Official 2021 Step 1 Experiences and Scores Thread

[slowthai]

Goal weight: 250+ lbs
I've been eating a lot everyday so I think I have a chance

On a serious note, we just might be the last ones to take it pre-P/F. Let's rock.

Edit: As of today, we ARE the last ones to take it pre-P/F.

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[DrRiker]

I'm happy with my score, 250-260, but it was a substantial drop from UWSA1/UWSA2 which were 270+. I know that this is n=1, but I'm also a very good test taker (MCAT 520+), so being on the low side of predicted was a surprise.

 

[Tiran145]

Scores 5 points above predicted. Predicted 257 real 262. UWSA1 262 UWSA2 264

 

[Striatum14]

Scored within a point of predicted and uwsa2. Dm if interested in practice scores and actual.

 

[Striatum14]

Does anyone know how step 1 will be weighted relative to prior years for residency apps 2023?

 

[BobbyKoch]

Does anyone know how step 1 will be weighted relative to prior years for residency apps 2023?

Just wanted to say, big fan of your work with the peas!

 

[Schwifty]

Does anyone know how step 1 will be weighted relative to prior years for residency apps 2023?

No one knows for sure, but I feel like programs will start to put more weight on step 2 since some students will have a pass fail step one for the 2023 match

 

[Striatum14]

Just wanted to say, big fan of your work with the peas!

Thank you good sir. I do what I can.

 

[Striatum14]

No one knows for sure, but I feel like programs will start to put more weight on step 2 since some students will have a pass fail step one for the 2023 match

Darn, why did I try so hard on this thing lol

 

[giguerex35]

any tips for 2-3 days before, ive been just watching what i think is high yield BB videos these past few days, did all the NBMEs (most in 230 range, took 29 the other day = 251), almost all of UW (73%), both UWSA1 (251) and UWSA2 (245) , and free 120 (86%) , hoping for 240 at least and 250+ would be ideal, any last minute tips would be appreciated

 

[Melchizedek]

any tips for 2-3 days before, ive been just watching what i think is high yield BB videos these past few days, did all the NBMEs (most in 230 range, took 29 the other day = 251), almost all of UW (73%), both UWSA1 (251) and UWSA2 (245) , and free 120 (86%) , hoping for 240 at least and 250+ would be ideal, any last minute tips would be appreciated

Drill the 100 most tested NBME list.

 

[DrRiker]

Darn, why did I try so hard on this thing lol

I think the pressure is on the class of 2023 to do well on both step 1 and step 2. Unfortunate consequence of having a fraction of our class with p/f step 1

 

[Striatum14]

I think the pressure is on the class of 2023 to do well on both step 1 and step 2. Unfortunate consequence of having a fraction of our class with p/f step 1

Very true. We're in that transition zone.

 

[giguerex35]

slayed the beast today, fair exam, hoping i didnt make too many dumb errors, fun part starts now

 

[calivianya]

Congrats on finishing, everyone, and good luck to anyone who still has to take it! I took it last summer, before the changes, and found the predictors to be spot on. Scored within 2 point of the reddit predictor, and if you averaged my UWSA 1 and 2 together (which were only four points different), that was my score.

My theory with the discrepancies is that the composition of questions on the UWSAs hasn’t changed since the exams changed… and obviously, the NBMEs available haven’t changed either.

from the 2019 step 1 booklet:

From the site now:

So, looking at this, the only thing that went up majorly (as I’m sure all of you know; I’m late to the party) is communication and interpersonal. However, depending on which end of the spectrum you find yourself on in practice tests vs. the real deal, if your practice tests were ~3% communication and your real step 1 ends up being ~9% communication… 6% of all questions is a huge fraction to swing one way or the other, and I think it’s 100% why people’s actual scores are swinging so far from the predicted scores.

So the tl;dr of my useless personal pet theory while procrastinating on working on my ERAS app is that if you want the predictors to be even remotely accurate, not only do you need to hit UWorld questions, but start going to outside sources - any sources - Divine Intervention, other question banks, etc. and do a metric ton of communication/interpersonal/ethics questions. I bet the predictors would be more accurate if you account for this difference.

