Weird Kaplan Qbank Questions!

[neurosurg777]

Is it just me or are the kaplan Qbank questions always the opposite of what you think. For example, I have done all the questions in the NMS step 2 qbook as well as the Kaplan Qbook and every time I had a question on lupus which is at least 20 times by now the answer was always anti-dsDNA even if anti-smith was an option. Now on one of the Qbank questions it's telling me that anti-smith is more specific than anti-dsDNA.

My scores ranged from 62-80 on the books with a couple of low to mid 50's and now I am scoring in the 50's with a 39 and 45 on a couple of blocks. Granted I didn't time myself on the books because I was trying to refresh my knowledge base. Maybe its the time limit.

I don't know what to do. It doesn't seem like lack of knowledge cause I am always able to reason out what type of answer they are going to give me before I read it. Maybe it is just me but Kaplan makes me feel like I don't know anything and am going to fail. Anyone have any advice. It would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

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[Golding]

I've heard things about Kaplan's QBank oddities. I'm sort of curious to run through it just to see what people are talking about. I rotated with someone who, even though he acknowledged there were misconceptions from the QBank, swore that they helped him on the exam.

So I can't personally help you with what to believe since I haven't had first-hand experience with the questions. But I can at least reassure you that you're not the only one I've heard this stuff from. QBanks are for learning off of, anyway. Doesn't help much outside of ego to get them all right. If you're learning from the 50% you're missing, it's to your benefit in the end.

In this case, you might be confusing "Anti-dsDNA" and "Anti-nuclear" antibodies. Anti-dsDNA is specific for Lupus, and Anti-SM is specific too. It's just that Anti-dsDNA is more specific. Kaplan's lecture notes.

 

[yalemd]

Is it just me or are the kaplan Qbank questions always the opposite of what you think. For example, I have done all the questions in the NMS step 2 qbook as well as the Kaplan Qbook and every time I had a question on lupus which is at least 20 times by now the answer was always anti-dsDNA even if anti-smith was an option. Now on one of the Qbank questions it's telling me that anti-smith is more specific than anti-dsDNA.

My scores ranged from 62-80 on the books with a couple of low to mid 50's and now I am scoring in the 50's with a 39 and 45 on a couple of blocks. Granted I didn't time myself on the books because I was trying to refresh my knowledge base. Maybe its the time limit.

I don't know what to do. It doesn't seem like lack of knowledge cause I am always able to reason out what type of answer they are going to give me before I read it. Maybe it is just me but Kaplan makes me feel like I don't know anything and am going to fail. Anyone have any advice. It would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Anti ds DNA is more specific (70% of cases) and indicates active lupus. That is what I read in UWorld and Wikipedia.

 

[yalemd]

@neurosurg777

What you described is typical in Q banks. Just have confidence, and do your best.

 

[neurosurg777]

I'm sure I'm not confusing ANA with ds-DNA cause in the question stem they said an ANA 1 was done and gave a value of 160. The answer states and I quote "Of all the serologic tests, anti-Smith and anti-dsDNA antibodies carry the highest specificity for lupus erythematosus. Anti-dsDNA antibodies can indicate renal involvement of disease and can be used to monitor progression of disease. Anti-Smith antibodies are also highly specific for lupus and can be positive when anti-dsDNA antibodies are negative, and therefore are best used as a diagnostic marker." I guess its also worth mentioning that 30% of people got this correct. Thats what I read in the notes too. It seems like Kaplan constantly contradicts itself or changes things when the notes are compared to the qbank.

I've heard things about Kaplan's QBank oddities. I'm sort of curious to run through it just to see what people are talking about. I rotated with someone who, even though he acknowledged there were misconceptions from the QBank, swore that they helped him on the exam.

So I can't personally help you with what to believe since I haven't had first-hand experience with the questions. But I can at least reassure you that you're not the only one I've heard this stuff from. QBanks are for learning off of, anyway. Doesn't help much outside of ego to get them all right. If you're learning from the 50% you're missing, it's to your benefit in the end.

In this case, you might be confusing "Anti-dsDNA" and "Anti-nuclear" antibodies. Anti-dsDNA is specific for Lupus, and Anti-SM is specific too. It's just that Anti-dsDNA is more specific. Kaplan's lecture notes.

 

[neurosurg777]

Yeah it seems like a pattern. I just had a shaken baby syndrome question where it was classic for shaken baby syndrome, the retinal hemorrhages were even stated and the question asked what else to do and I said immediate hospitalization and the answer was coag studies to rule out a misdiagnosis of bleeding disorder. I feel like I'm fighting more than learning with Kaplan. I wonder if I should just concentrate on UW instead?

@neurosurg777

What you described is typical in Q banks. Just have confidence, and do your best.

 

[cogwise]

I'm sure I'm not confusing ANA with ds-DNA cause in the question stem they said an ANA 1 was done and gave a value of 160. The answer states and I quote "Of all the serologic tests, anti-Smith and anti-dsDNA antibodies carry the highest specificity for lupus erythematosus. Anti-dsDNA antibodies can indicate renal involvement of disease and can be used to monitor progression of disease. Anti-Smith antibodies are also highly specific for lupus and can be positive when anti-dsDNA antibodies are negative, and therefore are best used as a diagnostic marker." I guess its also worth mentioning that 30% of people got this correct. Thats what I read in the notes too. It seems like Kaplan constantly contradicts itself or changes things when the notes are compared to the qbank.

That means anti-smith is more sensitive not specific. Anti-dsDNA are present in only 60% of SLE Patients. What they are effectively saying is Anti-Sm antibodies are a good test to rule out SLE as opposed to dsDNA. They are still wrong because anti-sm is only present in 30% of SLE patients but not for the reasons you stated. It would really help to counter the confusion if you can post the question stem, so that I get an idea, what they are asking. The question banks are rarely wrong, sometimes it is a play on words which confuses you about what they really are asking.

