No improvement over 4 NBME's

[phoenix1186]

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Exam date: 02-19-13
Resources used thus far:
First Aid: 4x
Uworld: 2x (75%)
USMLERx: 1.5x (80%)
Kaplan Qbank: 40% completed (72%)
Kaplan lecture notes : 1 x
My NBME's haven't shown any improvement over the past couple of months. Am clueless, as to how to go about this. The moment I work on my weaker subjects, my areas of strength begin to slide and vice versa. Am attaching a screenshot of my NBME's analysis. Would appreciate any advice!

btw, am dabbling with the HY series for the various subjects, but am wondering whether that's a wise choice at this stage of my prep.

 

[Phloston]

This is pretty normal actually.

I'm not posting my scores in order to "show you what I got," but this is just so you'll understand that you shouldn't freak out in the slightest.

NBME3 = 250 (4.5 months-out)
NBME5 = 257 (1.5 months-out)
NBME6 = 252 (12 days-out)
NBME7 = 254 (11 days)

Freaking out. WTF? No improvement?

NBME13 = 264 (8 days)
NBME12 = 266 (6 days)
NBME11 = 264 (4 days; today)

I took the exam Dec. 14th (still awaiting my score). Notice that between late-July and early-December I "supposedly" didn't improve at all.

Transitioning between the 250s and the 260s in those three latter results had absolutely nothing to do with studying more and everything to do with getting more sleep and figuring out that the NBME questions aren't like QBank ones: they're much more straightforward. Going with your gut and not over-thinking will be really important for you. Even now, thinking back, one of the stupid questions I got wrong on my real exam was because I over-thought it. Easy question. Over-thought it. As one guy had PMed me before my exam saying: "you're going to get questions wrong because you over-think things too much. Sometimes the answer really is just asthma, not bronchioloalveolar carcinoma. Asthma."

If you remember that, that is a blessing, and it will save you several questions on your actual USMLE.

If you want to break your plateau, more important than studying more, is calibrating the manner in which you approach questions. By the time you get to your final NBME exams, you'll notice a pattern with certain types of questions you're getting wrong. Are they neuroanatomy? Are they drug toxicity questions? Similar concepts show up across the NBMEs. Make a Powerpoint with your incorrects along the way. Review those later in time. Identify your patterns. Quickly review those concepts. Calibrate your technique. And you'll jump 10 points. That's it.

 

[Old Style Nanny]

This is pretty normal actually.

I'm not posting my scores in order to "show you what I got," but this is just so you'll understand that you shouldn't freak out in the slightest.

NBME3 = 250 (4.5 months-out)
NBME5 = 257 (1.5 months-out)
NBME6 = 252 (12 days-out)
NBME7 = 254 (11 days)

Freaking out. WTF? No improvement?

NBME13 = 264 (8 days)
NBME12 = 266 (6 days)
NBME11 = 264 (4 days; today)

I took the exam Dec. 14th (still awaiting my score). Notice that between late-July and early-December I "supposedly" didn't improve at all.

Transitioning between the 250s and the 260s in those three latter results had absolutely nothing to do with studying more and everything to do with getting more sleep and figuring out that the NBME questions aren't like QBank ones: they're much more straightforward. Going with your gut and not over-thinking will be really important for you. Even now, thinking back, one of the stupid questions I got wrong on my real exam was because I over-thought it. Easy question. Over-thought it. As one guy had PMed me before my exam saying: "you're going to get questions wrong because you over-think things too much. Sometimes the answer really is just asthma, not bronchioloalveolar carcinoma. Asthma."

If you remember that, that is a blessing, and it will save you several questions on your actual USMLE.

If you want to break your plateau, more important than studying more, is calibrating the manner in which you approach questions. By the time you get to your final NBME exams, you'll notice a pattern with certain types of questions you're getting wrong. Are they neuroanatomy? Are they drug toxicity questions? Similar concepts show up across the NBMEs. Make a Powerpoint with your incorrects along the way. Review those later in time. Identify your patterns. Quickly review those concepts. Calibrate your technique. And you'll jump 10 points. That's it.