 

[Chromium Surfer]

Congrats on finishing, everyone, and good luck to anyone who still has to take it! I took it last summer, before the changes, and found the predictors to be spot on. Scored within 2 point of the reddit predictor, and if you averaged my UWSA 1 and 2 together (which were only four points different), that was my score.

My theory with the discrepancies is that the composition of questions on the UWSAs hasn’t changed since the exams changed… and obviously, the NBMEs available haven’t changed either.

from the 2019 step 1 booklet:
View attachment 340455

From the site now:
View attachment 340457

So, looking at this, the only thing that went up majorly (as I’m sure all of you know; I’m late to the party) is communication and interpersonal. However, depending on which end of the spectrum you find yourself on in practice tests vs. the real deal, if your practice tests were ~3% communication and your real step 1 ends up being ~9% communication… 6% of all questions is a huge fraction to swing one way or the other, and I think it’s 100% why people’s actual scores are swinging so far from the predicted scores.

So the tl;dr of my useless personal pet theory while procrastinating on working on my ERAS app is that if you want the predictors to be even remotely accurate, not only do you need to hit UWorld questions, but start going to outside sources - any sources - Divine Intervention, other question banks, etc. and do a metric ton of communication/interpersonal/ethics questions. I bet the predictors would be more accurate if you account for this difference.

I was under the impression that divine was only for Step 2. Does he have step 1 material as well?

 

[calivianya]

I was under the impression that divine was only for Step 2. Does he have step 1 material as well?

He’s got material for step 1, 2, and 3. From what I’m hearing from my friends who’ve taking step 1, his November 2020 changes podcasts were super HY for them, too.

 

[Chromium Surfer]

He’s got material for step 1, 2, and 3. From what I’m hearing from my friends who’ve taking step 1, his November 2020 changes podcasts were super HY for them, too.

Thanks for the tip!

 

[ExplodingUlcers]

I think the pressure is on the class of 2023 to do well on both step 1 and step 2. Unfortunate consequence of having a fraction of our class with p/f step 1

FWIW I've found it way more tolerable having study for step 2/shelf exams. Granted, I've only done about 300 amboss questions so far but getting through these questions that are (mostly) clinically relevant is like a breath of fresh air compared to seeing questions on minutae that I know I'll literally never see again or benefit me in my career.

 

[bae2017]

Congrats on finishing, everyone, and good luck to anyone who still has to take it! I took it last summer, before the changes, and found the predictors to be spot on. Scored within 2 point of the reddit predictor, and if you averaged my UWSA 1 and 2 together (which were only four points different), that was my score.

My theory with the discrepancies is that the composition of questions on the UWSAs hasn’t changed since the exams changed… and obviously, the NBMEs available haven’t changed either.

from the 2019 step 1 booklet:
View attachment 340455

From the site now:
View attachment 340457

So, looking at this, the only thing that went up majorly (as I’m sure all of you know; I’m late to the party) is communication and interpersonal. However, depending on which end of the spectrum you find yourself on in practice tests vs. the real deal, if your practice tests were ~3% communication and your real step 1 ends up being ~9% communication… 6% of all questions is a huge fraction to swing one way or the other, and I think it’s 100% why people’s actual scores are swinging so far from the predicted scores.

So the tl;dr of my useless personal pet theory while procrastinating on working on my ERAS app is that if you want the predictors to be even remotely accurate, not only do you need to hit UWorld questions, but start going to outside sources - any sources - Divine Intervention, other question banks, etc. and do a metric ton of communication/interpersonal/ethics questions. I bet the predictors would be more accurate if you account for this difference.

The new NBMEs released this past summer are supposed to be adjusted for the greater number of communication questions

 

[Schwifty]

NBME 22: 222 (12 weeks out)
NBME 25: 205 (9 weeks out)
UWSA1: 249 (5 weeks out)
NBME 18: 240 (3 weeks out)
Free 120: 81% (2 weeks out)
UWorld QBank: 72% (6 days out)
UWSA2: 247 (5 days out)
NBME 29: 234 (3 days out)
AnKing 80% matured
Reddit predictor had me at a 244 with a 237-250 95% CI

Real deal 250

I'm so happy with this score, I honestly cant believe how well I did especially since I beat both my UWSA 1 and 2. Huge thanks to everyone on here who has helped me along the way!