 

[yalemd]

That means anti-smith is more sensitive not specific. Anti-dsDNA are present in only 60% of SLE Patients. What they are effectively saying is Anti-Sm antibodies are a good test to rule out SLE as opposed to dsDNA. They are still wrong because anti-sm is only present in 30% of SLE patients but not for the reasons you stated. It would really help to counter the confusion if you can post the question stem, so that I get an idea, what they are asking. The question banks are rarely wrong, sometimes it is a play on words which confuses you about what they really are asking.

May be anti smith Abx are importance to rule in/out Lupus in case Anti dsDNA is negative. That's just a suggestion. as cogwise said, it would be helpful if we knew the whole clinical scenario.

 

[yalemd]

Yeah it seems like a pattern. I just had a shaken baby syndrome question where it was classic for shaken baby syndrome, the retinal hemorrhages were even stated and the question asked what else to do and I said immediate hospitalization and the answer was coag studies to rule out a misdiagnosis of bleeding disorder. I feel like I'm fighting more than learning with Kaplan. I wonder if I should just concentrate on UW instead?

You also may encounter an answer that says inform authoroties or something like that. It depends on the whole clinical scenario and what you you think it would be less invasive and appropriate to r/o the most dangerous situation. I had, and still having, same problem. Sometimes requires you to memorize certain scenarios for certian answers.

 

[yalemd]

Yeah it seems like a pattern. I just had a shaken baby syndrome question where it was classic for shaken baby syndrome, the retinal hemorrhages were even stated and the question asked what else to do and I said immediate hospitalization and the answer was coag studies to rule out a misdiagnosis of bleeding disorder. I feel like I'm fighting more than learning with Kaplan. I wonder if I should just concentrate on UW instead?

I would stick to UW unless I am 100% sure that's not the answer.

 

[neurosurg777]

Exactly my thought. So then either I need to go back to second grade and learn english all over again or their wording is messed up cause the question stated: "Which of the following antibodies is the most specific serologic diagnostic study for this disease".

That means anti-smith is more sensitive not specific. Anti-dsDNA are present in only 60% of SLE Patients. What they are effectively saying is Anti-Sm antibodies are a good test to rule out SLE as opposed to dsDNA. They are still wrong because anti-sm is only present in 30% of SLE patients but not for the reasons you stated. It would really help to counter the confusion if you can post the question stem, so that I get an idea, what they are asking. The question banks are rarely wrong, sometimes it is a play on words which confuses you about what they really are asking.

 

[neurosurg777]

yeah informing CPS was one of the options but I got rid of it cause I said to myself that admitting the patient and making sure they don't have a bleed since ICH is a problem in shaken baby syndrome or any other problems was the first step and then CPS would be contacted. But even then I said no to CPS cause it happened while the babysitter was around and not the parents.

You also may encounter an answer that says inform authoroties or something like that. It depends on the whole clinical scenario and what you you think it would be less invasive and appropriate to r/o the most dangerous situation. I had, and still having, same problem. Sometimes requires you to memorize certain scenarios for certian answers.

 

[neurosurg777]

I would write the question but isn't there some rule against copying kaplan stuff cause of copyright and all that? Just want to make sure before I write the whole thing on here.

 

[rahulb]

Yeah it seems like a pattern. I just had a shaken baby syndrome question where it was classic for shaken baby syndrome, the retinal hemorrhages were even stated and the question asked what else to do and I said immediate hospitalization and the answer was coag studies to rule out a misdiagnosis of bleeding disorder. I feel like I'm fighting more than learning with Kaplan. I wonder if I should just concentrate on UW instead?

you rule out medical causes before you assume it's child abuse

kaplan does have a lot of VERY frustrating questions but for the most part they make sense and are good practice because i remember step1 having equally frustrating questions. i wouldn't feel prepared for CK if i didn't do world + kaplan.

there are a couple of completely out there questions that i don't anticipate seeing: toddler eating foxglove leaves, drunk hick in texas getting bit by a rattlesnake (they aren't poisonous), kid who eats fried rice, potato salad, uncooked chicken, raw oysters, and gets bit by ticks in the same day

 

[rahulb]

I would write the question but isn't there some rule against copying kaplan stuff cause of copyright and all that? Just want to make sure before I write the whole thing on here.

you can't write the question verbatim

 

[yalemd]

you can't write the question verbatim

I agree, it violates the terms and rules of the site. Though, I saw some people doing that on a different website. Actually they are testing each other by posting these kind of questions, which is considered an intellectual property, but they don't sell it though, just for medical fun, lol.

 

[cogwise]

I would write the question but isn't there some rule against copying kaplan stuff cause of copyright and all that? Just want to make sure before I write the whole thing on here.

PM me.

 

[neurosurg777]

So is my thinking wrong that when a question asks and I quote "Which of the following antibodies is the most specific serologic diagnostic study for this disease" that means which is more specific?
Based on the explanation they provided anti-dsDNA is more specific while anti-smith is more sensitive based on their explanation of it still being positive even when anti-dsDNA is not and the way Cogwise explained it, as well as the fact that the kaplan notes state anti-dsDNA=70% and anti-smith=30% then shouldn't the answer be anti-dsDNA?

 

[cogwise]

So is my thinking wrong that when a question asks and I quote "Which of the following antibodies is the most specific serologic diagnostic study for this disease" that means which is more specific?
Based on the explanation they provided anti-dsDNA is more specific while anti-smith is more sensitive based on their explanation of it still being positive even when anti-dsDNA is not and the way Cogwise explained it, as well as the fact that the kaplan notes state anti-dsDNA=70% and anti-smith=30% then shouldn't the answer be anti-dsDNA?

