UWorld Self-assessment Score accuracy

[Renard]

Advertisement - Members don't see this ad

Would anyone care to share how their UWorld Self-assessment score was compared to NBME history or (even more helpful) the real thing?
My Hx:
NBME 1 (3 weeks ago): 242
NBME 6 (2 weeks ago): 234
NBME 4 (1 week ago): 248
USMLEWorld: 252

 

[Nodelphi]

One person posted in the last thread on this topic that it predicted their real score within two points. Mine was 6 points higher than Form 3 but I took them a week apart so I think that's a reasonable improvement. I'd say all in all it's probably as good a predictor as the NMBE's are considering they have a SD of 13 according to medfriends.

We'll all have a lot better idea of the predictive value come July 16th though.

 

[AK_MD2BE]

Bump

 

[IndyZX]

3 weeks in, uw: 253
9 days later, nbme 5: 253

draw your own conclusions, but i see no reason to think the uw score is ridiculously off. yeah i studied some more, but your studying tends to get lower yield as you keep going.

 

[doctorFred]

this got me thinking.. does anyone have any experience with goljan's 250 question test that you can access for free on the student consult web site (after buying rr path)? i was under the impression that they covered a lot of his high yield material (especially after covering the first 50 at the end of rr path and recognizing things he stressed in the audio, ie kid with cf presenting with nasal polyps.)

just curious if it was worth the time, and hoping it was some new amalgam of post-2003 high yield content.

 

[Doko]

out of curiousity, why are uworld block's of 48 questions as opposed to 50?

 

[DwyaneWade]

out of curiousity, why are uworld block's of 48 questions as opposed to 50?

because the test is 48 questions/block? 😉

 

[R_C_Hutchinson]

out of curiousity, why are uworld block's of 48 questions as opposed to 50?

They changed it because that's the new format of the USMLE.

To OP: I'll letcha know when I get my scores back.

 

[GynGuy1983]

Bump

Just took mine and I wanted to see how accurate it was against anyone who took the exam recently.

TIA

 

[DragonWell]

There's a couple other threads on this subject if you do a search.

NBME 4 (7 wks out): 236
CBSE (5 wks out): 88/245
NBME 3 (3 wks out): 240
USMLE World Self Assessment (1 wk out): 258

Real Deal: 251

 

[MD-iwish]

So I've seen couple threads where ppl think that the UW assessment tests overestimate your score. Does anyone have any theories about this? I just took UW-1 and had about 50% correct which they equated to a 192. However, in order to score a 192 on the NBMEs, you need about 67% correct. Any thoughts? I'm just trying to figure out if my UW score is a good predictor. Thanks!

 

[rabbitsfeet777]

Ya man I have the same concern. I got like 9 days and recently got a crazy 261, but I really don't trust it. I mean getting a 260 on the real test in no walk in the park, so I'm just subtracting 20 points from my world score. I think it also has to do with if you've been using Uworld bank as ur practice. Naturally you would be comfortable with their style of questions and maybe inflate your score, although I really hope I'm wrong. My world avg is 72% and have been scoring 75-87% in last 600 questions.

 

[Cliff Huxtable]

Ya man I have the same concern. I got like 9 days and recently got a crazy 261, but I really don't trust it. I mean getting a 260 on the real test in no walk in the park, so I'm just subtracting 20 points from my world score. I think it also has to do with if you've been using Uworld bank as ur practice. Naturally you would be comfortable with their style of questions and maybe inflate your score, although I really hope I'm wrong. My world avg is 72% and have been scoring 75-87% in last 600 questions.

Nice! What other resources did you use to study?

 

[rabbitsfeet777]

RR path, but never got a chance to read endo, repro, and lympoid stuff. FA hardcore (2008). I like few books but learn them well, the rest you can reason your way through. If you spread too thin u'll be the jack of all.

I'm in my last cram days and have decided to give Goljan RR more fast pass. About done with 200 pg already. Hopefully will be through by tom night. Then I think it's just FA and questions till game day.

I hope this works, I just want a 240 so bad.

 

[Knucklehead]

NBME 4: 258
one week later UWSA: 260

Studied a couple more weeks and my score went up (>265). At least it can reflect progression.

hope this helps

 

[rabbitsfeet777]

ya i just took NBME 3 today and got 260 which matches UWSA 261. I guess the real deal is all that really matters now.

 

[Cliff Huxtable]

ya i just took NBME 3 today and got 260 which matches UWSA 261. I guess the real deal is all that really matters now.

WOW you earned a 260 by using just RR Path, FA, and UW??

Do you remember a lot from school?

 

[rabbitsfeet777]

It's not really about how many books u can get through in my opinion. I'm a pretty conceptual guy. I have a pretty poor memory when it comes to cold memorization, so to minimize that I conceptually understand topics inside and out. Then squeeze in the details. Once you get a grip, you can manage 80% of the curve balls they throw at you really. As for our med school, it suck at teaching you anything. I'm a little impressed that my method is working out so well actually....let's just hope the magic works in a week!

 

[Cliff Huxtable]

It's not really about how many books u can get through in my opinion. I'm a pretty conceptual guy. I have a pretty poor memory when it comes to cold memorization, so to minimize that I conceptually understand topics inside and out. Then squeeze in the details. Once you get a grip, you can manage 80% of the curve balls they throw at you really. As for our med school, it suck at teaching you anything. I'm a little impressed that my method is working out so well actually....let's just hope the magic works in a week!

