Official 2016 Step 1 Experiences and Scores Thread

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Can someone comment on UWSA1 and UWSA2? I have heard very mixed opinions about them, especially when it comes to prediction. Are the questions any good and worth doing them? Which one is better?
 
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christmasindr said:
Can someone comment on UWSA1 and UWSA2? I have heard very mixed opinions about them, especially when it comes to prediction. Are the questions any good and worth doing them? Which one is better?
Click to expand...

They just redid the grading scale for their tests so apparently they are better in that aspect now than before.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile app
 
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tvelocity514 said:
They just redid the grading scale for their tests so apparently they are better in that aspect now than before.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile app
Click to expand...

Interesting. Thanks. Does anyone know if the questions in UWSA1 or UWSA2 similar in style and content as the real deal? I am debating whether I should take more NBMEs or take 1-2 UWSA instead.
 
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Little Orphan annie said:
What's the time interval between Uworld, Rx and your last NBME?
Click to expand...

I finished my 1st pass of UWorld 1-2 days before taking NBME 16, then completed my incorrects within the following four days. I continued USMLERx throughout my study period and only finished ~75%. I ramped up my question taking (100-200 questions/day) in the last week of studying. Hope that helps!
 
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Quick question for you folks!

I'm 2 months from my exam (June 4th) and I just did UWSA1 and it's projecting 253. I will be taking some NBMEs as well as another UWSA to confirm if that's around what my average is. Assuming it's accurate, I have been considering pushing up my exam (maybe before even school ends in May) so that I don't risk "peaking" and forgetting things. Thoughts?

My classmates are saying I should just keep going at a constant pace so I can score higher (260+) but I am hesitant. For the record, I am done with UW and I'm working on a second pass right now.

Thanks for your attention!
 
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recycledpaper said:
Quick question for you folks!

I'm 2 months from my exam (June 4th) and I just did UWSA1 and it's projecting 253. I will be taking some NBMEs as well as another UWSA to confirm if that's around what my average is. Assuming it's accurate, I have been considering pushing up my exam (maybe before even school ends in May) so that I don't risk "peaking" and forgetting things. Thoughts?

My classmates are saying I should just keep going at a constant pace so I can score higher (260+) but I am hesitant. For the record, I am done with UW and I'm working on a second pass right now.

Thanks for your attention!
Click to expand...
I would take nbme 17 and 18 and if your average is still 250+ then I would push it up. It's really up to you but I would suggest it if that's happening and you would be happy with a 250+ (which closes 0 doors).


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Little Orphan annie said:
Hello guys, Im in need of some suggestions on what to do during the following 4 weeks before my test.
IM already done with Uworld, Rx, and Kaplan Qbanks
Uworld 69%
Rx 78%
My score progression
NBME13 198
NBME15 232
NBME 16 230
NBME 17 239
NBME 18 237

I really want to get >240 but according to my NBMEs it probably wont happen
Also, what about DIT videos and Becker qbank? Any of you have experience with these resources?
Click to expand...
I think you should try to do full day test simulations, just so you have a better idea about how to plan your breaks and how exhausting it actually is. I did this twice the week before my test and when everything was over, I felt I had enough energy to do a couple more blocks.

I also did DIT on the last month and found it very helpful when it comes to solidifying FA details. Not the greatest resource, but I'd rate it as good overall.
 
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Ina2990 said:
I think you should try to do full day test simulations, just so you have a better idea about how to plan your breaks and how exhausting it actually is. I did this twice the week before my test and when everything was over, I felt I had enough energy to do a couple more blocks.

I also did DIT on the last month and found it very helpful when it comes to solidifying FA details. Not the greatest resource, but I'd rate it as good overall.
Click to expand...
Thank you so much!
I'll do all of that.
 
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How long did you take to finish each qbank? I'm having a feeling you rushed through them and couldn't squeeze out all the knowledge from them, specially UWorld. Otherwise, after having done all 3 of them I'd expect the NBMEs to be in the range of 250s.
In my opinion, atleast UWorld should be done over a 3-4 months period to absorb all the info it provides. You could try going through it a second time. Also during the last month try to focus on your weak areas predicted by NBMEs. If you push hard enough, I believe you can easily break 240 (maybe even 250 if luck is on your side).
 
