NBME 18 Scoring: # Wrong vs. 3-Digit Score

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ButterButter

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I'm curious about how the NBME 18 3-digit scores correlate to the number of incorrect answers. For those that have already taken the exam, can you post your # incorrect and score?

I've taken NBME 17 and 18 and while my 3-digit scores were the exact same, I missed 5 extra questions on NBME 18. For reference:

NBME 17: 12 incorrect, 650/260
NBME 18: 17 incorrect, 650/260

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I didn't pay for the extra feedback, so my number of wrong answers might be slightly off (I just counted up wrong answers based on discussions on forums), but I also missed a few more on 18 while still getting the same 3-digit score:

NBME 17: 9 incorrect, 670/264
NBME 18: 12 incorrect 670/264
 
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The exams are scaled according to difficulty (straight from the NBME website, check the Q&A "urban legends" page)

NBME 18: 20 incorrect : 630/256
 
The exams are scaled according to difficulty (straight from the NBME website, check the Q&A "urban legends" page)

Absolutely. A few of my friends said that their scores dropped substantially from 17 to 18. While I thought it was more difficult than #17, it's good to know that the statistical algorithm still holds up.
 
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22 wrong for NBME 18 = 251
16 wrong for NBME 17 = 251

I was looking at the NBME 17 discussion thread and thought it was interesting how one year ago, 17 wrong for NBME 17 was a 254.
 
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The curve on NBME 18 is much less steep compared to NBME 17.

I got 10 incorrect on both forms, but got a 3-digit score of 269 on form 18 and 262 on form 17.
 
The curve on NBME 18 is much less steep compared to NBME 17.

I got 10 incorrect on both forms, but got a 3-digit score of 269 on form 18 and 262 on form 17.

Also got 10 wrong on 17 with a 262. I think 18 is inflating our scores a bit imo
 
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NBME 13 29 wrong - 232
NBME 15 25 wrong - 241
NBME 16 26 wrong - 243
NBME 17 14 wrong - 256
NBME 18 18 wrong - 258
 
I'm becoming a broken record on this topic but it's annoying the hell out of me so I gotta vent.

I fail to understand the logic behind these damn NBME grading curves.

NBME 18 (taken today): 255 (with 17 in corrects) GOD I HOPE THIS IS MY REAL SCORE
NBME 15 (taken last week): 242 (with 22 incorrect)
NBME 13 (last week or 2): 234 (25 incorrect)

However when you compare my # incorrect with previous SDN posters in this current thread and in the thread for NBME 15, it seems quite clear that the curve has gotten significantly steeper (like ~6 points lower for any given % correct).

What do you all make of this? NBMEs have been HISTORICALLY good at predicting outcomes, but it seems that sometime in the last 9 months they have altered the scales. I wonder why this is??
 
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So to add more data, for future NBME 17 takers:
NBME 17: 250 = (15 incorrect)

So you need to get 92.5% (185/200) on NBME 17 to hit 250. insanely steep compared to Uworld. 92.5% on uworld would probably break the computer.
 
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So to add more data, for future NBME 17 takers:
NBME 17: 250 = (15 incorrect)

So you need to get 92.5% (185/200) on NBME 17 to hit 250. insanely steep compared to Uworld. 92.5% on uworld would probably break the computer.

wow, not much room for error (at least not for me)

are the questions at least easier than UWORLD?
 
wow, not much room for error (at least not for me)

are the questions at least easier than UWORLD?
Yeah there is definitely a higher number of easy questions on NBME compared to UWorld. I think UWSA 2 was somewhat more comparable in terms of difficulty. But UWSA 1 and the entire Uworld Qbank has a higher proportion of 'difficult' questions than the NBMEs. I honestly prefer difficult questions if it means we get more room for error to hit a high score, but whatever. It is what it is.
 
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So to add more data, for future NBME 17 takers:
NBME 17: 250 = (15 incorrect)

So you need to get 92.5% (185/200) on NBME 17 to hit 250. insanely steep compared to Uworld. 92.5% on uworld would probably break the computer.
I ended up with a 255 on nbme 17 with 12 incorrect. Seems kinda crazy that the curve is this steep.
 
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Updating since this information was very helpful! The curve is definitely changed now.

NBME 17 - 31 incorrect (85%), 223
NBME 18 - 31 incorrect (85%), 236

and for comparison...
UWorld SA1 - 80%, 256
 
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Updating since this information was very helpful! The curve is definitely changed now.

