Prometric timing breakdown?

[jumponit]

Hey everyone,

it's been great reading some of the tips on this message board.

I've got Step 1 in about a week and a half and wanted some insight and tips on how to space out my breaks during the exam. (like taking two blocks immediately after each other)

I know different people will have different schedules, but I just wanted to see what worked and didn't work for you guys, and any pros/cons would be helpful as well.

thanks in advance,
sam

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[Anath]

I for one am told I have an overly tiny and overactive bladder. I'm sure my friends exaggerate, but as there is a smidgeon of truth to it, I forced myself to go to the bathroom after every two blocks, even if I didnt have to actually go. I remember for step 1, I did not do that and I figured I could go another whole block, but instead, I was partway through a 3rd block when I had to GO (think "gotta go, gotta go, gotta go go GO!), so I seriously rushed through that block and barely even read the questions. Never again. (anxiety and nervousness didnt help either)

Then again, I'm a girl who pre-emptively always tends to go to the bathroom "just in case", which is why I think I get teased by my friends about it so much. I dont really have to go that often. Honest ...

 

[funkless]

Hey everyone,

it's been great reading some of the tips on this message board.

I've got Step 1 in about a week and a half and wanted some insight and tips on how to space out my breaks during the exam. (like taking two blocks immediately after each other)

I know different people will have different schedules, but I just wanted to see what worked and didn't work for you guys, and any pros/cons would be helpful as well.

thanks in advance,
sam

Well, my perspective might be a little skewed. I finished the exam about...oh...thirty minutes ago. I'm starting on my third Corona, too, so if I start to misspell things, that's why.

I skipped the 15 min. tutorial. I took a short (as in 4-5 min) break after every block. Skipped the hour long lunch period by inhaling half-a-sandwich in ~30sec. Finished with an hour to spare. I wouldn't have done it any other way, since by the end of that block, I really just wanted to be gone.

Good luck

 

[jumponit]

Well, my perspective might be a little skewed. I finished the exam about...oh...thirty minutes ago. I'm starting on my third Corona, too, so if I start to misspell things, that's why.

I skipped the 15 min. tutorial. I took a short (as in 4-5 min) break after every block. Skipped the hour long lunch period by inhaling half-a-sandwich in ~30sec. Finished with an hour to spare. I wouldn't have done it any other way, since by the end of that block, I really just wanted to be gone.

Good luck

Congrats on being done funkless!
Maybe I misunderstood the timing for Step 1, I thought we only get 1 hour TOTAL break time (assuming we skip the tutorial), is that correct? Or do we also get a lunch break in addition to that?

thanks

 

[funkless]

At our location, (and I believe this applies to all, but don't hold me to it, since I'm now on my 6th Corona (with lime),) we were given 10 minutes after each block PLUS one hour for lunch.

 

[Kashue]

At our location, (and I believe this applies to all, but don't hold me to it, since I'm now on my 6th Corona (with lime),) we were given 10 minutes after each block PLUS one hour for lunch.

Yo funk congrats bro.

Mind posting how the exam went?

Kash

 

[THP]

You get 1hr and 15 min total. The 15min is supposed to be used for the tutorial but it can easily be skipped. I took about a 2-3 min break after each block and stepped outside. I also took about a 30min lunch. I had plenty of time.

After talking to many of my classmates, how well they think they did really depended on the exam. Some people seemed to get exams that fit them really well, while others had no idea what was going on.

 

[Anath]

At our location, (and I believe this applies to all, but don't hold me to it, since I'm now on my 6th Corona (with lime),) we were given 10 minutes after each block PLUS one hour for lunch.

DUDE!!!!! Where'd you take your test! Remind me to go there if I ever so have to take another darned USMLE!! Ah! Wait, I do have step 3 I have to take, so please tell me where. I woulda loved those potty/stretch breaks.

Most places do NOT have scheduled breaks between each block.You have your hour (or 75 minutes if tutorial is skipped) and you have to divy up your time as you see fit.

You arent thinking of the MCAT are you? Seems like aeons ago, but I think we had scheduled breaks.

 

[funkless]

DUDE!!!!! Where'd you take your test! Remind me to go there if I ever so have to take another darned USMLE!! Ah! Wait, I do have step 3 I have to take, so please tell me where. I woulda loved those potty/stretch breaks.

Most places do NOT have scheduled breaks between each block.You have your hour (or 75 minutes if tutorial is skipped) and you have to divy up your time as you see fit.

You arent thinking of the MCAT are you? Seems like aeons ago, but I think we had scheduled breaks.

The whole day was a blur, (not much better now with all the acetaldehyde fogging my brain,) and I may be wrong about how the breaks were. They definitely weren't scheduled--I was the only one who was stopping after every block. All I know is that I took a 4-5 minute break after every block and still had 50-60 minutes of break time left over at the end of the day (skipping the tutorial).

