The 3-digit score..what exactly is it?

[QuantumX]

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Hi everyone. I have a question for you. Does the 3-digit score of the USMLE (say step 1) represent the total number of correct answers in your test out of 350? For example, does a 240 mean 240 correct answers (after eliminating the 10 or so cancelled questions) out of 350, or does this number indicate a different value?

 

[cowboy_x]

no one knows exactly how the 3-digit score is computed, but it is not a tally of correct answers. also, many more than 10 questions are experimental and not counted-more like 30-50 from what i have heard.

cheers

 

[Jaded Soul]

It's a mystery wrapped inside an enigma... Pretty much 182 is required to pass, which is the same as a 75 on the 2-digit scale (but not the same as 75% correct).

As far as I'm concerned, 30-40 experimental questions being thrown out is a myth. It might have been true in the past, but no one's actually read a statement from the NBME saying that it is still true. I don't think there's any reason to believe Kaplan or any outside source without anything being issued by the NBME itself.

 

[volvulus]

Does anyone have the percentiles that go along with the three digit score? There was someone on this forum before who actually calculated the percentiles for all the scores using a z-table. If anyone has it please post.

Thanks

 

[doc05]

216=mean=50th percentile.

sd=22.

so...

238= 84 %ile

260=97.5%ile

likewise,

194=16%ile

172=2.5%ile

passing is @ 182, ~8%ile

find a z-table and you can figure out the rest for yourself