NBME 17 - 31 incorrect (85%), 236
NBME 18 - 31 incorrect (85%), 223

and for comparison...
UWorld SA1 - 80%, 256
What the actual...this is worse than my school exams where the averages are all high 80s/low 90s...can someone explain how this works? I'm very tempted not to do 17 and 18 if the curve is that ridiculous
 
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@mymembernames @blueforest @Ace Khalifa
Unfortunately that's not a typo. I am not sure how they are scoring it and if it represents actual averages of anything - I guess we'll find out after the real exam :shrug:
I did find the practice exams helpful because the NBME style is a bit different from UWorld.

Edit: actually it was - I got the NBME 17 and 18 mixed up. Still 223 and 236 for 31 incorrect on both though.
 
@mymembernames @blueforest @Ace Khalifa
Unfortunately that's not a typo. I am not sure how they are scoring it and if it represents actual averages of anything - I guess we'll find out after the real exam :shrug:
I did find the practice exams helpful because the NBME style is a bit different from UWorld.

Edit: actually it was - I got the NBME 17 and 18 mixed up. Still 223 and 236 for 31 incorrect on both though.
Regardless, 85% correct should not equate to slightly above or below average because that's just insane. If there are significantly more easy "gimme" questions on NBME 17 and 18, then I can kinda see that but still... :(
 
Regardless, 85% correct should not equate to slightly above or below average because that's just insane. If there are significantly more easy "gimme" questions on NBME 17 and 18, then I can kinda see that but still... :(

I'll post back after I get my actual score (exam on the 24th) and it'll be one sample point to know if the NBME mocks correlate!
I sure hope this isn't average haha. I think I have First Aid almost fully memorized at this point...
 
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Scores posted today! @Ace Khalifa

NBME 17 - 31 incorrect (85%), 236
NBME 18 - 31 incorrect (85%), 223

UWorld SA1 - 80%, 256
UWorld SA2 - 86%, 258

Step 1 - ?, 252
 
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Congrats! Can you write about your experience, when you took the NBMEs, UWorld average etc.

I don't want to derail the thread, but in very brief: I took one mock exam a week. Counting down to test day: NBME 17, SA1, NBME 18, SA2, test. UWorld average was like 70. (We all start around 30-40%!) The two weeks before test day my Uworld average was 80-85%.
Resources used: first aid (read cover to cover once before dedicated, once during), pathoma (watched fully once during dedicated), sketchy micro/pharm, UWorld (just a couple hundred Qs more than one pass)

Congrats! Does this mean the NBMEs are not accurate?!
Based on my single sample point, and a couple from classmates, I would say that the score prediction is not accurate. But the NBME was an awesome resource to be familiar with how the test-writers phrase questions and to see my weak/strong points by topic. Sometimes the breakdown is not helpful (like how the heck am I supposed to study "evidence-based medicine" haha) but most of the performance breakdown has utility (aka for me, get your immuno **** together).
NBME exams and the real deal have a little more straight up fact regurgitation than the UWorld Qs, which are a little more reasoning based. It just means you have to let it go if you don't know something and don't waste time panicking over the question.
 
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Hey, sorry for the slight off-topic but I'm confused, I took NBME 17 and got 84.5% with exactly 31 incorrect but that was only a 223? How did you get a 236? :p I took it 2 days ago.

edit: nevermind, read your typo history hah sorry!
 
NBME 17 = 13 incorrect (93.5%) = 252
vs. UWSA1 = 18 incorrect (89%) = 271

Taken last week. Seems like they readjusted the curve for all the NBMEs sometime in the past year for some reason...
 
Regardless, 85% correct should not equate to slightly above or below average because that's just insane. If there are significantly more easy "gimme" questions on NBME 17 and 18, then I can kinda see that but still... :(

Yea ever since they reduced the number of total questions on the exam from 300 to 280 the curve has been ridiculously steep on the nbmes

I just took nbme 19 and 79% was a mere 205 not even good enough to safely sit the exam for a pass.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile
 
Yea ever since they reduced the number of total questions on the exam from 300 to 280 the curve has been ridiculously steep on the nbmes

I just took nbme 19 and 79% was a mere 205 not even good enough to safely sit the exam for a pass.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

Same boat. Took NBME 15 a few days ago and a 75% is a 200.

How should we evaluate these results?
 
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