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Little Orphan annie said:
Hello guys, Im in need of some suggestions on what to do during the following 4 weeks before my test.
IM already done with Uworld, Rx, and Kaplan Qbanks
Uworld 69%
Rx 78%
My score progression
NBME13 198
NBME15 232
NBME 16 230
NBME 17 239
NBME 18 237

I really want to get >240 but according to my NBMEs it probably wont happen
Also, what about DIT videos and Becker qbank? Any of you have experience with these resources?
Click to expand...

How long did you take to finish each qbank? I'm having a feeling you rushed through them and couldn't squeeze out all the knowledge from them, specially UWorld. Otherwise, after having done all 3 of them I'd expect the NBMEs to be in the range of 250s.
In my opinion, atleast UWorld should be done over a 3-4 months period to absorb all the info it provides. You could try going through it a second time. Also during the last month try to focus on your weak areas predicted by NBMEs. If you push hard enough, I believe you can easily break 240 (maybe even 250 if luck is on your side).
 
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Reperfused said:
How long did you take to finish each qbank? I'm having a feeling you rushed through them and couldn't squeeze out all the knowledge from them, specially UWorld. Otherwise, after having done all 3 of them I'd expect the NBMEs to be in the range of 250s.
In my opinion, atleast UWorld should be done over a 3-4 months period to absorb all the info it provides. You could try going through it a second time. Also during the last month try to focus on your weak areas predicted by NBMEs. If you push hard enough, I believe you can easily break 240 (maybe even 250 if luck is on your side).
Click to expand...

I finished Uworld in 2.5 months and then went over my incorrect questions.
I did Kaplan and Rx in a month each.
I've failed to take the NBMEs well rested . I've made so many stupid mistakes.
I'll schedule my test for april 28th and I'll watch DIT and do Kaplan simulation tests.
 
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drimo786 said:
curious what it actually means.. @Tri723 . I think my score should come out next Wed?
Click to expand...
Yeah, i think you are due for next wednesday, given the recent pattern
I was thinking it means you passed because once you pass the USMLE, you can't take the exam again, and thus you can't under any circumstances have an active testing permit
 
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Tri723 said:
Yeah, i think you are due for next wednesday, given the recent pattern
I was thinking it means you passed because once you pass the USMLE, you can't take the exam again, and thus you can't under any circumstances have an active testing permit
Click to expand...

I wish it meant that but there are people who failed who had their link disappear so alas it just means the scores are coming
 
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I took NBME 12 this morning and got a 269. I'm still about 10 weeks away from my test date, and was planning on 5 weeks of dedicated during May. How can I be sure that this isn't a fluke score? I've been doing well in my classes, but that score just feels way too high to be real.

If it is real, I'm probably going to move my exam up. Is 3.5 weeks of dedicated enough? I've been using uworld, pathoma, FA, and Rx.
 
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dirty630 said:
I took NBME 12 this morning and got a 269. I'm still about 10 weeks away from my test date, and was planning on 5 weeks of dedicated during May. How can I be sure that this isn't a fluke score? I've been doing well in my classes, but that score just feels way too high to be real.

If it is real, I'm probably going to move my exam up. Is 3.5 weeks of dedicated enough? I've been using uworld, pathoma, FA, and Rx.
Click to expand...
Haven't taken Step 1 yet, but those who have said the newer NBMEs (16, 17, 18) are more similar to the actual test than the older ones, so maybe try one of those to see if you get a similar score to 12. Good luck!
 
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Dear SDN,

I love you all. This place gave me the tools to really tap into my potential and not settle for anything less. Today I received my score back. NBME reported an AVERAGE of 230 with a SD of 20 overall.
The single most important thing I could do to prepare for the exam was to do well during the pre-clinical period. P=MD is not the mantra to follow if you want to excel on the exam ( I can speak at least for US MD students). I learned this concept from SDN, and it did not prove me wrong. Over the course of the pre-clinical time period, I read FA/pathoma/goljian multiple times in conjunction with my class materials.


The NBMEs seem to predict well, but do not seem to be indicative of the level of difficulty you may (or may not) see on the exam. Doing well in class helped me have a really wide net of knowledge beyond the dedicated period materials. Thank you everyone on the site for helping me find my dreams.
Special thanks to those who supported me specifically during the time and/or gave valuable advice that I used.
@plasmodium @drimo786 @BamaNicole @Transposony @walakin25 @Phloston @tvelocity514 @tasar1898
 
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Tri723 said:
Dear SDN,

I love you all. This place gave me to tools to really tap into my potential and not settle for anything less. Today I received my score back. NBME reported an AVERAGE of 230 with a SD of 20 overall.

