Step 1 study schedule - practice exams

[Picklesali]

Hi there,
So my study time starts on Monday and will last for 5 weeks. I'm trying to work out my study schedule. As for taking practice exams, I have purchased the USMLEworld Qbank and the two self-assessments, so I plan to do both of those. But for the NBME, I was thinking about doing #1 on one day and then BOTH #2 and #3, on the same day, (maybe 7-10 days before exam), to simulate the entire length of the exam, and get a pretty good assessment of my preparedness.

Do you think this is a good strategy??? Or should I do them all separately to see if scores go up/take advantage of feedback of weak areas etc.??

I'm probably going to be posting a few more threads in the next couple days, b/c everyone around me seems to be really hush-hush about their strategy, so I thank you in advance for your help!!

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[Picklesali]

blah!

I also wonder if it's counter-productive to do all of these practice exams. Since I've already purchased the two USMLEWorld self-assessments I'll definitely do them... But is adding anything beyond one NBME practice test overkill???

 

[HopefulDoc1984]

blah!

I also wonder if it's counter-productive to do all of these practice exams. Since I've already purchased the two USMLEWorld self-assessments I'll definitely do them... But is adding anything beyond one NBME practice test overkill???

i think it is a really good idea to take an NBME or at least some sort of practice exam before you start studying so you can see what your baseline is. some people at my school refuse to take one because they are scared of seeing their score, which makes absolutely no sense to me. but i would rather periodically take a practice exam in order to see if my scores are going up which would validate my studying habits. i took NBME1 in january and got 205 before studying, NBME2 in march and got a 223 and i just took NBME5 and got a 234. i plan on taking 2 more before my test in june. i know a couple people that got almost the same score on 2 nbme's so they are changing their study schedule/habits.

 

[Phur]

It comes down to personal preference. I took one every week. People I know took one at the beginning and 1 about a week before their exam (to be able to push back the test date if needed). Some people I know didn't take any at all. Some people freak out over the score and read a little too much into it. I was able to use it as a motivating factor early on. You know your own personality best.

But since you're asking, I would suggest making use of the 2 UWA since you paid for them already. I've heard they are a little less accurate, but you get the answers and explanations. I, personally, suggest taking a mock exam (whether it's NBME or UWA) a week to ten days before. If you are far from your target score, you can push back your test date.