Ok, I got what they are asking. This is basically a factoid question, Kaplan minutiae BS as far as I can tell. They are asking for the most specific diagnostic study(You were right to be pissed). Anti-sm is present only in SLE whereas ds-DNA can be seen in 5% of RA patients too. This makes anti-sm more specific for SLE.
That said, their explanation for the question doesn't agree with the question they were asking.In the explanation they label anti-sm as the more sensitive test. This is primarily the reason I didn't do the kaplan qbank, kaplan seems to make their qbank harder by delving on minutiae(It was the same for their step 1 qbank)whereas UW focuses more on the concepts. Frankly, in my opinion UW is the best and only Qbank you need to do well in CK.
I wouldn't bother too much about this question as you won't get any of this BS on the real test.

 

[neurosurg777]

So I guess my thinking was right that it's Kaplan minutiae BS. That's what bugs me the most about kaplan, a lot of the explanations don't agree with the question. So I am assuming you took step 2 already cause my problem isn't ignoring the question. I am worried that because if I get a similar question on the actual test or on any of the other thousand concepts Kaplan teaches me that I won't know what to pick. I want to be confident in what I am using is teaching me the right concepts and answer choices that way if I see it on the real exam I pick it with no hesitation rather than second guessing the answer. Do you think I should just switch to UW and spend the rest of my time on that? My exam is scheduled for Sept. 22. I thought if I did enough questions I would have just basically seen everything and anything that is possible that way I would have covered everything but now I'm wondering if my time is better spent doing fewer questions but really learning inside and out from those few. I have done the 1000 questions in NMS and the 850 Kaplan Qbook. I was planning on doing all of Qbank and UW as well. What do you think I should do?

Ok, I got what they are asking. This is basically a factoid question, Kaplan minutiae BS as far as I can tell. They are asking for the most specific diagnostic study(You were right to be pissed). Anti-sm is present only in SLE whereas ds-DNA can be seen in 5% of RA patients too. This makes anti-sm more specific for SLE.
That said, their explanation for the question doesn't agree with the question they were asking.In the explanation they label anti-sm as the more sensitive test. This is primarily the reason I didn't do the kaplan qbank, kaplan seems to make their qbank harder by delving on minutiae(It was the same for their step 1 qbank)whereas UW focuses more on the concepts. Frankly, in my opinion UW is the best and only Qbank you need to do well in CK.
I wouldn't bother too much about this question as you won't get any of this BS on the real test.

 

[rahulb]

eh i don't really agree. there's definitely nitpicky questions on the step that resemble kaplan more than uworld and without being exposed to these annoyances you're going to feel less prepared.

i agree that uworld is a better source by far, but if you're ready for those frustrating Qs that seem ambiguous or have 2 really good answers you'll wind up doing better. i saw quite a few kaplan-esque Qs on nbme4

i worked through all of world, unsubscribed and worked through all of kaplan, and now on the cusp of my exam i'm powering through all the world Qs a 2nd time.

 

[neurosurg777]

Hey guys, I was going to post a few more weird questions that I wanted some help on but after receiving a few emails from Kaplan I decided not to. Instead I thought I would tell you guys what they said. Here is one of them:

You are correct---historically Strep group A used to be the most common cause of impetigo thus making answer E correct but the past decade Staph Aureus has been isolated more and that would mean answer A is correct.

Those two should have not been together as choices. If you remove A is E correct and vice versa.
All the best,
Step 2 MedFeedback


This was a simple impetigo question and what other disease is related to the cause that I got wrong but after emailing them they said I was right. So the moral of the story is when you know your right don't let anyone tell you different. What bugs me the most is that we use these services to help us get higher scores that they supposedly boast about but how can I trust them when they can't get a question as straightforward as the most common cause of impetigo right. This is what bugs me about my scores too cause it's lower now because I got that one wrong even though in actuality I was right. The crazy thing is that there was a percentage of people that got this right which leads me to believe some people either got lucky or somehow are soo smart that they new what Kaplan wanted as an answer rather than what the right answer was.



All this concerns me because I have yet to see on a whole the percentages on each question being that high. They usually range around the 50% +/- 5%, with a bunch in the 8-20% range. There are some that are high like 70, 80, or 90% but those usually are the really obvious ones and there have been very few of them. I also have not had one exam that had a score higher than 57% on average for other Kaplan users. If this is true why is it all I see online are people talking about getting in the 60's and 70's. Were are all the other people. This concerns me because my scores have been all over the place. I started out in the 50's then tanked for some reason and went into the 40's with a few in the high 30's and now somehow I am back up to the 50's which makes me worried cause I based on those scores I don't know if I'm going to fail, barely pass, or do well. My overall average is 47% and Kaplan says the overall average of other Kaplan users is 53% and I have done 836 questions so far. I just feel like these percentages are really low and don't know quite hot to feel about them or interpret them. Let me know what you guys think.

 

[commander]

Hey guys, I was going to post a few more weird questions that I wanted some help on but after receiving a few emails from Kaplan I decided not to. Instead I thought I would tell you guys what they said. Here is one of them:

You are correct---historically Strep group A used to be the most common cause of impetigo thus making answer E correct but the past decade Staph Aureus has been isolated more and that would mean answer A is correct.

Those two should have not been together as choices. If you remove A is E correct and vice versa.
All the best,
Step 2 MedFeedback


This was a simple impetigo question and what other disease is related to the cause that I got wrong but after emailing them they said I was right. So the moral of the story is when you know your right don't let anyone tell you different. What bugs me the most is that we use these services to help us get higher scores that they supposedly boast about but how can I trust them when they can't get a question as straightforward as the most common cause of impetigo right. This is what bugs me about my scores too cause it's lower now because I got that one wrong even though in actuality I was right. The crazy thing is that there was a percentage of people that got this right which leads me to believe some people either got lucky or somehow are soo smart that they new what Kaplan wanted as an answer rather than what the right answer was.



