NBME result, how accurate is it?

[seasurfer]

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I just did my NBME today, got a 440. I find this very low, when I was doing the exam, I felt that the questions were pretty easy, and I think I should have answered most of them correctly. But why am I getting such a low score? Is the time counted? I waited for the time to run out and let it automatically end.

By the way, NBME questions seems easier than Kaplan Q bank. Currently, I have only finished 35% of Qbank, if NBME is a reflection of real USMLE step 1, should I continue doing Qbank?

 

[trouta]

The time issue should not have affected your score (unless you had questions unanswered). For me, and many other people, the NBME score correlated best with our score on the real exam (much better than Qbank). But its still early for you so dont worry about the 440.

Qbank is harder than the NBME and typically thought to be harder than the real test. That being said there is no better prep than doing questions so my advice is to keep doing it.

 

[jennyboo]

I got a 440 on that test and ended up with 230 < my score < 240.

It stressed me out four days before the real exam and I felt it was a total waste of money. Only take it if you want to read the answers and learn from them. As a "predictor" the test just causes extra stress, is not meant to be a predictor of your real score, and costs extra money.

 

[seasurfer]

I got a 440 on that test and ended up with 230 < my score < 240.

It stressed me out four days before the real exam and I felt it was a total waste of money. Only take it if you want to read the answers and learn from them. As a "predictor" the test just causes extra stress, is not meant to be a predictor of your real score, and costs extra money.

You got a nice score.

Thanks for telling, any suggestion of how should i utilize my final 7 days?

 

[jennyboo]

I spent the last 4 days of studying re-reading First Aid and doing more Qbank. The day before the exam, I hung out at the beach.

I did no NMS and got through about 80% of Qbank (scoring average 64-75% on my test blocks) before taking the real thing. I didn't do what most people do, which is take the test randomized and timed. I did Qbank mostly un-timed (timed a few times so I could give myself an idea of what the timed blocks feel like), did the questions in subject-specific blocks and learned from the answers subject by subject. Most people advise against doing that, but because I did it that way I actually ended up doing questions on some subjects twice since I felt I could use the extra review. It did not seem to make a difference whether to do it randomized/timed or not, for me. I think it just varies by your personality.

 

[seasurfer]

I spent the last 4 days of studying re-reading First Aid and doing more Qbank. The day before the exam, I hung out at the beach.

I did no NMS and got through about 80% of Qbank (scoring average 64-75% on my test blocks) before taking the real thing. I didn't do what most people do, which is take the test randomized and timed. I did Qbank mostly un-timed (timed a few times so I could give myself an idea of what the timed blocks feel like), did the questions in subject-specific blocks and learned from the answers subject by subject. Most people advise against doing that, but because I did it that way I actually ended up doing questions on some subjects twice since I felt I could use the extra review. It did not seem to make a difference whether to do it randomized/timed or not, for me. I think it just varies by your personality.

Wow...your Qbank score is very similar to mine...i m scoring somewhere between 64-74% too. Ha...Is there any correlation?

Most of the time I used the untimed mode too, I did that because, I feel that I can learn better from the answer immediately, rather than everything at once after I finished the block.

Thanks for your advices.