My score: mid-260s!
Click to expand...
Yay!! Congrats!! Knew you would kill it!


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile app
 
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Tri723 said:
Dear SDN,

I love you all. This place gave me to tools to really tap into my potential and not settle for anything less. Today I received my score back. NBME reported an AVERAGE of 230 with a SD of 20 overall.

My score: mid-260s!

The single most important thing I could do to prepare for the exam was to do well during the pre-clinical period. P=MD is not the mantra to follow if you want to excel on the exam ( I can speak at least for US MD students). I learned this concept from SDN, and it did not prove me wrong. Over the course of the pre-clinical time period, I read FA/pathoma/goljian multiple times in conjunction with my class materials.

During dedicated, I read FA 3x, Pathoma 2x, and did practice tests approximately 1 per week in the approximate order listed below (with the results to the best of my memory). I also supplemented with wikipedia, SDN, and my class materials. I did Rx 1x, Uworld 1.33x, and a third of kaplan:
UWsa1 - 247
NBME 15 - 251
NBME CBSE - 258
UWsa2 - 250
NBME 16 - 260
NBME 17 - 262
1/2 of free 132 - about 93% or so

The NBMEs seem to predict well, but do not seem to be indicative of the level of difficulty you may (or may not) see on the exam. Doing well in class helped me have a really wide net of knowledge beyond the dedicated period materials. Thank you everyone on the site for helping me find my dreams.
Special thanks to those who supported me specifically during the time.
@plasmodium @drimo786 @BamaNicole @Transposony @walakin25 @Phloston @tvelocity514
Click to expand...

Congratulations buddy! Knew you would do well. Seems like your superir looks got you across the 260 barrier. Watch yo back though, im gonna be victorious in CK 😉
 
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walakin25 said:
Congratulations buddy! Knew you would do well. Seems like your superir looks got you across the 260 barrier. Watch yo back though, im gonna be victorious in CK 😉
Click to expand...
WHOA whoah its on!
haha
honestly i thought the exam was pretty tricky and i still keep reading the score report over and over cause I can't believe i comfortably beat 260
Wait, did I mention I am actually upset cause I didn't get my target of 300? 😀 😛
 
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Tri723 said:
Dear SDN,

I love you all. This place gave me the tools to really tap into my potential and not settle for anything less. Today I received my score back. NBME reported an AVERAGE of 230 with a SD of 20 overall.

My score: mid-260s!

The single most important thing I could do to prepare for the exam was to do well during the pre-clinical period. P=MD is not the mantra to follow if you want to excel on the exam ( I can speak at least for US MD students). I learned this concept from SDN, and it did not prove me wrong. Over the course of the pre-clinical time period, I read FA/pathoma/goljian multiple times in conjunction with my class materials.

During dedicated, I read FA 3x, Pathoma 2x, and did practice tests approximately 1 per week in the approximate order listed below (with the results to the best of my memory). I also supplemented with wikipedia, SDN, and my class materials. I did Rx 1x, Uworld 1.33x, and a third of kaplan:
UWsa1 - 247
NBME 15 - 251
NBME CBSE - 258
UWsa2 - 250
NBME 16 - 260
NBME 17 - 262
1/2 of free 132 - about 93% or so

The NBMEs seem to predict well, but do not seem to be indicative of the level of difficulty you may (or may not) see on the exam. Doing well in class helped me have a really wide net of knowledge beyond the dedicated period materials. Thank you everyone on the site for helping me find my dreams.
Special thanks to those who supported me specifically during the time and/or gave valuable advice that I used.
@plasmodium @drimo786 @BamaNicole @Transposony @walakin25 @Phloston @tvelocity514 @tasar1898
Click to expand...
Congratulations buddy 🙂
 
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I scored 232 in nmbe 18 3 weeks ago. then scored 257 in UWSA 2 couple of days ago!

is this kind of difference normal?

my exam is next week! :scared:
 
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I have the 3-month UWorld subscription, so I don't have the option to reset the Qbank at the end of my first pass. I was wondering how can I do a second pass? I realize there's a "custom" option, where I could enter the test numbers and retrieve the qs. Is this the only way, or is there another more efficient way of doing another pass of the Qbank?
 