All this concerns me because I have yet to see on a whole the percentages on each question being that high. They usually range around the 50% +/- 5%, with a bunch in the 8-20% range. There are some that are high like 70, 80, or 90% but those usually are the really obvious ones and there have been very few of them. I also have not had one exam that had a score higher than 57% on average for other Kaplan users. If this is true why is it all I see online are people talking about getting in the 60's and 70's. Were are all the other people. This concerns me because my scores have been all over the place. I started out in the 50's then tanked for some reason and went into the 40's with a few in the high 30's and now somehow I am back up to the 50's which makes me worried cause I based on those scores I don't know if I'm going to fail, barely pass, or do well. My overall average is 47% and Kaplan says the overall average of other Kaplan users is 53% and I have done 836 questions so far. I just feel like these percentages are really low and don't know quite hot to feel about them or interpret them. Let me know what you guys think.

Good work
that summarizes the whole kaplan story. but people I know have been getting great scores with kaplan qbank scores in the 50s, starting in high 40s. I cant believe some people are still posting here that they are doing uworld worse (as much as I hate to say it is not true, it is impossible to do much better on kaplan than uworld).

 

[neurosurg777]

Really? So it's the opposite one step 2 cause on step 1 world was harder than kaplan. It just amazes me how 19% of people on kaplan get a second trimester amnio question right and 72% get a fixed drug eruption by bactrim correct. I got the amnio right and the bactrim one wrong which I have never heard of so I don't know if I'm crazy or what. It seems like I get the lower percentage ones right and the higher ones wrong either cause I don't know it or cause I make a stupid mistake and over think it. This worries me cause if on the real one the same thing happens and they throw those out won't my score be lower than others even though I got the harder ones right?

 

[neurosurg777]

Does anyone else have any insight cause all these different score calculators online I am finding are showing me as failing miserably?

 

[commander]

Does anyone else have any insight cause all these different score calculators online I am finding are showing me as failing miserably?

relax
I know good number of people who were struggling to get 50% on kaplan qbank and did well on their steps.
they recently changed their question bank and the score estimators are incorrect.
try usmleworld now, I am sure you will score atleast 15% higher on uworld.
just learn from kaplan qbank and move to something else.

 

[neurosurg777]

relax
I know good number of people who were struggling to get 50% on kaplan qbank and did well on their steps.
they recently changed their question bank and the score estimators are incorrect.
try usmleworld now, I am sure you will score atleast 15% higher on uworld.
just learn from kaplan qbank and move to something else.

Thanks for the help. It's hard to relax when you don't know how you are doing but I know I need to relax.

Really? Cause on my first step the same thing happened to me and then I did worse on World and didn't end up doing that well.

They changed it? When? Whats different and how were the previous questions?

Sorry I am being this way but I am trying to make sure I get the score I deserve so that I can still stand a chance to get the residency spot I want. I just hated studying soo hard for step 1 and then being disappointed. It's funny you say 15% higher cause I thought World was harder than Kaplan atleast it was that way on step 1.

 

[neurosurg777]

Does the next best step in management question bug anyone else at this point or is it just me? Maybe I've just lost it and have been doing too many questions.

What does Kaplan mean when they ask this cause I am completely twisted inside my head cause they keep on changing the meaning. Sometimes it means the next step as far as lab workup, scans, etc. and sometimes it means medication.

For example, I had a CML question and it asked what is the next step in management and the answer was FISH to look for the bcr-abl protein. Not, starting treatment with imatinib. While a question on PE asked the next step in diagnosis which the answer was spiral CT but in the answer it said if it had said management it would have been heparin.

I got these questions right so its not so much a problem with the questions because I understand those concepts, rather, it's what does the word management mean because in the PE question management meant the therapy, drug, etc. while in the CML question it meant the lab, scan, etc.

So when does management mean medications and when does it mean scans or labs, etc. ?

 

[cogwise]

Does the next best step in management question bug anyone else at this point or is it just me? Maybe I've just lost it and have been doing too many questions.

What does Kaplan mean when they ask this cause I am completely twisted inside my head cause they keep on changing the meaning. Sometimes it means the next step as far as lab workup, scans, etc. and sometimes it means medication.

For example, I had a CML question and it asked what is the next step in management and the answer was FISH to look for the bcr-abl protein. Not, starting treatment with imatinib. While a question on PE asked the next step in diagnosis which the answer was spiral CT but in the answer it said if it had said management it would have been heparin.

I got these questions right so its not so much a problem with the questions because I understand those concepts, rather, it's what does the word management mean because in the PE question management meant the therapy, drug, etc. while in the CML question it meant the lab, scan, etc.

So when does management mean medications and when does it mean scans or labs, etc. ?

Man, chill out this isn't oncology boards. Don't over analyze everything. The next step means whatever is the best step to be done at the place the question ends. This depends on the question stem, whether the diagnosis is confirmed or not. If the diagnosis is not yet confirmed then the corresponding investigation will be the next step(bcr-abl in this case), otherwise go for the treatment. Considering CML is not an emergency, you would confirm it absolutely before going for therapy, in case of an emergency you can start therapy based on high clinical suspicion.
It isn't specific for a disease as you seem to think and can be tests or treatment based on the clinical scenario. You have to learn to make that distinction.

 

[neurosurg777]

Man, chill out this isn't oncology boards. Don't over analyze everything. The next step means whatever is the best step to be done at the place the question ends. This depends on the question stem, whether the diagnosis is confirmed or not. If the diagnosis is not yet confirmed then the corresponding investigation will be the next step(bcr-abl in this case), otherwise go for the treatment. Considering CML is not an emergency, you would confirm it absolutely before going for therapy, in case of an emergency you can start therapy based on high clinical suspicion.
It isn't specific for a disease as you seem to think and can be tests or treatment based on the clinical scenario. You have to learn to make that distinction.

Sorry man, I know. I'm just stressing cause majority of the time I get questions wrong is due to over analyzing like you said or misinterpreting the question cause I feel like Kaplan is messing with my head. If I could learn to stop that my scores would be in the 60's or 70's rather than 50's.

