So random and so unpreparable. More straightforward questions but it’s either you know it or you don’t. In contrast to USMLE, if you know only 3/5 clues, you can still reason your way through things. I had a system for the USMLE blocks, that 30/46 you get from doing uworld/first aid, 10/46 you get from higher order thinking and reasoning, and 6/46 is the "phenom" questions. Comlex had some good questions, longer length than combank, and probably a similar structure. 30/50 you can get from doing questions and having an understanding, another 10-15 is did you read this 1 sentence in first aid, and the rest are just "why would you ask me that." But again thats just my experience, I've heard of a LOT of variability of experiences.
Thought I'd add in my experience as well. In my opinion, everything cylondoctor says above is spot-on. I'll echo the part about the clues, and the COMLEX vs. USMLE comparison of "impossible" questions is an extremely accurate comparison. "Why would you ask me that" is
exactly how I feel about the WTF questions, as opposed to the USMLE WTF questions which are more "How would you expect me to know that?". It's like:
USMLE WTF Q's = Asking an 8th grader what the integral of f(x) = sin(x) is
COMLEX WTF Q's = Asking an 8th grader how many grains of salt are in the Bermuda Triangle
And it's because of these silly questions that COMLEX is difficult to score high on.
Make no mistake though: The exam is vastly easier than the USMLE. So you can at least take comfort in that.
Besides being one-step reasoning, straight-recall questions, the COMLEX Q's are easier because their answer choices are very poor. Another comparison:
USMLE question = "Hemolysis after using sulfa drug: Diagnosis?" Answer choices = G6PD deficiency, spherocytosis, B-thal, sickle cell
COMLEX question = "Hemolysis after using sulfa drug: Diagnosis?" Answer choices = G6PD deficiency, hypercalcemia, Pott's disease, subarachnoid hemorrhage
I mean, not quite that bad, but you get the point. One way in which I found the COMLEX to be very annoying was how vague or poorly phrased many of the questions were. On the USMLE, I always felt that I understood what was being asked, and it was just my fault for not knowing what I needed to know to get the right answer. I could always "get in the head" of the question, and say "Ah, this is a question about DNA polymerases" or something. On the COMLEX, your ability to do this is very much hindered.
I found the COMSAE to be pretty similar to the exam, but it was a waste of time and money. The fact that you can't learn from it whatsoever makes it merely a diagnostic tool. Coupled with notoriously poor diagnostic ability, you're better off spending money on an NBME.
Regarding the content of the test:
-Tons of Micro! What everyone says is true. In fact, I would say there was more Micro than pure OMM questions. They test it differently than the USMLE too -- far more helminth/arthropod parasite questions (though these questions were still a minority, they were tested far more than the USMLE). Tons of bioterrorism too (heard this from others taking the exam as well): Know your bioterrorism bugs cold!
-Repro and GI probably made the top 4 along with Micro and OMM in terms of most heavily tested.
-OMM may have been my weakest subject on the test. Unfortunately, I'm not sure what else I would have changed. There seemed to be a bit of a curve to it -- you can do slightly above average by knowing Savarese up to a certain point, but to kill OMM like a gunner, you would have to treat Savarese with the same respect as First Aid and annotate a bunch of stuff from class notes and other resources. Don't get me wrong -- the majority was in Savarese, but there were enough really odd or obscure questions to lower your average down to a point below the performance level of a lot of people's performance on the basic sciences.
For OMM prep, I went over Savarese 1-1.5x during classes, then a brief skim between the USMLE and COMLEX. I should have read it more -- a full thorough read would have been ideal. I also used the iPhone app called OMM Cards: Chapman Points for $1.99 -- worth it. And finally, I did all the OMM in COMBANK 1.8x.
I'd be happy to answer any questions via PM or on this thread (tag/quote me). Good luck guys.
Those who took the test, can you recommend a good approach to study "Ch 18 - Special Tests" from Sevarese? Thanks!
These are very important to know. For each test, know all of the following:
-The name of the test (know the name upon it being described)
-The procedure of the test (know the procedure upon being given the name)
-What the test evaluates