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Ibn Alnafis MD said:
I have the 3-month UWorld subscription, so I don't have the option to reset the Qbank at the end of my first pass. I was wondering how can I do a second pass? I realize there's a "custom" option, where I could enter the test numbers and retrieve the qs. Is this the only way, or is there another more efficient way of doing another pass of the Qbank?
Click to expand...
I think if you mark every question you can redo your marked ones and not mark any the second time around to ensure you're only seeing "unused" ones.
 
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I got an email that says Im not allowed to bring food into the testing center building. How did you guys eat?
 
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Carbocation1 said:
Does anyone recommend Becker q bank at the end of dedicated after completing UW?
Click to expand...

Read the zillion experiences on this thread buddy. Nobody has really ventured into Becker, let alone recommended it. You have true and trusted methods written all over this forum.
 
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I found it helpful to browse these forums so here's my experience for you guys:

Step 1 Score-259
NBME baseline 6.5 weeks out: 226
NBME 3.5 weeks out: 256
NBME 2 weeks out: 262
NBME 3 days out: 260
Uworld 1st pass Avg: 80% Correct at 80% completed
Uworld 2nd pass Avg: 89% Correct at 100% completed
Rx Avg: Low 70s but only completed 40%

Background: Avg US MD school with a 1.5 year preclinical curriculum

Study Plan/schedule:
Before Dedicated- Took 10 days off after classes. Took baseline NBME and spent 1 week studying only topics I was weak in according to the NBME. This helps explain my score jump during the next practice test.

Dedicated Study- 5.5 weeks. Studying consecutively by subject (i.e. 3 days GI then 3 days Endo, etc..), with 1 day for miscellaneous small topics like Biostats, biochem, anatomy, 1 day for catch up, and 1 day off. I ended up studying for roughly half a day on the day off though.

Read/watched videos in the morning and early afternoon. Did 2 block u world the rest of the day (1 random and 1 on the subject I was studying that day).

Dedicated study Resources: Uworld, FA, Pathoma, Goljan Audio.Also used kaplan vids and KLN for some subjects, this was time consuming but managed to swing it somehow. I surprisingly didn't use goljan RR during dedicated, although I swore by it during classes, i just didn't have time for it. I never really did a full pass through FA either(I know some of your jaws just dropped). With the other resources I used, I covered the material in FA several times from different angles. For most subjects, I was able to read through the entire FA chapter but for others, I just didn't have time. A solid knowledge base will supersede several superficial passes through FA. I finished my studying and Uworld with 2 days to spare, which I used to review things I still felt weak in.

The test: The day before I worked out and also studied a bit. Many people recommend against studying the day before, which is understandable, but I think it's ok as long as you don't kill yourself. The test was harder than NBMEs and maybe a bit easier than Uworld. The difficulty stems from 2 reasons: something you have never seen before and 2 answer choices that both seem correct. I'd say a felt a tiny bit crappy after the test, but by no means thought I bombed it. It was just a bit on the tough side.

Overall Tips: Stop wasting time on SDN, work extremely hard in your classes, stick to the universally well-acknowledged resources (UFAP+goljan with some Kaplan BRS etc.. thrown in). There's no single formula to do well on this test, different people use different strategies and still end up killing it.
 
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BaloonMan263 said:
The Step 1 group on facebook shared some IMG's experience.. 264.. i thought it might be worth sharing here and letting people know.. Solid work some of em IMGs are doing..
I hope it's ok to share this here.. i just found it useful

Click to expand...


I was following this page for a while now.. I wonder why all the older experiences are not there anymore.. there used to be quite a few.. anyways.. the new one is good.. Kaplan = Craplan lolz.. :-D
 
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bilateral orchiectomy said:
I found it helpful to browse these forums so here's my experience for you guys:

Step 1 Score-259
NBME baseline 6.5 weeks out: 226
NBME 3.5 weeks out: 256
NBME 2 weeks out: 262
NBME 3 days out: 260
Uworld 1st pass Avg: 80% Correct at 80% completed
Uworld 2nd pass Avg: 89% Correct at 100% completed
Rx Avg: Low 70s but only completed 40%

Background: Avg US MD school with a 1.5 year preclinical curriculum

Study Plan/schedule:
Before Dedicated- Took 10 days off after classes. Took baseline NBME and spent 1 week studying only topics I was weak in according to the NBME. This helps explain my score jump during the next practice test.

