COMLEX Official 2014 Comlex 2 CE Experiences and Scores Thread!

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
C

ccc2009

Full Member
10+ Year Member
Joined
Jun 22, 2010
Messages
84
Reaction score
0
Members don't see this ad.
Couldn't find a thread for Comlex, so decided to create one. The one for level 1 was really helpful, PLEASE share your experiences taking this exam and study methods. Thanks and good luck everyone!
 
Sort by date Sort by votes
anyone else feel like something is fishy about this score or the new evaluation standards? mine dropped pretty good from step 1..and i thought I had jumped up way big. not loving this at all
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
It probably won't matter for do programs bc everyone's scores should drop. But if you're do trying for MD with only comlex, the nbome just bent you over the table without even asking for a kiss.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
I did worse than my comlex 1. My step 1 and 2 scores look great and show a solid increase between them. Can I just not submit my comlex 2 to MD programs or would that appear suspicious?
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
I'll jump in on the "my step 2 looks way lower than my step 1" train.

Also, notice this means it is harder to fail the exam. With the average still being 500, but the SD being much smaller, and the passing score still set at a 400, fewer kids should be getting bad news today. Assuming my stats from 7 years ago isn't so rusty I can't do bell curves any more
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
thumbz said:
I'll jump in on the "my step 2 looks way lower than my step 1" train.

Also, notice this means it is harder to fail the exam. With the average still being 500, but the SD being much smaller, and the passing score still set at a 400, fewer kids should be getting bad news today. Assuming my stats from 7 years ago isn't so rusty I can't do bell curves any more
Click to expand...

Looks like ~5% will fail this year compared to ~12% last year. Definitely should help those who didn't do well on level one, but can make quite a few look less appealing to MD programs who scored well on Level 1 and dropped on Level 2. A 600 was roughly 88th percentile last year, it was ~95th on this exam.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
I hope they release a percentile conversion tool sooner this year so that PDs who care about it can get some insight on the changes.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
62 seems like a gigantic SD....What was it before?

The SD on the USMLE this year was 19.



Also, is it worth it to retransmit your COMLEX transcript if your Step 2 score was lower? Programs are eventually going to see it, but I wonder if you would get more interviews having a Step 2 vs Step 1 only.
 
Last edited:
Upvote 0 Downvote
flyboy2011 said:
I hope they release a percentile conversion tool sooner this year so that PDs who care about it can get some insight on the changes.
Click to expand...

You can calculate your percentile with this: http://medstudentbooks.com/usmle-step-1-percentile-calculator/

The numbers don't matter given the change in standard deviation. The real concern that someone else mentioned is whether programs will be paying attention to this change and actually read the bottom of our score reports...
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Congrats to those who got their scores I was wondering would you recommend doing comquest again? Have my test on Monday
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
They must have changed their standards/scoring.

Improved tremendously on Step 2CK
Dropped on Level 2CE
:beat:
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Ended up with a 584. I feel crushed. About a hundred point drop from step one and 150 point drop from the Comsae. I hope this drop won't carry over to my usmle score I get next week.
Refusing to study OMM seems like a poor idea in retrospect. I had 17 cranial questions which I really wasn't prepared for. OMM was my worst section. Again.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
prone2xl said:
anyone else feel like something is fishy about this score or the new evaluation standards? mine dropped pretty good from step 1..and i thought I had jumped up way big. not loving this at all
Click to expand...
I have to wonder the same thing. It just doesn't seem possible that people who did well on USMLE and improved on Step 2 should have a significant drop from COMLEX 1 to COMLEX 2. My only hope is that no one ever asks about it because I honestly don't know what to say about my score.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
JRO38 said:
It does matter though because anywhere from 10-20% of DO students took their COMLEX 2 CE this January - May before the new pass/fail algorithm was implemented (their scores will be artificially inflated although we interview at the same programs). No program is going to look into which scores were pre-change and which were post-change...
Click to expand...
EXACTLY - this doesn't seem fair to me. Not sure why they thought it was a good idea to implement this change NOW rather than after this year's scores/applications have gone out. really screws up those who only took the COMLEX
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Kniveschau29 said:
You can calculate your percentile with this: http://medstudentbooks.com/usmle-step-1-percentile-calculator/

The numbers don't matter given the change in standard deviation. The real concern that someone else mentioned is whether programs will be paying attention to this change and actually read the bottom of our score reports...
Click to expand...


