Paid NBME practice tests -- should I even bother?

[IlianaSedai]

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Okay, so

1. I can't change the date of my exam. It's as late as can be.

2. I'm doing well enough in Qbank to pass Step 1 and hopefully do at least average.

3. I'm not sure I want to see a "prediction" of what I'll actually get-- might totally freak me out.

Given that I won't be moving my exam back based on the score (no time), and that I'm not sure I want to see a score, is there much for me to gain in PRACTICE from paying for one or both of these tests? I've heard that they are really more like the real thing than anything else out there, but if there isn't much gain other than to see the score, I think I might be better off without. However, if there's a lot to gain from seeing these questions, then I'd want to take them. What do you think?

 

[tega]

u know....i decided not to pay for it for exactly the same reasons. It will be too late to make any adjustments, and i am not moving my test regardless. Furthermore, like u mentioned, the thought of knowing my score with near certainty, before the real thing is just too freaky....kinda takes away the tension/excitement.??and knowing my self 2 things will happen. I do great on it? , let my guards down??and bomb the real thing. I screw up on it?become a nervous wreck, bomb the real thing. ??And I really didn?t see any reason to give the nbme another 90 bucks?.to get the same information I already paid 400+ for.

 

[rxfudd]

I'm going this route too - why would I want to pay 45-90 bucks to see a score that I'll get in 4 weeks anyway? It's one thing if you can see the answers or even review the test, but to just get a score out of it makes it pretty useless for me. Don't worry about it.

 

[lindyloohoo]

i'm kinda thinkin the same thing you guys are. but i wanted to research them a little more before i definitely said no. do you guys know how they are set up? are they in 50? blocks like the real thing? and how many blocks? I'm actually thinking about taking the test, letting a friend write down the scores, and not letting me see them until after the test. this way i get to see the questions, and not have a "true" representation of how I'm doing. but in order for this to work, i need to know if you see how many you got right after each block (if it is blocks) so i know when not to look. elaborate, i know, but i love doing questions and i hate reading (having to read FA so much is killing me)

 

[dermatome S5]

I understand the notion that taking these tests just for a score prediction is a waste of time right before your test if you are still hard core studying---I planned on not taking them for this reason. But I went ahead and took both of them untimed and tried to learn from them. I would read the question and answer it and if I wasnt sure about my answer I would look it up. I never changed my answers so I still got an accurate score report and I actually learned a few things.

Anyway, I think they were definitely worth it if you are sick to death of reading like I am. Good luck!

 

[bigfrank]

I hope it's an excellent predictor, but I think those exams are exactly the types of questions you'll see on the real exam. Yes, every more realistic than QBank -- specifically, I got 2-3 REPEAT questions. Hell, that's 1% of the exam, right?

 

[Stinger86]

I agree. The same people write the USMLE and NBME assessment questions, so it can be beneficial to not only get used to the styles of questions asked, but also to see a few questions that might be repeated on your exam. I had about 2 identical repeat questions from the NBME assessments, and another 2 that had identical stems to assessment questions, but asked a different question. Not a whole lot, but kinda nice. In any case, the real value of the assessment exams is to give you an idea of your weaknesses as well as show you the kind of questions you could be asked from each basic science subject.

 

[lindyloohoo]

ok, i broke down and got the first test, and i like these questions A LOT better than q-bank. I've only done the first block, but I feel better. I did the 4 hr timer, took it in 1 hr, then spent 2 reviewing. They are different from q-bank. They make you think a bit, not just regurg the 3 different things that FA lists about a disease.

 

[Legion560]

Okay, so

1. I can't change the date of my exam. It's as late as can be.

2. I'm doing well enough in Qbank to pass Step 1 and hopefully do at least average.

3. I'm not sure I want to see a "prediction" of what I'll actually get-- might totally freak me out.

Given that I won't be moving my exam back based on the score (no time), and that I'm not sure I want to see a score, is there much for me to gain in PRACTICE from paying for one or both of these tests? I've heard that they are really more like the real thing than anything else out there, but if there isn't much gain other than to see the score, I think I might be better off without. However, if there's a lot to gain from seeing these questions, then I'd want to take them. What do you think?

I was thinking exactly what you were thinking, but seeing that I am F'ed anyways, there isnt anything else that could make me feel possibly worse about this thing. So, Im going to take them, learn from them and not have any regrets later. At the end of the day, you can at least be comfortable is saying that you did damn near everything humanly possible in 5 weeks.

6 days and counting....

Legion.

 

[AlexRusso]

Yea I was having doubts about taking these being that my exam is in 7 days. I was scared that if I got a low score here I'd freak out and I can't move my date at this point. But seeing people that took the exam say they were helpful in terms of seeing repeat questions I decided to take it. If I get a low score I'll just have to try to not let it get to me and try harder on the real thing (I hope)

 

[DRealDrZ]

If you do the "untimed version" you still get a score and not just the assessment, is that right? I think I'm going to do one before next Saturday to keep me in the testing mode (I just took COMLEX, so I'm used to it ). I was going to do what was previously posted, though, and answer the question and look things up (without changing my answer) so that I get a more accurate grade.

 

[lindyloohoo]

ok, i finished the first test. so glad i did it because my q-bank scores were getting me down. i really hope the test is like this. anyways, in looking at my score report, two of those areas graded don't have blue bars associated with them (GI and micro/immuno). What does this mean? (They do have the asterisk though)

by the way, if anyone knows how to improve your hem/lymph/retic knowledge, lemme know 🙂