Dedicated Study- 5.5 weeks. Studying consecutively by subject (i.e. 3 days GI then 3 days Endo, etc..), with 1 day for miscellaneous small topics like Biostats, biochem, anatomy, 1 day for catch up, and 1 day off. I ended up studying for roughly half a day on the day off though.

Read/watched videos in the morning and early afternoon. Did 2 block u world the rest of the day (1 random and 1 on the subject I was studying that day).

Dedicated study Resources: Uworld, FA, Pathoma, Goljan Audio.Also used kaplan vids and KLN for some subjects, this was time consuming but managed to swing it somehow. I surprisingly didn't use goljan RR during dedicated, although I swore by it during classes, i just didn't have time for it. I never really did a full pass through FA either(I know some of your jaws just dropped). With the other resources I used, I covered the material in FA several times from different angles. For most subjects, I was able to read through the entire FA chapter but for others, I just didn't have time. A solid knowledge base will supersede several superficial passes through FA. I finished my studying and Uworld with 2 days to spare, which I used to review things I still felt weak in.

The test: The day before I worked out and also studied a bit. Many people recommend against studying the day before, which is understandable, but I think it's ok as long as you don't kill yourself. The test was harder than NBMEs and maybe a bit easier than Uworld. The difficulty stems from 2 reasons: something you have never seen before and 2 answer choices that both seem correct. I'd say a felt a tiny bit crappy after the test, but by no means thought I bombed it. It was just a bit on the tough side.

Overall Tips: Stop wasting time on SDN, work extremely hard in your classes, stick to the universally well-acknowledged resources (UFAP+goljan with some Kaplan BRS etc.. thrown in). There's no single formula to do well on this test, different people use different strategies and still end up killing it.
Click to expand...

Nice...thanks.. which were the nbmes ? mind sharing numbers ? coz I gave nbme 18 and got an un-fing-believable score of in excess of 270.. I am not sure how accurate which nbme is... and putting down numbers for the ones u gave would really help.. like nbme 17 16 or whichever u r referring to. Thanks and great job mate ! Party !!!!!!
 
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Carbocation1 said:
Does anyone recommend Becker q bank at the end of dedicated after completing UW?
Click to expand...
I would advise against it.. There are too many errors..

I gave my exam and scored in excess of 260.. I would advise you to do UW, NBME, Kaplan..
NBME is in itself a Question bank.. it has 2800 questions.. high quality 2800 questions..
14 NBMEs x 200 questions each = 2800

You are highly likely to be asked something from there as NBME is the same organization that makes USMLE.. do all the retired ones too..
 
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Hi guys I am new here. All you guys are awesome. Really helpful. Best wishes to all.
@Focused1 Retired NBME=Offline NBME??
If yes then how can we gauge that the given answer key is right?? I mean mostly people are saying that donn't do offline NBME they don't have answers. Please guide us in this regard. Thanks.
 
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TheAberrantGene said:
Nice...thanks.. which were the nbmes ? mind sharing numbers ? coz I gave nbme 18 and got an un-fing-believable score of in excess of 270.. I am not sure how accurate which nbme is... and putting down numbers for the ones u gave would really help.. like nbme 17 16 or whichever u r referring to. Thanks and great job mate ! Party !!!!!!
Click to expand...

13,15,16,17 in that order. I think they're all accurate, just look at how close my actual score was to the last 3. People including myself spend too much time focusing on which NBME is more or less representative of the real test. Just keep on working hard.
 
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man. how do you guys deal with making stupid mistakes on mock exams (and make sure you don't make those mistakes on the real deal)?? ....it's so frustrating and discouraging. there are SO many questions that I got wrong after narrowing it down to 2 answer choices and picking the wrong one/ or switching from the right answer to the wrong answer....literally the difference would've been from the 230s to high 240s/low 250s
 
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For those that have already done UWORLD, did you notice your percentage increase the longer you did it? I saved UWORLD till now, and am doing 2 blocks a day during my 5 wk dedicated time. I've only done 3 days so far, and I get around 55-61% each time. Thanks
 
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