I got a 581 and according to this calculator I'm in the 90th percentile. What kind of whack-*** scoring system is this? With the older system I should have >600
 
Last edited:
Upvote 0 Downvote
Kniveschau29 said:
You can calculate your percentile with this: http://medstudentbooks.com/usmle-step-1-percentile-calculator/

The numbers don't matter given the change in standard deviation. The real concern that someone else mentioned is whether programs will be paying attention to this change and actually read the bottom of our score reports...
Click to expand...

Thanks for the link. That's assuming perfect normal distribution. My percentage was 2% different when comparing normal distribution vs actual for comlex 1. I was thinking with the smaller sample size with this new scoring system that it could be a bit more of a difference.

Also, has anyone ever submitted a score verification and gotten anything different than their initial score?
 
Last edited:
Upvote 0 Downvote
I also have the same trend. Took comlex 2 in late June. I improved about 50 points from my COMSAE D but dropped 80 points from comlex 1.

Comlex 1 667 --> Comlex 2 590

Usmle 1 234 --> Usmle 2 250

i feel bad for DO's applying to allopathic programs who only took the comlex. this trend could look concerning to PD's.

Although isn't step 1 still "the test" that they look at primarily?
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Dropped from over 770 on level 1 to 599! Holy ****! Completely confused, got 801 on comsae c. Not sure how to explain that one to program directors. Why exactly would they change the way they score the exam mid-cycle?
 
Last edited:
Upvote 0 Downvote
The hostages were returned altered and almost unrecognizable. Nevertheless, my shirelings, in time everyone will realize that deep down they aren't that different after all.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Oh and FYI I called NBOME today and they kindly said that it is not their responsibility to communicate this change to the residency programs. Prepare to explain on interviews if the opportunity presents itself...
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Kniveschau29 said:
Oh and FYI I called NBOME today and they kindly said that it is not their responsibility to communicate this change to the residency programs. Prepare to explain on interviews if the opportunity presents itself...
Click to expand...

Sounds about right. If they don't care about dropping our scores mid cycle, why would they care about the consequences of said lowered score? Just another reason to send this arbitrary POS test out to pasture
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
I'm only applying allopathic for residencies, so focused virtually all of my prep on the usmle other than doing an OMM rotation within the month before my tests. Results are, shall we say, humorous...
USMLE: step 1 = 246, step 2 = 259
COMLEX: step 1 = 740, step 2 = 555

Not thinking this should really end up hurting me too much with my target programs, but time will tell. And my highest scoring category was osteopathic principles so I can't even blame that! New curve is brutal.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
JRO38 said:
I hope all 1st, 2nd, and 3rd years read this thread and realize how important it will be to take USMLE Step 1 and 2 in the future until 3-4 years pass and a new pass/fail will be made. You can study for weeks with COMLEX specific QBanks (as I did) and still not be able to break a 600 with this new set of stats. Study to dominate the USMLE, and just take the COMLEX to graduate medical school - don't worry, only 5% will fail now so chances of failing it are low. There really is no incentive to study hard for the COMLEX, it's almost impossible to stand out now. The stats may say a 600 is the new 750, but the NBOME won't even advocate for us so that means squat.
Click to expand...


Take the USMLE only if you feel you can do well enough to pass. A 210 might seem like a breeze to most of you guys, but some of my classmates and myself are opting not take the Step 2 as we did with Step 1 because of fear of failing. UWorld is a great resource but a beast to get through.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
as90 said:
Take the USMLE only if you feel you can do well enough to pass. A 210 might seem like a breeze to most of you guys, but some of my classmates and myself are opting not take the Step 2 as we did with Step 1 because of fear of failing. UWorld is a great resource but a beast to get through.
Click to expand...
The USMLE is a better written test with questions that actually seem to be a fair assessment of medical knowledge. I honestly can't say that about the COMLEX and I don't know many people who think the COMLEX is a good test with fair, unambiguous questions. UWorld is a beast to get through but you are in medical school...it is supposed to be hard.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
swimfastlane said:
The USMLE is a better written test with questions that actually seem to be a fair assessment of medical knowledge. I honestly can't say that about the COMLEX and I don't know many people who think the COMLEX is a good test with fair, unambiguous questions. UWorld is a beast to get through but you are in medical school...it is supposed to be hard.
Click to expand...


