Timing of Bathroom Breaks

[hurdlepup]

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Do you have to wait in line to exit the room to take them? Or go through some really long procedure to get back into the room?

Is there any kind of elaborate process that you have to go through between blocks while the timer is ticking away?

 

[kaleerkalut]

Do you have to wait in line to exit the room to take them? Or go through some really long procedure to get back into the room?

Is there any kind of elaborate process that you have to go through between blocks while the timer is ticking away?

I too am very curious about this. Please discuss Student Doctors 😀

 

[dude1344]

I haven't taken it yet but for my MCAT, where I'll be taking Step 1, you could leave whenever and had to fingerprint ID you as you left and entered the room.

 

[DuxburyPembroke]

For the USMLE Step 1, after you finish every block, you are given an opportunity to take a break or keep going. You are allotted 60 min for a 46-q block- when you finish a block early, that extra time gets added onto your break time. So if you get through the early blocks fairly quickly, you can take a reasonably leisurely lunch. When you take a break, you fingerprint and sign out. When you come back from a break, you turn out your pockets, sign in and fingerprint in. Pretty easy, and the test center people are there to make you feel more comfortable rather than less. I don't know how many breaks it would be okay to take in the middle of a block ("unauthorized breaks")- but in the absence of severe IBS or unwise coffee intake, you should be okay with an opportunity to go every 45 min... Good luck!

 

[hurdlepup]

Oh hey, thanks for the reply!

I was really more wondering how long it actually takes to do all of that... Like when I take a bathroom break on my practice test, I am out of the room and back in the room in 2-3 minutes...

However, that whole process seems like it could take from anywhere to 5-10 minutes just to sign in/out? Just wondering b/c I am taking a break between every block on my practice test days--but am wondering if I will have time for that if I have to go through a lot of rigamarole to get in/out of the room.

 

[fahimaz7]

I plan on taking a break after the first 150, then again at 250 for lunch. Then I'll finish the test. Something like that.

I go 150 questions all day long in our class exams, so this shouldn't be anything new?

 

[Day man]

i've trained my bowels to empty in 60 minute intervals. so if you're at my test center - get outta my way at the end of each block.

 

[Karees]

Oh hey, thanks for the reply!

I was really more wondering how long it actually takes to do all of that... Like when I take a bathroom break on my practice test, I am out of the room and back in the room in 2-3 minutes...

However, that whole process seems like it could take from anywhere to 5-10 minutes just to sign in/out? Just wondering b/c I am taking a break between every block on my practice test days--but am wondering if I will have time for that if I have to go through a lot of rigamarole to get in/out of the room.

I wouldn't say you'd have much relaxed break time if you took one between every block. It doesn't take that long to go in and out, people are usually taking breaks at different times so you won't have a line to wait in, but it definitely does take a couple minutes to make the transition.

I did:
2 blocks
BREAK - 10 mins, drink some coffee. Not too much.
2 blocks
BREAK - 20 mins, eat some lunch
1 block
BREAK - less than 10 mins, stretch/bathroom break
1 block
BREAK - about 20 mins (you're tired at this point), soda and granola bar
last block

The power went out in block 7...so that was great. We finished when they got it back on, but hope that doesn't happen. Really stressful.

They are long-ass questions. They give you an hour of break time on purpose. Definitely use it well. 2 block back to back is not really that bad.

 

[Antibodies]

I wouldn't say you'd have much relaxed break time if you took one between every block. It doesn't take that long to go in and out, people are usually taking breaks at different times so you won't have a line to wait in, but it definitely does take a couple minutes to make the transition.

I did:
2 blocks
BREAK - 10 mins, drink some coffee. Not too much.
2 blocks
BREAK - 20 mins, eat some lunch
1 block
BREAK - less than 10 mins, stretch/bathroom break
1 block
BREAK - about 20 mins (you're tired at this point), soda and granola bar
last block

The power went out in block 7...so that was great. We finished when they got it back on, but hope that doesn't happen. Really stressful.

They are long-ass questions. They give you an hour of break time on purpose. Definitely use it well. 2 block back to back is not really that bad.

How do you keep track of time if no watches are allowed?

Also, do you have an overall break time timer? If you are on break, the test won't start unless you start it? (assuming you still have break time available).

 

[jejun]

How do you keep track of time if no watches are allowed?

Also, do you have an overall break time timer? If you are on break, the test won't start unless you start it? (assuming you still have break time available).

I have this question too.

On their site it says No: "watches of any type".

 

[DuxburyPembroke]

How do you keep track of time if no watches are allowed? Also, do you have an overall break time timer? If you are on break, the test won't start unless you start it? (assuming you still have break time available).

There is an overall break timer, which works exactly like the one on the Free 150 (same orientation, too, so I'd recommend doing it beforehand, which lets you zip through it at Prometrics and add more break time to your timer). I actually felt like I had loads of time for my USMLE Step 1 (*note: the COMLEX only allows 10-min breaks between Blocks 2&3 and 6&8, and a rather short lunch between 4&5). I had time for a break after every block, including taking almost an hour for lunch.

@hurdlepup: checking in and out took less than a minute each way; a 7-minute bathroom break would take less than 10 minutes at the center where I took mine.

 

[Karees]

How do you keep track of time if no watches are allowed?

Also, do you have an overall break time timer? If you are on break, the test won't start unless you start it? (assuming you still have break time available).

In terms of keeping track of time WHILE on break, there's a clock where you sign out, and you just have to kind of have an eye out. When you've done everything "necessary" for your break, check it, see if you want to take a little more relaxing time.

I guarantee you have a better sense of how long 10 minutes is than you think. That part wasn't really stressful.

And yes, it's true there's no watches - you have to leave them in your locker. And also no gum...apparently the smell distracts people? Or maybe people crack it too much? Whatever, not that big a deal I guess.

 

[abmd]

If you took a break and didn't leave and just sat in the room for a couple minutes. Is that allowed?

 

[Antibodies]

Kind of off-topic, is there a calculator in the test software? The practice NBMEs don't have calculators.

 

[DuxburyPembroke]

Yes to both