The NBME's... When to take? And which ones?

[auburnO5]

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I'm guessing these are practice tests? I'm little more than a month out, which ones and when should I take them?

Thanks!!!

 

[Phloston]

I'm guessing these are practice tests? I'm little more than a month out, which ones and when should I take them?

Thanks!!!

A student who did exceptionally on Step-1, who went to our school some time ago, did the NBMEs as follows:

NBME 1: (9 months out)
NBME 2: (2 months out)
NBME 6: (25 days out)
UW 1: (15 days out)
NBME 3: (8 days out)
NBME 4: (6 days out)
UW 2: (4 days out)
NBME 5: (2 days out)
USMLE CD: (1 day out)

I also believe he said NBME6 was most like the real exam and that NBME3 was the hardest (lots of molecular stuff). The UWs listed are the UWorld self-assessment exams.

On the other hand, I've searched for the NBME exams and could only find formalized testing centres offering them. It was to my understanding that these were practice tests that could be done at home.

Where do you find them?

Thanks,

 

[auburnO5]

Bump

 

[secants]

I was also confused on the whole NBME because people were using this term for step 1 when all I could find were the subject exam ones. Anyway the NMBE for step 1 is officially called CBSSA and the info is here:

https://nsas.nbme.org/nsasweb/servlet/mesa_main

They have the various forms, up to 13 I think and it's $50 a test.

 

[Robot Skeleton]

I took all that were available to me (3,5,6,7,11,12) starting about 3 weeks out from my test. 3 and 11 predicted my score exactly, the rest underpredicted. The recent ones are probably more representative of the real test, but they are all good practice. Do as many as you can.

 

[Phloston]

I was also confused on the whole NBME because people were using this term for step 1 when all I could find were the subject exam ones. Anyway the NMBE for step 1 is officially called CBSSA and the info is here:

https://nsas.nbme.org/nsasweb/servlet/mesa_main

They have the various forms, up to 13 I think and it's $50 a test.

Thanks for posting that.

 

[Phloston]

I took all that were available to me (3,5,6,7,11,12) starting about 3 weeks out from my test. 3 and 11 predicted my score exactly, the rest underpredicted.

That helps, thanks.

After you took each NBME exam, considering you were so close to the Step, had you modified your studying to focus on weak points specific to each one, or had you merely continued with general review, etc.? I recognize that any studying close to the Step is comprehensive, but I'm just trying to understand if taking the NBMEs changed your studying/perspective at all, in the time leading up to the exam. Thanks,

 

[Robot Skeleton]

That helps, thanks.

After you took each NBME exam, considering you were so close to the Step, had you modified your studying to focus on weak points specific to each one, or had you merely continued with general review, etc.? I recognize that any studying close to the Step is comprehensive, but I'm just trying to understand if taking the NBMEs changed your studying/perspective at all, in the time leading up to the exam. Thanks,

Not really. I'd say if you are 3 weeks out from the test you should already be familiar with the areas you need to work on prior to test day (based on the qbank questions you have been doing). For example, I already knew I was relatively weak in embryo, and had already made plans to review the embryo section of FA in the last few days before my test, so it was no surprise to me when I had trouble answering a question about a pharyngeal arch or whatever.

 

[Elach]

I took NBME 5, 6, 7, 11 and 12.

The closest predicted score to my real score was NBME 7... 14 points underprediction 3 days before test!

Actually, the UWSA were the closest predictors for me (6 and 2 point underprediction), but I guess that's not the "normal" thing to happen.

Probably 7, 11 and 12 were the most similar to real test.

 

[auburnO5]

I took NBME 5, 6, 7, 11 and 12.

The closest predicted score to my real score was NBME 7... 14 points underprediction 3 days before test!

Actually, the UWSA were the closest predictors for me (6 and 2 point underprediction), but I guess that's not the "normal" thing to happen.

Probably 7, 11 and 12 were the most similar to real test.

What was your timeline in taking these?