I know it's not disease specific I was just saying that they like to twist words around to mean different things for example I had a CHF question and it was a management question too and they listed both captopril and fuorosemide. I knew the answer was captopril but talked my self into lasix cause I kept on asking what do they mean by management. I said either its the ace-inhibitor because it decreases mortality or it's lasix for diuresis. I figured they were probably gona go with decreasing the mortality but I still made my self chose lasix. It's like I'm my own worse enemy.

If you have an effective way for me to stop doing that let me know. I would appreciate it. Thanks

 

[cogwise]

Sorry man, I know. I'm just stressing cause majority of the time I get questions wrong is due to over analyzing like you said or misinterpreting the question cause I feel like Kaplan is messing with my head. If I could learn to stop that my scores would be in the 60's or 70's rather than 50's.

I know it's not disease specific I was just saying that they like to twist words around to mean different things for example I had a CHF question and it was a management question too and they listed both captopril and fuorosemide. I knew the answer was captopril but talked my self into lasix cause I kept on asking what do they mean by management. I said either its the ace-inhibitor because it decreases mortality or it's lasix for diuresis. I figured they were probably gona go with decreasing the mortality but I still made my self chose lasix. It's like I'm my own worse enemy.

If you have an effective way for me to stop doing that let me know. I would appreciate it. Thanks

All I can say is stop thinking so much and stop second guessing yourself. To think simple is the key. Maybe, if you have time do a review of medicine from your primary source or keep it short and limit it to your weak areas.

 

[cogwise]

 

[neurosurg777]

Hey cogwise, thanks for the advice. I had a question I was hoping you can answer or if anyone else has any input please feel free to let me know.

I am curious about the kaplan average versus your own average. I was wondering how valid it really is because when I see these averages I don't know if the person took it timed, untimed, etc. or what they did. I mean I know if you are scoring in the 60's or 70's then you are in good shape but I mean relatively to everyone else. For example, when I get a 52% on an exam and it says average overall kaplan was 54% how do I know that I did relatively well, poorly, or average. I took that block untimed with only unused questions so how can I compare when people can take the same questions timed or untimed. I'm sure if I took it untimed my average would be higher. Especially when I see some questions with really low averages that I got right that I can't believe people didn't get versus others that are high averages that I got wrong cause it was in my opinion some crazy optho question that I have never heard of. Whats funny about that exam is that I would have had the 54% if it wasn't for making a stupid mistake. I had a sarcoids question and I forgot if it was cervical lymph node biopsy or hilar lymph node biopsy but something made me chose cervical and then later on in the same block I got another question for sarcoids exactly the same except for what they were asking and in the question stem it said hilar lymph node biopsy was done so I went back and changed the answer cause I thought oh wait maybe that's the answer. I did this cause one time I had an amiodarone pulm. toxicity question that I almost got right but talked myself into the wrong answer and in that same block the same thing happened except i didn't go back and change it and if I had I would have ended up getting it right. I know, I know, relax, calm down, etc. Sorry if I'm bugging I guess I'm just letting off some steam.

So I guess my question is how should I be comparing myself to the kaplan average because I am concerned that on the real exam I will end up getting all the hard, low percentile scoring questions right and not the easy ones which will be thrown out and I will do worse compared to everyone else.

 

[Golding]

Kaplan's QBank is incredibly disheartening. I started out doing really well, and as time goes on my score is actually getting lower. It's like the anti-USMLEWorld. :/

 

[neurosurg777]

Does anyone know if the NBME is following the new guidelines for dental procedures and endocarditis propholaxys? I had a question today on Qbank and I knew the old and new guidelines but wasn't sure which way to answer. The answer ended being the new guidelines but it got me thinking that Kaplan may be more updated because the steps have been given so many times and are not exactly updated. So on the real exam which way should I answer?

 

[Golding]

Does anyone know if the NBME is following the new guidelines for dental procedures and endocarditis propholaxys? I had a question today on Qbank and I knew the old and new guidelines but wasn't sure which way to answer. The answer ended being the new guidelines but it got me thinking that Kaplan may be more updated because the steps have been given so many times and are not exactly updated. So on the real exam which way should I answer?

You're going to run into it a few more times. I've come across about three or four of those questions, now on Kaplan's Qbank alone. Ironically enough, I came across two of the questions under the wrong guidelines in the First Aid QBook. I'd go with the new ones, because even they aren't all that "new". They reference a change made in 2007. No prophylaxis for MVP or acquired Rheumatic Heart Disease valve damage. Congenital and prosthetics get the Penicillins.

 

[neurosurg777]

I know I started this thread about Kaplan but I have finished and have moved on to UW so instead of starting a new thread I figured I would just post here. I was just curious to see if anyone knows what is up with the UW percentile. My avg. is 61% and it says that I am 55th percentile but the bar graph looks like it's higher than that. According to people that is a good score for both UW and for the step but if that's true how can 55th percentile be true. That percentile doesn't sound like you would get a 99 on the step but according to people that avg. does. Just wanted some clarification. Thanks.

 

[sendwich]

Remember that many people take UW twice so that is going to affect where you fall in terms of percentile/%.

I know I started this thread about Kaplan but I have finished and have moved on to UW so instead of starting a new thread I figured I would just post here. I was just curious to see if anyone knows what is up with the UW percentile. My avg. is 61% and it says that I am 55th percentile but the bar graph looks like it's higher than that. According to people that is a good score for both UW and for the step but if that's true how can 55th percentile be true. That percentile doesn't sound like you would get a 99 on the step but according to people that avg. does. Just wanted some clarification. Thanks.

 

[neurosurg777]

Remember that many people take UW twice so that is going to affect where you fall in terms of percentile/%.

So then is that a good percentile since it's my first time through? I don't get then why the bar graph looks like it's higher than that.

 

[Golding]

So then is that a good percentile since it's my first time through? I don't get then why the bar graph looks like it's higher than that.

It's better than being below the average, I'd say. I ended my first run through UWorld at 61%, and ended the Kaplan QBank at 67%. But I started UWorld with scores down in the 40's, when I just began my studying. Makes me wonder what it would have turned into if I did it the other way around.