 

[DrStephenStrange]

US-DO student MS4. I promised myself I would make a post about my struggles with this test if I passed it, so there we go. This is my story.
This is for everyone who are struggling out there.
Took exam on 6/29, but I have been preparing for it since last year while also going through MS3 and shelf exams. I promised myself I would take Step 1 and pass it because I am stubborn, but also because my COMLEX score came out sub 430 when I took it last December.

For reference: I was never the smartest out there, but I never give up. Took MCAT 5 times: 18 (old MCAT), 487, 492, 500, 499. Got into 2 DO schools despite all that, and now I'm determined to make it through.

These are my practice exams in order:

NBME 15 - 157 (7/19/2020)

NBME 13 - 169 (10/19/2020)

NBME 17 - 178 (12/30/2020)

NBME 16 - 192 (12/31/2020)

UWSA 1 - 188 (4/18/2021)

NBME 18 - 187 (4/25/2021)

NBME 24 - 193 (5/6/2021)

NBME 25 - 187 (6/20/2021)

NBME 30 - 202 (6/26/2021) Finally I passed something 2 days from my exam

UWSA 2 - 183 (6/27/2021) Then I failed this test which is supposed to be the most predictive and was devastated, but I had to take the test anyway because my permit was about to expire on 6/30

Free 120 - 73% (6/28/2021) boosted my confidence a bit on the day before the exam

Uworld% - 50% (only 75% completed)

2019 Excel sheet Predictor: 217.73 +/- 17.46

Predict my step score: 217.82 +/- 16.47

Real deal: 204

I fell well within the 95% confidence interval of my predicted score, and most importantly I am so damn proud to have passed this monster of a test, and I'm so happy to be done right on time for me to take Step 2CK and Level 2 and buckle down for residency application this September. For anyone struggling out there preparing for this test, I know how you feel. I've been stressed for well over a year over this freaking test. Trust your preparation, and go out there and give it your all no matter what.

You've got this!!!

 

[giguerex35]

US-DO student MS4. I promise myself I would make a post about my struggles with this test if I passed it, so there we go. This is my story.
This is for everyone who are struggling out there.
Took exam on 6/29, but I have been preparing for it since last year while also going through MS3 and shelf exams. I promise myself I would take Step 1 and pass it because I am stubborn, but also because my COMLEX score came out sub 430 when I took it last December.

For reference: I was never the smartest out there, but I never give up. Took MCAT 5 times: 18 (old MCAT), 487, 492, 500, 499. Got into 2 DO schools despite all that, and now I'm determined to make it through.

These are my practice exams in order:

NBME 15 - 157 (7/19/2020)

NBME 13 - 169 (10/19/2020)

NBME 17 - 178 (12/30/2020)

NBME 16 - 192 (12/31/2020)

UWSA 1 - 188 (4/18/2021)

NBME 18 - 187 (4/25/2021)

NBME 24 - 193 (5/6/2021)

NBME 25 - 187 (6/20/2021)

NBME 30 - 202 (6/26/2021) Finally I passed something 2 days from my exam

UWSA 2 - 183 (6/27/2021) Then I failed this test which is supposed to be the most predictive and was devastated, but I had to take the test anyway because my permit was about to expire on 6/30

Free 120 - 73% (6/28/2021) boosted my confidence a bit on the day before the exam

Uworld% - 50% (only 75% completed)

2019 Excel sheet Predictor: 217.73 +/- 17.46

Predict my step score: 217.82 +/- 16.47

Real deal: 204

I fell well within the 95% confidence interval of my predicted score, and most importantly I am so damn proud to have passed this monster of a test, and I'm so happy to be done right on time for me to take Step 2CK and Level 2 and buckle down for residency application this September. For anyone struggling out there preparing for this test, I know how you feel. I've been stressed for well over a year over this freaking test. Trust your preparation, and go out there and give it your all no matter what.

You've got this!!!

congrats glad to see you on the other side now

 

[DrStephenStrange]

congrats glad to see you on the other side now

Thanks my friend. I was wishing for over 210, but I'm happy with my score anyway. Thankfully, I'm applying to neuro, and seems like even with a score 200-209 only 1 of the 6 DO students didn't match according to the charting outcome. Also, I do better on step 2 stuff, so hopefully I can get a significant increase on that in 2 months.