That is a good point. Several people take question-answer strategy too lightly, or don't prepare for it. If ardent studying isn't improving your score, then the most likely problem is that your question-answer strategy sucks.

Go into investigative mode and find out exactly why it is that you are not getting as many correct answers you are supposed to. Are you not reading your questions fully and carefully? Nervousness because of time? Reading answers first and then going into the question prejudiced?

Get the data. Analyze it. Locate the problem. Correct it. Repeat.

P.S.: I am not talking specifically about the Step 1 exam - I don't qualify to talk about it. But rather generally about exams.

 

[phoenix1186]

Thanks a lot guys..... shall look into it. all the best for ur result Phloston!

 

[phoenix1186]

Its working.... Gave nbme 7, 2 days ago..... Got 247.... Realised later i made 4-5 stupid mistakes..... But i got my scores up!!!!! Thanks a lot Phloston and Old style nanny!!! I give my exam on the 28th of feb...... Should i carry on with cramming of the forgettable stuff in FA..... I was thinking of doing another pass of UW...... Any advice would be deeply appreciated.... Thanks 🙂

 

[nikmad]

I am stuck in the same place as you were with the exam looming large. Did you find anything else that worked for you to break the plateau. Test taking strategies for the last round of prep?

 

[Old Style Nanny]

Its working.... Gave nbme 7, 2 days ago..... Got 247.... Realised later i made 4-5 stupid mistakes..... But i got my scores up!!!!! Thanks a lot Phloston and Old style nanny!!! I give my exam on the 28th of feb...... Should i carry on with cramming of the forgettable stuff in FA..... I was thinking of doing another pass of UW...... Any advice would be deeply appreciated.... Thanks 🙂

I feel this is something you should figure it out yourself. I don't think no one on this anonymous forum can help you there. I'm saying this because you need to figure out if you have you have more scope for improvement in test taking skills or recalling facts.

In other words, analyze the answers you got wrong in the last NBME. Was it because you couldn't remember specific facts from FA or because you were a little careless and didn't read properly / think it through fully? If the former, FA it is. If the latter, do more NBMEs + revise FA.

 

[phoenix1186]

When do u wanna give the exam? My advice would be..... Forget everything and focus on things in fa that you are missing

 

[phoenix1186]

I feel this is something you should figure it out yourself. I don't think no one on this anonymous forum can help you there. I'm saying this because you need to figure out if you have you have more scope for improvement in test taking skills or recalling facts.

In other words, analyze the answers you got wrong in the last NBME. Was it because you couldn't remember specific facts from FA or because you were a little careless and didn't read properly / think it through fully? If the former, FA it is. If the latter, do more NBMEs + revise FA.

Thanks a lot.... I did make a few mistakes coz i was careless..... I shall focus on my strategy now. Point well taken....

 

[phoenix1186]

I am stuck in the same place as you were with the exam looming large. Did you find anything else that worked for you to break the plateau. Test taking strategies for the last round of prep?

When do u wanna give the exam? My advice would be..... Forget everything and focus on things in fa that you are missing

 

[nikmad]

Well, I was supposed to give it in a week, but the scheduling got screwed up and will probably get shifted a week more. So looking at 14 days left on my time line. On NBME, I get nearly 18 wrong with around 7-8 wrong due to recall error and 4 due to carelessness. But averaging nearly the same over the nbmes I took. Thanks.

 

[phoenix1186]

Well, I was supposed to give it in a week, but the scheduling got screwed up and will probably get shifted a week more. So looking at 14 days left on my time line. On NBME, I get nearly 18 wrong with around 7-8 wrong due to recall error and 4 due to carelessness. But averaging nearly the same over the nbmes I took. Thanks.

If this is ur current state.... Then i think ur good to go...... Just make sure u read the questions properly and dont overthink the questions..... All the best with ur exam!!!!!