 

[neurosurg777]

It's better than being below the average, I'd say. I ended my first run through UWorld at 61%, and ended the Kaplan QBank at 67%. But I started UWorld with scores down in the 40's, when I just began my studying. Makes me wonder what it would have turned into if I did it the other way around.

Whats the avg.? How can I find out what the avg. is? UW doesn't give you the cumulative avg. for other people like Kaplan does. Actually I was wondering why UW doesn't have the comparison like Kaplan does where they show you your score and and the over all other kaplan user score. My score range has been 52-75 with no ryme or reason. My very first block was a 70 then I got a 52 and then my third block was a 68. I then was stuck for a while in the 50's then jumped back into the 60's for a while and then started fluctuating again between getting 60's or 70's in the morning and then my afternoon blocks being 50's. Did you do everything timed and unused questions? I did all of my Qbank and world that way and learned as I went along. It's just weird that I have a 49% in Kaplan that can't tell me if I will even pass but then have a score in UW that from what I've found online puts me around the 220 range.

 

[Golding]

Whats the avg.? How can I find out what the avg. is? UW doesn't give you the cumulative avg. for other people like Kaplan does. Actually I was wondering why UW doesn't have the comparison like Kaplan does where they show you your score and and the over all other kaplan user score. My score range has been 52-75 with no ryme or reason. My very first block was a 70 then I got a 52 and then my third block was a 68. I then was stuck for a while in the 50's then jumped back into the 60's for a while and then started fluctuating again between getting 60's or 70's in the morning and then my afternoon blocks being 50's. Did you do everything timed and unused questions? I did all of my Qbank and world that way and learned as I went along. It's just weird that I have a 49% in Kaplan that can't tell me if I will even pass but then have a score in UW that from what I've found online puts me around the 220 range.

I sort of recall 59% being 50th percentile on UWorld, making it the average.

USMLEWorld does show you how you did against the average for individual tests. It's written in the upper left corner whenever you open a tab to review the test. I remember my score sort of fluctuated up and down like that with UWorld (on Kaplan, it was more steady all the way through, ranging to the occasional 59% and 77%). It's pretty common, I think.

On USMLEWorld, I did tests untimed and unused questions but tried to keep my work under an hour by keeping my eye on the clock. I wanted to get used to the timing, but I didn't want the test to cut off my studying. I sort of wish Kaplan had that too, but I did those timed and unused since I had no choice. It did help a little bit since I was under time pressure on a couple blocks.

I think Kaplan sort of underestimates with its predictor. They put 50% as correlating to the minimum passing score, but I sort of doubt that. There are a few blocks where >50% of testers would fail the USMLE, if that were true.

 

[neurosurg777]

I sort of recall 59% being 50th percentile on UWorld, making it the average.

USMLEWorld does show you how you did against the average for individual tests. It's written in the upper left corner whenever you open a tab to review the test. I remember my score sort of fluctuated up and down like that with UWorld (on Kaplan, it was more steady all the way through, ranging to the occasional 59% and 77%). It's pretty common, I think.

On USMLEWorld, I did tests untimed and unused questions but tried to keep my work under an hour by keeping my eye on the clock. I wanted to get used to the timing, but I didn't want the test to cut off my studying. I sort of wish Kaplan had that too, but I did those timed and unused since I had no choice. It did help a little bit since I was under time pressure on a couple blocks.

I think Kaplan sort of underestimates with its predictor. They put 50% as correlating to the minimum passing score, but I sort of doubt that. There are a few blocks where >50% of testers would fail the USMLE, if that were true.

Do you remember where or how you heard that. I only ask because if 59% is the avg. and 61 is 55th percentile I don't see how people that claim they get in the 60's on UW get anywhere from 220 to 250 on the step. If the avg. on the step was 59% I can't see how a 61 would get you into that range.

I know they give you the average for each block. I usually look at that to see how much above the avg. I am. The highest I have had so far has been 68% but most of them have been in the 50's. I meant more like what kaplan does where they show you a cumulative avg. and put the total other users avg. next to it with the bar graphs next to each other for comparison.

I thought kaplan did have that, isn't that the untimed or tutor mode. I did both timed and unused. My Kaplan score fluctuated too but was much lower that UW. I had some in the 30's and a couple in the 60's but for the most part 40's and 50's.

So then with an avg. of 49% on Kaplan compared to 54% total Kaplan users and a UW avg. of 61% approximately where do you think I lie. I know there is no way of knowing for sure except for maybe an NBME exam but a guesstimate would be nice because according to Kaplan they can't tell me and from what I found online as far as score estimators for UW it's anywhere from 217-223 but people's personal experience say higher values. What do you think?

 

[Golding]

Do you remember where or how you heard that. I only ask because if 59% is the avg. and 61 is 55th percentile I don't see how people that claim they get in the 60's on UW get anywhere from 220 to 250 on the step. If the avg. on the step was 59% I can't see how a 61 would get you into that range.

Oh, I think I misunderstood. 59% is the average score on USMLEWorld because that's where their 50th percentile lies (I remember crossing it). You're right that UWorld doesn't have an estimator, but I just used the little graph that is floated on this board. Seems reliable enough.

I know they give you the average for each block. I usually look at that to see how much above the avg. I am. The highest I have had so far has been 68% but most of them have been in the 50's. I meant more like what kaplan does where they show you a cumulative avg. and put the total other users avg. next to it with the bar graphs next to each other for comparison.

I definitely do like that Kaplan nearly overdoes it with stats. The bar graph comparisons can be encouraging, knowing that everyone else is as dumb as me. :]

But UWorld has the right mix, I think. The low scores you inevitably get with them are good incentive to work harder, whereas you can kind of self-reassure a low score on Kaplan because everyone gets one.

I thought kaplan did have that, isn't that the untimed or tutor mode. I did both timed and unused. My Kaplan score fluctuated too but was much lower that UW. I had some in the 30's and a couple in the 60's but for the most part 40's and 50's.

