The real deal compared to the NBMEs vs UWorld

[Phloston]

We've all heard for the longest time that the real deal is pretty much exactly like UWorld.

I can understand this being true in terms of the platform/interface/colors, etc., but what about in terms of actual question-style?

The reason I ask is because I've done NBMEs 1-7 at this point, and considering these questions are supposed to highly reflective/predictive of the actual exam, I feel like the question-style is NOTHING like UWorld. I actually find UWorld's more difficult questions to be way more straight-forward than the trickier ones on the NBMEs.

So yeah, I'm hoping the question-style on the actual exam is more like UWorld and less like the NBMEs.

I haven't done the newer 11-13 NBME forms yet, but does anyone know?

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[phd89]

haven't taken the exam yet but close.... and I agree with you, uworld is more straight forward even in their hard questions b/c they don't have professional test writers like the real step 1 and retired step 1 questions (nbme exams). The real step 1 writers take a simple concept and they twist it so you may fall into their trap. My guess is that there would be a combination of easy tricky and just hard questions on the real exam (when taking about medium to hard level question), but yeah the NBME's have a lot of easy tricky type of questions with a harsh curve to it, but everyone says their accurate predictors

btw 11-13 only gets harder, 11 is fine but 12 and 13 are a bit more than the average. I saved 11 and 7 for last, want to keep the moral up going into test week rather than do poor on 12,13 and feel down. My advice is save 11 for last since its easier than 12 and 13

 

[Phloston]

PhD89, now that I think of it, I'm not even sure it was necessary that I had to ask this question via this post. Free-150 from 2012 should tell us exactly what the questions are like..

 

[sephonly]

It most closely resembled Free-150 in style to be honest but those were the easy ones usually. In terms of question style I think UWSA#1 also was similar to my test.

 

[ijn]

Current CBSA and CBSSA questions appear word for word on current STEP 1 exams. STEP 1 is most like the NBMEs because the questions come from the same source. UWorld really attempts to mimic the NBME style - once you do enough of them you can start to see the exact NBME questions they adapted their own questions from. Kaplan is just out on its own.

 

[Jonari]

Phlo, what'd you think of NBME 7? That was my worst practice nbme yet.

 

[oanjiwks]

The stems were much longer than the NBMEs, and they put a lot of lab values to sift through. Apparently they're pushing to make time a factor. I had a lot of ethical questions and such with equivocal answers. Overall, maybe it was the stress, the test felt harder than USMLE and NBME questions in that I didn't feel I had as many slam dunks. However, I was pleasantly surprised by my score so maybe I just had a harder test and it was all relative. Best of luck.

 

[MBHockey]

We've all heard for the longest time that the real deal is pretty much exactly like UWorld.

I can understand this being true in terms of the platform/interface/colors, etc., but what about in terms of actual question-style?

The reason I ask is because I've done NBMEs 1-7 at this point, and considering these questions are supposed to highly reflective/predictive of the actual exam, I feel like the question-style is NOTHING like UWorld. I actually find UWorld's more difficult questions to be way more straight-forward than the trickier ones on the NBMEs.

So yeah, I'm hoping the question-style on the actual exam is more like UWorld and less like the NBMEs.

I haven't done the newer 11-13 NBME forms yet, but does anyone know?

I felt that my step 1 was just like another NBME test. I felt the UWSA were harder but the scoring was much more forgiving than on the NBMEs.

I got the same score on NBME 7, 11, and 13 (all within two weeks of my actual exam). I did 5 points better on step 1.

But i've spoken to people who said that it felt more like UWorld to them.

 

[Phloston]

Phlo, what'd you think of NBME 7? That was my worst practice nbme yet.

As I've mentioned, I think the NBME exams operate on extremes. At least 90% of the questions are cake-easy, but the tricky ones that do show up are a lot more obscure than even the harder UWorld questions. UWorld seemed to incorporate more 3- or 4-step questions. The tricky NBME questions I've found are usually just one- or two-step, but rely on you knowing the presentations / pictures really really well.

This mostly refers to the NBMEs giving slightly atypical presentations for what should be otherwise very straightforward diagnoses (e.g. differentiating schizophrenic behavior from psychotic mania). I've also noticed that the answer choices are much more similar to each other or nitpicky.

 

[image187]

phlo, youre right. the actual thing is most like the nbme tests in my experience. UWorld prepares you well but the questions are definitely not exactly the same style. I feel like UWorld is trying to get at something slightly different, like drilling in those same little suttle differences and concepts. On a slightly different note, the interface of the actual test will be the SAME as UWorld's though as far as the physical layout and where all the buttons and icons are and stuff. Which was weird to me... I would have thought the NBME tests would most closely resemble the actual thing. Using sound and video clips in the real thing is not like either UWorld or the nbme tests though.