Thanks for all the good vibes, guys. I'll post my dos pesos under the "Step One Experiences" thread when I get my score results back.

Peace

 

[kokonut]

My hunch is that you finished some of the blocks early, and that added to your break time. I think the way the breaks are done is standardized, it would probably be a "testing irregularity" or whatever NBME calls it if some center gave you 2 hours of break time total. It's actually 45 minutes, + 15 minutes for the tutorial, so 1 hour total. I didn't finish any of my blocks early, so I took about 5 minutes after block 1, 10 minutes after block 2 (when I ate a banana), 5 minutes after block 3, 25 minutes for lunch between blocks 4-5, then another 5 and 10 btwn blocks 5-6 and 6-7. (I ate a granola bar in one of those later breaks too). I thought it worked out pretty well. And I agree with Anath, if you ever think you might need to go to the bathroom, just go! Better to go than to be thinking about it during the next block.

The whole day was a blur, (not much better now with all the acetaldehyde fogging my brain,) and I may be wrong about how the breaks were. They definitely weren't scheduled--I was the only one who was stopping after every block. All I know is that I took a 4-5 minute break after every block and still had 50-60 minutes of break time left over at the end of the day (skipping the tutorial).

Thanks for all the good vibes, guys. I'll post my dos pesos under the "Step One Experiences" thread when I get my score results back.

Peace

 

[jumponit]

My hunch is that you finished some of the blocks early, and that added to your break time. I think the way the breaks are done is standardized, it would probably be a "testing irregularity" or whatever NBME calls it if some center gave you 2 hours of break time total. It's actually 45 minutes, + 15 minutes for the tutorial, so 1 hour total. I didn't finish any of my blocks early, so I took about 5 minutes after block 1, 10 minutes after block 2 (when I ate a banana), 5 minutes after block 3, 25 minutes for lunch between blocks 4-5, then another 5 and 10 btwn blocks 5-6 and 6-7. (I ate a granola bar in one of those later breaks too). I thought it worked out pretty well. And I agree with Anath, if you ever think you might need to go to the bathroom, just go! Better to go than to be thinking about it during the next block.

thanks kokonut,
that's exactly what I was looking for!
did anyone else use their break time differently? was it better or worse?
thanks

 

[(nicedream)]

I took a break after each block to go do a line. I highly recommend this, as it gets you pumped for the next block and you won't get that usual 3rd block lull.

 

[jumponit]

Last bit of clarification: what's better?

Do 2 blocks, break, 2 blocks, break, last 3 blocks however you feel
-OR-
5-10 minute break between each block?

Pros/cons on both would be really helpful, thanks!

 

[Bones2008]

wait, so to people who have taken the test:

does finishing a section early add the remaining time to your break time?

 

[jumponit]

wait, so to people who have taken the test:

does finishing a section early add the remaining time to your break time?

From what I've heard from our school, any extra time you end with on any block IS added to your break time. You may want to check with your school/Prometric though.

anyone?
Do 2 blocks, break, 2 blocks, break, last 3 blocks however
-OR-
5-10 minute break between each block?

 

[CanIMakeIt]

From what I've heard from our school, any extra time you end with on any block IS added to your break time. You may want to check with your school/Prometric though.

anyone?
Do 2 blocks, break, 2 blocks, break, last 3 blocks however
-OR-
5-10 minute break between each block?

I am not taking the exam until next year but it seems that 5-10 min break after each block might be a little better to give you time to relax and collect your thoughts intead of going thru' that material for 2 hrs straight...

Just my $0.02

 

[kokonut]

I think you just have to do what works for you. A friend of mine was so pumped up that he did the first four sections straight without taking a break. Well, at least without getting up out of his chair, he said he took a couple minutes just to sit there between each block.

Honestly, getting up and signing out and then signing back in and showing your ID is a little bit of a pain. I felt like doing that between every block might be excessive, so I didn't do that for my shorter breaks. Only when I wanted to use the bathroom or get something to eat (you should eat something every 2 blocks at least, I think). So to clarify, I did 2 blocks, break to eat, 2 blocks, break to eat, 2 blocks, break to eat, then 1 block. Between each set of 2 blocks, I would take a few minutes just to sit in my chair or stand and stretch and let my mind relax a little bit.

However, another friend of mine, also signed out between every block. This friend did not take a lunch break ... I don't think she had time, but she didn't really plan to eat a full lunch. She took like a 10 minute break and ate something quickly between every block.

so again, you just gotta figure out what works for you ... I don't think there's a magical formula, except that you should probably use most of your breaktime, to give your brain a rest =)

Finishing a block early does add to your breaktime. I finished one block early (by 5 minutes), and saw this happen. You don't have a "break-time clock", you just have one timer counting down from 8 hours, and one timer counting down the hour for your block. So the timer counting down from 8 hours never changes ... that's your total time for the whole test. You just can't use more than an hour for any given block.