 

[BobbyKoch]

@DrStephenStrange Congrats man and thank you for sharing your journey. I'm also someone who has struggled with test-taking and I've known for years that STEP/COMLEX would be a big hurdle for me. I think it is so important for the silent majority reading these and other threads to know that there are folks grinding and working their butts off to pass these exams, and that not all of us hit or even target above the median. So, big respect to you for rising above COVID, studying during rotations, and persevering after all you've been through in life to get here.

I also really appreciate the high-score achieving posters and their stories. @Schwifty that is a fantastic score and I'm thrilled to see members of our class killing it--excellent job.

For my own journey, I also took the MCAT multiple times. I had a very non-traditional non-science background and have felt like I've been operating at about 95% effort since the start of medical school just to maintain a slightly-above middle of the class rank. That said, I also have been in the gym 3-4x a week (even during dedicated), maintained my hobbies, and managed to stay happily married. So, I'm very satisfied to be surviving and swimming through this experience rather than sinking.

My resources were two passes of Pathoma (once during systems, once during dedicated), Sketchy micro, pixorize for vitamins/biochem/inborn errors of metabolism. For certain topics and entirely for OMM, Dirty USMLE. Question banks: ~700 USMLE RX questions prededicated. Finished uworld at 60% correct (upward trajectory, terrible scores at the beginning which really tanked the overall average). I used anki during systems but never kept up with it. It works really well but I just became depressed and disinterested with the grind so I gave it up...

NBME 25 @~6 weeks out: 189
UWSA1 @~ 4 weeks out: 216
NBME 29 @ 2 weeks out: 202
UWSA2 @ 1 week out: 211
Free 120 @ 3 days out: 81%

Step 1: 223. Also shooting for neurology or family medicine and hopeful that even this score will open some doors.

 

[DrStephenStrange]

@DrStephenStrange Congrats man and thank you for sharing your journey. I'm also someone who has struggled with test-taking and I've known for years that STEP/COMLEX would be a big hurdle for me. I think it is so important for the silent majority reading these and other threads to know that there are folks grinding and working their butts off to pass these exams, and that not all of us hit or even target above the median. So, big respect to you for rising above COVID, studying during rotations, and persevering after all you've been through in life to get here.

I also really appreciate the high-score achieving posters and their stories. @Schwifty that is a fantastic score and I'm thrilled to see members of our class killing it--excellent job.

For my own journey, I also took the MCAT multiple times. I had a very non-traditional non-science background and have felt like I've been operating at about 95% effort since the start of medical school just to maintain a slightly-above middle of the class rank. That said, I also have been in the gym 3-4x a week (even during dedicated), maintained my hobbies, and managed to stay happily married. So, I'm very satisfied to be surviving and swimming through this experience rather than sinking.

My resources were two passes of Pathoma (once during systems, once during dedicated), Sketchy micro, pixorize for vitamins/biochem/inborn errors of metabolism. For certain topics and entirely for OMM, Dirty USMLE. Question banks: ~700 USMLE RX questions prededicated. Finished uworld at 60% correct (upward trajectory, terrible scores at the beginning which really tanked the overall average). I used anki during systems but never kept up with it. It works really well but I just became depressed and disinterested with the grind so I gave it up...

NBME 25 @~6 weeks out: 189
UWSA1 @~ 4 weeks out: 216
NBME 29 @ 2 weeks out: 202
UWSA2 @ 1 week out: 211
Free 120 @ 3 days out: 81%

Step 1: 223. Also shooting for neurology or family medicine and hopeful that even this score will open some doors.

Thanks my dude. That's an awesome score. Congrats on being done. You'll definitely be more than fine for both Neurology or FM. Keep up the good work for step 2 and Level 2. They will be coming sooner rather than later. We see so many high scorers on reddit and SDN that sometimes we forget about a good chunk of us that are struggling, and that's why I felt like I had to post and give at least some semblance of hope to the underdogs like us. There are plenty of things I wish I had done differently during MS1 and MS2, but at the end of the day what is done is done, and I consider passing step 1 as a big achievement in and of itself.