I am the same way.

 

[Doctor4Life1769]

It's not really about how many books u can get through in my opinion. I'm a pretty conceptual guy. I have a pretty poor memory when it comes to cold memorization, so to minimize that I conceptually understand topics inside and out. Then squeeze in the details. Once you get a grip, you can manage 80% of the curve balls they throw at you really. As for our med school, it suck at teaching you anything. I'm a little impressed that my method is working out so well actually....let's just hope the magic works in a week!

What were some of your methods to getting through the material and conceptualizing the information so that the concepts stick? I have a hard time in that area, I can sit down and rote memorize, BUT I dont think that will suit me well on this exam. Any advice is appreciate - thanks.

 

[rabbitsfeet777]

Well I think the conceptualization takes longer, so you gotta be willing to put in a little more time. I think it helps to read a topic say in FA then in Goljan maybe even the audio. Then see if you can close the books and explain it out to yourself or draw out a flow chart in ur head. The nice thing about this stuff is that one organ system is bound to be connected to another, so when you hit the associated symptom in another section, make the connection and start expanding what you previously learned.

Soon enough if the question even mentions a word like hypercalcemia, your brain will immediately go looking for PTH->if not->PTHrp/lung cancer, if not -> sarcoid or multiple myeloma, if not -> Vit A/D tox, etc.

I think it comes down to just linking as many concepts and letting the details fall into place. Although memory is still a huge part of this test, having a working knowledge, Goljan style, is really helpful.

 

[nicksain]

where do you guys get the NBME tests from?

 

[TUMED2010]

World Assessment 13 points below my step 1

 

[MD-iwish]

Hey TuMed, If you don't mind my asking, how much before Step did you take the UW assessment test? I took my last UW a week ago, and still have a few days till the big test, so was just wondering if I could expect any more improvement, thanks!

Oh and Nicksain, here's where you can take the NBME tests - https://apps.nbme.org/nsasweb/servlet/mesa_main

 

[rabbitsfeet777]

Just took UWSA #2 and got 264 so it's been pretty steady. It's getting intense cuz the real thing is this Thursday. Tempted to do NBME 6, but I don't think it's worth messing with the psych this close to the test. What you guys think?

 

[davosPlatz]

this got me thinking.. does anyone have any experience with goljan's 250 question test that you can access for free on the student consult web site (after buying rr path)? i was under the impression that they covered a lot of his high yield material (especially after covering the first 50 at the end of rr path and recognizing things he stressed in the audio, ie kid with cf presenting with nasal polyps.)

just curious if it was worth the time, and hoping it was some new amalgam of post-2003 high yield content.

Kid with CF with nasal polyps .. what is this in reference to? 😍

 

[davosPlatz]

ya i just took NBME 3 today and got 260 which matches UWSA 261. I guess the real deal is all that really matters now.

Everyone that posts on SDN has Step 1 >> 240 either because it's a load of nonsense or because this is a very select population of people that are obsessed with doing well.

For the sake of adding some reality to the mix, the average is much closer to 215-225.

 

[pseudoknot]

Just took UWSA #2 and got 264 so it's been pretty steady. It's getting intense cuz the real thing is this Thursday. Tempted to do NBME 6, but I don't think it's worth messing with the psych this close to the test. What you guys think?

I think you should check in a few years down the road and tell us what it's like to be a dermatology resident.

 

[ilovehedgehogs]

Just took UWSA #2 and got 264 so it's been pretty steady. It's getting intense cuz the real thing is this Thursday. Tempted to do NBME 6, but I don't think it's worth messing with the psych this close to the test. What you guys think?

If it were me, I would leave it at that...for what it's worth, I thought the UWSA #1 exam was very similar to the real thing. I didn't do UWSA #2.

 

[Knucklehead]

Just took UWSA #2 and got 264 so it's been pretty steady. It's getting intense cuz the real thing is this Thursday. Tempted to do NBME 6, but I don't think it's worth messing with the psych this close to the test. What you guys think?

At least the self assessments show that you went up. I don't think it will psych you out if you take NBME 6. If anything it should help you on the real exam because they reuse figures and path slides. I say go for it and make sure you review the answers. Even if you drop down a couple points you're still sitting pretty.

 

[nicksain]

do the NBME 3-6 on the NBME website link posted above allow you to review your answers?

If not, do people use some screenshotted versions or something? and if so, again - where can i get ahold of these things!

thanks in advance

 

[ilovehedgehogs]

do the NBME 3-6 on the NBME website link posted above allow you to review your answers?

If not, do people use some screenshotted versions or something? and if so, again - where can i get ahold of these things!

thanks in advance

There are no answers to the NBME exam. The only point to taking one this close to the exam would be as a diagnostic, and with a 265 or whatever he had on the last UWSA I feel like he should have plenty of confidence going in and can chill out a little or memorize little random things or go over the rapid review at the end of first aid if he feels like he has to do something. I went over u world questions i got wrong for the last couple days. i think that would be a better use of time than gambling with confidence. Anyways, hes taking it thursday so he's probably already made a decision, haha

 

[rabbitsfeet777]

Ya I continued to toy the idea. I appreciate the thoughts, but I decided not to take it. My friend took one and botched something and went into a mini frenzy. I think reviewing notes and tabbed sections is best bet. Again thanks!

 

[igottaquestion]

Any more data on the accuracy of UWSA in relation actual Step 1 scores or NMBE scores?