Kaplan doesn't quite have it like UWorld. UWorld has the option to do it timed, untimed, OR tutor mode. Kaplan's untimed mode IS the tutor mode. I think tutor mode is a total waste, because it's not a real testing scenario and it gives the same information you'd get from reviewing afterwards.

So then with an avg. of 49% on Kaplan compared to 54% total Kaplan users and a UW avg. of 61% approximately where do you think I lie. I know there is no way of knowing for sure except for maybe an NBME exam but a guesstimate would be nice because according to Kaplan they can't tell me and from what I found online as far as score estimators for UW it's anywhere from 217-223 but people's personal experience say higher values. What do you think?

I can't really say for sure. I know that they put 64% at 227, and I was scoring 230's on the NBME weeks before I even started Kaplan (was still doing USMLEWorld). I think I was much better at the time I started Kaplan, but that might just be because I didn't want to believe where things were saying I was (won't know for sure until next month). If I'd hazard a guess (mainly from the scoring of 61% on UWorld), I'd guess mid 220's to low 230's. But realistically, I'm just another student and have no basis other than my gut.

One mistake I made during Step 1 was I tried too hard to predict my score, and it got in the way of just learning concepts. Every QBank I did predicted 240, and I was landing 80% on question blocks regularly (coming to 240 in an exam with a 300 point maximum). But I scored a little less because I treated it like a given that I was going to get the 240. Prediction is nice, but the real value of QBanks is exposure to patient situations that you will recognize on the exam. Kaplan helped me answer probably a dozen more obscure questions that I probably would have otherwise not known. Without UWorld, I probably wouldn't have even had the basics down.

 

[neurosurg777]

Oh, I think I misunderstood. 59% is the average score on USMLEWorld because that's where their 50th percentile lies (I remember crossing it). You're right that UWorld doesn't have an estimator, but I just used the little graph that is floated on this board. Seems reliable enough.

I definitely do like that Kaplan nearly overdoes it with stats. The bar graph comparisons can be encouraging, knowing that everyone else is as dumb as me. :]

But UWorld has the right mix, I think. The low scores you inevitably get with them are good incentive to work harder, whereas you can kind of self-reassure a low score on Kaplan because everyone gets one.

Kaplan doesn't quite have it like UWorld. UWorld has the option to do it timed, untimed, OR tutor mode. Kaplan's untimed mode IS the tutor mode. I think tutor mode is a total waste, because it's not a real testing scenario and it gives the same information you'd get from reviewing afterwards.

I can't really say for sure. I know that they put 64% at 227, and I was scoring 230's on the NBME weeks before I even started Kaplan (was still doing USMLEWorld). I think I was much better at the time I started Kaplan, but that might just be because I didn't want to believe where things were saying I was (won't know for sure until next month). If I'd hazard a guess (mainly from the scoring of 61% on UWorld), I'd guess mid 220's to low 230's. But realistically, I'm just another student and have no basis other than my gut.

One mistake I made during Step 1 was I tried too hard to predict my score, and it got in the way of just learning concepts. Every QBank I did predicted 240, and I was landing 80% on question blocks regularly (coming to 240 in an exam with a 300 point maximum). But I scored a little less because I treated it like a given that I was going to get the 240. Prediction is nice, but the real value of QBanks is exposure to patient situations that you will recognize on the exam. Kaplan helped me answer probably a dozen more obscure questions that I probably would have otherwise not known. Without UWorld, I probably wouldn't have even had the basics down.

Cool, thanks for the info. Yeah as much as my scores sucked I felt kind of ok because my avg. were always around what other people were doing so it felt better knowing I'm not the only idiot. My score would have been higher if Kaplan adjusted it for the questions they were wrong on. I got many emails from them about how I was right or the mistakes I found in their Qbank. Yeah I'm not trying to find something that guarantees me a certain score, rather just some confidence that I will pass. It's hard not knowing one way or another when you fluctuate in scores and one can't tell you anything and the other tells you that you will score high. It's more piece of mind and a little confidence that I need rather than an exact score.

So you're taking it next month? Isn't that too late to get a score for this years match?

Well, thanks for the info. I am planning on taking an NBME next week so I guess I will know better then.

 

[Golding]

Cool, thanks for the info. Yeah as much as my scores sucked I felt kind of ok because my avg. were always around what other people were doing so it felt better knowing I'm not the only idiot. My score would have been higher if Kaplan adjusted it for the questions they were wrong on. I got many emails from them about how I was right or the mistakes I found in their Qbank. Yeah I'm not trying to find something that guarantees me a certain score, rather just some confidence that I will pass. It's hard not knowing one way or another when you fluctuate in scores and one can't tell you anything and the other tells you that you will score high. It's more piece of mind and a little confidence that I need rather than an exact score.

So you're taking it next month? Isn't that too late to get a score for this years match?

Well, thanks for the info. I am planning on taking an NBME next week so I guess I will know better then.

Yeah, the wrong information that Kaplan has on the test is unfortunate, but their QBank is relatively new, and I think that if you can identify them it means you're in decent shape. I found maybe 4-5 factual errors, and Kaplan was nice enough to acknowledge them by email, saying they will fix them. There was one question on UWorld with a factual error too (an LDL -> when to give lifestyle mods/when to give meds question). They said they'll fix them in the next edition, but I'm not sure when the next edition is. I think if you're able to spot them, you're likely in good shape.

I took the test two days ago. The scores come back next month, according to their little update that scores from mid-August to mid-September will come in on October 6.

 

[neurosurg777]

Yeah, the wrong information that Kaplan has on the test is unfortunate, but their QBank is relatively new, and I think that if you can identify them it means you're in decent shape. I found maybe 4-5 factual errors, and Kaplan was nice enough to acknowledge them by email, saying they will fix them. There was one question on UWorld with a factual error too (an LDL -> when to give lifestyle mods/when to give meds question). They said they'll fix them in the next edition, but I'm not sure when the next edition is. I think if you're able to spot them, you're likely in good shape.

