New blueprint comlex exam -- how was it?

[Robotfishbrain]

This is an open ended question to those of you who have taken the new comlex blueprint exams. How was it and how did you compare to the COMSAEs/Uworld/Comquest/etc? I'm taking it in about three weeks and would like to know how messed up it is.

I have heard from a few of my classmates that there are a ton of technical issues with the exam.

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[deleted407021]

Brand new Level 2 coming up for me. Sucks being the Guinea pig class. Same happened for the new MCAT.

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

I have heard from a few of my classmates that there are a ton of technical issues with the exam.

How was it and how did you compare to the COMSAEs/Uworld/Comquest/etc?

Reports from my school from people that have taken it is that yes there are a ton of technical issues, and the test is nothing like those things.

One person who is at the top of the class said he straight up guessed on at least 20% of it and that is was far more brutal than the USMLE lol. Very boom or bust apparently, with a decent amount of questions so easy you would have to have not studied at all to miss them and then a good amount of questions where you have zero idea what they are talking about.

I'll report back with my own opinions after I take it in a week

 

[Goro]

Reports from my school from people that have taken it is that yes there are a ton of technical issues, and the test is nothing like those things.

One person who is at the top of the class said he straight up guessed on at least 20% of it and that is was far more brutal than the USMLE lol. Very boom or bust apparently, with a decent amount of questions so easy you would have to have not studied at all to miss them and then a good amount of questions where you have zero idea what they are talking about.

I'll report back with my own opinions after I take it in a week

Good luck! Looking forward to your comments!

 

[Isoval]

So the consensus is to panic?

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

So the consensus is to panic?

I am simply telling myself to trust the fact that it's standardized. That's the only thing that is saving us from the NBOME's incompetence at this point.

 

[Robotfishbrain]

Ran into a classmate who took it yesterday -- they summed it up as "half of the questions are really easy and the hard questions are difficult only because of the esoteric descriptions they give you to base your clinical decisions on."

 

[Robotfishbrain]

I am simply telling myself to trust the fact that it's standardized. That's the only thing that is saving us from the NBOME's incompetence at this point.

Seriously, chances are if a question is difficult for you it'll be the same for everyone else.

 

[zero0]

Ran into a classmate who took it yesterday -- they summed it up as "half of the questions are really easy and the hard questions are difficult only because of the esoteric descriptions they give you to base your clinical decisions on."

I fail to see how this is any different from the COMLEX I took a year ago

 

[Espressso]

I fail to see how this is any different from the COMLEX I took a year ago

I don't think it is. It's just spiced up with a "new blueprint" nametag. But it seems to be the same poorly written and unnecessarily long exam.

Ran into a classmate who took it yesterday -- they summed it up as "half of the questions are really easy and the hard questions are difficult only because of the esoteric descriptions they give you to base your clinical decisions on."

I take mine tomorrow. But FWIW, I've heard the same thing from other classmates that have taken it.

 

[aspdr]

Like any previous COMLEX they will still have same mix of same easy, medium, difficult and some vague questions. I would rather study than thinking about the new blueprint

 

[Mad Jack]

New Level 3 was terrible

 

[deleted407021]

New Level 3 was terrible

Doesn’t help that it’s a 2 day long affair.

 

[hallowmann]

I fail to see how this is any different from the COMLEX I took a year ago

Or a few years ago.

New Level 3 was terrible

I literally managed to take the old one on the last testing day. I was on a 70+ hr rotation, but it was worth it.

 

[starri]

I literally managed to take the old one on the last testing day. I was on a 70+ hr rotation, but it was worth it.

I took it during a slack rotation, but "studying" consisted of half-heartedly going through Combank once, and skimming the green book. Then on actual test day, by about the 3/4th mark, I was just so over it, I whipped through the rest of the test, and finished around noon. I've always been a fast test-taker (Step 1 was about six hours, Step 2 about five), but even by my standards, that was absurd.

I still managed to pass.

 

[deleted407021]

Any word on how people are feeling about the new Level II CE?

 

[Sardonix]

I took it during a slack rotation, but "studying" consisted of half-heartedly going through Combank once, and skimming the green book. Then on actual test day, by about the 3/4th mark, I was just so over it, I whipped through the rest of the test, and finished around noon. I've always been a fast test-taker (Step 1 was about six hours, Step 2 about five), but even by my standards, that was absurd.

I still managed to pass.

I refuse to believe the Green Book is still a thing during residency. That thing is trash.

 

[Robotfishbrain]

I refuse to believe the Green Book is still a thing during residency. That thing is trash.

Honestly I've taken 4 COMSAEs and the thing is spot on with how they present cases. The standard approach to OMM DOs use for COMLEX is OMT OMG + Greenbook. It might be trash but it's very accurate on how they ask questions on boards and the information is distilled to only things you need to know.

 

[JDWannabe]

I can concur that the new Comlex Level 1 is at least 50 percent ridiculously vague questions. Took it yesterday and feel I maybe got half of the questions correct. Be prepared for some obscure micro stuff for sure.

 

[getfat]

I can concur that the new Comlex Level 1 is at least 50 percent ridiculously vague questions. Took it yesterday and feel I maybe got half of the questions correct. Be prepared for some obscure micro stuff for sure.

Welcome back!

 

[Noisewater-TDX]

Took it last week. Pretty interesting...

*below is depiction of me in the shower the night after the exam*

 

[ToKingdomCome]

So glad I’m done with this garbage set of exams. Complex was indicative of nothing. Level 2 was my best FWIW

 

[JDWannabe]

Welcome back!

Good to be back! I passed that crazy exam!

 

[Goro]

The national median so far is rather high...but I forget the exact number. My kids are doing better than national avg, and no failures!

