pharm, path, pathophys and micro now....but still, I feel like a week out from the test, I should be making more than 50% on a test. 😕 Any thoughts/encouragement?

 

[theunderdog]

So, I've been doing sets of questions, usually either 25 (nice round number) or 48 (practice for real thing), and my scores are all over the place, ranging from 50-80%. I'm pretty much just getting pharm, path, pathophys and micro now....but still, I feel like a week out from the test, I should be making more than 50% on a test. 😕 Any thoughts/encouragement?

don't worry about it. my overall average before taking the test was 48% on UW and i only finished 70% of the Qs. I was ranging from 30-80%. I did sets of 10 questions, subject-oriented, and untimed tutor.

how you do on UW is NOT predictive of how you do on usmle step 1. and don't let others fool with that UW score conversion; that converter is only good for the usmle step 2. UW tests your knowledge of the material. usmle step 1 tests your application of that knowledge. UW tests specific things, while usmle step 1 tests more general concepts with specific concepts of common diseases.

 

[opb]

So, I've been doing sets of questions, usually either 25 (nice round number) or 48 (practice for real thing), and my scores are all over the place, ranging from 50-80%. I'm pretty much just getting pharm, path, pathophys and micro now....but still, I feel like a week out from the test, I should be making more than 50% on a test. 😕 Any thoughts/encouragement?

I had a similar experience, too. It was the week leading up to my test and I was doing well on some questions blocks (probably mid 70's average with 1 82% block). Then all of a sudden I get a block of 62% correct and the next block I got a 54%, which was my lowest score in a long time.

I agree with the above poster that UW is not an indicator of how you'll do on a test. It does give you good questions that require you to do some thinking, but you gotta try and not let the percentages get into your head. Instead, make sure you go over each question you got wrong, take notes, and be confident that if you get something similar on the real deal chances are you won't miss it again.

 

[Cards21aceking]

Instead, make sure you go over each question you got wrong, take notes, and be confident that if you get something similar on the real deal chances are you won't miss it again.

True, but gotta love it when I look up the answers in section in FA and I have the information circled w/ stars w/ big orange letters that say "Do Not Forget!" 🙂

Thanks for the feedback. It's reassuring to know that I'm not the only one who's been in this position.

 

[opb]

True, but gotta love it when I look up the answers in section in FA and I have the information circled w/ stars w/ big orange letters that say "Do Not Forget!" 🙂

True... oh so very true. While going over mistakes I'd always refer back to FA or my other sources thinking that maybe I hadn't highlighted it or something. But lo and behold it's not only highlighted, but double-underlined in red.

 

[docmd2010]

i completely feel your pain, my last 10 scores on uworld have been:
62,68,70,84,78,64,70,66,76,74. i try to learn as much as i can from these questions, but who the hell knows what the real thing is going to be like.

 

[45408]

Oh, join the club. Your fabulous 85% will be shortly followed by a 50% to confuse you.

 

[osli]

I wish I could get at least one 85. 🙁 I'm dreadfully consistent.

 

[ShyRem]

Me too. But I've been mostly doing unused questions and getting around 45%. I accidentally did a block of "all" and got a 70%. When I started that block I had about 6 of the 25 questions that I thought "I remember this concept and I got it wrong before... yeah, that's the right answer". After the block I went back and found that I had clicked the "all" button instead of "unused."

At least I learn from my mistakes.

 

[Nodelphi]

Oh, join the club. Your fabulous 85% will be shortly followed by a 50% to confuse you.

Too true! It seemed like the hardest questions in the bank were reserved for the last 96 questions. What a bummer to go from a solid string of 70's to two big fat low 50's right before I was done.

Don't sweat it, it doesn't reflect your overall preparation for the test.

 

[Cards21aceking]

Too true! It seemed like the hardest questions in the bank were reserved for the last 96 questions.

Perhaps I should stop w/ 96 left in the bank... 🙂