Question about when to take USMLEWorld Self Assessment; don't want to "waste" it

[shemarty]

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Question...

I'm supposed to take my test on March 25th. You can reschedule your test date for no additional fee if it's 31 days before the test. Tuesday is T-31 days. I was planning to take one of the USMLEWorld Self Assessments to sorta gauge where I'm at in order to decide whether to push my test earlier, later, or keep it on the same day. I'd like to take it earlier and get a longer vacation before starting 3rd year, but not at the expense of my test.

But... I'm not actually done going through FA once yet, so it seems like a waste to do this self assessment right now. And of course it expires in 2 weeks, so I might benefit more from it if I save it till later. I have, however, finished most of the USMLEWorld q-bank (I've done everything except pulmonary and half of pharm), so I was sorta hoping maybe that might be enough for me to take the self assessment purely to check in on my current status, obviously not as a gauge of what my final score would be.

The school had us take a practice test back in December, so I have my score from that, as a benchmark.

Thoughts? Suggestions? Advice?

Thanks 🙂

 

[MilkmanAl]

I took my first UW exam about 3 weeks before my test, and I'd recommend you do approximately the same. That's far enough along in your study course that you should have at least seen everything again and early enough that you can correct your deficiencies. In other words, it'll give you a score that means something, and you'll still have time to nail down the subjects you're still shaky on. Given your time restrictions and how much material you've gotten through so far, I'd probably take the test a couple days to a week before it's about to expire.

 

[shemarty]

I took my first UW exam about 3 weeks before my test, and I'd recommend you do approximately the same. That's far enough along in your study course that you should have at least seen everything again and early enough that you can correct your deficiencies. In other words, it'll give you a score that means something, and you'll still have time to nail down the subjects you're still shaky on. Given your time restrictions and how much material you've gotten through so far, I'd probably take the test a couple days to a week before it's about to expire.

Yea, you're probably right... it does seem like a waste to take it before I'm even done going through all the material once.

... so what do I do right now in terms of deciding whether I want to keep my March 25th date?

I have absolutely no gauge as to whether I'm ahead of or behind schedule ...

 

[Mr hawkings]

I took my first UW exam about 3 weeks before my test, and I'd recommend you do approximately the same. That's far enough along in your study course that you should have at least seen everything again and early enough that you can correct your deficiencies. In other words, it'll give you a score that means something, and you'll still have time to nail down the subjects you're still shaky on. Given your time restrictions and how much material you've gotten through so far, I'd probably take the test a couple days to a week before it's about to expire.

Is that basic science comprehensive that our school makes us take the same as one of the self assesment tests that the NBME sells?
It feels like its too early to be of any use to me in terms of figuring out what i'm shaky on.

 

[DrDrToBe]

Yea, you're probably right... it does seem like a waste to take it before I'm even done going through all the material once.

... so what do I do right now in terms of deciding whether I want to keep my March 25th date?

I have absolutely no gauge as to whether I'm ahead of or behind schedule ...

I would take an NBME test as a gauge, I think there are 7 available so there would be no harm in doing one at this point.

 

[shemarty]

Alright, I decided to shell out 50 bucks and take one of the NBME tests.

Thanks for the input!

*fingers crossed*

 

[Slade]

I just took the test today, and it was great because it gave me an idea of what USMLE questions are like... much more straightforward than I thought previously.
Plus, I now have confirmation that what everyone is saying around these parts is true: all you really need to know is First Aid. Every single question could be answered with info from First Aid, and not in a roundabout inference way, no, in a it's-written-in-bold-in-the-middle-of-the-page kind of way.
Totally worth it to see where you stand.

 

[shemarty]

.

 

[CoolDoc27]

Which form did u take slade?

 

[Slade]

Which form did u take slade?

I took Form 6 expanded. It felt very balanced, a little bit of everything. 🙂