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

The national median so far is rather high...but I forget the exact number. My kids are doing better than national avg, and no failures!

The number I've heard was 562.... which is absolutely insane and only goes to show how worthless COMLEX is as an exam. Like what was the point of them "resetting the curve to the new blueprint" if they were going to make the average higher than it's ever been? The variation from year to year is baffling.

 

[Sardonix]

The number I've heard was 562.... which is absolutely insane and only goes to show how worthless COMLEX is as an exam. Like what was the point of them "resetting the curve to the new blueprint" if they were going to make the average higher than it's ever been? The variation from year to year is baffling.

No no no no you don't get it.

MD schools will see this totally well reasoned exam and think "Wow the average keeps going up every year! DOs must be getting smarter and smarter!" and then they will never wonder if the average is meaningless.

Perfect plan.

 

[BorderlineQueen]

The number I've heard was 562.... which is absolutely insane and only goes to show how worthless COMLEX is as an exam. Like what was the point of them "resetting the curve to the new blueprint" if they were going to make the average higher than it's ever been? The variation from year to year is baffling.

I feel so bad for you DOs having to take two sets of boards .

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

I feel so bad for you DOs having to take two sets of boards .

Eh. It's really not too terrible. I just focused on USMLE and crammed OMM in 3 days before my COMLEX, did well on both tests.

 

[Chibucks15]

That is pretty absurd that the average has been so high...I’ve heard from some people once all the scores get tabulated it comes down a bit. Somebody said that between when they got their score and when the official stats were released in May their percentile jumped 12 points.

I feel like early on you have the high achievers that take step too, and that may artificially bring the average up. If I was in the danger zone I’d push COMLEX back as far as I could, which I’m assuming is what a lot of people did. Theoretically that should bring the average down to more normal levels but who the hell knows with this exam

 

[Goro]

I feel so bad for you DOs having to take two sets of boards .

It's a tax on having screwed up their GPAs and/or MCATs.

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

That is pretty absurd that the average has been so high...I’ve heard from some people once all the scores get tabulated it comes down a bit. Somebody said that between when they got their score and when the official stats were released in May their percentile jumped 12 points.

True, but it's still not going to drop from 562 down to 520. Maybe down to like 550, 545 at the lowest. No matter what it makes zero sense based on all the garbage the NBOME spews. It really gives perspective on how much COMLEX really is the red headed step child compared to Step.

I do agree most of the test takers early were stronger students. At minimum a quarter of my class had not taken it yet as of the beginning of July.

 

[Neopolymath]

The number I've heard was 562.... which is absolutely insane and only goes to show how worthless COMLEX is as an exam. Like what was the point of them "resetting the curve to the new blueprint" if they were going to make the average higher than it's ever been? The variation from year to year is baffling.

That class of people who go screwed by the "reset" got so ripped off. WTF is wrong with NBOME?

 

[Ho0v-man]

Thought it was a pretty good test, content-wise. Pretty fair material that I think a third year student should know for the most part. Wasn’t unreasonable. Even though it’s easier than Step 1 overall, it’s content was more practically useful information.

The fast pace was a b****.

I don’t really understand what the scores mean which is why no one will ever take it seriously. Nbome is a bunch of *****s.

 

[DO2015CA]

It's a tax on having screwed up their GPAs and/or MCATs.

Or being born in California

 

[trundlethegreat]

The number I've heard was 562.... which is absolutely insane and only goes to show how worthless COMLEX is as an exam. Like what was the point of them "resetting the curve to the new blueprint" if they were going to make the average higher than it's ever been? The variation from year to year is baffling.

Yeah that seems about right. Our schools avg for about half of students that have received scores back is 567. I’m sure residency cutoffs will still be by multiples of 50 so I don’t know what the point of this whole new blueprint was other than to show off their puke green interface and D+ acting.

 

[trundlethegreat]

Eh. It's really not too terrible. I just focused on USMLE and crammed OMM in 3 days before my COMLEX, did well on both tests.

Those three days were terrible. I don’t wish that on any of my MD friends haha

 

[BorntobeDO?]

Yeah that seems about right. Our schools avg for about half of students that have received scores back is 567. I’m sure residency cutoffs will still be by multiples of 50 so I don’t know what the point of this whole new blueprint was other than to show off their puke green interface and D+ acting.

I am not a fan of the green layout. Change for the sake of change. The neon hurts my eyes.

 

[Oh_Gee]

I am not a fan of the green layout. Change for the sake of change. The neon hurts my eyes.

in the options, you can change the colors of font and background color. i could not find a combo that was easier on the eyes though.

 

[cryhavoc]

I feel so bad for you DOs having to take two sets of boards .

I think last year everyone at my school matched and only 15% had taken both sets.

 

[BorntobeDO?]

in the options, you can change the colors of font and background color. i could not find a combo that was easier on the eyes though.

So no classic blue and white option? I didn't even know that the colors could be changed. I preferred the old layout for sure.

 

[Oh_Gee]

So no classic blue and white option? I didn't even know that the colors could be changed. I preferred the old layout for sure.

there's a gear icon in one of the corners. but be aware the clock continues to tick as you play with the colors

 

[getfat]

The fast pace was a b****.

That was my biggest problem. If anybody reading this hasn't taken the test yet. Don't get focused on 1-2 questions on this 400q exam. There will be a couple you won't be prepared for. You will have no clue what the answers even mean. Just take the loss and move on.

Don't sacrifice these questions for ones you could've got right with a second look.

 

[BorntobeDO?]

there's a gear icon in one of the corners. but be aware the clock continues to tick as you play with the colors

Thats why I do these things during the tutorial. Heres my tip: before you get to lunch break, if you finish with time left and your good with your answers dont click finish, just walk out and let the time run, will help create a buffer.