Yes Med school is suppose to be hard--no question about that. I also agree with you in that the questions on the COMLEX are vague (not all but some of them and with stuff you can't find in any question bank). However, finishing the USMLE is a challenge due to the long thick nature of the stems lol.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
First of all congrats to those of you that passed and keep your head up to those who may have fallen into that 5%! Now for my two cents on this fiasco! I too, like most of you, had a drop in my step 2 score compared to my step 1 and comsae. I know this is causing much panic for most but one thing to consider too is that if there is a uniform drop, like there was, than when PD's get all of our transcripts and notice said trend they will be able to put that together. They will see that thousands of students from this particular testing cycle all seem to have a lower score comparatively to years prior. Now everyone take a breath, your step 1 scores are the door opener so as I have read most of you have done very well there, therefore you will be granted an interview. Then when asked you can explain that NBOME reevaluated step 2 scoring and that they should notice a uniform drop in scores. I know this time is stressful especially after this blow but I think some of you are not looking at the whole picture. Best of luck to all and now we are all that much closer to graduating and becoming doctors!
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
You forgot the part where the people who took the test before June will still have their 600s and 700s while the rest of us who should have gotten 600s are getting 520s and 700s getting 560s.

Look at your score breakdowns. All of my subjects are ONLY in higher performance except two. Obgyn and health care blah blah who gives a **** and they're only very slightly dipping into lower performance while the large majority of the bar is in high performance. This somehow translates to a 499?! Higher performance is the new below average apparently.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
tom10 said:
You forgot the part where the people who took the test before June will still have their 600s and 700s while the rest of us who should have gotten 600s are getting 520s and 700s getting 560s.

Look at your score breakdowns. All of my subjects are ONLY in higher performance except two. Obgyn and health care blah blah who gives a **** and they're only very slightly dipping into lower performance while the large majority of the bar is in high performance. This somehow translates to a 499?! Higher performance is the new below average apparently.
Click to expand...

I have all arrows to the far right except ob/gyn which is between borderline and far right. Still didn't break 600.
Applying for psych so although I hit a home run with usmle step 1 I didn't bother with step2.....mistako!

Oh well, think I crapped the bed with my PE. So off to fret over that now.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Just did some napkin math based on data I found:
Old level 2 score= 1.43*(new score)-207

This is based on a new mean of 500, old mean of 511 (2012-2013 NBOME percentile calculator), new SD of 62 (posted here), and old SD of 89 (NBOME site again)
This seems to correlate well with posts here.

That makes 475 the break even point - all scores lower got better this year, all higher got worse. A 400 (passing score) last year would get a 423 this year.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Thanks, do you know how to calculate the current percentile as well or do you just have to plug it in based off the old calculator?
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Well in the event that future exam takers would like to make some sense out of nonsense here was my journey:

Level 1 Score: 611
Combank Average: 77%
Comquest Average: 84%
COMSAE A (3 months out): 548
COMSAE B (6 weeks out): 672
COMSAE C (1 week out): 585
Actual Level 2 CE: 590 (according the the above calculation is a 637 on the old exam wahoo)

For the dual exam takers, USMLE journey made more sense:

UWorld Average: 76% (82nd percentile)
UWorld Self Assessment (2 months out): 244
NBME CCSSA 4 (6weeks out): 252
NBME CCSSA 6 (two weeks out): 241
Free USMLE (1 week out): 89%

Actual Step 2 CK: 251
 
Last edited:
Upvote 0 Downvote
Thanks everyone for sharing the score and great info, I took a big drop from COMLEX1 670 to COMLEX2 564, though I did not study as much this time because I took the test right after 3rd year rotations, but it's a relief to know it may have something to do with change of scoring this year
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
More amateur hour stuff from the NBOME but I guess that's to be expected. Got a 650 on level one and 259 on step two, expecting a big drop on level two especially since I spent virtually no time studying OMT. As long a I passed don't really care though...


Posted using SDN Mobile
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Dr. Pineal Gland
Score release thread 6/2025
Replies
0
Views
1K
Dr. Pineal Gland
Dr. Pineal Gland
AceMedBoards
  • Question Question
Official 2020 COMLEX Level 2 CE Experiences and Scores Thread
Replies
9
Views
9K
getfat
getfat
H
  • Question Question
Comquest or COMBANK for Level 2?
Replies
0
Views
4K
HappyDoc510
H
Schwifty
  • Question Question
Official 2022 Step 2 CK Experiences With Scores Thread
Replies
47
Views
17K
scorpiondr_intospace
S
M
Step 2 or Level 2 Practice Test - High Quality but cheap - TruCurio
Replies
0
Views
2K
MEDWINNER1
M
Top