I took the test two days ago. The scores come back next month, according to their little update that scores from mid-August to mid-September will come in on October 6.

Is the LDL question on UW the one where they said the answer is lifestyle but it should be lifestyle and meds? I am asking because I remember having one on a block and I chose lifestyle at first and then changed it both because his age was >45, and he was hospitalized for chest pain and angio was done. They said because the angio was clear he only had one risk factor because the angio was clear so the answer is only lifestyle mod.

Really, how do you feel about it? Did you think it was harder or easier than everything you did? Was it 44 or 46 questions per block? Did you take the UWSA and if you did how well do you think it correlates with the real one? Which NBME do you think is the best?

I'm asking because I just took the UWSA and feel pretty bad about it. I got used to the 44 question per block and the UWSA had 46 which threw me off. I got a 50, 60, 65, and 54 on blocks 1-4 in that order. They gave me a score of 440/202 which is off from what I am supposedly doing on the qbank with an avg. of 61. I felt like the questions on it were either too vague to think of an answer or mixed with too many signs and symptoms where it made it confusing. I don't know if I should feel really bad or what.

 

[Golding]

Is the LDL question on UW the one where they said the answer is lifestyle but it should be lifestyle and meds? I am asking because I remember having one on a block and I chose lifestyle at first and then changed it both because his age was >45, and he was hospitalized for chest pain and angio was done. They said because the angio was clear he only had one risk factor because the angio was clear so the answer is only lifestyle mod.

I don't recall exactly. I found it last week while reviewing. I think it was something more along the lines of someone with two risk factors that had an LDL between 130 and 160, and they said he needed Statins. Kaplan made the same mistake on one of their questions.

Really, how do you feel about it? Did you think it was harder or easier than everything you did? Was it 44 or 46 questions per block? Did you take the UWSA and if you did how well do you think it correlates with the real one? Which NBME do you think is the best?

After studying for as long as I did (I started during my rotations several months ago), things seemed to come easier than they did during practice. But there were a lot of classic questions being thrown at me. UWorld helped with the basic understanding of concepts, but Kaplan helped me identify some of the more obscure stuff (Splenic Artery Aneurysm in pregnancy comes to mind).

It's 44 questions per block. Only two of them were paired questions that you couldn't go back to change the first one, and I got maybe three pairs of matching questions.

I only did NBME 1 and 3. I was hoping to save 2 and 4 for later, but I ran out of time. Likewise with the UWSA. I planned to do it, but ran out of time. I might do it to start preparations for Step 3, since I have it anyhow. It's tough to say how representative they were, since I took them a few weeks before I was truly prepared. I think #3 did a good job with demonstrating nonclassic twists to classic examples (ie: Appendicitis in an elderly patient, anorexia in a male).

I'm asking because I just took the UWSA and feel pretty bad about it. I got used to the 44 question per block and the UWSA had 46 which threw me off. I got a 50, 60, 65, and 54 on blocks 1-4 in that order. They gave me a score of 440/202 which is off from what I am supposedly doing on the qbank with an avg. of 61. I felt like the questions on it were either too vague to think of an answer or mixed with too many signs and symptoms where it made it confusing. I don't know if I should feel really bad or what.

UWSA notoriously underestimates the scores, from what I've read from others on this forum. I'd just treat it like what it really is -- a bonus set of UWorld questions to study from.

 

[neurosurg777]

I don't recall exactly. I found it last week while reviewing. I think it was something more along the lines of someone with two risk factors that had an LDL between 130 and 160, and they said he needed Statins. Kaplan made the same mistake on one of their questions.

After studying for as long as I did (I started during my rotations several months ago), things seemed to come easier than they did during practice. But there were a lot of classic questions being thrown at me. UWorld helped with the basic understanding of concepts, but Kaplan helped me identify some of the more obscure stuff (Splenic Artery Aneurysm in pregnancy comes to mind).

It's 44 questions per block. Only two of them were paired questions that you couldn't go back to change the first one, and I got maybe three pairs of matching questions.

I only did NBME 1 and 3. I was hoping to save 2 and 4 for later, but I ran out of time. Likewise with the UWSA. I planned to do it, but ran out of time. I might do it to start preparations for Step 3, since I have it anyhow. It's tough to say how representative they were, since I took them a few weeks before I was truly prepared. I think #3 did a good job with demonstrating nonclassic twists to classic examples (ie: Appendicitis in an elderly patient, anorexia in a male).

UWSA notoriously underestimates the scores, from what I've read from others on this forum. I'd just treat it like what it really is -- a bonus set of UWorld questions to study from.

How long were the questions on the exam? Were they UW length or more like Kaplan length? I feel like I am doing better on world because they are shorter and on the real one if they are longer like Kaplans I will do worse because it takes me longer to read and comprehend and then answer them. Has NBME adjusted their practice exams or are they still 46 questions per block?

 

[Golding]

How long were the questions on the exam? Were they UW length or more like Kaplan length? I feel like I am doing better on world because they are shorter and on the real one if they are longer like Kaplans I will do worse because it takes me longer to read and comprehend and then answer them. Has NBME adjusted their practice exams or are they still 46 questions per block?

Kaplan bank length, no doubt about it. USMLEWorld's questions are brief in comparison. That's why I'm glad I did Kaplan last, since it prepares you well in terms of presentation of cases. I think if they fixed up some of their questions, and overhauled the programming so it actually matches the Fred software, they could potentially become the "gold standard" that UWorld has been credited as. The difficulty is significantly tamer, probably more along the lines of the Question Books you've done (First Aid, Kaplan, and Secrets' Question Books are all roughly the same difficulty level). But the online banks help keep your eyes open for the somewhat more obscure stuff, which is the difference between a pass and a high score.

NBME is still 46 questions per block.