I'm trying to figure out the score/percentage needed to pass this exam, and the ABS website is surprisingly unhelpful. Is there a score cutoff or is the whole thing graded on a curve like the ABSITE?
I'm trying to figure out the score/percentage needed to pass this exam, and the ABS website is surprisingly unhelpful. Is there a score cutoff or is the whole thing graded on a curve like the ABSITE?
It is graded on a curve. If you look at past rates for those that pass, its between 75-81% first time takers. For the CE, its between 72-80% first time takers. That's a significant amount of people that do not pass the first time around. The general rule of thumb is getting 30th percentile on your pgy5 absite should correlate with a passing score on the QE.
I found an old thread with the following information from my score report:
"Total Group Scores:"
Passing Score: Scaled Score = 75; Percent Correct = 69.4%, Percentile = 22
Average Performance for Total Group: Scale = 79.6; Percent Correct = 73.6%
Then of course, they give you your scaled score and percent correct, percentile ranking. Obviously each administration of the exam will vary, but it appears that a Scale Score in the mid 70s, and Percent Correct around 70% tends to be where the test generally requires a minimum standard.
As @ThoracicGuy notes, the 30th percentile we were all taught as the goal during residency, appears to be enough to pass the QE.